Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-30
Written for The EvExIxG STAR
THE WILSON 'IARIAT."
BY PATIENCE STAPLETON,
Author of THE Majors Christmas and
Jean Mcclure.
Copyright. 1857
PART i'll.

night but IL seems so cruel to eaten those wild
free horses from their home
cit is mean y he said, thOughtfully,
"and they have To fight for ii; cold and starva
ton in winter, drought and heat il summer
and in the fall when they are at their best
proud and fine to be took by me. 'Tain't just
SQUARE How it went against me to get Thunder
therei I'd follered the tracks OF a herd OF a
long spell-it was dry and knowed just where
they'd go for water. Fellers like him there
(afier some hesitatiOn) generally Is boss for a
herd of mares; there may be stray horses by
themselves, but the best boss Is leading the
herd, you can bank on that, and he keeps boss
too. Its fun to see horses fight. Well, see
the herd ahead and set out on good boss had
To- catch a mare or two. / knowed it wouldn't
be no use TO try for the boss, though I've got
several OF the lone ones at times but if YOU
believe it that black teller scented me. He
come back, leaving the mares in a scared
huddle and set out to give me battle. He gave
me time for a square fight, and believe too, /
was the list human he had ever seen. / hated
10. for ii seemed was fighting mean with more
weapons than he had, but il was life and death,
and l catched him with the larat when he was
studying me curious like. throwed him, nigh
cleared out like dust blowing in the wind, but
the black feller never stirred; he knowed he
was beat. Easiest boss 20 train ever see best
boss to go into the country, and as honest "A
boss ever was made. I'd give heap to know
where ne come FROM"
81 see themr' she cried, clasping her hands,
and looking up into his face, not seeming To
note his fierce dark eyes that glOwed now with
strange fire, 1.-The wild, free, glorious things,
knowing no master, fearing none. Roaming
over endless plains, finding hidden creeks
where the very sands gold, galloping
through the deep mountain ean9hsDoDea ter
by hunger, thirst, cold, but always Tree, liberty
their birthright."
That's ali very pretty, Eliza Jane" says I,
getting up, "but that red streak there means
dawn, and we've got to get home"
He saddled our horses without word.
Lead mine up To- a stump, says L, which he
did pushing the mule sidewise which is emery
generally. Me on. he turned TO Eliza.
Let me show you, she says y our hand so,
now put my foot in il. my hand on my sad
die. One, two, three. / IN up.
.'GOsf, but that mighty cute DONE" he said.
She laughed and thanked him, and We rid off,
she waving her hand good bye, which led me
To believe ali good looking women can't no
more neip flirting than sleeping when they
tired. He'd pointed cut the way and We got
home all right.
THAT Wild HOSs Bill, she whispered,
when we was in town.
..lis," says i.
I'D give the world she cried, piteously, ''lf
that hadn't been printed in my paper"
THAT says i, '.What:'
You know that cruel lie about him."
"Lie," cries !. you We had lots of acquaint-
auee with him To call what your beau writ
about scalawag, "a lie. Pears TO me Slept too
long last night
She never answered. but only sighed in a
way that was last becoming habit To her.
We knOwed Wild HoSs Bill got there that
afternoon for heard a hullaballo and fast
riding over the hard worn street. The papers
had been given out tine night afore when we
was lost, and she knowed he'd seen EN-. She
was So scared she wouldn't go home to supper,
so brought her some victusils and set with her.
She was looking out the window just about
dusk when she gave a little Screech:
Miss Quinn, hes comlng"
"W hog
Him, that was about-Oh, hide me some
where He's coming here, IN frightened to
death.
She was so trembling and white pitied her.
though l couldn't think Bill would touch her.
but got her behiud big box and set down on
II with my knitting facing the door. Sure
enough up he come, the creaNy steps rafting.
My. what a big man he was; he could have
Killed her with half hand.
lis this where this-thing is got up?'' He
says, awful profanely, holding the paper in his
hand. He'd been drinking too, so he didn't rec
ognize me in the dark.
cit air., says !, mighty scared, but trying to
on the table, then he looked round the room
contemptuous like, then to me:
"Where'S the fellow that wrote that-thing
that lie about met I've come up to kill him
fair fight, tOo-tsts. lett my guns down stairs,
I'll give any teller fair show. Where's the
editor (the word seemed to choke him the cow
ard, that runs this concern"
"Out, gone out" gasped.
long as he can" He sat down in a rickety
chair, then he jumped up. What's them? BY
gosh, you're the old girl on the mule. You his
81 ain't." says I, trembling, mo relation what
ever to him."
boxes, "them little things made OF lead?''
"Them, answers j, proud of my knowing
about printing, lis letters that goes into the
paper; them is set up in those long kind of irons
there, which is called, don't know why-gaI-
leys. Ink is swabbed on EN- and they prints.
All them boxes has different letter in 'em;
terrible work 10 get 'em in and out seems 10
me- When you muss line setting 1t up it's
called pi."
pie, is itr' he laughs, great hoarse laugh.
"Look here, thenF' Crash, bang went the
wooden stands on the floor, bang the table
where the galieys was, ali the boxes was broke
and the type scattered on the floor
Tell your editor the boss baker of this re-
giOn's been here" roars Wild Hoss Bill: tell
hIm We lett him pl enough To last from hell 10
breakfast, and If he'll come down to Bob's sa-
loon Ii make him eat that speech of his along
with the pie I've made him, and FIJI lam hi I'M
so his aunt won't know him."
Then out he Stat after those words and runs
down the stairs III e mad, giving bloodhound
ling whoop when he reached the street.
You precious dear. says, getting off the
box, 10 Eliza Jane who crawed out. She was
awful pale. She looked around the room all
tored 10 pieces and at tine little letters i'm heans
on the tioor
Il deserved it," she says, quietly: then she
looks at the type again. "Oh, the work the
work, she cries, Il can never get them back
back again"
Down she sunk beside the type, crying with
ali her might. the tears running down and mix
ing with the few letters she had picked mn and
making terrible smutch ali over her face and
hands. shed few tears myself from sympa-
tiny.
The WILSON Larias can't come out no more. -
she sobs, hts broken,-lots OF it,-and can't
can't buy any more"
We heerd steps then. soft ones but not Pixies
was, Wild Hoss BILL but sober and meachin
now enough. He come into the room and sbet
the door, going up TO her and looking down on
Was you the EDITOR" he says, like he was to
funeral. ~ w
.'Yes. y-e-s," she sobs
Fore never would have done it, then
Iney told me TO the saloon you was. I'm sorry
loe-genulneiy sorry, miss. I'll fix 'em up pui
u ali TO rights. I'd not busted a letter il I'd
knowed they was yourn."
Still she sobbed.
What had you gin mee" he said. remem.
harm" ''0 ho
II was fool, she muttered, ~ didn't know ),
Pretty talk agin man you'd never seen.
Ola guarding OF him, he went on severely. a.,
woman tricK, knifing for the love OF it, hitting
the fun OF printing al, doing IL all because a
man eouldn get satisfaction II he was any Kind
OF man." $1,000
You can kill me If you wanter.n saws my
giri, looking more II ever like a whipped child
"Bosh," he says, but more kindly now 81
ana you can go on printing lies about me every
week II II does your little heart good
Let EN- alone. she biazed, sprinyiDg To her
Ieet, and madder than ever see her, .'iet 'em
atone Don you see you don't know one letter
from another, yOU-yOu stupid cowboy It's Tine
Work OF days To get 'en back; somes broken
ruined, only acowSrd would have Zone H. IL was
al true wrote; don take 1t back. Go on ter
mere. Go, you needn't think you can scare. me
am "a weak woman. The whole town will
come To my rescue
He dropDed The type and skunk out like a
sill Laid ds.KK