Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-05-17
CHAPTER II
Christie Fyler.

When the town of Sleepy Cat was
throwing its excited head over its no
less excited heels in a rapid growth,
there were few quiet stretches along
the Overland trail.
1t was on one Of the long, winding
stretches Of this trail, between Point
Of Rocks and Sleepy Cat, one May
morning nearly year after the
tragic affair at Bartoe's place. that q
mountain man. seated In a light but
serviceable blackboard supplied with
comfortable lazyback seat, and
driving a team Of rangy bay horses
was headed westward quite alone on
the trail.
Wearing the long-gauntlet, soft
buckskin gloves, the stout. broad
brimmed hat, and the knotted banda
ma neckerchief of the seasoned deni-
zen Of the trail, he was comfortably
clad; In fact, his aspect at all points
marked him as one likely to be at
home in the inevitable emergencies
Of frontier life.
The horses slackening presently
their lively pace aroused their driver
from reverie. CHANGING up. he saw
that he had reached the bluff Of an
important crossing; the horses were
starting down-hill toward the bot
toms Of the Crawling Stone wash.
Driving faster for few minutes
fas he gained the creek bottom, John
selwood turned his horses off the
trail toward a growth of small trees
,en the border of the creek.
| Sitting quite at his ease with the
lines buckled about his left arm, as
the horses turned into the beaten
path, his eye fell on a horseshoe. He
paused to see whether it belonged to
one Of his mules-that is, to one of
the company mules. BE saw It did
not; for these were of a particular
style and make, easily identified by
the practiced eye. He hesitated, de-
batting whether it was worth while to
add any insurance to luck by picking
the horseshoe up. when his eye fell
On an object lying on the road a few
feet farther ahead.
It was a woman's shoe. 1t was
high shoe, narrow and apparently
Of good quality. He drove closer.
Reading the wagon tracks within
range, he saw that emigrants had
camped for the night near at hand;
the trail, swept by the shower.
showed where their wagons had
turned that morning into the road
again. This shoe had evidently been
jolted from one Of the wagons, Of
which there had been two. To Sell
wood it looked small and quite new.
1t was not unusual to see along the
way articles Of every description dis
carded or lost from travellers outfits.
Worn boots and old shoes were COM
mon sight, but this was something
very different-to Selwood. at least.
With his horses switching and stamp
ing at the flies, he tried to decide
whether to pick up the horseshoe or
the woman's shoe.
1--WE been picking up horseshoe
luck ever since came to this coun-
try" he said to himself at length
land it's been rotten luck. I'll take
a chance on beating it, So saying.
he stepped down from the blackboard.
and picked up the woman's shoe. 1t
bore inspection well-and Selwood
inspected it critically. 1t was built to
come well above the ankle It was
fashioned for high and slender in
step, and as Selwood held 1t up, the
more he looked at it the better he
liked it, and he ended by lifting the
box seat of his little wagon and
throwing the shoe into it. Realizing