White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-08-06


stampede. 1t Was an art he had
learned when cowboy on the range.
Yancey acknowledged this sugges-
ton with grateful wave of the hand.
THAT'S right, Shanghai. Thanks for
speaking up. A good song, though
little secular for the occasion. per-
haps. But anyway, you all know 1t,
and that's the main thing. kindly
favor us with the pitch, will you,
Shanghai7 Will the ladies kindly join
in with their sweet soprano voices?
Now, then, all together"
It was a well known song In the
territory where, on coming to this new
and wild country, so many settlers
with a checkered-not to say plaid
past had found it convenient to change
their names.
The congregation took it up feeling
ly, almost solemnly. Somebody in the
rear suddenly produced an accordion,
and from the crowd perched on the
saloon bar came the sound of jews
harp. The chorus now swelled with
all the fervor Of songs ecstacy. They
might have been singing Coward,
Christian Soldiers" Through 1t all.
high and clear, sounded Shanghai
Wiley's piercing tenor, like brasses in
band, and sustaining 1t from the
roulette table platform the cello Of
Yancey Cravat's powerful, rich bari
tone.
Sabra had joined in the singing, not
first, but later, timidly. 1t had
seemed, somehow, to relieve her. This,
she thought, was better. Perhaps,
after all, this new community was
about to make proper beginning.
She began to feel prim and good and
settled at last.
'Now, them" said Yancey, all aglow,
"the next thing in order is to take up
the collection before the sermon"
"What for?" yelled Pete De Vargas.
Yancey fixed him with a plying
gray eye Because, you Spanish in
fidel, part of church service is TAX
ing up a collection. Southwest Davis,
1 appoint you to work this side of the
house. Ike Bixler, you take that side.
The collection, fellow citizens, ladies
and gentlemen-and you, too, Pete-is
for the new church organ"
"Why, hi, Yancey, we amt got a
church," bawled Pete again, ag-
grieved.
"That's all right, Pete. Once we
buy an organ we'll have to build a
church to put it in. Stands to reason.
Members of the congregation, any
body putting in less than two bits will
be thrown out of the tent by me. In
dams not included"
The collection was taken up, in two
| five-gallon sombreros, the contents of
| which, as they passed from one hairy
sunburned paw to the next, were
watched with eagle eyes by Southwest
Davis and Ike Bixler, and, in fact, by
the entire gathering. The sombreros
were then solemnly and with some
hesitation brought to the roulette
table pulpit for Yancey's inspection.
"Mr. Graf Gotch, being used to
lightning calculations in the matter OF
coins, will kindly count the proceeds
of the collection"
Arkansas Graf, red-faced and per-
spring, elbowed his way to the pulpit
and made his swift and accurate
count. He muttered the result to
Yancey. Yancey announced it pub,
licly. Fellow citizens, the sum Of the
first collection for the new church
organ for the Usage church, whose de-
nomination shall be nameless, is the
gratifying total of one hundred and
thirty-nine dollars and fifty-five cents
Heb, wait minute, Graf! Fifty-fve
did you say fifty-five cents?"
"That's right, Yancey."
Yancey's eye swept his flock
Some miserable tight-fisted skinflint
of "a But maybe 1t was Ponca OF
an Usage, by mistake"
How about a Cherokee, Yancey f!
came haunting voice from somewhere
in the rear.
mo, not a Cherokee, Sid. Recog
nized your voice by the squeak. A
Cherokee-as you'd know If you knew
anything at all-you and Yountis ant
the rest of your outfits too smart tt
put anything in the contribution bo,
of a race that has robbed him of hi
birthright." He did not pause for thu
litter that went round. He now tool
from the rear pocket Of the flowing
Prince Albert the small and worn littl
Bible. "Friends! We've come to tn
sermon. What have to say is goini
to take fifteen minutes. The first fiv
minuo,s are going to be devoted to
confession by me to you, and l didn'
expect to make it when | accepted tn
job of conducting this church meeting
Walt Whitman has a line that ha
stuck in my memory. 1t Is: sa
the real and permanent grandeur
these states must be their religion
That's what Walt says. And that's tn
text intended to use for the subjec
of my sermon, though know that tn
Bible should furnish it. And now,
the eleventh hour, I've changed m