White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-06-04
Shit Gale.
y (FTOm POrtssT''s Spirit Of the q'i@is.J
THE BANDIT
AND THE BJRDERER,
by LARIAT.
CHAPTER 1.

CHAHlEh L.
H0cr wEsr," SO called, is portion of this
vast territory of ours, lying in the path of the
setting sun, whose precise location has never
vet been determined, and whose boundary lines,
ever shifting with Times mutations, are daily
becoming more and more contracted by the rap
id extension of civilization and western enigra-
ton. Beyond this land of promise, there is yet
another region called the " Far West" the
Rocky Mountain peaks, fanked on either side
BY desert prairiss-whence, betimes, come mar
vellous tales Of wild adventure, of bloody bat
ties fought with the savage nomads of the
plains, by bold and reckless trappers, not less
wild andsbarbarous than their red-skinned foes,
and strange recitals of perils and privations,
which they alone to whom these are but the vi
cissitudes of everyday life can swear to be no
fiction. Frsm this prairie-nursery of a litora-
ture purely American, literature so fraught
with strangely heroic annals, that it must soon
supply the place of the now popular, but less
wholesome fietions of the present day, might be
gathered thousands of thrilling incidents, of
which the following is but sample.
All along that ever-changng belt of territory,
known as the western frontier, and forming a
large proportion of its pioneer population, there
has always existed class of semi-civilizcd,
T" half-horse and alligator" beings, in western
parlance knownas Cone-outers,'' but to whom
10 spithet can be more appropriately applied
dan that of g BOrder-Rufians - for a more
ecious set Of rasca;s never disgraced respect
sole society Bred in the forest, with a bowie
. knife in one hand, and rifle in the other ear
" taught the art of self-defence against the
stealthful Indian, on whose hunting grounds he
has trespassed, and not less wild and unrestrain-
ed than he instinctively regarding friends with
suspicion, and foes with implaeable hate ready
to s-ovoke as to avenge an insult, he has be-
como an adept in the dHellO, and handlesa Green
River blade, or an Arkansas tooth-pick with the
dexterity of a ord-player. Disdaining work,
but too restless and energetic to be idle, he is
ALWAYS pining for excitement, and is never so
happy as when opportunity offers to test the tenn
tper of his steel, or the accuracy of his rifle He
hunts cstamounts for pastime, steals horses, kid
mans negroes, riots at fandango, pgovokes a
Quarrel with stranger by calling him liar,
and knocks him down because he don't rcsentit;
or, falling in this, or finding such sport too mo-
nOtonous, he streaks it out upon the prairies,
with a score Of kindred spirits at his heels, and
rnohs some Indian village, plumbers the lodges,
kills tie Irares, and carries OF the squaws and
horses. Then, with his hot blood up TO fever
hsat, and in the full revelry of his demoniac de-
lights, he courses away over the plains, scorn-
ing death in every phase, and ready for any
extremity TO which bis mad preciPitaney may
lead him. Now crossing the war-Path Of the
tvengeful Pawnee, running the. gauntlet OF
sWarming Camanches, or engaging in mortal
combat with any he Nay chance to meet, be
thsir skin white or copper-cOlored. Anon he
var; Is his programme BY mobbing the slow lum-
bsr;ag train of the emigrant, or, dashing down
mo. some traders caravan. puts ball through
lis sody, and makes a raise Of his treasure and
o4cks.