American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-04-11
CHAPTER xv-continued.
Copyright by Irving DAchellerl

Up w nv Nhh Ath11 lAAREs
"Where do ye hall fromf"
"CobIesklll."
ION business for Judge Westbrookf'
"Yes."
"Writs to server"
YES" I answered with no thought
of my ~Imprudence
"Say, young man. by hockey nettie
advise you to turn right around and
go back"
"Why7"
"'Cause II ye try to serve any wrlts
ven gilt into trouble"
"That's interesting" / answered. ~
am not seeking a quarrel, but / do
want to see how the people feel about
the payment Of their rents"
"Say mister, look down into that val.
ley there" the stranger began. "Sce
ali them houses-they're the little
houses o. the poor. See how smooth
the land ISL Who built them houses2
Who cleaned that land2 Was II Mr..
livingston BY hockey nettiel / guess
mot. The men who live there built the
houses an cleaned the land. We amt
got nothin' else--not n dollari It's nll
gone to the landlord. / am for the
men who made every rod o. that land
an who W not a single rod Of II.
Years an years ago n king gave 1t to
n man who never cut one tree or laid
one stone on another. The deeds say
that we must pny n rem o. so many
bushels o. wheat n year but the land Is
NO good for wheat, an aln't been for
a hundred years. Why, We see, mis-
ter, n good many things have happened
In three hundred yenrs. The land was
lwillln' to give wheat then nm n good
lmnny folks was willln' to be slaves. BY
hockey nettlel they had got used TO It.
Kings an magistrates an slavery
didn't look so bad to 'em as they do
now. Dur brains have chnnged-thnt's
WiintS the mntter-same MS the soil
Inns changed. We want TO be free like
other folks In this country. America
mas growed up around us but here we
are Twin back In old Holland three
hundred years ago. II don't set good.
We see lots o. people that don't have
TO be slaves. They own their land an
they amt worked any harder than we
ave or been any more sayln'. That's
why l say we emit nay the rents no
more an We mustn't try to make us.
BY hockey nettlel You'll have trouble
if We do"
The truth had flashed upon me out
Of the words Of this simple man. I'm
I'll then l had heard only one side OF
the ease. II l were to be the servant
of Justice. as Mr.. Wright had advised.
what was I TO dor These tenants had
been Grlmsf0wed and were being
Grlmshnwed out of the Just fruits of
their toll by the fcudnl chief whose
remote ancestor had been n kings IN.
vorlte. For half n moment l watched
the waverlng needle OF my compass
and then:
"Ir what you say is true I think you
are right" l said.
IL don't agree with you" said young
Latour. "The PATRONS have n clear
title to this land. If the tenants don't
want TO pay the rents they ought to
get out int make wny for Others"
"Look here, young man. my name Is
Josiah Curtis" said the stranger. "l
live In the first house on the right,
hand side o. the road. You may tel
the Judge that l won't pny rent nc
more-not as long as l llve-and
won't git ont, either"
"hir. Lntour, you and Purvls may &c
on slowly-IIl overtnke you soon"
said.
They went on and left me alone with
Curtis, lie wns getting excited and
wished TO allay his fears.
"Don't let him try TO serve no writ,
or there'n be hell to pay In this val
ley" said Curtis.
an that case I shnll not try to serv,
the writs. l don't want to stir up tn,
nelghborhood. but l want to know IN,
facts. l shall try to see other tenants
and report what they say. II may leat
60 a settlement"
We went on together to the top o
the hill near which we had been stand
ing, Far ahead / saw a cloud OF dus
but no signs OF Latour and Purvis
They nus have spurred their horse
into a run. The fear came to me tina
Lntour would try TO serve the wrlts Il
spite OF me, They were In his pocket
What n fool I had beer not TO call 10
them. My companion saw the look o
concern IA my face.
Il don't like that young %feller," sui,
Curtis. "He's In fer trouble"
lie ran toward his house, which wa
only a few rods beyond us, white
started IN In pursuit OF the two me,
at top speed. Before my horse haI
taken a dozen jumps / heard n hor'
blowing behind me and its echo in tn
hills. Within a half n moment Il doze'
horns were sounding In the valley
around me. What a contrast TO Ia
quiet in which we had been riding wa
this pandemonium which had broke
loose In the countryside. A little ahea
/ could see men running out or tn
neia7 NV horse had begun to lathel