Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-06-13
The Listener
Published by special arrangement with IN
Chicago Tribunes Syndicate)
IN TWO PARTS-PART ONE

IL WAS naylng season on Tile Idlicii
of Jake Ingham. In That remote
= homestead of his at the entrance 10
Crystal canon he had gathered together
a molly crew of hay hands, taxing
what he could get, for the rest OF the
valley. too. was garnering its crops and
labor wa naughty. eXorbitant n UNI
malleable A deputation OF these tyran-
nical waits called upon Jake one noon
shortly after his haying had begun.
He had left them at their dinner only
a few minutes before and had no Sus-
picion of their motive in SO p~ortentouS-
ly presenting themselves by chosen rep
/ resentatives before him. From his seat
at the table desk he looked them over
with his habitual expression OF pa
tience, humor and kindly disillusion-
ment: The Old Timer, cadaverous and
bleak: Tim, apologize and cock-eyed;
Lark Stevens, chaw in his cheek, Sullen
and permanently depressed.
1t appeared that the boys didn't like
the cook. Saul Hands was the worst
cook they'd ever ''eat after" his pie
the worst pie they'd ever slung their
lips over" they wouldn't be carin' to
eat any more at all. not at Crystal
creek" if Saul Hands could not be
replaced
Jake tilted back his chair against
his log wall and regarded them, his
handsome sun-blacked face bent for
ward so that the chin rested on his
shirt front. His blue eyes, clear as an
animals, looked up from under his eye
browS. For so young a man 1t was a
sardonic attitude. He was thinking OF
the meals he had eaten in certain ranch
houses, of the Old Timers fried meat.
potatoes and coffee, cooked black at
breakfast and reheated at intervals
during the day, OF Tins everlasting
dough-gods and canned beans, OF the
home cooking of Lark Stevens wife,
the virago mother Of his nine young
children
Well, boys he said, I'll send Larky
down to Timber for a new cook this
afternoon. You'll have to drive the
mules, Larky-teams are all in USE"
Larky, swallowing his pride, agreed
to drive the mules.
"Onct started" he admitted, they
was sure goers," but would some of the
boys help him to a start?
The Old Timer said he'd shoot the
tails off EN- and that only a gol-derned
fool'd keep a team of mules.
Jake let this pass. They thanked
him for his promise Of gastral allevla-
& tlOll dllO H. Oio lAl lboOAAto AAA
hollow middle where he said he'd had
a Uncomfortable feelin' for the last
twenty years, followed Tim and Larky
back to the interrupted meal.
To Jake, still sardonically posed but
with the wistful look of his loneliness,
came next Saul Hands, the cook. Saul
was a big man, a big and gangling man
with tiny features and small, resenttul
eyes. He was sparsely haired, pink and
always in a sweat. He spoke aggrieved-
They don't like my cookin', Mr.. Ing
ham. No, sir. No, Mr.. Ingham, they
don't like my cookln'
You're so good at"
Yes, Mr.. Ingham, sir-lm too good
for them, was that what you was goln
to say?"
Not exactly. You're SO good at
Eyes, sir. Yes, Mr.. Ingham, sir. That's
Just it. Too good. Why, MIR. 1ngham
do you know what my trouble is? I'm
clean. Yes, sir. I'm clean. They aln1
used to it-not these here rim-rock
savages. Why, Mr.. Ingham, when ]
cook my fried fruit now, FIR instance
you're so good at this wood anc
water job" began Jake.
IT wash it, Mr.. Ingham. You ask me
if I can cook fruit? Why, Mr.. Ingham
I'm a fruit-cookin' son OF a gun. You
know what l do? l take these here
dried peaches now, Mr.. Ingham, anc
I soak 'em. I soak EN-, Mr.. lngham
Yes, sir. l soak EN- and wash EN-.
} wash 'em in"
Jake rose. I've decided, Saul, t
j give you a sort Of a raise. You're tot
: big a man to stand over that stove IL
? this hot weather. Now I'd like you II
take charge of the water-carrying, an(
: the wood and the milking, Saul. w
, got to get out now. Yes, Saul. Yes,
I know. Yes, you are clean. Sure l lik,
your fruit. Yes, 1 do. l do, surely -. :.
$ He went out, dragging Saul, who hat
! inserted a finger in his belt, as Tar a
the corral bars, where he vaulted him
self free.
= At the table dinner had been re
!, sumed. Tim had announced the sue
cess of the deputation.
! Hes sendin' Larky out for a neV
d cook. Mules"
Followed an unenthusiastic silenc
filled with the grinding sound OF teetI
/; engaged with tough beef. Tim spok
Q again softly, overwhelmingly, with tn
q Wariness of one who sets a snare.
r was any of you men at the mort
end of the field this mornin' when tina
there coyote run acrost?" No man com
: mitted himself. Tim fastened. you
ought to've seen Jumps go fer hin
Quick? Say, that dog"
"Hearin' tell of your dog" snarled tn
: Old Timer, don't help my digestlo
!, any. 1t sure don't. You bet yer. N
sir, it goes a long ways towards makll
my life uncomfortable, that dog {
yourn. Seems like I can fair SINE
them flees of his'n. When a mans g(
a sensitive stummick like l have"
"a doc l knowed once" interrupte
Larky with gloom, "telled my wife thu
!, digestion was a matter OF tempe
: Y'knoW, my wife she was a schoolmarl
- down to Timber and there was anotht
gal 1 didn't think SO much OF at tt
time, but you could tell she sortt
thought a heap of me because"
II wouldn't be carin' fer any gravy
a fat Mormon announced smoothly an
a went on at once, "all three OF n
grandmothers was schoolmarms an
l. say, you oughter've heard them wome
a fight. l kin remember"
a. In the doorway opposite the Mormc
r Saul appeared, and the smooth promi'
- ing voice faltered to silence. Saul DIRE
r close, rested his hand upon the tab
:, and remained stationary, staring ahes
=" of him. He said no word of acoustic
or of reproach, but the meal came
. an end. Saul started in silence
20 stack up his dishes, but, as the dine
Of filed To work. picking I'D their ha