arterly meeting was to be
held, and that the people had been rapidly "dyin' off." Samson knew from
this that the smallpox--a dreaded and terrible scourge of pioneer days
had come again.

"It's dangerous to go there," said Cawkins.

"Where is sorrow there is my proper place," Cartwright answered. "Those
people need comfort and the help of God."

"But are you not afraid of the plague?" Samson asked.

"I fear only the wrath of my Master."

"I got a letter from a lady there," Cawkins went on. "As nigh as I can
make out they need a minister. I can read print handy but writin' bothers
me. You read it, brother."

Mr. Cartwright took the letter and read as follows:

* * * * *

"Dear Sir: Mr. Barman gave me your name. We need a minister to comfort
the sick and help bury the dead. It is a good deal to ask of you but if
you feel like taking the chance of coming here I am sure you could do a
lot of good. We have doctors enough and it seems a pity that the church
should fail these people when they need it most. The ministers in Chicago
seem to be too busy to come. One of them came out for a funeral and
unfortunately took the disease. If you have the courage to come you would
win the gratitude of many people. For a month I have been taking care of
the sick and up to now no harm has come to me.

Yours respectfully,
"Bim Kelso."

* * * * *

"'A man's heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps,'" said
Cartwright. "For three days I have felt that He was leading me."

"I begin to think that He has been leading me," Samson declared. "Bim
Kelso is the person I seek."

"I would have gone but my wife took on so I couldn't get away," said
Cawkins.

"I'll come back some day soon and you and I will pry the Devil out of her
with the crowbar of God's truth and mercy," Cartwright assured him as he
and Samson took the road to the north.

On their way to the Honey Creek settlement the lion-hearted minister told
of swimming through flooded rivers, getting lost on the plains and
suffering for food and water, of lying down to rest at night in wet
clothes with no shelter but the woods, of hand to hand fights with
rowdies who endeavored to sell drink or create a disturbance at his
meetings. Such was the zeal for righteousness woven by many hands into
the fabric of the West. A little before sundown they reached the
settlement.

Samson asked a man in the road if