Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, November 28, 1907, Page 1

VOLUME 5. NUMBER 188, BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 28, 1907. THE BEMIDJI DAILY PIONEE FORTY CENTS PER MONTH COPYRIGHT 1907 OME seattered sod buildings and a sod corral pitched on a tree- less bank constituted the lone Circle Dot horse camp on the ATIORSE BY C.N.LURIE . stuck In a potato at his plate flared dlmly down the great pine board, where tins were often laid for twenty riders. Brad took up a late weekly paper me chanieally. On the first page were some headlines that meant mueh to a plains- man's eye—“Another Indlan Scare; Cheyennes Driving Off Stock on the Republican.” But from repeated read- ing they had lost thelr first startling effect and gave Brad only the pleasura- R ee. There the sun In summer blazed fiercely, and through other sea- sous the wind made ceaseless assaults. | But the weather w well warded off by the sod uctures, each with its heavy projecting dirt roof and thlck | walls, without other opening than a door In one gable end. | ble thought that the Indian scare might v door, stauch Iu its deep| hasten the return of the Circle Dot out- Each heavy :. had its rough surface further| roughened by Innumerable clrcle dots | burned Into the wood with a small The corral ltself, with 1 and Its snubbing post fit. His eyes passed to a column where, unnoticed befpre, were a few para- graphs headed “Thanksgiving Procla- mation.” 2 “Thanksgivin’ in a hoss camp!” Brad ejaculated, with a horse laugh. Then, In the cente another circle dot -~ branded on the wild spot, marking its| 85 If the idea had pleased him, he subjugation by the Circle Dot outfit. | laughed in a minor key. 5 Subjugation, indeed, went on daily| “The bovs hev been a-tendin’ on me In the clreular corral, where the pris-| & long time—a long time” he said to oned range horses raced round and| Rimself ic boys mighty good. round In unavailing attempts to es-| Fe thought of the evidences in the ad cape the dreaded rope. The Circle Dot| JoIng storeroom—the humps andhams outtit numbered some twenty veteran| Of buffalo, the saddles of antelope and riders. Even Bradley, the youngest of | White tail deer, the braces of wild them, had passed a good part of his| Beese, ducks and prairle chicken, all lavishly provided for him alone. “They 'lowed I had to eat lots of wil' meat to sorter brace me up,” he muttered, little shamefaced, as he glanced -at his plate, where the rem- twenty years in the saddle. He was the “breaker,” a dangerous| office, requi v the dashing courage and supple body of youth. Brad had also @ cy of spirit which so T west that the! mANt of a slapfack and the rind of a nas one with himselr,| Slice of “salt hoss” told of a Spartan By the o gateway the boys had| SUPPCr. F e cor nteway the'boys hod| =y nvs the sort of grdb the boys 1s gathered oune morning to see Brad| s o > gittin® now,” Brad went on in apology mount tough range mare whose vi-| et il clous origin was bel 1 by the Span-| to Limself. “An’ it's good enough f ish ch “ter bran rred on her mMme. I'm mizhty all them things blue roan hip and thigh. they put in thar t teched yit. Bf I don’t jes’ cook up the whole caboodle Brad's fitty pound saddle completely ; : aw’ build a pie or two extra in case coverel her short coupled back as shei BRAD MADE A RUSH FOR IT, HIS SI. where the Rickaree lost itself In the sands on its way to the Republican. Brad's heart was In his eyes as he watched it come creeping, creeping. Now it rolled and swelled, and now, coming on with whirlwind speed, it took shape on either side in rounded puffs that rose and broke and were ever renewed. Noting this, the broncho breaker threw both hands exultingly above his head and cried, “The cabal- lada!” for the herd was coming straight for the corral. Brad straightened up for one last assuring look. Then, Instead of a fa- miliar figure in a flapping hat and flannel shirt, his amazed eyes caught sight of a black crown with a feather. He saw a braided long lock, a scarlet blanket blown backward from a wild rider, and then the figure vanished in the dust. At this sight Brad dropped down on the stack. Along the center line of its top a heavy pole had been laid to hold down the hay in the wind. In’the de- pression made by the pole in the yleld- ing hay Brad now flattened himself out. He had no time in his disabled cond!- tion to seek other hiding place, for al- ready the head of the horse herd thun- dered in the open corral, and he heard the blowing and trampling of the ex- cited beasts circling about. Then came the bang of the gates, closed violently, and- the rattle of the chain that held them. Then voices, harsh, discordant, speaking Indian words, arose from the side of the cor- ral. Brad blessed his leanness as he shrunk close to the pole. He blessed the wind that had ruffled the hay all along the top of the stack. The height of the stack’s top, howev- er, as well as its wind ruffled edges and the depression in its center in which he lay, effectually hid him from the In- dians standing almost directly below him, and he could not see them him- self without lifting his head. But frowm his high place he could overlook the bufldings beyond, and as a shout came from that direction he cautiously peer- ed out through the spears of hay. At the corner of the cook house a Cheyerne, dismounted, stood ecalling and waving his hand toward the cor- ral. At first glance Brad was sure the Indian saw him, and he instinctively reached for the six shooter in his belt. His apprehension, however, quickly changed to indignation as he noticed that the fellow was flourishing in his hand a fat roast goose which Brad had taken particular pains to brown to a shade. The Indian called vociferously to his companions, A shout in response came from be- low Brad, and he heard the sounds of moving horsemen. As they came across his line of vision on their way to the cook house he counted five other Chey- ennes, From the stack Brad could see the grin on the face of the Indian as he pointed within when the others rode up. Then there were laughs, cries of pleased surprise and distinctly audible sniffing of the gratifying odor from the open door. Five savage riders dis- mounted and vanished in the cook house, leaving the man of the goose to guard their ponies. The sight and, above all, the sounds of their feast made Brad’s soul rage within him. Nor was it at all quieted when, now that the Indians about the corral were gone, he looked over in it | and saw that they had rounded up ev- ery Circle Dot horse on the range. For an instant only in looking in the corral he had taken.his eyes from the Indian watching over the ponfes, but the man had vanishéd in that moment. Brad surmised that, seeing no sign of life about the place, he had joined his fellows at the feast within, After stuffing themselves they would, he well knew, search for the maker of that feast with other intent _than stood humped up, with all four feetthey fetch up here by Thanksgivin' planted close together. Blinded by aday, an’ that's the day after tomorrer, broad band drawn down securely over ’cordin’ o the almanic!” her eyes, she dared not rum, but her All th: ic:t day, far into the night nervous jaws incessantly champed aand aguin on the following morning bloody foam from the Spanish bit. of Thanksgiving day the cook house “Throw the steel to her, Brad, theSteamed, and Brad sweated over the minute you hit the saddle,” cautioned fire and chuckled as he thought of the the foreman. “Don’t give her no show surprise of the boys. to throw herself.” By this time he had but one thought Taking the check plece of the bridle—he desired it so much that he had in his left hand, Brad drew her headcome to be sure of it—the return of around on her shoulder. His rightthe boys in time for his feast, his hand gripped the saddle horn, his left thank offering to them. As for other foot was thrust to the high heel of his thanksglving on the day, Brad thought boot in the stirrup, and with the sureof that part also as he muttered, and easy movement of a bird lighting “Mighty lucky it wa'n't my own nake on a ylelding bough he sat in the sad-’stid that there ole blue roan’s!” dle. Brad’s faith in the coming of the Leaning forward, he reached out and boys certainly had no reasonable drew up the blind. What followed foundation, yet he reiterated to him- may be given In the foreman’s ownself: “They is bound to git in. Ef they words: wa'n’t comin' their ownselves, them “Well, she jes’ bucked an’ bawled an’ blame Cheyennes er sump'n else 'ud twisted herself over half an acre ot fetch ‘em aloug on time.” A prairie for an hour an’ throwed her- Noon came. The table was lald for self twicet, an’ Brad stayed right with twenty riders, and to welcome them a her till she pitched over on her head mighty odor of roasted flesh and fowl an’ broke her own nake an’ one of rushed from tbe open cook house door Brad’s legs jes' above the fetlockout on the prairle. fint.” All was in readiness. Nothing was Then, lying for weeks on his bunkleft for him to do but quietly wait. waiting for the bone to knit, BradBut from house to creek and back fell to quirt plaiting for occupation. fgain and then to the corral Brad hob- Each of his dozen spurred and nolsy bled and halted and looked, and looked nurses w. provided with a quirtin vain. adorned with horsehair tassels and in. Along the Lack of the ¢orral and al- tricate Spanish knots which his fingers most touchins it the winter's supply ot alone knew the trick of tying when athay w acked, and up the long lad- last Brad was permitted to try hisder against one of the high stacks|g welght on his leg. It bore him, for his Brad slowly and painfully climbed, the body had shrunk as a wild horse better to scan the plain. picketed by the foot shrinks and loses The Thanksgiving days of Brad’s the fire of his eye. Brad's eyes, too, boyhood had been under gray eastern were gentled. His long hair, that had skies, Now his eyes noted a white tangled on his plllow like witches’ stir-cloud in the west, but its whiteness rups, had been “roached” off by theonly made (he more sapphire yet, boys, and he was In a measure subju-and through its fiimy Intervention the gated. sunlight filtered only the more yellow It was late in November when theon its yellow plain. 1ast of his attendants, not sorry to join Not all (! lory of the sun could gild the outfit gathering horses i 1e sod bulldings Republican, vode away. Brad, Justof the le racl felt their lone- able to hobble from his bunk to the lfness pouely heart. Then his |eook house, was left alone. falth in the Loys™ coming was fresh- He sat in the cook house one evening ened by the appearance of a tiny cloud at hissolitary supper. A tallow candle:of dus( on (he horizon away beyond o e e e | cage of tigers was ominous. thankeziving. It was useless for him to lle there. Where should he con: himesell securely? Somewhere he n; £o, and that quickly. Brad slipped to the ladder, clagped elther long side plece with a4 knee and arm and Legan to slide down. But as he started his eyes swept over the cor- ral and saw every Lorse In It looking up to him. Thelr eyes, staring and glassy. seemed to appeal to him for succor plainer than any speech. Swiftly down he slid, and the corral wall, rising up, hid the horses from his sight. But £s he struck the ground o his sound leg he had no further thought of seeking a hiding place for himself. He stepped to one side of the stack and boldly surveyed the cook house Not an Indlan was in sight. The siy ponies, with heads down and reatas trailing, stood motionless before th~ door. “T reckon I'll jes' mosey up to that door, seeln’s they're all so busy' with that grub Inside,” Brad’'s thought ran on. “I'll jerk the door to an’ hitch the chaln over the steeple, an’ I've got 'em corrailed!” His quick movewent gave uo indlca- tlon of the pain it cost him. Indeed bhe hardly felt the paln as he stole to the back of the building, slipped alou* the wall and gained the corner nea the door. All his senses were on a strain, an he felt rather than heard a moceasined foot 1le slep for the door. For ting then all about his lame leg, Br: made a rush for it. his six shooi:: eocked in his hand. On the threshold he encountered the guardian of the ponies coming out. Huo close were the two that Brad actuail, thrust the muzzle of his six shoote: against the buckskin elad breast of tb Indian, who with a yell of suipwi and terror darted nimbly baci and stinctively swung the door shut Brad's extended weapon. Brad snatched the chain and us it over the staple. Ilardly had stepped to one side when there c: volley, muffled, from within. T Jdozen Lullets splintered the doo: whistied harmlessly over the p odeyond. 2 atay!” S th chorus of coughs eame firom wil “Then, half strangled by the po in. der suioke pent up in the tight sb ture, the prisoners made a rush against the door. “Say, thar, let up on that!” said Brad cooliy. As the rush was repeat ed he stepped directly in front of the| door and in turn sent a shot through it. The report of his biz six shooter was answered by a yell from-within, ac- companied by the sound of scufliug feet as the Cheyennes sought the cor- ners at each side of the door for safe- ty. Then all was silence, broken only by an occasional cough. “I reckon I'd better light out,” said Brad, to whom the very stillness of that “’Twon’t take ’em long to claw outer that, an' 1 reckon when they do I'll jes’ leave ’em to hoof it.” He had no difficulty in catching the ponfes by their tralling ropes. Tying them securely nose to tafl, he led them thus to the corral. There he threw open the double gates and with a whoop and a whirl of his lariat sent the glad herd scurrying in safety out on the plain. Then he climbed on onc of the captured ponles, led the others in a string behind him and took his slow way down - the Rickaree with many a backward glance at the silent cook house: Brad's faith' in.the coming of the boys, after all, was not ill founded. Late in the afternoon he met them re- turning. And, though his lame leg palned him teverely Trom the unwont- ed exercize. he kept his place among them as they raced for the cump, spurred on by his tale. They reached the camp at nightfall, but it was only to find Brad’s prison- ers had withdrawn the stoveplpe, en- larged Its hole through the roof and 80 escaped. Brad’s chagrin was evident as he gazed at the bones of the bird and beast that covered the table where the Cheyennes had stuffed themselves be- fore leaving. “Well, I reckon they’ve eat up pretty nigh everything,” he sald disconsolately. But he gradually brightened up as the boys demonstrated to his satisfac- tion that there was still enough left for twenty hungry riders. FAMOUS FAST AND FEAST. One Preceded and One Followed the Civil War. Queerly enough, both nationa}l fasts and national Thanksgiving were af- fected by the civil war. President Buchanan appointed a day of national fasting and prayer to avert clvil war. Republican governors of states in some instances ignored it and in others took notice of it in a way to rub their Ideas against Buchanan and his party into their proclamations. Democratic gov- ernors, south and north, under the form of an appeal to the Delty, cau- terized Republicanism to the best of their ablility. As President Buchanan colled the nation to prayer to avert civil war, so did President Lincoln call it to thanks- giving for victorles In a clvil war, to the end that more victories might bring union and peace. Of course, as Mr. Buchanan was ignored or satirized in antipathetic political quarters in the north, so was President Lincoln criti- cised and even abused in the south, | where the Union forces were not in control. But as Mr. Buchanan was the pioneer in a national fast day and |* as Mr. Lincoln was the pioneer in na- tional thanksgiving days it 1s well to remember that sectional conditions in a sectional war moved both and that the great national observance which we now haye was born In the throes of fratricidal civie contention.—Brooklyn A teflstflnfi’wering the purpose of our Thanksgiving day was held by the ancient Greeks in honor of Deme- ter, the deity who owned the earth in their eyes. The rallying point for this feast, which lasted nine days, was at Athens. All except murderers and barbarians took part in it. The fruits of the earth which seemed to, please the Greeks most were barley, mint, pomegranates and poppy seeds: addition to eating and drinking more than ordinarily, a grand torchlight pro- cessfon along the ‘“sacred way” t: Eleusina was the chief attraction. The sacred way seems to have been to the anclent Greek what Fifth avenue 1s to the modern New Yorker. Thanksgiving Decorations. Tiny paper pumpkins make attractive place cards, or If one Is skilled in the use of water colors a clever one may be made from water color board dec- orated with fruits or flowers. Tiny canoes of birch bark to hold the bou- tonniere make. acceptable souvenirs. If one has not the time or talent to make place card favors very clever little papier mache bonbon boxes may be bought, representing roast turkey, mince pies, pumpkins or other designs appropriate to the season. Tiny wish- bones polished with sandpaper and tled to a card are very satisfactory and suggest the kindly thought of the hostess. Thanksgiving Day only comes ‘once a year, and we will, therefore, at this time, take the oppor- tunity to thank our many customers and friends for their patronage and good will-in the past. We hope by the same fair, honast methods to continue to receive your patronage and support, a~d you will at all times find our store a place where you will get the very best goods at right prices-=satisfacticn guaranteed-=quick service and courteous treatment. FLEMING BROS. Hardware Merchants Inf | demanded. Copmight 1907 LOVING Source of all, We on thy great name call And give thee thanks. With grateful hearls we raise Our joyful song of praise. Thou who hust blest our duys. We give thee thanks. Gathered from B> TL MGrath ORD of the sun and rain, Lord of the fruit and grain, We give thee thanks. OR life and strength and health, Best of all earthly wealth, We give thee thanks. For these our friends so dear, This feast day of the year, We give thee thanks. For thy rich harvests stored, For plenty on each board, For all thy bounties, Lord, We give thee thas far and near Our Nafi_oflal Bird By NIXON WATERMAN. URRAH—hip, hurrah, for the noble old bird ined on the shield of our nation! h lofty emctions are stired ve think cf that feathered creation. ca the winter comes darking ‘the sky And the heavens with snowflakes ‘are murky, Forgetting the eagle and Fourth of July, ‘We think of Thanksgiving and turkey. A = S GIVING. TJHE code proud bie may ho sowr rounc and round As he mounts up/still higher and higher! |- While the turkey, we trust, will still roost near the i ground, Within reach when accasions require. * For we're sure there is none who will care to deny, | In the name of good cheer and good living, That the eagle’s all right for the Fourth of July, But the turkey's the bird for Thanksgiving: 8 —Sunday Magazine. .+ FIFTY YEARS AGO. ‘Thanksgi: g. Day In Old New Eng- land. A charming description of a New England Thauksgiving day fifty years ago Is given by Mrs, Harrlet Beecher Btowe in one of her novels. Of. all days in the year it was the one for ‘which a new dress was imperatively New ways of making ‘squash pies and quince tarts were proper- subjects for conversation for some days before the feast. For. a week before the date fixed the children of iieach homestead . were: kept busy. chopping mice meat and pounding ciu: namon, allspice and cloves in en mortar, slicing candied oran and stoning ralsins, All the members of the family came home to eat their Thangsgiving din- ner. The courses consisted of turkeys, chickens and chicken ples, then plum puddings dnd afterward ples. After the dinner the patriarch of the bouse gave a recital of all God’s mercies to them, speaking from the text, “Let children Hear the mighty deeds which God performed of old.” That there ia no present occasion for emulating their fathers’ deeds is all the more reason | for observing Thanksgiving day.—New York Times. Thanksgiving Day In Parls. Last Thanksgiving ‘was celebrated by Americans in Paris in a manner that was as “traditional” as was pos- sible In face of a few shortcomings, such. as almost complete famine in pumpkin pie and -a shortage i the 1 cranberry supply. Dinners were enjoyed at home by Americans who have homes in Paris, but the “floaters” who find them- selves far from their native heaths on feast days had to trust their fates to hotels and restaurants. The American Art association at 74 Rue Notre Dame des Champs gave a | dinner for its members. Hotel and restaurant proprietora have long since appreciated the impor- tance of Thanksgiving day as a “jour de fete” for Americans, and they had prepared the “national dish.” Among | these were the Athenee, Langham and Continental hotels and Noel, Peters and Champeux restaurants, which | were all crowded with Amerieans at the dinner hour. Chicago Newsboys Fed. An arm} of 8,000 newsboys enjoyed . the twenty-fifth annual Thanksgiving dinner given by a elothing company. The bill of fare bulk was as follows: {Two hundred and fifty turkeys, 250 chickens, 1,500 loaves of bread, 1,500 dozen ‘cakes, 150 bunches of bananas, 2 barrels of cranberry sauce, 25 ten gallon cans of mashed potatoes, 1,500 pies, 25 boxes of oranges, 25 barrels of apples, 25 boxes of celery, figs, dates, raisins and nuts unscheduled, besides ten barrels of lemonade. It took fifty men to serve the dinner and twenty- five women to wash the dishes. Thanksgiving In Moses’ Day. Over 3,000 years ago the Israelites wandering in the desert were instruct- ed by Moses to observe a holiday simi- can Thanksgiving day when they came to the promised land. It was called the feast of the tabernacles and took - place about the end of harvest time.- For eight days they dwelt in booths made of evergreens. They partook of " corn, wine, oil and the fruits of the ground. The priests performed a mag- nificent ritual of which melodious chor- uses formed a large part. No Turkey For Caesar. - The Romans had a harvest feast in honor of the Goddess Ceres, who, though of feminine gender, seems to have presided over their departmen ‘of agriculture. The Romans had no turkeys' and_could not, of course, kill | and eat the sacred geese, but managed ;| to get along very well on pons | and Falernian wine for all that. lar in character to the modern Amerf-