CHAPTER XV
A FEW WAYS OF THE WEST
Just as the good roads turned into mud slides in a few minutes, a few hours of sun and wind transformed them into good ones again. After only two days’ delay we went back over the scene of all our misery and the distance out of our way that had taken us nearly six hours, we skimmed over in less than one, returning to our Des Moines road with a little delay and no misadventure. (Our non-interruptible chauffeur paying no attention to the suggestion of stopping to taste the famous springs at Colfax.)
When we arrived in Des Moines, as E. M. wanted to take the car to a garage to have some things fixed, Celia and I went out by ourselves on foot. The first vehicle we saw had a sign on it “Jitney, 5 cents.” Never having been in one, and not caring a bit where it took us, we promptly got in.
“Now, what are we going to see?” asked Celia, not addressing anybody in particular.
“Strangers?” questioned the driver affably, turning around.
“Yes,” said Celia, “what can we see from your car?”
“Well, there’s the Capitol—I go right by that, and the finest buffaloes in the States are less’n a block further out. You could go see the buffaloes and then walk back to the Capitol.”
“Excellent!” we agreed.