The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-05-10
4 TEXAS SCRarE.
Bf SANDY HIGGINS.

mons, ti s'eat west, like great
many other youngsters who have wilt
oa.s hs 10 SOW. Accordingly, scraped uI
what thought was money enough te
n last man around the earth, and tc
iexas l went, feeling as huge as Bona,
par'e ala before the battle of Waterloo
ID. IL wasn't long till felt like the
same gentleman after said battle, for
spent my money like it grew on trees
aho IN month after got there / had
nut one dollar n my pocket. Here was
hx that didn't exactly see NV way
out OF without going to work. and vol,
all know l was never fond of that busi
ness, AZ long as there was anv other
chance to keep from starving or stealing.
Alter studying the matter in all its
points, went to an old friend from the
states, who had been in Texas for nun.
Der OF years, and stated the case to him,
DO you want to make some money
easy?* said ne.
DO look much like fool ?" was
The reply. ""'
Ierhaps the less said about that, the
better" he replied, "but no matter. If
you'll gather up drove of beeves and
drive them to New Orleans you can
double your money on them without
much trouble"
That's good advice to "a young man
who hasr't got money enough to buy a
SICK puppy" said ], for thought he
was making sport of my troubles, aud
mat didn't suit my taste much better
than going to work but he explained
that he would furnish the cattle and two
droyers, and give me share of the
profits. took up that offer without
any more argument, and told him to trot
ou! his cows and was ready. Getting
up drove of beeves was small lob in
that country, and in two or three days
lie had hundred as fine ones as we're
ever butchered. My old friend provided
me with mustang pony, pair of Span
ish Bpurs, and whip with a thong fif.
teen or twenty feet long, with which a
Texan drover could play Yankee Doodle
around cows head, but which vas as
strange to me as an Australian boone.
rang. | knew the blamed thing would be
as much trouble to me as young ele.
phant, but it wouldn't do to confess any
ignorance in the matter so We set off in
high spirits, l feeling like was on the
road to fortune, and bound to make the
most Of it.
Well, we progressed finely for few
miles, and then one OF the best steers
took it into his fool head to 20 10 the
woods, and to the woods he went, like the
old boy was at his tail. 1 thought here
was a good Glance to show my skill, 80 |
turned my pony's head in that direction
and away we went, leaving The two 6rovers
to manage the herd sfy mustang,
knowing what was required of him, soon
overlook the brute, and if | had known
how to use my whip there could have
been no difficulty in getting him back,
but a pop gun would have been Of more
use to me than that thing was. Some
how couldn't get it of of me. Every
time tried to hit the steer, two or three
yards OF the thing would wind around
my neck while the lash was all the time
trying to play the devils jig in my eyes.
Finding, after few efforts, that I was
more likely to choke myself TO death
than to accomplish anything else, gave
itup. for bad job, and devoted my whole
attention to staying in the saddle, and
that kept me as busy az blind mule in
a yellow jackets nest, for the pony kept
lodging alb out after the steer and it re-
quired neat job of balancing to stay
on him. isufpose the race lasted four
or five miles, and then l politely con.
signed the brute to old Nick, and gave
up the chase. But in the meantime we
had wound about till 1 knew no more
about the way back than l did to the
city of Timbuctoo, and rambled about
for two or three hours without getting
any nearer out Of the woods, apparently,
than was at first.
~ length, Sired, hungry and CO der
ably demoraliZed, saw smoke rising at
distance, and made bee line for it,
though l didn't know whether it was
made by white folks or Indians, but /
thought had AS we'll be crippled as
starved. coon came to little log cab
in, and when l called at the gate, a good
looking woman came to the door and in.
vited me in. In went, hoping to get
something to eat, and directions back to
the road at least. Almost the first thing
saw was baked chicken and loaf Of
bread in plate on the table, and while
vas telling her all knew, and several
things that didn't know, kept my eye
on the plate, like cat watching mouse.
The more looked at it the hungrier I
became, until I'll be hanged if couldn't
actually taste it. l was hungry, and no
discount about it, and after standing it.
as long as I could / proposed to buy the
provender, but she said it was all she
had, and she couldn't part with it. ]
told her that ell the money l had in the
world was one Mexican dollar, which l
showed her, and that would freely give
it for the fowl and bread, but might as
we'll have been whistling at spot on
jay-bird's tail for all I made by~it.
Finding there was nothing to be made
in that way, / asked her to direct me to
the main road, and got up to take my
leave, but before reached the door, she
inquired:
stranger, can you jump?"
Like bull.frog," said 1.
"Well," she replied, "Ill bet you the
victuals against the dollar that l can out
jump you"
"Atit We go" said l, going to the
door.
"stop," said she, "aud put your money
on the plate"
"Good for you," said /, and laying ths
dollar alongside the rations, l went to the
door, made big effort and jumped about
a rod. BY the time I struck the ground
the door was closed, and found myself
out of doors, without supper or dollar
either.
Here's the devilW thought /, as l
heard her making the door fast inside.
Then she came to little window about
the size of my hat and began laughing at
me. >,
"Hand out my money, madam" said
I, cor jump"
"Not if I know it." said she; I'm not
. rood bond ar inn, ming anyvayo