Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1926-02-18
CHAPTER w

II we thought we had finished with
Jake 1t was evidence that we still had
much to learn about our guides bust
ness qualities. Jake had follow-up
peculiarly his own, and that afternoon
he came steaming into our presence
as we sat in the bare lounge room of
the hotel, making list of necessities
on the back of an envelope.
II been chasin' you fellows all over
hellangone," he announced, with q pro
fuse expectoration to facilitate speech.
81 got fstful o. luck fer you. Chap
down at the stables-trouble o. some
kind or other-wants to sell his
horses; as pretty team O. bays as
ever switched tail In hytime. an
can put you next"
I THAT'S good of you" said Jack, ''but
we've just figured that we can't afford
horses It's a case of horses and no
COW, or oxen and cow, and the vote
at the moment stands unanimous for
milk to our porridge. even at the risk
Of our characters They tell us that
even good man swears when he
drives oxen"
"That's wrong" Jake corrected. "A
good man don drive oxen. He may be
good before he drives them. but not
while he drives them, nor immejut
afterward. It's agin human nature
I've seen profanity on some O. the OK
trails O. this country so thick 1t lay
JUS like fog on the prairie. Oxen
has started more fellows on the wrong
road than any other critturs-cept
women"
"Well, we're going to take chance
with both," was Jacks answer. you
don't happen to have hard-up friend
who would part with yoke Of oxen.
for consideration, do your"
Jake scratched his tousled hair med
itatively. "Come to think o. it, be-
lieve do" he said at length. II JUS
recommended chap who was talkin'
O. sellin' his oxen t'other day. AS
sleek yoke as ever switched tail in
fytime; gentle an strong. an speedy
as q scairt rabbit. / reckon I could
get you a special price on 'em, pre-
tendin' it was meself that was buyin'."
"And cow" / ventured "Have
you a cow on your bargain list?'
"Jake has everything on his bargain
list that we may happen to need" said
Jack. Everything from a COW to q
cookstove. It's all right, Jake; we
don't mind your little graft so long as
you play the game half fairly, and see
that we get at least fifty cents worth
on the dollar. Buying on our own
judgment we would probably get less
than that"
So 1t was arranged that Jake was to
be our purchasing agent, with sort of
gentleman's understanding that he
might cheat us little in consideration
Of his services in preventing other peo-
pie from cheating us a great deal. The
arrangement. believe, worked out to
our advantage. Jake undoubtedly
bought our supplies for less than we
could have bought them, even after
providing his secret commissions.
Moreover, he knew what was essential
and what was not, and he saved us
valuable time.
When at last our outfit was complete
it presented picturesque and some
what pathetic turnout. On our wagon
we had built a temporary box of
boards, and on this were piled our
trunks and personal effects, pillow, a
stove. food supplies. tent, crate
with hens and another with young
pig, while over all roasted. II may
use the term, the two girls The cow
we tied behind. while Jack and l
walked as sort of flank guard on
either side Of the oxen. These two
phlegmatic creatures rejoiced In the
names Of Buck and Bright. and stoical-
" pursued their destiny at a pace Of
two and half miles an hour. Their
resignation In adversely was sublime
in fact. we soon found 1t impossible to
Invent any adversity to which they
were not resigned
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