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WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE. Frank Becjon, from Albany. N. Y.. reaches Benton. Wyoming:, then ? ? 1868 ? western terminus of the Paci fit Railroad. He had been ordered by physicians to seek < climate "high and dry." He is robbed of most of his money in his hotel and loses his last twenty lollars at monte in "The Big: Tent." a dance hall and gambling: re sort in the "roaring" town of Benton. Edna Montoyo. companian of a gambler, is believed by Frank to have cajoled him purposely into the game. Broke, disconsolate over his discovery that "the lady of the blue eyes." as he t ails her, is what she is, and finally humiliated over his glaring "green ness," Frank repulses Edna when she begs him to go avvav with her, sob bin jly telling him that she had made a mistake in letting him lose him mon ey. He goes t<? take a job with George Jenks. a teamster in a | wagon train ab . ;t t<? leave for Salt Lake City. CHAPTER VII. ? WESTWARD HO! My new I ? ? is were burning, my thigh wi?> chafed raw irnir. the sway- 1 ing Colt, and my fai e and throat were j parched wi:ii ' -t. when I arrived ! at the encampment < f Jenks' train. j Some dozen white-toped wagons j were grouped in a circle and figures j were busily moving among them, ami , the thin blue sni k?* "f then l.res wa- j a welcome signal. I marked women and children. The whole prospect ? they, the breakfast smoke. tht. grazinu animals, the stout vehicles, a line < t washed clothing ? was homey. Jenks himself came out to meet me. "Hooray! Here you are," he spin. '?You fetched all your outfit*. "What you see," I confessed. "They , stripped i *e clear.." "Wall, ill you need is a blanKCt. You can pay for it out of your wages or turn it in at the end of the trip." Ha conducted me on, along the groups ?nd tire* and bedding outside the wagon circle, and halted where a heavy man. of faee smooth-shaven, except chin, sat upon a wagon tongue, whittling a stick. "Shake hands with Cap'n Hyrum Adams, Frank. He's the boss of the train." ,'aptain Adams offered a thick hand which proved singularly soft and flatulent ui der the callouses. "Glad to meet you, stranger," he acknowledp d "Breakfasted V "Not yet, sir. I was anxious to reach the train." "Nobody goes hungry from the Adams' w igon. stvarger," Captain Adams ob>erved. He slightly raised his voice, peremptory. "Rachaell Fetch our guest some breakfast." There were two women in view, busied with domestic cares. One was elderly, as far as might* be judged by her somewhat slatternly figure. The ether promptly ladled food from a kettle to a platter, poured a tin cupful of coffee from the pot, and bore them to me; her eyes down, shyly handed them. i thanked her but was not present ed. To the Captain's "That will do, Rachel," she turned dutifully away; not so soon, however, but that I had seen a fresh young face within the bonnet confines ? a round rosy face according well with the buxom curves of her as she again bent over her wash-board. "Our fare is that of the tents of Abraham, stranger," spoke the Cap tain. "Such as it is, you are welcome to. We are a plain people who walk in the way of the Lord, for that is commanded." "I ask nothing better, sir," I an swered. The pork and beans and the Mack unsweetened coffee evidently were what I needed, for I began to mend wonderfully ere I was half through the course. "You are from the East, strang er V he inquired. "Yes. *ir. I arrived in Kenton only yesterday." "A Sodom.'* he growled harshly. "A tented sepulcher. And it will perish. I tel! you, you do well to leave it. you do well to yoke >< ur self with the appointed of this earth, rather than stay in that sin-pit of the eternally damned." "I agree with you. sir." said I. "I did not find Benton to be a pleasant place. But I had not Known, when I started from Omaha." "Possibly not." Adams assented. "The devil is attentive; he is piesent in the stations, and he will rid?? in those gilded palaces even to the .Jor dan. but he shall not cross. In the name of the Lord we shall face him. What good there shall come, shall ab'ide; but the evil shall wither. Not." he added, "that we stand against the railroad. It is needed, and we have petitioned without being: heard. We are strong: but isolated, we have poods to sell, and the word ? f Brigham loung has pone forth that a railroad < we must have. Against the harpies, the gamblers and all the Gent le van ities we will stand upon our own feet by the help of Almighty God." At this juncture, a tali double jointed youth of about my age. car rying an ox goad in his hand, strolled to us as i:' attracted y t:.e harran gue "My son Daniel," the captain in- * tr luced. "This stronger travels to Z:on with us. Pa: .< I" The youth had the irrip of a vise and seemed to enjoy emphasizing it while cunningly watching my face. "Howdy," he drawled. I left soon to join Jenks' wagon and as i passed Rachael, she glanced ' quickly up. I caught her eyes with a blush. She was indeed wholesome if not. absolutely pretty. "Wall, those Mormons are good providers." Jenks commented. "They- i will share with you whatever they have for no pay. but if you rub 'em the wrong way or go to dickerin* with | 'em they're closer'n the hide on a cold mule. You didn't make sheep's eyes at any of the women?" Daniel hulked to me. "You know me?" he asked. "Your name is Daniel, isn't it?" "No. 'tain't. It'< Bonnie Bravo on the trail." "All right, sir." said I. "Which ever you prefer." "I 'laow you aim to iro through with this train to Salt Lake, do you?' "That's the engagement I've made with Mr. Jenks." "It's lour hundred mile, an* twen ty mile at a stretch, withaoiit water. Most of the water's pizen, too. from hyar to the mountings." "I'll have to drink what the rest ir'i.k. I suppose." "I 'laow the Injuns are like to get us. They're powerful had in that thar desert. Ain't nf eared o* Injuns be yu?" "We don't think much \> Gentiles, yonder. We don't want 'em. nohaow. They'd all better srit a<??it. The Saints settled that country 'an it's ourn." If yyu rc u *? ou re v.*cl I come to live there," I retorted. "1 think I'd prefer sonic place else." "Haow?" he bleated. "Thar ain't no place as good. All the rest the world has >old itself to the devil." We remained in -ilence for a mo- 1 mint while he waited, provocative. "Say, Mister," he blurted sudden ly. "kin yu shoot?" "1 presume I could if I had to. Why?" "H'-cuz I'm the ilangest beat shot with a Colt's in this hyar train. Any time yu want to tr> a little poppin' yu let me know." And with this, he left me, with the uneasy impression that he and I were due to measure strength in one way or another. About three o'clock with whips cracking, the Captain Adams wagon in the lead (two pink sunbonnets upon the seat), the valorous Daniel's next, we toiled creaking and sway i ing up the Benton road, amidst the eddies of hot, scalding dust. It was a mixed train, of Gentile mules and the more numerous Mor mon oxen; therefore not strictly a "bull" train, but by pace designated as such. She paused, very small and alone, viewing us. her eyes very blue, her face very white. I "However, I could not help but (see that the Captain's daughter is i pleasing to look upon." "How? His daughter?" "Miss Rachael." "Whoa, man! She's his wife, and not for Gentile:-. They're both his wives; whether he has more in Utah I don't know. But you'd best let her alone. She's been j'ined to him." This took me all aback. He was twice her age, apparently. "And Daniel, his son ? is he mar ried?" "That whelp? No. he ain't mar ried, yet. But he will be, soon as he takes his pick 'cordin' to law and gos pel among them people. You bet you; hell be married plasty." Later in the day as I sat rt=ting upon a convenient wagon-tongue Trudging manfully at the left fore j wheel behind Mr. Jenks' four span of mules I played the teamster ? al though sooth to say there was little of play in the job, on that road, at that time of the day. At sundown, having eaten our sup pers, we were sitting by our fires, smoking and talking, when, as a con struction train of box cars clanked by on the railroad I chanced to note a figure spring out asprawl, alight with a whiffle of sand, and stagger ing up hasten for us. First it accosted the hulli Daniel. I saw him lean from his saddle; then he rode in, bawling like a calf: "Paw! Paw! Hey, you-all! Thar's a woman yonder in britches an' she 'laows to come on. She'3 lookin' for Mister Jenks." COMING BACK A defunct used car can be cheaply doctored up so that it will just about carry the purchaser away. The trouble is, he stays away. ' You can't make customers by making enemies. We prefer to make and keep friends. E. C. MOORE 101 TENNESSEE SI. PHONE 37 A USED CAR IS ONLY AS DEPENDABLe AS THE- DEALER WHO SELLS IT In a storm of iude raillery ? "That's a hoss on you, George!" "Didn't know you owned one o* them critters, George." "Does she wear the ' britches, George?" and so forth ? my friend Jenks arose, peering, while the solitary figure, braving our stares. , came on to the fires. "Gawd almighty!" Mr. Jenks de livered. It was My Lady ? formerly My Lady ? clad in embroidered short | Spanish jacket, tightish velvet panta loons, booted to the knees, pulled down upon her yellow hair a black f soft hat, and hanging from the just revealed belt around her slender waist a revolver trifle. She paused, small and alone, view ing us, her eyes very blue, her face Y?ry ? hite. "Is Mr. Jenks there?" she hailed clearly. "Damn' if I ain't.** he mumbled, glowering at me. I "I wish t< engage pas-age to Salt Lake." she -:.id. "We haven't no place for a woman, nr.V.r ." fenks demurred. "There are other women in the train." Kdna insisted. "Where's Pedro? Where's Mon toyo?" asked Jenks. Her eyes blazed. "He? That snake? 1 shot him!** "What' You! Killed him?** Kx clamations broke from the bystand ers. "Xo, I didn't have to! But when he tried to abuse me, I defended my self. Wasn't that riirht, gentlemen?" "Right or wrong, he'd be after you, won't he?" The question held a ncte of alarm. "I ant only an employee, here. i .ladani," I faltered. "If I had an outfit of my own I certainly would 1 el?> you " Sh'? flushed painfully; she ma not glance at me direct again, but her un spoken thanks enfolded me. The large form of Captain Adams came striding. "What's this?" he demanded harsh ly. "An ungodly woman? Get you gone, Delilah !" "I am going, sir,'' she replied. "I ask nothing from you or these ? ? gentlemen." "Them's the two she's after, paw; Jenks an' that greenie," Daniel hawl td. "Ain't she purty, though! She's dressed in britches." "Get you gone," Captain Adams thundered. "And these your para mours with you. No r.razen liussy in men's garments shall travel with this train to Zion ? no, not a mile of the way." (To be continued next week.) Copyright by Edwin L. Sabin. FOR OVER 1 ZOO YEARS haarlcm oil has been a world wide remedy for kidney, liver and bladder disorders, rheumatism, lumbago and uric acid conditions. correct internal troubles, stimulate rita! organs. Three sizes. All di uggvts. Insist on the original genuine Gold , Tt is significant '-that the users of "Standard" Gasoline f ? outnumber the users ofany*&* other brand 1 more than two tO OHC
The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, N.C.)
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March 18, 1927, edition 1
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