nd rode away with them.

It is recorded later in the diary that the rude Shepherd of the prairies
worked with these men on their farms for weeks until he had them wonted
to the fold.

CHAPTER XI

IN WHICH ABE, ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE, GIVES WHAT COMFORT HE CAN TO
ANN RUTLEDGE IN THE BEGINNING OF HER SORROWS. ALSO HE GOES TO SPRINGFIELD
FOR NEW CLOTHES AND IS ASTONISHED BY ITS POMP AND THE CHANGE IN ELI.

Radford's grocery had been so wrecked by the raiders that its owner was
disheartened. Reenforced by John Cameron and James Rutledge he had
succeeded in drawing them away before they could steal whisky enough to
get drunk. But they had thrown many of his goods into the street. Radford
mended his windows and offered his stock for sale. After a time Berry and
Lincoln bought it, giving notes in payment, and applied for a license to
sell the liquors they had thus acquired.

The Traylors had harvested a handsome crop of corn and oats and wheat
only to find that its value would be mostly consumed by threshing and
transportation to a market. Samson was rather discouraged.

"It's the land of plenty but it's an awful ways from the land of money,"
he said. "We've got to hurry up and get Abe into the Legislature or this
community can't last. We've got to have some way to move things."

None of their friends had come out to them and only one letter from home
had reached the cabin since April.

Late that autumn a boy baby arrived in their home. Mrs. Onstott, Mrs.
Waddell and Mrs. Kelso came to help and one or the other of them did the
nursing and cooking while Sarah was in bed and for a little time
thereafter. The coming of the baby was a comfort to this lonely mother of
the prairies. Joe and Betsey asked their father in whispers while Sarah
was lying sick where the baby had come from.

"I don't know," he answered.

"Don't you know?" Joe asked with a look of wonder.

"No, sir, I don't--that's honest," said Samson. "But there's some that
say they come on the back of a big crane and at the right home the ol'
crane lights an' pecks on the door and dumps 'em off, just as gentle as
he can."

Joe examined the door carefully to find where the crane had pecked on it.

That day he confided to Betsey that in his opinion the baby didn't amount
to much.

"Why?" Betsey asked.

"Can't talk or play with any one or do anything but just make a noise
like a squirrel. Nobody can do anything but whisper an' go 'round on his