The Homesteader: A Novel

by Oscar Micheaux

  CHAPTER XIII

  THE COMING OF THE RAILROAD

  It is not likely that the people in the neighborhood of Dallas wouldhave ever known any more than they did regarding A.M. Barr, had it notbeen for two accounts. When proof had been offered by him on hishomestead and a loan sought, to keep from invalidating the title to hisland, he was compelled to admit that he was married; but, fortunatelyfor him, it was not necessary to state when or how long he had beenmarried, and this he obligingly did not state. But the surprise camewhen upon admittance, he then confessed to the promoters that he hadmarried Christine.... Of course everybody was positive then that he hadbeen married to Christine when he came to the country, and that he wasmarried to her at the time she was holding the claim. Perjury was apenitentiary offense. He had sold her claim on pretense that she must goto England. Christine, as Baptiste had come to know by the papers hefound, had not, of course, gone to England; but merely to Lincoln,Nebraska, where she was safe to keep silent about what she knew inregard to the subtle transactions of Augustus M. Barr.

  The incident went the usual route of gossip, the people wondering howsuch a beautiful girl as Christine could be happy as the wife of an old,broken down infidel like Barr. But they never came into the truth, thewhole truth; they never connected Barr with the dark Assyrian Jew, IsaacSyfe; nor were they aware that he had ever known the forlorn PeterKaden. Only Jean Baptiste knew this, and that, although Barr called asale and immediately left the country, there was something still to becompleted. But Jean Baptiste didn't know then that it would all comeback to him in such an unusual manner. However, the public learned alittle more concerning the previous activities of this augustcontemporary before long. It came in the form of a sensational newspaperfeature story. And was in brief to wit:

  While pastor of the Baker Street church, London, Isaac M. Barr, and notAugustus, mind you, although there was no question about the two beingone and the same became very much in the confidence of his flock. OfLondon's great middle class they were and possessed ambition, which Barrapparently appealed to. The result was that a great colony set sail fora land of promise, the land being Western Canada. The full details werenot given; but it seems that Barr was the trustee and handled the money.On arrival, Barr suddenly disappeared and the good people from Englandnever saw him again, which perhaps accounts in some measure for hisbecoming an infidel.... Who would not under such circumstances?

  * * * * *

  There is a feature regarding a new country--that is, a country that laystoward the western portion of the great central valley, that is alwaysquestioned, and is ever a source for knockers. But we should explain onething that might be of benefit to those who would go west to settle anddevelop with hopes of success. And this is rainfall. In this country ofour story, which lay near the line where central time is changed tomountain time, near the fifth principal meridian the altitude is about2000 feet above the level of the sea, and the rainfall may be estimatedaccordingly. Rainfall is governed by altitude and is a feature beyonddiscussion. This is a very serious matter, and could multitudes ofpeople going west to take homesteads, or settle, be impressed with thefacts and know then what to expect, much grief could be avoided.

  But unfortunately this is not so. Masses can be convinced--wereconvinced in the country of our story, and all the west beyond, in otherparts, that rainfall was governed by cultivation. An erroneous idea! Ashas been stated, rainfall is governed by elevation: air pressures aresuch that when in contact with the heavy air due to the lower elevation,thunder showers and general rains fall more frequently on the whole andthis can be certified by the record of any weather bureau, comparing theelevation to the amount of precipitation over a given period, say fiveor ten years. It is a fact, however, that in the most arid districtscloudbursts do occur, but they are always a detriment to the parts overwhich they may fall. And it is also true that in a given year or season,more rain may fall over a certain arid district than some wellcultivated portion in a country where the fall of rain is beyondquestion.

  Because of these contending features, many portions of the country havereceived a boom one season and failed to produce the next. When one yearhad proven exceedingly wet, the theory was that the whole climaticorigin of the country had changed; drought had passed forever, andpeople and capital flowed in to sometimes go out, broken and shatteredin spirits, hopes and finances later. Such instances hurt and hinder acountry instead of helping it. If, in coming to the country of our storythe masses of people could have understood that at an elevation of fromtwo thousand to twenty-two hundred feet, the rainfall over a period often years would approximate an average of twenty-five inches annually,it is reasonable to suppose that they would expect dry years and wetyears; some cold winters and some fair, open winters; some cloudburstsand some protracted droughts. But when the first years of settlementwere accompanied by heavy rains, the boom that followed is almost beyondour pen to detail.

  From over all the country people came hither; people with means, for itwas the land of opportunity. The man who was in many cases wealthy inolder portions of the country, had come there with next to and veryoften with nothing and had grown rich--not by any particular ability orconcentrated effort on the part of himself; not by the making andsaving, investing and profiting, but because in the early days the landwas of such little value and brought so little when offered for salethat it had been a case of staying thereon; result, riches came in theadvance later in the price according to demand.

  Such was not the circumstances altogether in the land where JeanBaptiste had cast his lot in the hope for ultimate success. Whileopportunity was ripe, a few thousands had been expedient. For what couldbe had for a small amount here would have cost a far greater amount backeast. But while land was selling and selling readily the country wouldand could not maintain its possible quota of development withoutrailroad facilities. This question, therefore, was of the most urgentanxiety. When would the railroad be extended out of Bonesteel westward?At Bonesteel they said never. Others, somewhat more liberal said itmight be extended in twenty years. They argued that since it had takenthat many years after Bonesteel had been started before the companyplaced their tracks there, the same would in all probability hold withregards to the country and the towns west. So be it.

  The promoters of the town of Dallas argued that it would not beextended from Bonesteel at all; that when it was extended, it would comeup the valley from the town some miles below Bonesteel, where the trackslifted to the highlands. Meaning, of course that Dallas would be theonly town in the newly opened portion of the country to get therailroad.

  Jean Baptiste and Bill had seeded all the land that was undercultivation on Baptiste's property, and were well under way of breakingwhat was left unbroken, when Baptiste was offered a proposition thatlooked good to him. It was 200 acres joining his place near Stewart's,the property of an Indian, the allotee having recently expired. Under aruling of the Department of the Interior, an Indian cannot dispose of anallotment under twenty-five years from the time he is alloted. Thisruling is dissatisfactory to the Indian; for, notwithstanding all theroles in which he is characterized in the movies and dramas as the greatprimitive hero, brave and courageous, the people of the West who aresurrounded with red men, and know them, know that they wish to sellanything they might happen to possess as soon as selling is possible.Therefore, when one happens to expire, leaving his land to his heirs whocan thereupon sell, dispose, give away or do what they may wish with theland, as long as it accords with the dictates of the Indian agent, thetract of land in question can be expected to pass into other handsforthwith.

  The two hundred acres offered Jean Baptiste was convenient to his land,and was offered at twenty dollars per acre. Other lands about had soldas high as thirty dollars the acre. A thousand dollars down and athousand dollars a year until paid was the bargain, and he accepted it,paying over the thousand, which was the last of the money he had broughtfrom the East with him.

  This was befo
re something happened that turned the whole country into anorgy of excitement.

  A few days after this one of the long rainy periods set in, and thelittle town was overrun with homesteaders, agreeing that the land thatwas broken was acting to their advantage: bringing all the good rains,and drought would never be again.

  Then one day a man brought the news. The surveyors were in Bonesteel. Itwas verified by others, and really turned out to be true. The surveyorsbeing in Bonesteel was an evident fact that the railroad would followthe highlands and would not come up the valley, and that settled Dallasas a town. It was doomed before a stake was set, and here passes out ofour story, in so far as a railway in its present location was concerned.But whatever route a railroad took, it meant that the value to ahomestead by the extension of the railroad would approximate to exceedten dollars per acre. And Jean Baptiste now owned five hundred andtwenty acres.

  Since the work now in breaking the extra two hundred acres was beforehim, and was more than three miles from his homestead, he sought moreconvenience, by determining to approach the Stewarts with a request toboard him.

  It was a rainy day, when he called, only to find Jack Stewart out, whileGeorge and Bill were tinkering about the barn. They had not beeninformed of his purchase.

  "Oh, it is you--Mr. Baptiste," cried Agnes upon opening the door inresponse to his knock. "Come right in."

  "Where's the governor?" he inquired when seated.

  "Search me," she laughed. "Papa's always out, rain or shine."

  "Busy man."

  "Yes. Busy but never gets anything by it, apparently."

  She was full of humor, her eyes twinkled. He was also. It was a day tobe grateful. Rainfall, though it bring delay in the work, such daysalways are appreciated in a new country. It made those there feel moreconfident.

  "Lots of rain."

  "Yes. I suppose you are glad," she said interestedly.

  "Well, I should be."

  "We are, too. It looks as if, should this keep up, we will really raisea crop."

  "Oh, it'll keep up," he said cheerfully, confidently. "It always rainsin this country."

  "How optimistic you are," she said, regarding him admiringly.

  "Thanks."

  She smiled then and bit her lip.

  "How's your neighbors across the road? I've never become acquainted withthem."

  "Their name is Prescott. I don't know much about them; but papa has metthem."

  "How many of them?"

  "Three. The man and wife and a son."

  "A son?"

  "M-m."

  "How old is he--a young man?"

  "M-m."

  He smiled mischievously.

  "Oh, it will be great," and she laughed amusedly.

  "He farms with his parents?"

  "I don't think so. He has rented a few acres on the place north of us.Don't seem to be much force."

  "You should wake him up."

  "Humph!"

  "My congratulations," irrelevantly.

  "Please don't. He's too ugly, too lazy; loves nothing but a stallion heowns, and is very uninteresting."

  "Indeed!" Suddenly he jumped up. "I have forgotten that I came to seeyour dad."

  "I can't say when papa will be home," she answered, going toward thedoor and looking out.

  "I wanted to see him regarding a little business about boarding. Iwonder if he could board me?"

  "He'll be home about noon, anyhow."

  "That won't be so long, now," said he, regarding the clock.

  "So you are tired of baching," she said with a little twinkle of theeyes.

  "Oh, baching? Before I started. But that is not what has expedited mywishing to board. I bought some more land. Couple hundred acres of thatdead Indian land over south."

  "You did!"

  "Why, yes." He did not understand her exclamation.

  "Oh, but you are such a wonderful man, and to be such a young man!" Shewas not aware of the intimacy in her reference, and spoke thoughtfully,as if to herself more than to him.

  He was flattered, and didn't know how to reply.

  "You are certainly deserving of the high esteem in which you are heldthroughout the community," and still she was as if speaking to herself,and thoughtful.

  He could not shut out at once the vanity she had aroused in him. Hewished to appear and to feel modest about it, however. After all, he hadmost of the other land to pay for, which, nevertheless, gave him noworry. His confidence was supreme. He continued silent while she wenton:

  "It must be wonderful to be a young man and to be so courageous; to beso forceful and to be admired."

  "Oh, you flatter me."

  "No; I do not mean to. I am speaking frankly and what I feel. I admirethe qualities you are possessed with. I read a great deal, and when Isee a young man like you going ahead so in the world, I think he shouldbe encouraged."

  How very frankly, and considerately she had said it all. His vanity wasgone. He saw her as the real Agnes. He saw in her, moreover, that whichhe had always longed for in his race. How much he would have given tohave heard those words uttered by a girl of his blood on his trips backEast. But, of course the West was foreign to them. They could not haveunderstood as she did. But the kindness she had shown had its effect. Hecould at least admire her openly for what she was. He spoke now.

  "I think you are very kind, Miss Stewart. I can't say when any one hasspoken so sensibly to me as you have, and you will believe me when I saythat such shall never be forgotten." He paused briefly before going on."And it will always be my earnest wish that I shall prove worthy of suchkind words." He stopped then, for in truth, he was too overcome withemotion, and could not trust himself to go on.

  She stood with her back to him, and could he have seen her eyes he wouldalso have observed tears of emotion. They were honest tears. She hadspoken the truth. She admired the man in Jean Baptiste, and she had notthought of his color in speaking her conviction. But withal she feltstrangely that her life was linked in some manner with this man's.

  Her father's appearance at this moment served to break the silentembarrassment between them, the embarrassment that had come out of whatshe had said.

  They settled with regards to his boarding with them, and a few minuteslater he took his leave. As he was passing out, their eyes met. Neverhad they appeared so deep; never before so soft. But in the same he sawagain that which he had seen before and as yet could not understand.