The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-11-30
R'Iloo BY . Musssna.

1t was clear moonlight night when, .af-
ter hard days ''drive," and the herd of
wild horses had beenspenned. that the cow
boys stripped their tired ponies Of saddles
aud brides, and staked them out to Craze
| On the thick mesquit grass which fylnged
the bank OF the San bernardo.
| After this duty had been attended to,
the cooking utensils we're brought forth,
and soon the coffee pot was singing mu-
sical little song, and leg Of fresh calf
ribs spluttering before the fire. The re.
past, though rough, was made enjoyable
by an appetite which only violent exercise
and pore air can give, and after the boys
had eaten until it became necessary to un-
bnckle their six-shooter belts, blankets
were spread under the breaches OF gigan.
tic live oak which seemed to stand guard
over the broad expanee Of prairie, and
they settled down for quiet smoke,
n tell you what, boys" said Ned Cur
tis, who was one OF the hardest riders and
best poker players west OF tho Brazos, as
he lit cigarette, eve are going to handle
some pretty rough mustangs tomorrow,
and II any Of you fellows want to show
your fancy riding you had better be fixing
your flank girts and rolls, because there
are some unbranded four years old in that
| bunch, who are going to make you hum
like a churn- dashcr, and you'll have to
fork 'em deep to stay In the saddle. There
is one In the pen that Is a perfect picture
Of the mustang mare that sent Bill Hall to
the angels" r'
"Wasn't he some galoot from the old
States :" inquired one Of the boys, turning
over on his blanket.
Eyes" replied Ned, che was a long
tow-headed chap, greener than an August
persimmon, with legs on him shaped like
a pair of hanles." 'i"
"How did he happen to get killed, Ned.
Did the mare flirt him little too strongi"
"Yes, that was tho way of it. You see,
he had just come from Gregory, and had
never been on the back OF wild horse be-
fore in his life. but he was spunky with
all Of that, and WASH scared Of anything.
One day while driving out in Nueces
county, we made round up all OF the
horses in the range, and after cutting out
ali that were in the diamond p brand the
boys began throwing some down and rid
ing 'em, just to see the wild devils buck. I"
"Well, Bill Hall took o darn fool notion
to ride one himself and he picked out a
little Roman nosed mustang mare, pure
Spanish, and wilder than cavote, and got
some OF the boys to help him throw her
about handling lariat than he did about
running prayer meeting.
When the saddle had been strapred on
her and Bill forked it, she was turned
loose, and the crowd stood back to see the
fun. Well, alr, that plug raised her head,
looked back, beloved couple of times,
and then she lit into the prettiest bucklng
l ever looked at. "Stick to her Bill" I
yelled, but the only thing he could say
was, whoa Stop her boys, darn her OLD
hide" .Ef ' ".'' -"
While hn bod his. knees gripped to her
sides like wise, and Ia: -. enr ~ Sis ill., M
brush heap, the mustang stretched her.
self out like step. ladder, put her head
between her front legs, and then bringing
herself together like ra1-trap, she slam
med Bill Hall against the ground harder
than I ever heard fellow hit before
When we picked him up one ear wa,
jammed around to the back of his neck,
and, from the look ON his face, we koeW
that he wasn't long for this world. III
fingered for day or two, aud we did al
we could to ease his pain, but one morn
ing he motloned for us to come to him
and as / kneled beside his couch and tool
his hand in mine he said: "Boys, In
gong to pass in my checks, but ain >
| 6cip5 w ohASSh hOOut Nv Cfcu IL L uO
away out on Il prairie, with no one but ,
} few friends around me. I'll have bi,
broad bed to rest in, and If some day yol
ride by my grave won't you get down an,
, think Of me awhile 7''
"Well, sir, the boys-the ornary cusses
were crying like women, and felt terribl,
< shaken myself, but we all promised tha
we would, and then he raised himself
little, and In faint voice said: Ned,
want you to write to my mother and te
her that wasn't very dutiful son, but
loved her just the same.'"
s "Ned," lie muttered so faint coul
u hardly hear him, ''don't tell my folks be
r you write that was slid into Heaven by
ID mustang" and with that his hea
; fell back, his grasp on my hand rela1et
:, and Bill Hall was on this earth no NOR
and when thought how his mother wou
. grieve it made mo feel woak in the knee
We buried him, and Jack Jones, WI
o Is something OF a scholar because he Ia
=. chance to 60 to school down in Bay Pra
Il rie, wrote on the head-board of the grave
!, WILLIAM HALL
got fall;
= Killed Dead as Slug
~ BY Texas Plug,
BORN IN aRoRaY
ut always makes me feel bad when
think of that poor fellow, and how to-da
" he sleeps On the bank Of the Santa Ge
| ~ t,s,k Il