OCR Text |
Show audiahle aside, "But I wouldn't give the whole road Jto such a d d outfit as that." with such sarcastic emphasis on the last word, that our voyagtrs hair fairly stood on end with the violence if their indignant amusement Such term applied to the cremt de Ic ertmt of Itnam society was enough to cause the everlasting hills to quake with anger; but on mutiort of that truly Christian gentleman, the Capti n, thty voted the ruda passenger excusable through ignorance. The mounted guard had left them an hour before, to select a location lur the bivouac; and they plowed alon through the deep dust, and frankly admitted to each other that they were getting tired. They inquired of a wayfarer how far to Schofield. and were told "Between two and three miles." They traveled what appeared to be twice that distance and inquired again, to be told "Between three and four Utiles." They gave up inquiring after that, and plodded on until just at dark they rolled into Schofield to learn that the Picnic-era Picnic-era were camped about a mil up among the mountains! The Major set the example of growling about the judgment and last of folks who would choose a location which it would take a life and death struggle to reach; and I fear that truth compels me to admit that he received some aid and countenance in his murmurings. All pure grumble too; for how could they judge of the place after datk? Well, the first news that saluted the party was that there waa no water nearer than the last thev had crossed in coming; and that was certainly a great drawback. Captain L. Mer proceeded in dignified silence to ur.tackle tha team, and the Major fumbled around for the buckets from which the horses usually drank, intending in-tending to trudge back on the road, one to give the poor steamers a drink, and the other to bring some water for crew and passengers. An Overland Sail. Writteu for the Register. CHAPTER I. OntwarJ Bound. (continued,) "Nice affair!" grumbled the Major, "to swim seven rivers to get a drink! To cross hills and mountains, and leave behind us snowbanks, brooks and springs and make a dry camp here to please some other lot! ' Eloquent silence gave assent to this out-burst, and in a moment the Mayor inquired of the ladies what was the least quantity of water that would last the camp(this partcular section of it,) until morning. "I think Major"replied Miss Antoinette with demure deliberation, about fifteen gallons to the individual would nearly serve to restore oursellrespect." 'Humph!" snorted the Mjor, and without further parley he disappeared in the darkness with his face in the direction direct-ion whence the parly had com. Somebody said "Pleasant Valley be hanired!" We houe it was not one of Up. up, up. Teams tugging and straining ,men lifting and blocking, dust rolling and luaming, but not one impatient im-patient wunl, not one cruel blow, not one angry tone. God bless such teamsters! team-sters! Then came another long dugway which they voted also four miles, considering con-sidering the depth sufficient to make the balance good for whatever might be lacking in actual length, but which one gentlemen of the fellow travelers hid temerity to state, was only three quarters of a mile' Ki'lit in the midst of this hill, they were overtaken and passed by a outfit containing con-taining a bright-eyed little lady who handled the helm with considerable skill, supplemented by many suggestions for a gentleman who walked alongside. He greeted our party cheerfully and 11 ) sooner was he out of hearing than they began to discuss him. "C. looks well;" rematked Captain L Mer. "Yes;1 responded Major Alpenstock, "very well indued. Was that his wile with him, or, one ol the delegates?" "1 hardly think that was his wife, I did not recognize her;" rejoined the Captain. It was not her turn to speak, but Yours Trulv, who had never seen either the gentleman or t lie lady before, now remarked. re-marked. "iJepend upon it, the lady is the gentleman's wife." "How can vou tell?" demanded both gentlemen in surprise. "Nothing more easy," said Your Truly with conviction, "I simply noticed the authoritative diet-iou diet-iou s about the steering." Truth compels the admission that her simple test was correct 111 this one case; though that was not learned until later. The gentlemen laughed a little derisively and tne Major retorted, "I pity the man who once had to live with you ma'am." ma'-am." "Don't trouble vourselt, Major, foi I assure you he rather seemed to like it," answered the lady sweetly; "but I g ve you leave to state your reason for the ladies. The mounted guard did not put in an appearance, and he was pronounced pro-nounced worse than useless. The chorus of merry voices from some happier hap-pier set of picnicers swelled mockingly mocking-ly on the evening air, and while Gaunt leroy lay quietly down and went to sleep Miss Antoinette and Yours Truly simply waited in silence almost sullen lor the Captain, the Major and the water bucket. Thev came at length, and then supper was to be disposed of, and bedrooms to be built and furnished. As usual the schooner was unloaded and dismantled to make room for the ladies berths, and the gentlemen swing their hammocks under the stars, on the ground. "Tired natures sweet restore! " must have busied herself during the night in gathering up and removing grumbles, sulks and all other disatjieeables; for when the fair morning smiled over theeastern hills, our voyagers were all smiles as well. L. Mer was off at peep o' dy to bring a barrel of water and make his own seli-ction of a place to pitch his tent; and bad reacned the new and pl-.taani loca tion before the laggaid guard reported himself and the location he had chosen. Other picnickers came and went with merry greeting's and lively sallies, all was cheerfulness and goad will, and at the appointed hour the regular session of the grand Conjoint Teachers Summer Institute began its five days session. To bt continued. pitvmg him. "Oli, you are so prejudiced in favor of ladies, you aKvays misjudge the getleinan." "I deny it. Major; I might retort in kind Irom the fact that you have sj misjuijded me, but even if you were r giit, 1 could aiiiolv excuse myself on the ground that my experience lias beeu s icli as to w.np me in that direction, lint leully and truly all I ask lor myself or any l.i iy is a lair field, and no favor." "No f.iv.jr," exclaimed the Major as in sreat suiprise, "''lid you never ask nor exnert favors on account' of being a ladyf " "Never in business affairs. Of course, I think tlie teamater who passed us on level ground this morning snould have taken the dusty side because ol there be n.i ladies in the wagon; but he didn't do it, audi never tried to force my idea upon him." "But yi'U never asked favor in buisness transaction?" repeated Major Alpenstock. Alpen-stock. "No, I have sometimes had them offered me, and in ninety-nine per cent, ol cases they resulted in my having to pay fifty or a hundred per cent, above market value for the reputed favors." "Give an example;" said L Mer, with the air of a pedagogue drilling his class. "Very well, Captain. About two months after the death of the individual whom the Major pities, I had occasion to hire a man to bring his team and move my household goods lo another blace not half a mile d slant. He came just at two o'clock in the afternoon. and accomplished accomplish-ed the task belore daik. When 1 asked his price, he said benevolently be-nevolently that since i was a widow with small children dependent upon me, it I could pay cash, he would put it at three Uollais." "Three Dollars!" heavy exclamation point followed by an eloquent silence; then three distinct voices inquired, Did you pay ii?" "Well, not quite. He had spent the forenoon ol tne dav removing the furniture furni-ture of another family which had a man at the head, I went to See him abuut it, and found him in a towering rage because the fellow had charged him two dollors. and his wife had paid him before he knew how much it was, I had some dealing with this gentleman, and so requested him to settle with my team-si team-si er," ! "What did he give him? ' ' lie gave two dollars; but the teamster team-ster touk revenue by busily circulating in my iie'-v neiiib.irliiK.d. tlie advice to Ki'.k out for Youis Tiuly. because she was nut eood to Dav her debts. I would give you dozen of just such cases. Major; and I should be dull indeed in-deed il I had not learned by this time that the hardest man to deal with is one who professes a clesnc to be libeial with the widow and the otphan; and that fa-vois fa-vois are the dearest commodity 111 the m.irket." On reaching the final summit, the fleet seperaied, each to make the speed best suited to itself, and the Captain Cap-tain peremptorily ordeied all aboard, lb- ladies, who were again on foot, did not appear to be Under thorough discipline. disci-pline. They had tlitir hands full. if red, blue, p nk, and ouiple bloss .-ms, uid ii.nl ore . Ic-asiing their eyes n miles aud m ls of na.ui.il pasture spicad m in unspeakable beauty; larkspur, foxglove, fox-glove, f.jrget-me-nol and scores of dainty cups and bells of which your correspon-deiitacknowledues correspon-deiitacknowledues with regret and shame total ignorance, even ot the name; and yet because they just then spied lovely bed of white columbine, they did not obey orders until thev bad rushed to this bed and neaily stripped it of its wax en he;iuhBs rile Cainain did Pol scold, though this mdiietivei cnustd htm to be len Ui in the train. All aboatd at last, and brakes down! Rattle, bang, plunge! Deep dust and chuckhules! On a slight rise, they met a schooner without a sail, the helmsman of which touk the hillside and left the whole track; and your correspondent cor-respondent is suspicious that the hillside whs the more smooth and de reable. Some passenger on boaid the other 4:hojuer was of a d. Relent opinion, how , ever, for h growled in an exceedingly |