The Bossier banner., 1922-03-23

~lsn't 1t Magnificent! All Free for |
the Taking!"
nificentl And all free for the tax
ingw
TITS pretty to look at said Nc
Crae, ''but l guess you. didn't come
west for scenery did your"
"Well. what's the matter with it3
Look at that grass. II the soil wasn't
all right 1t wouldn't grow native crops
like that. would it?'
'sThe soils all right" answered Nc
Craze. Nothing better anywhere, an
you can pillow 100 acres to every quar-
ter section. But this is In the frost
belt. They get it every August some
times July We've got to get further
west vet. into the higher land Of the
Turtle mountain slopes know there's
good stuff there that hasn't been TAX
en-"
And so they pressed on. until. in
the bright sunshine, the blue line OF
the Turtle mountain lay like lake
on the western horizon.
Many times in their explorations
they passed over sections that Harris
would have accepted. but McCrae OBJ
jected. finding always some flaw. not
apparent to the unframed eye. At
length they rode over quarter where
McCrae turned his horse and rode
back again Forward and back for
ward and back. they rode the 100 acres.
until not rood Of it had escaped
their scrutiny. On the southeast cor
ner stream. In raviEe of Some
depth. cut off a triangle of a few
acres extent. Otherwise it was prai-
rie sod, almost level. with yellow clay
lying at the badger holes. Down in
the ravine where they had been shell
tered from fire. were red willows.
choke cherry bushes, and few little
poplars and birehes; winding pond
marked the course of the stream,
which was running In considerable vol
ume. Even as they stood on the bank
great cracking was heard. and huge
blocks OF ice rose to the surface OF
the pond. Some Of these as they rose
turned partly on their edge. showing
two smooth sides.
.'Good r. exclaimed McCrae. There's
some depth of water there. That pond
hasn't frozen solid. or the ice wouldn't
come up like that. That means water
all winter for stock. independent OF
your wella mighty important c0nsid-
GRAFTON. which lot of these land
grabbers don't seem to reckon on.
/ Now there's good quarter. Jack. This
| coulee will give shelter for your stock
/ In raw weather. an there's bench
1 looks as though II was put there fol
your little house. There's light tim.
Der to the north. fit for fuel an build
ing, within Is miles, an therell be
neighbors here before the summers
over, or I'm no prophet What do yor
sayT'
'The quarter suits me-" said Har
ris. "And the adjoining quarter Il
good stuff, too. can take pre-emp
ton right on that. But there's JUS
enc thing I'm in doubt about. How
I'm going to square 1t with you for tn,
service you have given. My cash Il
getting low, ard"
i "Don't worry about that. / gener
ally size up my customer an bill hin
accordingly. If he has lots OF money
an seems likely to part with It fool
ishly, ! put as much of 1t as / can Il
safe keeping. But there isn't an.
money fee as far as you're concerned
Fact is, kinda figure ON trading thi
bill out with you. expect to be rov
ing this country, east an west, TO
some years to come. an I've q littl
policy Of establishing depots here an
there places where can drop In fo
q square meal an q sleep an bit o
western hospitality. Places. too. i
4 you like, where there are men to sa.
i good word for Aleck McCrae. How
that suit yon?"
Harris took his friends hand In
warm grip. he rightly guessed tha
& McCrae was not bartering his service
for hospitality, but was making
easy for Harris to accept them by ar
pearing to bargain for service in re
turn. So they shook hands togetIe
on the side OF the bank overlookin
the little coulee. and as .they locke
In each others eyes Harris realize
for the first time that McCrae wa
4 still a young man. A sense Of con
q radeship came over him-a feelin
that this man was more of brothe
than a father. With adniring eye