Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-06-01
CHAPTER XIX

sit In his rocker, waiting for neigh
bors to pass and to wave at him.
Sometimes they pulled up for chat.
That was nice.
He would 60 back to the kitchen
with the news. Earl Trullinger
passed drivin' their new sorrel. I
think they paid too much for him.
Lem Gault and Mrs. Gault went
by. I waved but he didn't see me.
I expect his eyes are falling"
They had farmers telephone put
in and when it would ring, Phebe
would dry her hands and softly take
of the receiver. Pa could never
quite bring himself to eavesdrop.
But it was all right for Phebe to do
that. Womenfolks we're different.
She'd tell him the news: "Jim
Vert's broken the trip on his wheat
drill and is comm to town to see if
he can get another. He may have
to telegraph to Kansas City,"
HE never keeps his machinery
under covert" Pa was dead against
anybody who neglected their ma
chinery.
Matte Knabb's folks are comm
in from Nebraska"
did you learn when they'd get
here?"
"She don't know. She just got
the card yesterday"
They'll probably have trouble
crossing the Platte. I see it's on a
rampage"
He would go down to the bank to
see what stock reports had been
chalked up on the blackboard. This
was meeting place for the other
retired farmers; they would stand
there studying the board and discuss
ing the perplexing ups and downs
of the market. Heavy hogs were
off; light ones up. That was just
like the commission houses. Want
one thing one week, next week you
couldn't give it to 'em.
"How many steers you feedin',
Amos?"
"Eighty-two now"
''When do you calc'late to turn
'em?"
1.-THE market is so tricky think
I'll feed 'em while yet"
Hog Baker brought in load of
shoats this morning."
They would nod respectfully, for
Hog Baker was the best hog farmer
in the country. People paid atten-
ton to him. Sometimes other farm
ers would ship just because he did.
Nobody could ask for finer compli-
$1~$ Dbl
he was the best hog farmer, and Sat-
urdays would swagger down the
street in his old SLOUGH hat. When
he stepped over to the edge of the
sidewalk to talk for moment, he'd
soon have crowd around him. May
be he'd drop something.
Pa would go to Tom Wadley's;
lots of farm news there. Maybe
somebody he knew would be in. Well
(he'd say to Tom) times are chang
in.
''What do you think of this havin'
a county agent to tell people how to
FARM"
1--WE always been wantin' to find
an easy way" Pa would say and
they'd laugh.
you've made quite a success of
farmin', Amos"
Pa would straiglten up a little.
"I've managed to keep out of the
poorhouse.
you've been more liberal in your
giving than most men,"
"a person ought to do what he
can," Pa would say, pleased in spite
of himself.
Many of the retired farmers
loafed in the courthouse yard, loung-
ing on the benches, using the court
house toilet facilities, watching what
teams came in. But Pa wasn't one
of them. Even now he couldn't loaf.
Must keep busy.
"Want to run out to the farm?"
Pa would ask Phebe.
They would have an early dinner
televen-thirty) then Pa would hitch
up and they would start. Phebe
would stay at the house, talking to
the tenants wife, while Pa walked
across the pasture scooping up milk
weeds and kicking out Russian this
ties. He saw every detail in the vast
and complicated process of farm
ing. He would head toward the ten
ant. Did he have MARBLES? Pa would
ask. How about rock salt?
Pa and Phebe would get in the
buggy and start slowly back to town.
I became engaged . did dare
undertake marriage when never
knew from one month to another
how much would make?
AS a boy had listened to an en-
trancing train whistle at night, COM
ing in over the sloughs, and wished
with all my heart I could get on a
train and go somewhere. And now