The Wind
1
Man - puny but irresistible -
encroaching forever on Nature's
vastness, gradually, very
gradually wresting away her
strange secrets, subduing her
fierce elements - conquers the
earth!
2
This is the story of a
woman who came into
the domain of the
winds -
3
"My name's Wirt Roddy -
I trade cattle up and
down this line --"
4
"My name's Letty Mason -
I've come all the way from
Virginia -"
5
"My, this wind is awful,
isn't it? I wish it
would stop -"
6
"You're goin' to wish that
a-plenty, little lady, if
you're out here for any
stay -"
7
"I've left Virginia for
good - - I'm going to
live at my cousin's
beautiful ranch at
Sweet Water."
8
"Injuns call this the
'land o' the winds' -
it never stops blowing
here -"
9
"- day in, day out, whistlin'
and howlin' - makes folks
go crazy - - especially
women!"
10
"You're not scaring me a
bit, Mr. Roddy - - I'm
looking forward to - -
everything!"
11
"I'm Beverly's nearest neighbor,
Lige Hightower - he asked
me to get you -"
12
"Me and my partner,
Sourdough, live fifteen
miles from your cousin."
13
"I'll stop off on my way
back to see how
you're makin' out -"
14
"Hop my paw, little
missy!"
15
"We'll shoot fer the
seat o' priv'lege!"
16
"Gee, but I'm unlucky!"
17
"I've seen that galoot
before - travels fer a
packin' house, don't
he?"
18
"Them's wild hosses -
when a norther blows
they tear down the
mountain like the divvil
was arter 'em!"
19
"Mighty queer - Injuns
think the North Wind
is a ghost horse that
lives in the clouds."
20
"Is this one of those -
northers?"
21
"If this was a norther
you and me 'ud be jest
arms an' legs - -
scattered over the
prairie!"
22
After endless miles of
wind and sand and
empty far-off sky -
23
"Cora! Letty's come!"
24
"What's the hurry? She'll
be here a long time!"
25
"I'd have sent for you
before, honey - but it's
been a mighty hard
year - and my cough
isn't much better."
26
"- you see, my mammy
raised Bev - we're like
brother and sister."
27
"Chuck's ready!"
28
"Kin I help you to sow-
belly and grits, Miss
Mason?"
29
"Hev some son-of-a-gun,
Miss Mason!"
30
"It's made from the
steer's innards - liver,
lights and lungs!"
31
"I'm goin' to pop the
question to Letty
tonight!"
32
"Are ye, indeed, Mister
Sourdough? Wal, so
am I!"
33
"Ain't nothin' to do
now - - but pop it
together!"
34
"Can't you guess, Letty -
why I stopped off at this
awful forsaken place?"
35
"Cyclone headin' this
way!"
36
"You see, Letty, you can't
stay in this terrible country
any longer."
37
"Come away with me,
Letty. I love you."
38
"Cyclone blowed over -
shindig under way again!"
39
"Think it over, Letty - I'll
be in town until tomorrow
night -"
40
"How can I decide? You're
both so fascinating."
41
"Guess you'll have to
toss for us, then!"
42
"- and for a moment
I thought they were
serious!"
43
"You're goin' to take one
of 'em serious!"
44
"You don't think I ain't
seen through your tricks,
Miss Sly Boots!"
45
"You love Beverly - but
you'll never get him
away from me - he's
mine!"
46
"What's more - you're
gettin' out o' our
house - and gettin'
out quick!"
47
"I'd like to kill you!"
48
"Don't worry any more,
Cora - I know where
I can go - !"
49
"You're acting awful
strange - !"
50
"Well, you see, Letty -
as it happens - I got
a wife already -"
51
"Letty - let me take you
away where the wind
can never follow you!"
52
"You've spent the last
night you'll ever spend
at the ranch!"
53
"But what's to become of
me? I have no money -
and no place to go -"
54
"Two men want to marry
you - make up your mind
which one you'll accept."
55
"Wal, if you'd took me -
you'd got a better cook!"
56
"Well, you're always lucky
and I'm always unlucky
- ding it!"
57
"You've been my wife a
whole hour - and I ain't
kissed you yet!"
58
"Guess you ain't much of
a kisser - are you?"
59
"Lemme get you some
more!"
60
"You've made me hate
you! Oh Lige - I didn't
want to hate you!"
61
"I thought you'd married
me to be my wife - -
work with me - - love
me - - !"
62
"Don't be afraid - I'll
never touch you again -"
63
"Somehow - - I'll get
money enough to send
you away - - !"
64
Wind .... sand .... sand
... wind .... yesterday ...
tomorrow .... forever ....
65
"We're on our way to a
meetin' of the cattlemen.
Something's got to be
done to save us all
from starvation."
66
"Take me with you, Lige
- I'll go mad here - alone
with that wind -"
67
"Gee, but I'm lucky!"
68
"You'll have to take
Letty back to the
ranch, Sourdough!"
69
"Them wild hosses is workin'
their way down - like they
was expectin' a norther - !"
70
"We could corral 'em on
the prairie - if you-all's
got guts to round 'em
up in the norther!"
71
"Government's payin' three
dollars a head for 'em - !"
72
"Oh, bury me not on the lone
prai-rie,
Where the wild coyotes will howl
over me!"
73
"In a narrow grave just
six by three,
Oh, bury me not on the lone
prai-rie!"
74
"This sure is norther weather!
When that Satan hoss o' the
Injuns starts to snort - !"
75
"- you'll think all the
winds in heaven is
havin' a screechin'
contest!"
76
"Someone's hurt - -
they're bringing him
in - - !"
77
"It's Lige!"
78
"I'd jest as soon
entertain a skunk
in my front parlor!"
79
"I happened to run acrost
you on my way home."
80
"He's not going to stay
here - is he?"
81
"He'll have to - where
else can he go?"
82
"Were you afraid to
have Lige leave us
alone - ?"
83
"The last time I saw
you I told you what
the wind 'ud do to
you!"
84
"Well - it's doing it!"
85
"I'm not afraid of the
wind - I - I - like it!"
86
"It'll soon be spring in
Virginia - think of the
fields, all thick with
wild violets -"
87
"- - old norther's here!
Hosses are comin' down
from the mountains in
thousands - - !"
88
"Every man's needed for
the round up!"
89
"It's my one chance, Letty,
o' gettin' money to send
you back!"
90
"Better get your things
packed, Letty! First
thing we know Lige'll
be back!"
91
"I'm not going away
with you - !"
92
"- but if he finds us here,
he'll kill us both!"
93
"I hope he will!"
94
"Lige - I've killed
Wirt Roddy!"
95
"There's nothin' out there -
nothin' but sand - !"
96
"Wind's mighty odd -
if you kill a man in
justice - - it allers
covers him up!"
97
"Poor little Letty -
you'll soon be out of
all this!"
98
"Don't hate me, Lige!
Don't send me away
from you!"
99
"But - don't you -
want to go?"
100
"Can't you see I
love you?"
101
"But the wind, Letty -
won't you always be
afraid of it?"
102
"I'm not afraid of the
wind - I'm not afraid
of anything now - !"
103
"- because I'm your
wife - to work with
you - to love you - !"
The End
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