ZURY THE MEANEST MAN IN SPRING COUNTY A NOVEL OF WESTERN LIFE - 1887 - CONTENTS - CHAPTER PAGE I. EARLYD AYS I N SPRINGCO UNTY. . . 1 II. TRIFLING DO NG O S F LOW-DOW F N O LKS . 21 IV. MORE WORK M , ORE , PIGS B , U T NO IONE FO T R A COLLEGE . . . 54 V. How THE MEANEST MAN GOT SO MUN, AND HOW MEAN HE GOT . . . 74 VI. A BRAVE GIRL - THOUGH A COWARD . . 88 VII. ANNE S PARRO M W E ETS THE MEANEST M AN . 106 VIII. HOW ANNE BOARDS ROUND, AND HOW SHE LIKESIT . . 131 IX. UNTVERSALIS A M ND , COBIMON-LA M W A RRIAGE 150 X. How FARES THE TRANSPLANT M E A D Y FLOWER 176 XI. ANNES XONOTONY AT AN END - A ND HERP EACE ALSO . . 202 XII. ANNE CO MPROMISED AND PERSECUTED . 224 XIII. PANDORBAOSX , W ITH HOPE A T THE VERY BOT TOM . . 246 XIV. PASTORA C L AR E FOR AN INTRACTAEBWLEELAMB. . 269 XV. KICKING A GAINST THE PRICKS . . 287 XVI. A NOVELTY IN NOVEL W EDDING TR IPS . . 303 XVII. ZURY FOR THE LEGISLATURE . . 326 XVIII. ELECTIONEERI . N G . 342 XIX. HOME A GAIN - ZURY D EFEATED THOUGH - VICTO-RIOUS . . 362 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XX. SHOOTING-MA - T C C H H O IR - PASTOR V S I SIT XXI. ZURY I N THE LEGISLATUR AN E D OUT OF IT , XXII, JIAN PROPOSES WOMAN D ISPOSES XXIII. A NIGHTMAR - E L S O A HORSE-SHED IV. A LONG S LEIGH-RIDE . XXV. AMAR I Q UID . XXVI. ANOTHE P R R OPOSA AN L D ANOTHEARN SWER XXVII. A Las LO OK A T THE PROUDE F R A RM PAGE . 376 . 397 . 416 ZURY THE MEANEST MAN IN SPRING COUNTY. - CHAPTER I. - EARLY DAYS IN SPRING COUNTY. GREAT are the toils and terrible the hardships that go to the building up of a frontier farm in conceivable to those who have not done the task or watched its doing. In the prairies, Nature has stored, and preserved tbus far through the ages, more life-materials than she ever before amassed in the same space. It is all for man, but only for such men as can take it by courage and hold i t by endurance. Many assailants are slain, many give up and Ay, but he who is sufficiently brave, and strong, and faithful, and fortunate, to maintain the fight to the end, has his ample reward. Spect we must be a-gittin daown inter Spring River bottom, dad. Should n wonder, Zury. This hyer flat S the secn bottom. Pears t be a drap jist ahead, t h a t l1 let us daown t the low bott, om. Just then, a more than usually vicious jolt ZUR Y. of the wagon beside which they were walking, - brought a cry of pain from inside the cotton tilt that covered it. Old Ephraim stopped the team, and poked liis head into the opening at the back. What S the matter, Shoog short for Sugar . Did ee hurt eeself Mommys honey knocked her head agin the hoop, when ye slumped inter that blamed old chuck-hole said the mother, who had her sick little girl in her arms, assuaging the pain of a hard bump, the latest of many sustained during the past weeks of slow and painful travel. Poppy cant ollers shun mound th clluckholes the road S so narrer, n the S sec11 lots on 7 em Chuck-holes is the expressive Western name for the short, sharp depressions which use makes in unrvorked country roads, each hole being on the other side of the track from some rock or root that raises a wheel out of its rut. Dont lil Shoog manter come out n have poppy liold her on the mare fer a spell Hut the little pale one was too tired, and only shook her head. Wal - never mind Mebbe we l1 git thar come night. Then she kin rest With this blessed, l eavenly, almost inconceivably blissful thought, the little procession resumed its laborious progress...