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Show 282 TALES OF THE COLORADO PIONEERS. velopment of the natural resources of the country, and the good of the community. " One day there arrived in port a small craft, so poor and unpromising in appearance as to attract little attention from either the old settlers in general or the town company's inspection committee, which usually watched for the approaching pilgrims from the top of a high bluff known as "Juan Chiquito's Lookout." " A sorry looking wagon, a sorrier looking team, consisting of a poor, fly-bitten horse and a crop-eared, one-eyed mule, a few battered cooking utensils, a few rations of 'grub,' and a corresponding amount of 'traps'and calamities,' comprised the outfit. "A thin, stoop-shouldered man, with a subdued air and discouraged look, proceeded to unharness the team and make the usual preparations for going into camp, while a bright, buxom wife emerged from under the wagon cover, shook the wrinkles out of her dress, looked innocently about and smiled. " Quite a contrast to the usual lot of careworn pilgrim women she appeared, as she sat upon the wagon-tongue, coffee pot in hand, and with her intelligent, handsome face, watched her husband start up the camp-fire for the evening meal. Timidly she once or twice glanced at the inspection committee, which had now approached the camp, and a merry twinkle in her eyes seemed to say: ' I know we look rather poor, and he never was of much account anyway, but we've come out here to take chances, and I suppose I do look a little frowzy just now, but I'm no sardine, and you just wait till I get fixed up in my good clothes, and some of you fellpws will wish you were in his place, and owned this outfit.' |
