Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-01-18

sack filled with straw and of a doubt
full color, as was also the hand towel
hanging on a nail beside shocking
wash basin.
There was dirt roof on the cabin
from which clods of earth fell rather
frequently. and bounced on Wallie's
head or dropped in the food, or on his
bed to startle him when sleeping. The
floor contained knotholes through
which the field mice and chipmunks
came up to share his provisions, and
the door, being a trifle larger than
the frame, could not be closed en-
tirely.
When Wallie had called McGonni-
gle's attention to the fact that he
could stand in the middle of his cabin
and view the scenery through the
cracks in any direction, McGonnigle
had assured him that 'tfresh air never
hurt nobody" and while he cheerfully
admitted that he was not carpenter,
declared that he had made allowances
for this fact in his charges.
Though Wallie could not notice it
when he paid them, he said nothing
for by now he was accustomed to hav-
lng everything cost more than he had
anticipated however liberal he might
De in his estimate.
Boise Bill rode by occasionally and
inquired humorously if he thought he
would winter" To which Wallie al
ways replied that he intended to,
hough there were moments of de-
preston when he doubted it,
1t was upon Wallie's inability to
winter" that Candy was counting.
He had hung on longer than Candy
had thought he would, but the cattle
men felt fairly sure that the first big
snowstorm would see the last Of Wal
lie. The hardships and loneliness
would get him as it did most tender
feet, Candy reasoned, and some morn
ing he would saddle up in disgust,
leaving another homestead upon to
entry.
If, perchance, this did not happen,
Candy had system of his own for
eliminating settlers. 1t was quite as
efficacious as open warfare, though 1t
took longer and was open to the OBJ
lection that sometimes it enabled
them to stay long enough to pillow up
eighty acres or so which went to
weeds when they abandoned it.
Candy had no personal feeling
against Wallie, and, after meeting
him, decided he would use the more
lawful and humane method of Kidding
himself of him. Instead of running
him off by threats and violence he
would merely starve him out and
Wallie's bank balance indicated that
Candy was in fair way to accom-
plish his purpose.
Several happenings had made Wal
lie suspect something of Canby's pur
pose, and the same latent quality
which had made Wallie trudge dog
gedly after his COW and horse until
he had worn out their perversity al
ways made him tell himself grimly
that he was going to stick until he
had his crop in and harvested if he
one of his own haystacks.
Mostly, however, he was so busy with
his cooking, feeding his livestock,
getting wood and water, to say moth
ing of piling rocks and grubbing sage
brush, that he had no time to brood
over Candy and the wrongs he had
done him. He had learned from Nc
Gonnigle that his locoed horses would
grow worse instead of better and
eventually would have to be shot, and
that person had impaired the discour-
aging information also that not only
could he expect NO milk from his COW
until after her calf arrived in Janu-
airy, but Jerseys were breed not
commonly selected for beef cattle.
Wallie had thought that his aunt
would surely re1ent to the extent Of
writing him a Christmas letter, but
yesterday, after riding eight miles to
look in the bluing box nailed to post
by the roadside, he found that it con-
tanned only circular urging him to
raise mushrooms in his cellar.
Helene Spencely, too, might have
sent him Christmas card or some
thing. He had seen her only twice
since the sale, and each time she had
whizzed past him in Canbys machine
on the way to Prouty. The sight had
given him curious feeling which he
had tried to analyze but had been I'M
able to find satisfactory name for it.
Ito be contnued)