- April 281 192 L
"CLAY CHIMNEY TRAIL"
by
edein legrand sabin
Illustration
PAUL ROBINSON
Copyright By Edwin L. Sabin
I u has GONE BEFORE:
prank Beeson, from Albany, N.
caches Benton, Wyoming, then
*IB6B western terminus of the
Pacific Railroad. He had been or
, j, v physicians to seek a cli-
Tate “high and dry.” He is robbed
. nIPSt of his money in his hotel
° , i pses his last .twenty dollars
at monte in “The Big Tent,” a
dance hall and gambling resort in
' rhe “roaring” town of Menton.
Edna Montoyo, companion of a
ambler, is believed by Frank to
ve cajoled him purposely into the
m e. Broke, disconsolate over his
discovery that “the lady of .the blue
pU .< ” as he calls her, is what she
■ and finally humilated over his
glaring’ “greenness,” Frank repul
,es Edna when she begs him to go
;t\vay with her, sobbingly telling
him* that she had made a mistake
in letting him : o.'e his money. He
goes to take a joD with
P George Jenks, a teamster in a
wagon train about to leave for Salt
Lake City.
o
Westward Ho ;!
“But I’m not asking you to .mar
ry me,” she said. *T mnot asking
you to love me as a paramour, sir.
Please understand! Treat me .as
you will; as a sister, a triend, but
anything human. Oh, I’m so tired
of myself; I can’t run true, I’m un
mger false colors. And there is Mon
■oyo—bullying me, cajoling me,
I watching me. But you were dis-
I ferent! I foolishly wished to help
I you. but last night the play went
I wrong. And Montoyo struck me—
I me, in public! Oh, why couldn’t I
I have killed him. You’ll say Fm in
I love with you. Perhaps I am —
I quien sabe ? I only ask a kind of
I partnership —the encouragement of
I seme decent man near me. I have
I money; plenty till we both get a
I footing. But you wouldn’t live on
I me; no! I would be glad merely
I to tide you over, if you’d let me.
I And I l’d be willing .to wash
I floors in a restaurant if I might be
I free of insult. You, I’m sure, would
I at least protect me. Wouldn’t you ?
I You would, wouldn you? Say
I something, sir.” She paused,
I aquiver. “Shall we go? Will you
I help me?”
For an instant her appeal, of
I swimming blue eyes, upturned face,
grasp, breaking voice, sway
ed me. But I resolved not to be
again.
“Impossible, madam,” I utter-
I This is final. Good-morning.”
She staggered and with magni-
I l!C iont but futile last flourish clap-
I ped both hands to her face. Gazing
I back, as I hastened, I saw her still
I there, leaning against a wall.
; M y new boots were burning, my
I thigh was chafed raw from the
I laying Colt, and my face and
I throat were parched with the dust,
I w hen I arrived a the encampment
■ Jenks’ train.
dozen white-topped wag-
I gons were standing grouped in a
■ c,rc 'k- and figures were busily mov
■ ln ? among them, and the thin blue
I their fires was a welcom
■ ln t signal.
I mar ked women and children.
I /he whole prospect they, the
I re akfast smoke, the grazing ani-
H *** s > the stout vehicles, a line of
I clothing was homey,
came out to meet me.
A a 0i T t ay! ere you are >” he
ou fatched oil your out-
y ° U see ’” J confessed.
I “\v ' t! Td )e d me clean.”
■Yc * 1 * y ° U need * s a blanket.
■*a£ Cail ay tor out °T your
■ the trip°J’ tUrn !t in at the end of
|j,L ts !. n ' l " , '; U ' (! rne on > alon e the
■ sijj,, ,j " lC s and heeding out-
Uas:on circk ’> and halted
man, of face
(Hon a except chin, sat up
| Istiek Uag&n ' t?m?ue , whittling a
■A(i a^ ak l hands with Cap’n Hyrum
■the tain » Ulik ' H< -’ s the boss of
dams offered a thick
H* n d fir, t * proved singularly soft
I “GladV r Under the callouses.
y ° U > stran £ e r,” he
“Nm Bd ' Breakfasted ? ”
’°t yet miV t
lr e *ch tv Q . r ‘ 1 was anxious to
Wl. ine tram,”
“Nobody goes hungry from the
Adams’ wagon, stranger,” Captain
Adams observed. He slightly rais
ed his voice, peremptory. “Rachael!.
Fetch our guest some breakfast.”
There were two women in view,
busied with domestic cares. One
1 was elderly, as far ns might be
judged by her somewhat slatternly
figure. •
The other promptly ladled food
from a kettle to a platter, poured
a tin cupful of coffee from the pot,
and moved.them to me; her eyes
down, shyly handed them.
I thanked her but was not pre
sented. To the Captain’s “That
will do, Rachel,” she turned dutiful
ly away; not so soon, however, hut
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
Captain. “Such as it is, you are
welcome to. We are a plain peo
ple who walk in the way of the
Lord, for that is commanded.”
“I ask nothing better, sir,” I
answered.
, JS®
" L\Jto^BmuhSs^&ifinmtiiijfi*
\ ' wjf? m m
\ V mm, 2f L She paused, very
'^-iiSiw^' small and alone,
■fiiyHJVi*; |H[Mlvffi/^^H|Bi^ f ,//' ! /j|| viewing us, her eyes
'**' ' 11 /< .(i> M very blue, her face
The pork and beans and the
black 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, stran
ger ? ” he inquired.
“Yes, sir. I arrived in Benton
only yesterday.”
“A Sodom,” he growled harshly.
“A tented sepulcher. And it will
perish. I tell you, ycu do well to
leave it, you do well to yoke your
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 pres
ent in the stations, and he will ride
in those gilded palaces even to the
Jordan, but he shall not cross. In
the name of the Lord we shall face
him. What good there shall come,
shall abide; 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, v/e have goods to sell,
and the word of Brigham Young
has gone forth that a railroad we
must have. Against the harpies,
the gamblers and all the Gentile
vanities we will stand upon our
own feet by the help of Almighty
God.”
At this juncture, a tall double
jointed youth of about my age,
carrying an ox goad in his hand,
strolled to us as if attracted by the
harrangue.
“My son Daniel,” the captain in
troduced. “This stranger travels to
Zion with us, Daniel.”
“However, I could not help but
see that the Captain’s daughter is
pleasing to look upon.”
“How? His daughter?”
“Miss Rachael.”
“Whoa, man! She’s his wife,
and not for Gentiles. They’re both
his wifes; whether he has more in
Utah I don’t know. But you’d best
let her. alone. She’s been j’ined to
him. 7 ”
This , took me all .aback. He was
twice her age, apparently.
“And Daniel, his son—is he mar
ried ? ”
“That whely? No, he ain’t mar
ried, yet. Both he will be, soon as
he takes his pick ’cordin’ to law
and gospel among them people.
You bet you; he’ll be married
plenty.”
Later in the day as I sat resting
upon a convenient wagon-tongue
Daniel hulked to me.
“You know me?” he asked.
“Your name is Daniel, isn’t it?”
“No, ’tain’t. It’s Bonnie Brayo
on the trail.”
“All right, sir,” said I. “Which
ever you prefer.”
“I ’laow you aim to go through
with this train to Salt Lake, do
you?”
“That’s the engagement *IVe
made w ith Mr. Jenks.”
“It’s four hundred miles, an’
twenty miles at a stretch, without
water. Most the water’s pizen, too,
from hyar to the mountings.”
“I’ll have a drink what the rest
drink, I suppose.”
“I ’laow the Injuns are like to
get us. They’re powerful bad in
that thar desert. Ain’t afeared o’
Injuns, be yu ? ”
“I’ll have to take my chances on
that, too!”
“We don’t think mtich ’© Gen
tiles, yonder. We don’t want ’em,
nohaow. They’d all better git aout.
The Saints settled that country ’an
it’s ourn.”
“If you’re a sample, you’re wel
come to live there,” I retorted. “I
think I’d prefer some place else.”
“Haow?” he bleated. “Thar ain’t
no place as good. All the rest
the world has sold itself to the
devil.”
“We remained in silence for a
moment while he waited, provoca
tive.
“Say, Mister,” he blurted sud
denly, “kin yu shoot?”
“I presume I could if I had to.
Why?”
“Becuz I’m the dangest best shot
with a Colt’s in this hyar train.
Any time yu want to try 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 wag
on in the lead (two pink sunbon
nets upon the seat), the valorous
Daniel’s next, we toiled creaking
and swaying 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 designat
ed as such.
Trudging manifully at the left
fore wheel behind Mr. Jenkins’ four
span of mules I played the team
ster —although 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
suppers, we were sitting by our
fires, smoking and talking, when,
as a construction train of box cars
clanked by on the railroad I
THE CHATHAM RECORD
chanced to note a figure spring out
asprawl, alight with a whiffle of
sand, and staggering up hasten
for us.
First it accosted the hulk Dan
iel. I saw him lean from his sad
dle; 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’s lookin’
for Mister Jenks.”
In a storm of rude raillery—
“ That’s a boss 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
pantaloons, booted to the .knees,
pulled down upon her yellow hair
a black soft hat, and hanging from
the just-revealed belt around her
slender waist, a revolver trifle.
She paused, small and alone,
viewing us, her eyes very blue, her
face very white.
“Is Mr. Jenks there?” she hailed
clearly.
“Damn’ if I ain’t,” he mumbled,
glowering at me.
“I wish to engage passage to
Salt Lake,” she said.
“We haven’t no place for a wom
an, ma’am,” Jenks demurred.
“There are other women in the
train,” Edna insisted.
“Where’s Pedro? Where’s Mon
foyo?” asked Jenks.
Her eyes blazed.
He? That snake? I shot him!”
“What! You! Killed him?” Ex
clamations broke from the by
standers.
“No, I didn’t have to! But when
he tried to abuse me, I defended
myself. Wasn’t that right, gentle
men?”
“Right or wrong, he’ll be after
you, won’t he?”
The question held a note of
alarm.
“I am only an employee, here,
madam,” I faltered. “If I had an
outfit of my own I certainly would
help you.” ,
She flushed painfully; she did
not glance at me direct again, but
her unspoken thanks enfolded me.
The large form of Captain Ad
ams came striding.
“What’s this?” he demanded
harshly. “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; Jenke an’ that greenie,” Dan
iel bawled. “Ain’t she purty,
though! She’s dressed in britches.”
“Get you gone,” Captain Adams
thundered. “And these your para
mours with you. No brazen hussy
in men’s garments shall travel
with this train to Zion—no, not a
mile of the way.”
(To be continued next week)
Cobyright by Edwin L. Sabin.
B. S. Lawrence who farms in the
southern part of Randolph county
finds that the daughters of a pure
bull purchased three years ago are
doubling the milk production of
their dams.
NOTICE OF SALE UNDER
MORTGAGE.
Under and by virtue of the pow
ers of sale contained in that cer
tain mortgage deed executed by
Ransom Lambert, on the 20th day
of April, 1921, to J. M. Mclver, said
mortgage deed being registered in
the registry of Chatham county,
North Carolina in book FZ page 54
and having been duly transferred
to the undersigned, and default
having been made in the payment
of the indebtedness described in
said mortgage deed, the undersign
ed will, on Saturday the 28th day
of May, 1927, at twelve o’clock
noon, in front of the court house
door in Pittsboro, N. C., offer for
sale all that certain tract or par
cel of land lying and being in Gulf
township, Chatham county, North
Carolina, and lying on the waters
of Cedar Creek, and adjoining the
lands of J. W. Mclver, on the east,
the lands of John Jones and Joe
Reaves on the north, and the lands
of Robert Lambert on the west, and
the lands of Fred Lambert on the
south, containing 46 acres, be the
same more or less, and being the
land on which Ransom Lambert
now resides.
This the 26th day of April, A.
D., 1927.
J. M. McIVER, Jr.,
Assignee of J. M. Mclver, Mort
gagee.
Siler & Barber, Attorney.
LAND SALE
By virtue of a deed of trust
made and executed to the under
signed on the 22nd day of Decem
ber by Efland Garner and wife,
which deed of trust is recorded in
the office of the Register of Deeds
of Chatham county in book GH of
deeds, at page 558, the undersigned
will, on
MONDAY, MAY 23, 1927.
at twelve o’clock, noon, at the
court, house door in Pittsboro,Chat
ham county, sell at public auction
for cash,
A certain tract of land in Oak
land Township, Chatham county,
North Carolina, beginning at a pine
on the south side of Rocky river,
running south 40 poles to a white
oak; thence south east 210 poles to
a post oak on Deep river; thence
down the same to the mouth of the
Rocky river; thence up the same
to the beginning corner, containing
one hundred and twenty acres,
more or less, and being the same
land formerly owned by John A.
Williams, and deeded to the grant
ors herein by Wade Barber, Com
missioner of deed recorded in the
office of the Register of Deeds for
Chatham County in Book of Deeds
GK at page 149.
The sale is for the purpose of
satisfying the note secured by the
said deed of trust, default having
been made in the payment thereof,
and demand having been made on
the undersigned trustee to foreclose
the same.
This April 19, 1927.
C. E. UPCHURCH,
Sanford, N. C., Trustee.
Corn is a good feed for beef cat
tle as well as hogs according to re
cent tests by the North Carolina
experiment station.
Underline each word,.
Natural tobacco taste— for
each word means a lot to .
a Chesterfield smoker
—not hy any means! Natu-
fo^acco taste * s that
' i* implies in natural good-
Chesterfield
and yet, they 9 re MILD
Liggbtt & Myers Tobacco Co.
We Never Close Greensboro, N. C.
W. F. CLEGG, Owner and Proprietor.
Parking Lot for Patrons
LISTEN
Before you buy anything in the
HARDWARE
line for the spring work on the farm, see s
and price our goods.
We feel that we know what you want
and have got it for you at the right price.
Also Garden Seed and Cabbage
Plants Here.
THE CHATHAM HARDWARE CO-
Pittsboro, N. C.
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PAGE SEVEN