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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1931)
■ (CH A F F E E 1 ROARING HORSE g BY ERNEST HAYCOX ^ Chaffee pulled himself from the bunk, stiff in every muscle. And as his eyes roamed the barren walls, the sunlight coming through the window wm shut off by a crouching figure. Looking up, he found Mark Eagle's round and solemn cheeks just beyond the grating. f “You must’ve been pretty tired," said Mark. "I been here an hour, waiting.’ j “Why didn’t you give me a shout?” “When a man sleeps that solid,” replied Mark, "he needs It. I’m In no hurry.” f “Come around down the stairs and let’s hold a little talk session." ) The Indian bank cashier shook his head. "I tried that. Luis Locklear ain’t letting any body in." Chaffee digested the infor mation meditatively. "Pretty careful, ain’t he? Too careful. I’ll be out sunnin’ my heels in three-four hours. Luis Lock lear ain’t learned a lot about public'opinion concernin’ self (defense in this county.” I “You won't be out,” contra dicted Mark Eagle. "A coroner’s jury named you at eight this mornin’. Doc Fan cher couldn’t stand against the pressure. Nobody listened to him. Grand jury met at pine and bound you over. (You’re to t?e tried in the morn pin’.” j “Why the big hurry with the first two juries, and then a delay on the trial?" asked Chat fee. “If they’re doin’ some railroadin’ it seems to me they Host a bet by not passin’ sen tence an’ hangin’ me in time for supper." Mark Eagle moved his hands. Only an Indian could convey meaning so clearly with those swift, silent ges tures. "Many tilings can hap pen between now and morn ling, Jim. They got a coroner’s jverdict for a purpose. It’s a BllCKers worm oi oog meat lin •the pack. Maybe there won’t (be no trial in the mornin’. Town’s full of gents.” i Cltaffec shook his head. "Don’t believe sentiment in Roarin’ Horse runs that way, Mark." j “I do," was the Indian’s blunt answer. He looked be hind him, lowered his voice. I know. I have heard. You are too dangerous. You die. I have heard.” Still Jim Chaffe was not convinced. He walked around the cell and came to the win dow. "Blamed If I read the cards that way, Mark. Shucks, I’ve lived among these people all my life. They ain’t that kind of folks." jf The Indian only lifted his shoulders. Presently he switched the subject. “One of those tar boot tracks In Fan cher’s office is mine, Jim. The broad-toes one is mine." “Well, ^’11—” muttered Chaffee, profoundly aston ished. “What do you know about that stuff?" ; "The broad-toes one is mine.” repeated Mark Eagle With stoic gravity. "I was be hind the stable when the shot was fired. I saw you take the !tar impressions. You are my friend and I tell you. I did not kill Satterlee, for he was iny friend, too. But you poured tar in to‘the tracks of the man who did kill him. Do you know?” } “One set I ain’t identified yet," murmured Chaffee, studying the Indian’s enig matic features. He tried to read through and beyond the mask. Nothing was revealed to him The dusky eyes were shuttered, without depth. He wanted to question Eagle, yet he knew that until the red man voluntarily chose to speak, -?uch a course was futile. t “You will find out some 1* i time,” said Eagle. "If you do not I will tell you.” Boots | scraped along the back area. : The Indian looked over his shoulder, murmuring: "I am ! going co Stirrup S and warn j your friends." A lank gentleman dressed j )i'a? a scarecrow closed in and I challenged Eagie with a surly, | half-savage authority. "I been watchln’ yuh plenty long. And I’m tired of lookin’ at yuh. Skin outen here, yuh no-count pi-ute. Git.” Mark Eagle rose and squared himself. "I am an American, th" same as you,” said he solemnly. ‘‘Don’t girnme no sass. American—like fun. Yore a j darn worthless Injun. The ! kind my pap used to scelp for bounty. Git yore greasy mug outen my sight.” Mark Eagie never stirred. Chaffee saw his chest swell j and his chin lift proudly. “I am a Umatiia, the son of a i chief. We were chiefs when j your people bowed humbly to ; a noble master. We have never ! bowed. I am your equal." ‘‘Why, gol durn yore cussed hide!” shouted the stranger. "My ekal! Dum it. git!” His fist shot out and knocked the Indian from sight. Chaffee gripped the iron bars and tried to see around the corner of the window. The stranger retreated, gun drawn. "Mosey, and don’t come back.” Chaffe stared at the stranger. ‘‘What makes you so proud? Where’d you come from?” • wno wants to Know?' grunted the stranger, plainly contemptous. He took a chew of tobacco'and kicked a spray of dust through the window, “what business o’ yores is it?” “Like to know where your kind,Qf trash grows," drawled Chaffee, holdhig his wrath. “Seems to be a lot of it driftin’ in. Your old man must sure be proud of you, providin’ you ever had an old man.” The last phrase sank in. The stranger’s malarial fea tures took a red tint. “I’ve heard ki-otes howl before, Mister Chaffee. So I won’t pay no heed to yore remarks." “I wouldn’t figger shoe polish tasted like much,” went on Chaffee. “Never had an appetite for it myself.” “What’s that men?’’ “You’re a boot licker. Whose boots?” The stranger whirled and tramped away, swearing fluently. “I’ll see yore boots from the bottom soon enough! x,Git that? I’ll see ’em swingin’ in the breeze. That’s what we’re here for.” Chaffee roamed the cell restlessly.” He sort of let the feline out of the bag. Maybe Mark Eagle’s right. That gent with the fever and ague map looks like a hired gun artist. Another mark of somebody’s thoughtful plannin’. A whistle I and a jerk—and a bunch of I tough eggs come out of the woods on the lope. Planted there a long time and waitin’.” Noon arrived, and a tray from the restaurant, packed in by yet another stranger. Luis Locklear came along as an extra precaution and stood back while the tray went through the door. “Who’s all these flunkies you got, Luis?” Chaffee wanted to know. The sheriff’s red eyes slanted across Chaffee. “I ain’t answerin’ questions to day. Eat that fodder or I'll ! take it back. No time to waste on you.” Chaffee put a cheerful face ! on the situation and tackled the food. “Luis, a kind word , is like a lightnin’ rod. It averts j much trouble. You don’t ap i predate that right now. but I you will when the weight of | cne star Degins to sag neavy : on your vest.’* “You ain't scarin' me none whatsoever.” “But just re member I warned you against playin’ with fire. Small boys ami damn' fools should never do it.” "Take his grub away,” snapped Locklear. The helper obeyed, grinning at this petty 1 punishment. The sheriff's caviling, ignorant face peered between the bars. “Chaffee, I wish I could use a rawhide on yore frame. It's a rt*nt to me them days have passed. I mean it. They’s no way to break a man’s stubbornness or humble his pride like a whip or a screw. Yore just down right poison to me. Alius have been, and I’d appreciate the satisfaction o’ payin’ off. And that is ample.” They climbed the stairs and left Chaffee alone. Beyond the barred window the shadows marched farther into the strewn back area and out along the desert. Above him was a ceaseless tramping of feet and a ceaseless murmur of talk. During the morning a guard had been posted be yond Chaffee's view. Now a pair of them, neither of whom Chaffee had ever seen beiore, stood in front of the window with shotguns. He could tell that the town’s traffic grew heavier as the afternoon passed, for he could hear the echo of feet on the sidewalk and the passing of horses. ; Something of the rising nervous tension was likewise communication to him in the abruptness of the talk that drifted down, and in the in creasing watchfulness of the two guards. Around three or four the whole jail trembled : to the furious passage of a cavalade. One shot broke the j air and boots pounded up the courthouse steps, crossing swiftly into Locklear’s office. Chaffee heard the talk swell angrily. Three more guards came running toward the cell window, muttering some sort of news. The cavalade whirled away. Another shot was fired. Chaffee was in the process | of rolling a cigarette. He threw : it to the floor. "That’s Stirrup | S. They wouldn’t let Mack come in. Jupiter, have I got to pull this place apart?” Dis couragement rode him. For a moment he felt like a rat cornered in a hole. "Maybe I made a mistake cornin’ into town last night. But I don’t think so. I left a mark on that bunch, and they’re callin’ on my bet. If I’m forcin’ an issue I guess that’s better than hidin’ out.” What hurt him was to feel so absolutely help less. Mark Eagle made a quick trip toward Stirrup S after leaving Chaffee. Halfway to the ranch he ran into Mack Moran leading twenty riders in the direction of the lava country, loaded down with ammunition. He gave them the new's and swept away. Mack swore, setting his spurs; and it was Mack’s party Chaf fee later heard thundering through Roaring Horse. It was Mack’s impatient tread that sounded across the floor of the sheriff’s office. Lock lear, surrounded by six or seven full-jowlcd strangers, refused Mack entrance to the cell. "The patient,” he explained with a malicious pleasantry, "ain’t in no shape to see com pany.” "Since when,” challenged Mack, ready to do battle, “has this country started keepin’ folks in solitary?” "Since I took office!” snapped Luis Locklear. "Some thin’ else has happened like wise. Stirrup S ain’t welcome around here. Go on get out!” "Ask me what reminds me of f peanut,” said Mack. “I’ll answer it myself. You remind me of a peanut. I been hearin’ a lot of smart remarks about Stirrup S lately. I’d think you started ’em, except yore brain ain’t big enough to start any thing. Yuh ain’t been on the job but a couple weeks and 1 yore hands are all calloused 1 rrom partin' yoreseii on tn« i back.” “Get out of here!” yellec! Locklear, rising from his chair ; Til throw you in the cooler | too!” “Yeah?" drawled Mach . sweetly. “Go bareheaded, Luis Yore conk is sweilin’ so fast ' no hat would fit it. If yore goin’ to pull seme dirty work on Jim, Stirrup S is goin tc ; sliow you a good time.” “Try it—I wish you’d try it!’ ! yelled Locklear. “Go out on the I street and see how you stand1 I Yore day is done hereabouts! Kick up a battle and youT get singed. Go and try it!” “Peanut,” snorted Mack anc stalked away He led the Stirrup S party slawly down the street to the rodeo field and dismounted in the shade “Boys, this is sure a jam. Thai1 fella means business. Notice all the tough-lookin’ pilgrim? loafin’ by the courthouse!' Where’d they come from? 1 feel creepy. I dunno just what to do, but we got to look alive or we're plumb foundered.” He heard his name called Swinging, he saw Mark Eagle standing behind the fence ol the rodeo field, shelterec from curious eyes. The Indiar motioned him to come near. “Mack, it is your play.” “Yeah,” agreed the red headed cow-puncher. “I know blamed well it is. But what’? the play?” The Indian's round face wa? tremendously solemn. “You get Jim clear of that cell right after dark. They aim to take him out and ride him off s horse.” “Why the low-down bunch of pig stickers! Who aims tc do it—how do you know?” “I know,” said Mark Eagle “It’s up to you to figure a way Kaep your men in a bunch while its daylight. And how ever you break that jail, do it quick and quiet. They’re watching. They’ll expect trouble.” • yen, out say—" The Indian shook his heaa and turned away, losing him self behind the wings of the fence. Mack Moran w'ent back to the group and passed on the warning. They held a long powwow, arriving at no satis factory solution. One plan after another war brought up and discarded. ’’Trouble is that jail is built like a doggone castle,” gurmbled Mack. “Toe much on top of it. Can’t get down to it from the front ex cept through a flock of doors Only direct entrance is by that rear window—and they’ll be every son-of-a-gun in the county back there watchin’ it.” The oldest puncher of the Stirrup S, one Gil Daugherty reached into his memory and unearthed a long forgotten episode. “I remember a jail ir Arizona like that,” said he “Basement cell, one window even with the ground. Shucks its been twenty-seven, nc twenty-eight, years ago. Was a fellow in it. We got him out Same layout about as this heap.” “How?” chorused the assem bled Stirrup S crew. t'fU BtO OONT1NU JCLijj - ♦ ♦ Wisconsin Bobs Up Again, From Sac City, In., Sun Wisconsin, exponent of the in come tax under a radical govern ment, so well proved the fallacj of an income tax lowering taxei that it should have been a lesson to Iowa during the campaign last summer. If any further proof is needed that the income tax in Wis consin neither lowered nor replaced and real estate taxes, that proof is evident in the present tax situation in that state. Governor LaFollette, press dis patches tell us. is ready to take the responsibility for a sharp upward movement of taxes. In spite of the fact that Wisconsin has had an in come tax for several years, practic ally all taxes are to be moved up ward this year. ••Replacement” in Wisconsin car ries what the billiardists call “re verse English.” as the Marshalltown Times-Republlcan pertinently notes It replaces present taxes with high er taxes. And yet a significient fea ture is that the newest Wisconsin plan contemplates an increase in practically every method of taxa tion except corporation tax. Which item suggests that a sufficient num ber of Wisconsin industries have moved elsewhere to cause alarm that the increase would drive out others. Iowa can go ahead with new tax schemes an then learn by a rather expensive experience how they will work. Or the legislature might prof ! it by what some of our neighbors have learned along the same line. ! 1*. , -onho!ing the Machine. , From New York Times. / Willi * fine disregard for scientific Vogre.vi and taxpayers’ pocket books, fee Lcx> Angc'.es Ooard of water and power commiss oners has put 22o men la work digging a ditch with picks end shovels The trench will carry a water main across a corner of San FYanciseo valley. It is pre cisely the soTt of project which ■would be child's play for a machine, but the Los Angeles officials are ■willing lo sacrifice time and money lor the benefit of the unemployed. ■ Lab i -saving machinery is gener ally remarried as one of the causes of iitisM’rJrtvnwnt nlthoiieh then* are economists who hold that most of those displaced are able to find other work. However, in a period when unemployment is above nor mal, there is no doubt that a rever sion to hand labor, where possible, would provide work for many. Pri vate enterprise can hardly be ex pected to be sympathetic, but public money v would be better spent in making such jobs than in provid ing for charity. It is a bit surprising that the ma chine age has come off so easily in the current melancholia. Now would seem the time for Thoreau to lead us to the woods and six days of rest with one of work. The machine, i however, is a beneficent monster, j and it will take more than a depres sion to break its hold on a comfort loving people. M .. • ♦ Q. When did Fascism come into existence?—B. A. A. What is known as Fascism in Italy originated in Milan, March, j 1919, when Benito Mussolini and about 150 of Ills friends organized I a movement of nationalism and syndicalism taking for the symbol the fasces, a bundle of rods con taining an axe, carried by the lict ors before the magistrates of an cient Rome a-, a symbol of author ity. The movement was an'i-so S cialist and its ann was the defeat of the reds or radical element which after the Woild war appeared to be gaining a preponderance of power with consequent disorder. The Fascisti organization was mostly of young men who wore dissatisfied with the findings of the peace con fer.'nee in which it was held that Italy was discriminated agamst. The party grew rapidly until among the •‘black shirts” as they were named there were upwards of 200, 000 practically all young men. They formod a Dolitical party under a protectorate, but on obtaining pow er expressed adherence to the mon archy. September 10. 1922. Musso lini became both the head of the party and of the government. f OF INTEREST TO FARMERS LOOK TO MACHINERY Seeding machinery should be carefully checked, celebrated, and oiled before the planting season to avoid delays which may result in lower yields and in the case of corn an unsound crop. An Iowa farmer thought his corn planter looked all right but after planting commenced found that it was not working ac urately. A careful examination showed that due to wear of a num ber of parts it was more practical to buy a new planter ttian to spend the amount necessary to repair the old machine. The dealer was out of the model desired and before the planter could be secured from the branch house, wet weather post lonea planting more than a week. That particular year it paid to plant early on ncount of an early frost in the fall and this delay caused a loss due to soft corn which this man can ill afford. If the planter misses two kernels out of every 100 that it should plant there may be a loss in yield of nearly two bushels an acre. The application of dust treatment to oats is Increasing the practice of drilling this crop. Fungicidal dusts when applied to wheat retard its flow through the drill but do not appreciably de crease the yield on this account, according to the United States de partment of agriculture. Dry dusted wheat did not cake or damage the drill unless it stood in dew or rain. Drill bearings need more frequent oiling, however, when dusted seeds are being sown. RIGID CORNER POSTS During a drive a few days ago, I cook particular notice that quite a -* *-re get brace between the top of the corner fence post to the second post near the ground, says a field man. These farmers are gradually coming to the much more satisfactory type of hor izontal brace, which is located just below the tops of the corner and the fence pests. The diagonal brace is wrong, since the heavy push of this brace to meet the pull of the fence bas a verv considerable upward \hrust on the corner post, tending Id lift it out of the ground. This upward thrust, combined with the lifting effect of freezing, is the rea son why so many corner posts lift up and allow the fence to slack. The horizontal brace does not have this lifting effect. The pull of the fence should be taken care of by a “dead man” or some other type of buried anchor. A simple and also very ef fective arrangement is to use he&v lly creosoted wood dr other long life posts for the end post and sec ond post. Hurl a heavy pine or creosctPd wood brace from near the top of the fence on the end post to a point a little higher on the second post, then run a heavy twisted wire cable from near the top of the sec ond post back to a “dead man’’ or other buried anchor just beyond the end post. Whet-, this cable is tight ened enough to pull the corner post back just a trifle, the pull of the fence will straighten it uo and the combination of brace and anchor will hold the fence tight for the lift of the oosts and there will be no chance for the posts to heave. Fence anchors are now on the market which are better than “dead men" and cheaper when one considers the labor of putting them in. MILK AND CIVILIZATION In the Old Testament we have the record of a people who have left a spiritual impress deeply ingrained upon the whole of modern civiliza tion. And the Old Testament is rife withireferences to milk as an article of diet. In fact, the history of that early people is a history of a pas toral people, dependent for liveli hood upon the welfare of flocks and herds. In the story of Abraham, who was to become “a father of many nations,” the narrator de scribes him as being “very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” And the entire record of this ancient race, which was wise enough to for mulate tlie earliest health code, shows that milk and milk products lormeu uie ohms 01 iu> buusisceiice. Throughout history the conquerors have always been the peoples with the finest physique. And physique, as modern science proves, is a mat ter of nutrition. When through a surfeit of luxury and soft-living the mighty Roman Empire fell, its con querors were strong-limbed, clear eyed peoples from the north of Eu rope. Theirs was the physique to enable them to become quick wittcd rulers over men. If we look at the descendants of these northern bar barians we shall see that they have kept their vigor. We shall find further that the dairy occupies a high position in their economic life. The average life soan in Holland and the Scandinavian countries is longer than it is in the United States. In these lands milk con sumption is greater than in this country. Science intimates that these facts are related. The English nation has set its stamp indelibly upon civilization in every part of the world. And the Engllish are drinkers of milk. Some of England's colonies outdo the Mother Country in the consumption of milk, notably New Zealand and Australia. The life span in these countries ranks at the top with that of Holland and Scan dinavia. New Zealand, in particular, toasts the longest average life span of anv country in the world. And the New Zealanders are dependent for their subsistence upon their flocks and herds. In certain remote sections of the earth, life is espe cially hazardous, yet the peoples of these sections are surprisingly hardy. It has been found chat ml.v forms the mainstay of their diet, rhus the Arabs, who live in a cli mate we should consider unendur able, yet v.ho surprised Napoleon's surgeon-general with their physical perfection, subsist entirely upon measuring land Land is measured by acres, an icre being equal to 160 square rods, 1.480 square yards, or 43,560 squire eet. Thus an acre may be 320 rods (one mile) long and one-half roci 8 feet 3 inches wide.) 160 rods (one aalf mild long and one rod U6>2 feet) wide, 80 rods (one-quarteri nile) long and 2 rods (33 feet) wide, ir 40 rods 'one-eighth mile) long ind 4 rods (66 feet) wide. An acre square is about 208 feet 8.5 inches m each side. Stepping off or pacing iff land is only an approximate jiethod of measuring, but it is sur prising how closely some men can 'ome with oractice. Where the land nuhc, supplemented only with mod erate amounts of meat, cereals, and dates. The Arabs, be it remembered, treasured the medical lore of Hip pocrates, the “father of medicine," when the rest of the world had for gotten its existence. Likewise, the Mongols and the Tartars thrive on milk. The pastoral peasants of -the Balkans have long been noted for their sturdiness and their longevity. Again, milk is the principal ingredi ent of their diet. In every corner of the civilized world milk has made its impress as a health-builder and a civilizing agent. With the acquisi tion of flocks and herds in prehis toric times man made his first move toward that community life which has finally resulted in the modern metropolis and all it stands for. Conquering races have known the value of milk. Peopfbs con demned by circumstance to inacces sible and undesirable sections of the earth have made the most of milk, thereby developing physical prow ess rather than succumbing to the in clement forces around them. As for the highly developed civilization of the modern world, here again milk becomes a potent force. The sci ence of nutrition shows the import ance of milk as an article of daily diet. The properties of milk make for physical well-being. And. as al ways, achievement rests on physical well-being. In the industrialized world of today with its intricate or ganization and its increasing com petition, we need vigor, both of body and mind, if we are to keep tho pace set for us. And this vigor may best be attained by building up our bodies through wise attention to nu trition. Science tells us that milk is priceless as an aid in obtaining the highest degree of nutrition. It be hooves us to make personal applica tion of this knowledge. —. .M-— TEAM WORK “My chief difficulty with the chick rearing course was to train my husband,” writes a lady enrolled in one study course. Extension forces . with their schools, courses, and meetings conducted by county agents and college specialists often have their work cut in effectiveness because they do not reach enough members of the family. Experiment al data and interpretation of prac tical results may be reasoned out to meet the needs of the wife and her ffPCk of chickens. She may be con vinced that extra money spent for clean, healthy, tested baby chick3 is a saving and an economy. Can she put the story up to he? hus band, who did not attend the meet ing, a$ effectively as it was put up to her? Too mdny times the an swer is, “No,” and the baby chicks are purchased as they were last year. There are times that a hus band has attended a better sires meeting and has gone home con vinced that this time he can afford to purchase a purebred sire from a dam of known production. In try ing to explain to his wife the neces sity for spending this extra $200, he may fail to give her the background for her understanding that he re ceived at the meeting, and again this bit of “farm relief legislaUaft* is tabled for another year. More ef fective results may be expected from farm meetings where the husband and wife both attend to learn each ether’s problems. -*♦-=: POULTRY MANAGEMENT When the profits from the poultry on the farm begin to lag behind, the first thought is always that the market is entirely to blame. A lit tle saner though usually follows and the question pops up, “is there anything the matter with the ra tion?” Time may be profitably spent in looking further even than these tw'o possible reasons. Poor manage ment of the flock may have just a3 much or more to do with lowering the poultry profits. Management covers a multitude of things when it refers to poultry and we shall only attempt to mention a few of those that may lead you to inquire fur ther into your own specific prob lem. Sanitation naturally is of first consideration. The precautions that should be mentioned include the control of lice and mites, proper cleaning and disinfecting of the house at least osce a year, regular removal of droppings, providing a clean ground in immediate proxim ity to the poultry house by yearly plowing, supplying feeds in sani tary equipment, furnishing water clean and fresh from an elevated drinking fountain, immediate re moval of all suspicious birds from the healthy flock, and killing and burning diseased birds without spilling the contaminated blood about the premises. The proper yarding of the poultry flock will soon become an important consid eration in the poultry flock man agement. The young chicks must be brooded on clean ground where there have been no chickens for two years, or on wire if they are to be kept free from disease. The range system of handling pullets is the most satisfactory way to bring those birds through the summer. The range house and the system of wa tering are two things to be consid ered if the pullets are to be put out on range. Old stock and young stock should never be yarded togeth er. This is considered a point of good management in handling all c asses of livestock. Poultry man agement also includes those prac tices that have to do with feeding. Regularity is of primary importance. Good egg production can only be expected where mash and oyster shell are always before the layers, where alfalfa and skim m l; are available, and where a 12-hour working day is provided by lighting during the winter months. Vigor, vitality and health result from the proper feeding and proper manage ment of carefully selected birds. is 80 rods long, a width of 11 paces by a man six feet tall will not be far from acre. In laying off lands for tractor farming, however, one should use a tape measure or have the feet marked off on his layout stakes. - PRESERVE THE BUILDINGS The high cost of labor and ma terials necessary In the replacement of farm buildings makes it desir able to preserve a building as long as possible. The most economical method of keeping buildings in good condition Is to paint them at regu lar intervals.