Lincoln County leader., July 31, 1903, Image 2

Out cm the
By a. A.
CHAPTER V.
Monday morning the boys were at work
at two wheelbarrows, for which Mr. Har
dy had brought out wheels and ironwork;
and Mr. Hardy and the men went down
to the stream, and began to strip off the
turf, and to dig out a strip of land twenty-five
feet wide along the line where the
dam was to come. The earth was then
wetted and puddled. In ten days a dam
was raised eight feet high, three feet
wide at the top and twenty-five feet wide
at the bottom. In the middle a space of
two feet wide was left, through which the
little stream at present ran. Two posts,
with grooves in them, were driven in, one
upon either side of this; and thus the
work was left for, a few days, for the sun
to bake its surface, while the men were
cutting a trench for the water to run
down to the ground to be irrigated.
A small sluice was put at the entrance
to this and all was now in readiness to
complete the final operation of closing up
the dam. A quantity of earth was first
collected and puddled and piled on the
top of the dam and on the slopes by its
side. A number of boards two feet long,
end cut to fit the grooves, were slipped
down into them, forming a solid wall,
and then upon the upper side of these the
puddled earth was thrown into the water,
Terence standing below in the stream and
pounding down the earth with a rammer.
The success was complete; in a couple of
hours' time the gap in the dam was tilled
up, and they had the satisfaction of see
ing the little stream overflowing its banks
and widening out above, while not a drop
of water made its escape by the old chan
nel. While this work had been going on the
boys had been engaged up at the house.
The first thing was to make a churn, then
to put some large closets and some more
shelves. The girls tried their first experi
ment at butter, and the result was most
satisfactory. The dinners, too, were pro
nounced to be an immense improvement
upon the old state of things.
Mr. Hardy was rather surprised at
Seth Harper, the Yankee, having remain
ed so long in his service, as the man had
plainly stated, when first engaged, that
he thought it likely that he should not fix
himself, as he expressed it, for many
weeks. However, ho stayed on, and had
evidently taken a fancy to the boys. Of
an evening, when work was over, they
would go down to the bench he had erect
ed outside his hut, and would ask him
to tell them tales of his Indian experi
ences. Upon one of these occasions Char
ley said to him: "But of all the near es
capes that you have had, which was the
most hazardous you ever had? Which do
you consider was the narrowest touch you
ever had of being killed?"
Seth considered for some time in si
lence, and then said: "That's not alto
gether an ensy question to answer. I've
been so near wiped out such scores of
times that it ain't no easy job to say
which was the downright nearest. But 1
think that, at the time, I never so much
felt that Seth Harper's time for going
down had come as I did in an affair near
Snn Louis."
"And how was that, Seth? Do tell us
about it," Maud said.
"It's rather a long story, that is," the
lankee said.
"All the better, Seth," Charley said;
"at least all the better as far as we are
concerned, if you don't mind tolling it."
"No, I don't mind, no how," Seth an
swered. "I'll just think it over, and see
where to begin."
There was a silence for a few minutes,
and the young Hardya composed them
selves comfortably for a good long sit
ting, and then Seth Harper began his
story.
"Better than five years back, In '47, I
were fighting In Mexico. It wasn't much
regilnr up and down fighting we had,
though we had some toughlsh battles, too,
but it were skirmishing here, skirmishing
there, keeping one eye always open. Me
and Bube Pearson worked mostly togeth
er. We had 'fit' the Indians out on the
prairies for years side by side, and when
Undo Sam wanted men to lick the Mex
icans we concluded to go in together.
We Misted as scouts to the 'Rangers,' that
Is, we agreed to fight us much as we were
wanted to fight, and to go on la front as
grouts, in which way we had many a lit
tle scrimmage on our own account; but
we didn't wear any uniform, or do drill.
Rube came from MissDuri most of them
viTy big chaps do. I shouldn't wonder
If Snmson did, though I never heard for
certain."
The young Uardys had great difficulty
to prevent themselves from laughing
aloud at Seth's Idea on the subject of
Samson. Charley, however, with a great
effort, steadied himself to say, "Samson
died a great many years ago, Seth. Ills
history Is lu the Bible."
"Is it, though?" Seth said, much inter
ested. "Well, now, what did he do?"
"He carried away the gates of Qata on
his back, Seth."
Seth remained thoughtful for tome
time. "It all depends on how big the
gates were," he said at last. "That gate
down there la a pretty heavylah one, but
Rube Pearson could have carried away
two slch as that, and me sitting on the
top of them. What else did ho dor
"lie was bound In new cords, and he
broke them asunder, Seth."
Seth did not appear to attach much
Importance to this, and Inquired: "Did he
do anything else?"
"He killed three hundred men with the
Jawbone of an ani."
"He killed " Seth began, and then
paused lu sheer astoutxhment. Then he
looked sharply rounJ "Yeu'rt making
t ua of me, Ud "
Pampas!
HENTY
"No, indeed, Seth," Charley said; "it is
quite true."
"Oh, it was a miracle!" Seth said,
thoughtfully. "I have no doubt that it
is all true, and I wish I could read it for
myself. I can just remember that my
mother put a great store of her Bible,
and called it the Good Book. I can't
read it myself, and shouldn't have time
to do it if I could; so it's all one as far
as that goes. I am just a hunter and
Indian fighter, and I don't know that for
years I have ever stopped so long under a
roof as I have here. My religion is the
religion of most of us out on the prairies.
Be honest and true to your word. Stick
to a friend to death, and never kill a man
except in fair fight That's about all,
and I hope it will do; at any rate, it's
too late for me to try and learn a new
one now. I listen on a Sunday to your
father's reading, and I wish sometimes
I had been taught; and yet It's better as
It is. A man who acted like that
wouldn't be much good for a rough life
on the prairies, though I have no doubt
it could be done In the settlements. Now
I will go on with that yarn I was just
IWglliillUg. .
"One day our captain sent for Uube
and me, and aays, 'I've got a job for you
two scouts. It's a dangerous one, but
you won't like it any the worse for that,
I know.'
" 'Not a bit,' said Rube, with a laugh.
He was the lightest-hearted fellow, was
Rube; always gay and jolly, and wouldn't
have hurt a squirrel, except in stand-up
fight and as a matter of business.
" 'What is it, Cap?' said I; 'you've only
got to give us the word, and we're off.'
" 'I've had a message,' he said, 'from
Col. Cabra of their service, that he is
ready to turn traitor, and hand us over
some correspondence of Santa Anna, of
which he has somehow got possession.
Being a traitor, he won't trust any one,
and the only plan we can hit upon is that
he shall make a journey to San Miguel,
thirty miles north of this, as if on busi
ness. I am to make an expedition in that
direction, and am to make him prisoner.
He will then hand over the papers. We
shall bring him here, and, after keeping
him for a time, let him go on parole. No
suspicion will, therefore, at any future
time, arise against him. Now, I want
you to go on to-morrow to San Miguel,
Oo in there after dusk, and take up your
quarters at this address. Get up as Mex
leans; it only requires a big cloak and a
sombrero. Stay all next day, and till day
break on the morning afterward, ani
then ride back on this road. You will find
out, in the first place, whether Cabra has
arrived, and, in the next place, whether
EI Zeres Ib in the neighborhood. I shall
only bring forty men, as I do not wish it
to be supposed that I am going on more
than a mere scouting expedition. You
understand?'
"'All right, Cap; we'll do it I said,
and we went off to our quarters. ,
" 'We had bettter start early, Seth,' said
Rube, 'say at daybreak.'
" 'What for, Rube?' I said.
"Rube laughed. 'I don't want to get
there before dusk. You remember Pe-
pita? You know I did feel uncommon
soft toward Peplta, and really thought
of marrying and taking her back to Mis
souri.'
" 'Only she wouldn't come, Rube?
" 'Just so, Seth,' said he, laughing. So
we agreed we would be the best friends;
and she asked me, if ever I went out to
San Miguel, to go and see her. She Uvea
in a small hacienda, a league this side of
the town.'
"I saw that it was of no UBe to argue,
but I didn't like it. The Mexican women
hated us worse than the men did, and
that warn t easy to do. But next morn
ing off we started, and by ten o'clock we
rode up to the door of the place which
Rube said answered to the description
Pepita had given him. It was a' pretty
place, with trees around it, and might
have been the residence of a small pro
prietor such as Peplta has described her
father to be. As we rode up to the door
It opened, and I saw at once that Rube
was right, for a dark-eyed Mexican girl
came out and looked at us Inquiringly.
" 'What can I do for you, seniors T she
asked.
" 'Don't you remember me, Donna Pe
plta?' Rubo said, laughing, as he lifted
the sombrero which had shaded his face.
"The girl started violently. 'Ah. Sir
nor Americano, la it you? I might have
known Indeed,' she said, smiling, 'by your
sue, even wrapped up. This, of course,
is Hignor Beta you are always together,
But come in,' she aaid.
"'Who have you got inside, Donna
Peplta r Rube asked. 'I know that 1
can trust you, but I can't trust others,
anu i aon t want it known I am here.'
"'The house is empty,' Pepita said
'My father is out. There Is only old Ja
clnta at home.'
"At this moment an old woman made
her appearance at the door, and at a
word from Peplta took our horse, while
t'epita signed us to enter.
" 'Excuse me, slgnora,' I said. 'Wt will
go first and see our horses stabled. It is
our custom; one never knows when he
may want them.'
"I thought Peplta looked annoyed, but
It was only for a moment, and then she
aid something In one of the country dia
lects to the old woman. She nodded ht r
head and went off round to the back of
the uouse, we leading our horses ami fnl.
lowing her. The stables. 1 observed, wero
singularly large and well kept for a house
of its site, but, to my surprise, Instead of
going to the long range of buildings, the
oid woman led the way to a small shed.
Aint tnese statues 7" said I.
"She shook her head, and III In Rmn
ish. They were once, but wa have onlj
two horses. Now they are used as a ator
for grains; the master has the key.'
"I could not contradict her, though 1
believed she was telling me a lie. How
ever, we fastened our horses up in the
shed, put the pistols from our holsters
into our belts, and, taking our rifles m
our hands, entered the house.
"Pepita received us very warmly, and
busied herself assisting the old woman
to get us something to eat; after which
she and Rube began love-making, and it
really seemed as if the girl meant to
change her mind, and go back with Rube,
after all. Still I was uneasy, and shortly
made some excuse to leave the room and
saunter round and about the house. I
found nothing to excite the smallest sus
picion, and was therefore content to re
turn to the room and to throw myself
lazily down and go off for a siesta, in the
wakeful intervals of which I could hear
that the delighted Rube was arranging
with Pepita how she should escape and
join him when the army retired; for. of
course neither had any idea that her
father would consent to her marrying
one of the hated enemies of his country.
CHAPTER VI.
"At 3' o'clock I roused myself and soon
after the old woman came into the room
with some lemonade. I observed that Pe
plta changed color, but she said nothing,
and a moment after, making some excuse,
she left the room. I was about to speak
to Rube on the subject, when the win
dow was darkened with men. Five or six
shots were fired at us, and with a yell a
crowd of Mexicans rushed into the room.
"As they appeared Rube Hnrnnr nn
with the exclamation: "Trapped, by thun
der!' and then fell flat on his back, shot,
I believed, through the head.
"I rushed to my rifle, seized it, but
before I could get it to my shoulder it
was knocked.from my hand. Half a doz
en fellows threw themselves upon me,
and I was a prisoner. There was such
a hubbub and a shouting at first that I
couldn't hear a word, but at last I picked
up that they were a party of the band
of El Zeres, who was in the neighbor
hood, and had been fetched by a boy that
traitress Pepita had dispatched for thorn
directly we arrived. I had my eyes fixed
upon poor Rube, whom no one thought
of noticing, when all of a sudden I gave
quite a start, for I saw a move. I couldn't
see his face, but I saw a hand stealing
gradually out toward the leg of a man
who stood near. Then there was a pause,
and then the other hand began to move.
It wasn't at all like the aimless way
that the arms of a badly hit man would
move, and I saw at once that Rube had
been playing 'possum' all along."
"Doing what, Seth?" Ethel asked.
"Just pretending to be dead. I held my
breath, for I saw he had come to the con
clusion that he could not be overlooked
much longer, and was going to make a
move.
"In another minute there was a crash
and a shout as the two men fell to the
ground with their legs knocked clean
from under tbem, catching hold of other
men and dragging them down with them.
From the midst of the confusion Rube
leaped to his feet and mude a rush for
the window; one man he leveled with a
blow of his fist; another he caught up as
If he had been a baby, and hurling him
against two others, brought them on the
ground together, and then leaping over
their bodies, dashed through the window
before the Mexicans had recovered from
their astonishment. I could have laugh
ed out loud at the yell of rage and amaze
ment with which, they set off in pursuit;
but two or three of them remained to
guard me, and 1 might have got a knife
in my ribs, so I kept quiet. I heard a
shot or two, then there was a silence for
a time, thea a shout of triumph. I knew
it was all over, and that Rube was taken
again.
"He told me afterward that h hart
made a dash round to the stable, where
ne naa rouna seven or eight Mexicans
looking after the horses; that he had
knocked down one or two who were in
his way, had leaped upon the nearest ani
mal, and had made off rh tnn nt hi.
- v vwa v ma
speed, but that a dozen others were after
him in an instant; and seeing that he
would be lassoed and thrown from his
horse, he had stopped and thrown up his
arms In token of surrender. Itnhe'a hurwu
were bound tightly behind him, and he
was iea back Into the room.
"The horses were then saddler!. imrt
were soon off, Rube and I riding in the
uiium oi tne party witn our hands tied
before us, so that w could just hold tha
bridle. We had found (lilt frrtin tUik pnn.
vernation that El Zeres with his band waa
about twenty-five miles distant.
"It was about nine o'clock whi n
rode Into camp; and as we approached
re we acknowledged that a better place
against a sudden surprise could hardly
have been chosen. The trronnrf wn s.t
for miles round; but the site of the camp
rose in a alight mound, of nearly circular
form and perhaps one hundred yards
across; the central part was thirty feet
or ao above the general level. RounJ
this the band of El Zerea was encamped.
We were led up toward the central huti
which waa evidently the abode of tha
chief. He was standing at the door, tap
ping his riding boot Impatiently with a
heavy whip; a man was holding his horse
in readiness. One of the other leaders
waa standing talking to him. El Zures
waa a slight, wiry man, with a small,
wicked-looking eye. He was the savagest
and most bloodthirsty of all the Mexican
partisans. The man with him was a tall,
swarthy, ferocious looking villain.
"El Zares looked at us for some time
without a word. Then he sadi, 'I've got
you at last; I've been on the lookout for
you for a long time past'
(To be continued.)
It Would Rcrm Bn.
fltubberton-May I Inquire what your
business la, stranger?
Stranger (haughtlly)-SIr, I'm a gen
tleman. Rubberton-Well, I reckon that's a
t;ood business, stranger, but you're not
the only man that's failed at It Chi
cago News,
Ice Cream Cake. v
Cream one cup of sugar with one
half cup of butter. Add one-half cup
of milk, one and three-fourths cups of
flour sifted with two level teaspoon
fuls of baking powder. Beat well and
fold in the beaten whites of .three
eggs and add one-half teaspoonful of
vanilla. . Bake in two round tins or
one biscuit tin from twenty to thirty
minutes. Frost with the yolks of two
eggs, thickened with confectioner's
sugar and flavored with vanilla. This
same cake recipe, flavored with al
mond extract and frosted with a boil
ed Icing containing one-half cup of
chopped blanched almonds, makes a
delicious almond cake. Good House
keeping.
Angel Food.
Sift a half-cup of flour six times with
a teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Beat
the whites of six eggs until they stand
alone and beat into them gradually a
half-cup of sifted powdered sugar; add
the flour In the same way, beating
steadily, then a teaspoonful of vanilla
and turn the mixture into a clean, un
greased pan with a funnel in the mid
dle. Bake carefully in a steady oven.
At the end of twenty-five minutes test
the loaf with a broomstraw. When
baked remove the cake from the oven
and let it stand in the tin for ten min
utes before loosening it gently from
the sides and turning It out upon a
clean cloth, pover with a white icing.
Hard Soap.
On six pounds of washing soda and
three pounds of unslaked lime pour
four gallons of boiling water. Set
aside until clear, then drain off and
add six pounds of pure fat. ' Boll, stir
ring often, until it begins to harden.
This will take several hours. Thin oc
casionally with two gallons of cold
water which was poured on the mix
ture after the water was drawn off
after standing. When so thick that a
little poured on a plate cools, add n
handful of salt, stir and turn into a
tub wet with cold water. When cold
it may be cut into the sized cakes de
sired. Baked Stuffed Peppers.
Cut green peppers In two lengthwise.
Remove the seeds and let the peppers
soak in cold water for half an hour.
Dry them and fill with a stuffiusr made
of breadcrumbs, chopped meat and
seasoning pepper, salt, sage and onion
Juice to taste. Place them In a pan
and bake until brown on top. Add a
little soup stock or melted butter and
hot water before placing In the oven.
Serve hot with fish or meat
Canned Cherries.
Prick each cherry. To three quarts
of cherries make a sirup of a quarter
of a pound of sugar and a half-cup of
water. Tut the sugar and water over
the fire until the sugar is dissolved,
then turn the cherries carefully Into
the sirup and bring very slowly to the
boil. Boil gently for five minutes,
pack the cherries In Jars and fill these
to overflowing with the boiling sirup.
Seal Immediately.
To Polish Linoleum.
First clean off all dirty mnrks with
paraflin, applied with a piece of clean
rag, either cotton or woolen. Rub till
a good polish Is obtained with clea
cloths. If the smell of paraffin Is not
liked, use beeswax and turpentine.
Linoleum should never be washed with
hot water.
Chocolate Tablets.
Tut Into a double boiler an equal
quantity of unsweetened chocolate
and melted fondant. When both are
soft stir until smooth, flavor with va
nilla, then drop by the small spoonful
upon oiled paper to harden.
For a Light Bhert Crnst.
Take three ounces of butter, clarified
dripping, or lard, rub into six ounces
of pastry flour. Add a pinch of salt
and a teaspoonful of baking powder
and make the whole Into a stiff paste
with three tablespoonfuls of cold wa
ter. Roll out the paste thinly and
bake in a very hot oven.
Stewed Potatoes.
Tut Into a frying pan a small piece
of butter, a little chopped parsley
salt pepper, and a gill of milk, thick
ened with flour. Let this come to the
boll, add cold boiled potatoes cut Into
slices, and let cook gently for ten mln
utes. Add a little bit more butter and
serve.
To Reaorate Leather.
ipe the surface slightly with a
damped cloth to cleanse It and rub
dry. Beat the white of nn egg to a
stiff froth, and apply It quickly to the
leather with a soft rag.
For Burns and Fcalda.
APPly glycerine and flour, the latter
heaped on the affected part to keep
off the air. On this put a good pad of
cotton wool and bandage.
General Debility
Day in and out there Is that feeling 0f
weakness that makes a burden of Itself.
Food does not strengthen.
Sleep does not refresh.
It Is hard to do, hard to bear, Wnat
should be easy,' vitality Is on the ebb, ana
the whole system suffers. '
For this condition take
Hood's Sarsaparilla
It vitalizes the blood, gives vigor and ton.
to all the organs and functions, and u
positively unequalled for all run-down i
debilitated conditions. w
HOLD'S PlIXB car constipation.
THE WHITB SUMMER Q1RL.
She Is a Symphony In White and Her
Teeth Should Match.
The girl who now pIansto go off on
her summer vacation recognizes that it
is a white year. Everything in the
line of feminine apparel is white by
preference. White is all the fashion.
White dresBes, white ribbons, white
hats, white stockings, even white trim
ming on the bathing dresses. White
parasols, indeed the eummer girl ia a
symphony in white.
Now comes the point wa wish espec
ially to make.
Do yon think this beautiful vision of
white lovliness, this summer girl in all
her white costuming looks well when
she opens her mouth to laugh and
shows a yellow set of teeth?
Heaven forbid, that any dainty wo
man who expects admiration this eum
mer, from those who look upon her,
will forget the absolute necessity of
having her teeth white, clean and per
fect. Before yon go to the coast, or to the
country, for your vacation, go to Wise
Brothers, the famous dentists in tha
Failing building, Portland, Oregon,
and have your teeth put in good order.
The cost is very moderate and the pain
nothing.
A Sad Case.
"Is she really so homely?"
"Homely? Say, even an amateur
photographer can't help but flatter her
when he takes her picture." N. Y.
Evening Sun.
tlOO KtWARD 8100.
The readers of this paper will be pleated to
)fearn that there is at lean one dreaded disease
that seienoe has been able to cure in all lu
Stages, and that is catarrh. Hall'iCatarrh Cms
it the only poiitive cure known to the medical
fraternity. Catarrh being a constitutional dis
ease, requires a constitutional treatment.
Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken internally, acting
directly upon the blood and mucous surfaces
of the system, thereby destroying the founda
tion of the disease, and Riving the patient
strength by building up the constitution and
assisting nature in doing- its work. The pro
prietors have so much faith In its curstivs
powers, that they offer One Hundred Dollars
for any case that It fails to cure, fiend for list
of testimonials. Address
a , a v . J- CHENEY Jt CO., Toledo, 0.
Bold bydruegisti. 75c.
Hall's Family Pills are the boat.
Bibles In Demand In China.
Recently a Chinese professor in a
government college made application
for fifty English bibles for the use of
the students.
TITO Permanency Ouroa So fits or narrotusea
1 1 1 0 after first Jay's usaof Dr. Kliaa's Great Nans
Zastonr. Band for FREE 91.00 trial bottle nd tm
Is. Da.B.H.KLiRB.Ltd.uUArcliSUfhUadalylila,r
Pessimism.
Pessimism nourishes itself in onr
time, not in the hard ground, where la
bor sweats and moile but in the flow
ery beds of luxury and slothful ease.
Rev. J. W. Chadwick.
f! """"hlnpry. Over forty different stylM
of machines lor Vatr, Gas and Mineral Prosper
nig. Hiram pr home power. We handle the KtUT
?.1"'"'v,hlJ,.Co- machinery, and full lines of re
pairs carried In stock. We also furnish gasoline
engines to run this machinery. Our machines ere
fjiHter. strongrrand ea.tlr to operate than any other
machine on the market. Thousands are In stic
c"rnU operation. HEIEKSON MACHINERY
i, I. f"''rl As;enu, foot of Morrison Street,
Portland, Ore. Send tor Free Illustrated Catolog.
STEWS!
BOWELS
Ktt yoi haven't a regular, healthy movement of IDS
we s erery day, you're sloa,or wlU be. Keep yoot
..f ". Jn he welt Force, In tneebapeof
V?, or P'll poison. Is dangerous. Th;
smoothest, easiest, moat perfect way el keeping i
bowels clear and olen 1 to take
J Pleasant, Palatable, Potent Taata flood. Do Oot4
k7JL2'?k"n. WeakcnfcVoV IpVSi loTwrltJ
alL, ."iB'' moa booklet on heal IB. Address
KEEP YOUR BLOOD CLEAN
CUHIS WHlHfc All UStrAllS.
Beat Coogb Bjrmp.f aViS (M CM
u una Bom BT dranMa
f(rX CANDY
SI JS CATHARTIC yk
J