St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-12-11
a WOMAN'S COWBOY.
How He Was Tamc4 by 4 Little Girl
Named Bessie.


Named Es>sc.
Last evening | was ticking care OF my
little nephews, Harry apd Jack, while
their papa and mamma Nent to con-
eeSt | was by the table sewing and they
were on the floor playing With the dog
and making pictures Of they sliced an
imals. All at once Jack Spoke to me
SO suddenly that l jumped: Say,
aunt;e, did you ever see a cowboy?"
/ told him Yes" and that aown in
New Hampshire we had great many.
"A real, live cowboy, Oh.AuntiG, tell
us about one" And Harry's eyes grew
large. Jack took his usual seat IN. my
lap and Harry stood on the back rounds
of my chair and amused himself by pull
ing my scolding locks.
began: "Weli, boys, when l was a
tile girl [ knew nice little cowboy.
lie had brown, curly hair and pretty
blue ewes
Like me?' interrupted Jack.
"1es, | answered, IN w | come to
think of it he looked very much as you
do. But his name was John and he
used to wear a ragged straw hat and
60 barefooted when he was a cowboy
He drove three red COWS to pasture
and
"Oh! that isn't the kind OF cowboy we
mean broke in Harry 1--WE want
one like this, and he opened q book of
Western adventure and pointed to
picture of a man who was all reyolvers
and fierce black mustache.
L told my ncphews that I had never
seen a cowboy like that; mine were all
happy little rogues not in their teens.
who whlStled Yankee Doodle,n PLAYED
stlck-knife, went to school and struggled
with long division.
Jack and Harry were disappointed
and were glad to have the door open
and see Uncle John come in He was
the g liver of the cowboy book, and after
they had laughingly and with great
scorn told of ''Aunt:c's cowboy,n he
took small nephew on each knee and
kept them awake long after their bed
time with such stories as would have
frightened me had not guessed by the
twinkle of Uncle Johns eyes that they
came from some corner of his brain
and were made out of whole cloth"
But after Harry and Jack were safely
sucked In bed and as [ braided my hair
for the night thought of the children's
disappointment at my kind of cowboy,
hen 1t came to me that | once had the
privilege CD of seeing a real cowboy
and am not ashamed to say that at
first sight | felt none of the bravery
chat Jack does when he reads of them,
[ suppose he would say: cause you're
woman, AuntIe. All women are 'fraid
but we men never are
This is the way it was: About two
years ago, |, with a party of friends
was on the way to California The train
was within few miles of the Indian
Territory whose inhabitants were then
and are now in an uncivilized condition.
L heard two men a little way in front of
me talking One said: Things are in
ruther wild way down in H lust
now, amt they?' and the other replied:
.Wall, dunno, they might be wuss.
The other day thar were about twenty
OF the felars in my store an they got
to talking about politics an when folks i
talk politics they are might apt to be
personal.
"Wall-some 'er the fellars cot q lit
tie mad, an before l knew it thew had
out their pistols an was pivoting them
at each other. But they got over it.
an I've seen things just as bad in Ian
ton, whar l first settled. an now thar
are four stores an three church houses.
But l come from down East an we've
ruther quiet lot, down thar
But before these men finished talking
the car door opened and in walked a
man-tall and broad shouldered, but
just intoxicated enough to feel .'talkee,
talkee, Mclean man." To his suit of
blue flannel was added yellow leather
belt in which was stuck sharp, danger
Gus looking knife and large revolver.
Under the broad-brimmed hat was
good enough featured face; but instead
OF the black hair and mustache of the
traditional wild Westerner, l saw hair
Of a fiery shade and full side " hiskers.