The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-02-18
] THE COWBOY.
q story s. w,ld q. Lilo q the gout 4,
sBY BELLE c. q GREENE,

F'e@AAsSsAAA115 s 80 euo uo duu making the
question Ct keeping warm hopeless
one. 5s ~ 4 II. ;55 !! a 57fT
The half-naked children huddled
about the stove and patiently COINED q
s their lessons, Poor things, they were
soused to the cold and suffering thatt
even the dreary schoolhouse was CON- 81
fort compared to their miserable
homes. $$.
] missed my big boy, Jake. Il he
were only here, I could send him ID
the woods for fuel. He was alway,s;
our. dependence in a cold 81 rainy ii
day Ho had wonderful luck With
II the riekety old stove, and could make
the fire burn when nobody else could.
Jake was my favorite scholar. He
was only rough cowboy, and had
borne terrible reputation, but he al.
ways behaved himself in school, and
was SO kind and helpful, that 5I had
come to rely upon him as my right
hand man. 3s Il
81 On the day ! opened my school he
came ito me, and, tucking an enor.
nous quid Of tobacco \ away in his
cheek, said awkwardly Y. II wan'te1
jine your school: ali e nuthin, tbut
q cowboy, but I've tux q notion lately
ter learn ter read. I reckon I should
like to know how ter read, = he added,
with q wistful glance into my face. IS Is.
His evident earnestness and his
touched me, and an.
swered cordially. II shall be glad to
have you come, and u have no doubt
you will learn to read very fast. !
will do all I can for you, and you must
help me. We will help each other.''
He seemed embarrassed; dropped
his eyes, shifted his ;quid, then spat
into, 4 corner Of the room,
and wiped his lips on the back of one
great hand.
q reckon you hain't never hearn O.
me" he said finally with an uneasy
laugh. Il amt ginerally counted
much good round here. But
wouldn't wonder ~ he continued,
looking me; over with the air Of q con.
noisseur about to bargain for a pup
or q horse, II wouldn't wonder, now,
Il you me TUX to one anuther,
teacher, ~
81 think we shall, Z I said, good ma.
'.and you look as if you might
be a friend worth having, if you chose. y
He was a noble, great fellow, fully
six feet tall, with limbs like the trunks
of5trees, and the head and shoulders
81 young Hercules 1.
At my remark he blushed q tawny
red, up to the roots Of his hair, and
made sudden movement as if to
ofer me his hand; then drew back
and choked, struggling to speak.
~ can be, and I win be by G-d!''
be muttered at last, hoarsely, and
strobe away to q seat, closely fol.
lowed BY his dog "a savage, ugly
looking cur, which seemed insepara-
BILE from his master, and came to
school as egularly from that day.
The dogs name was Nge, and Ino-
ticed that Jake was ii always consider
ate Of him, sharing his own dinner
with him when he was SO fortunate
IS to have any; and once, when the
poor brute came in wet and shaking
with the cold, he gave up to him his
own warm place By the fire, mutter.
ing BY way Of apology, as his eyes met
mine, that s.the5 little cuss was gittin'
old. ' There seemed to be an almost
human sympathy between them. 4
One afternoon Jake. came in Gov
cred with blood. He had evidently
been fighting. and what was more re-
narkable, had got worsted; but he
went composed to his seat as if moth
ing had happ Indeed, quarrels
were so common among the scholars
That if they did not bring them
into school. I took but little notice Of
Them. So on this occasion I said
nothing, but I saw Tige crawl to his
masters feet and look up into his face
with q questioning whine. He had
been doing comic rtably BY the fire
Al the noontime. and so had not
shared his masters trouble, whatever
1t was. ;sa53
Receiving no attention. he finally
down in front Of him and
patiently watched his angry, down
cast face; nor did n he have to watch
long Ii.
Jake suddenly lifted his eyes and
flashed q ii htning glance at boy
who sat opposite him on the other
side OF the room Then, clearing the
with one bound. the dog was
Of the offender, 1. throat. AndI knew
It was with him Tim Carnes thai
Jake had quarrel
IS all OF the brute! y gasped the fell
low with q terrible oath. ~
lake spoke TO the dog, who reluct.
antly loosed his hold, and rising to his
feet stretched out one brawny arm
toward bis foe: sscallea him ID, y hi
said, because you me will settle
our own little difikilty. It lays 'twixl
you'n me mot youth the dog and
I'll ihnyeit out with ye, and soon, too!'
with q threat ning shake Of the fist. s
4 heard no more Of the matter, but i
few days afterwards Jake was absent
from school for the first time, and ]
missed him,as 4 said in tho beginning 81
this sketch. 4 made inquiries Of TIT
but no one knew anything
about him. Tim Carnes was also OBJ
sent, butt thought nothing Of that, a
he was always irregular inhis attend.
ance. ssss