The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-07-02
COUNTRY STORE TALK.

The American Rural Home.
1t was Ben Reeves turn to entertain
the Settlers" at The Store, and he
cheerfully Clipped in Wyoming ex-
perience.
"Iou know where the f. L. horse
ranch is? No? Ireckoned you didn't.
Nor Tom Sun'sranch back OF the Dew
IFS Gate on the Sweetwater? Nor the
Rattlesnake Mountains? Nor Gar
fields peak? Nor the Poison Spider
Creek? Nor the Crazy Woman's Fork?
No? Well, l allowed you wasn't load
ed with Wyoming geography-there's
right smart of it if you once start in
on the trail to round it up.
"The fact that you can't exactly To-
cate any OF those places is more owing
to your lack OF opportunity than to
your wilful ignorance. didn't know
myself there was any such ranches,
and creeks, and things until found
out. My finding out Iscooped in with
my legs astraddle broncho.
"Pll allow you have heard of the
Big Horn Country, and the Little
Rosebud, though, where Sitting Bull
and Custer had slight difference OF
opinion, in which Bull got the best of
the argument? Yes, l Thought you
had. And you have read OF the Vel
lowstone National Park, a hundred
square miles Clipped out of corner
of Wyoming? You have? Well, that
proves that you know how to read,
don't it?
"But, SO far's anything I've got to
tell you's concerned, now l come to
think OF it, it doesn't make the slight
est difference whether you ever heard
OF any OF these places. Why? Because
1T wasn't at any of them that it hap
pened. What happened? That's
what Pm trying to tell you ifyou'll
only give me q chance.
"When Laramie Joe rode into camp
the last night of the round up, we
tumbled TO it that there was trouble
before he spoke a word 1t took q
good deal to start him, but a blind
man, deaf in both ears, with his hands
tied behind his back, could see that
Joe was started-started in a way
that nothing could stop till he got
there-unless he run against q bullet
before t'other fellow did.
'What did Joe say? Laramie Joe?
1t was what he didn't say that gave
us the straight tip that something un-
common had split wide open.
Cool, and soft, and easy-that
was his way always. Only now he
was q thousand times cooler, and
softer. and easier-like the air off the
coast of China just before typhoon
| breaks loose.
1--WE didn't ask any fool questions
our outfit knew Joe better than that;
but we Just smoked away, after pass
ing the time OF day with him-or the
time OF night, rather, for it was then
close to eight-payins no more atten-
tion than as though he was hitching
post.
"Joe sat on his broncho, rolling up
a cigarette, and he took such uncom-
mon pains with it that thought he'd
make an all nights job OF it. Finally
helit it. pulled cone OF rings into
the air and then says:
"Reckon you fellers is kinder broke
up?
"Tired? Every one allowed he wasn't
broke up, and yet there wasn't a man
OF us that had had a square sleep in
two weeks. Ii ever lot of men was
dead tired we were Just that crowd.
A months wages didn't look half as
big us ten straight hours in q bunk.
Lied? Ofcourse welied! Who wouldn't
have lied under the circumstances?
Don't suppose we were going back on
Joe, do you? He hadn't ridden his
horse into a white foam in the fifteen
miles between his ranch and our camp,
justto find outfit a lot OF COW -punchers
were tuckered out, did he? You are
teetotally right he didn't!
Feel agreeable for little rider
was Joe's next question.
"Of course we did-that's lust what
we'were suffering fora little exercise
OF that sort. The fact that this was
the first time we could honestly say
we had been out OF the saddle for 60
AAlSs VII CVo NCChSy uluIl v COullU. NOU
il Joe needed us. And he hadn't rid
den that fifteen miles just out of anx-
iety about the condition OF our
health and to perscribe horseback ex-
ercise-Joe hadn't.
There amt no rush, fellers, says
Joe, rs we got up to a man, cook in
cluded, and started for our horses
that were corralled close by. "There
amt no great rush. I've got Montana
Bill run to his hole, and the hole COW
cred. There won't be any fun till we
get there, but thought it wouldn't be
no more'n neighborly to ride over and
give you an invite
Joe always was thoughtful. Mon
tana Bill was the boss horse thief in
all that country. The fun meant a
funeral, OF course-what else could it
mean? l give it to you straight
what other kind OF fun would a white
man have with dirty. low-down,
sneaking horse thief? 1t does take a
tenderfoot to ask fool questions, for q
fact.
ave didn't ask Joe for war map.
He knew what he was about and that
was enough for us. He rode off at
lively loop and we followed. There
wasn't any chance to 60 into further
particulars-but what was the odds?
We had heard OF Joes losing bunch
OF half dozen OF his best horses lately.
Now we knew he was going to collect
pay for them.
"Joe had Montana Bill and pal of
his comfortably roped and staked
down at his ranch, with one of his
men on guard. For some reason all
three OF them were wide awake when
they got there, about three o'clock.
BY four it was growing daylight and
Bill and his pal walked out to fair
sized tree. Joe apoloeized that it
want hipupr-huf who's 1oipu n Eiol-