The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-09-29
The Stock Company.

The Stock Company.
Aweak voice, piping from the inte-
rior of a slow-moving covered wagon,
described exactly the appearance of
the landscape of the portion of New
Mexican barrenness through which
the vehicle was crawling Some way
ever thing looks plumb discouraged,
jeff" it said.
'It looks that Away, Shore" an
swered the small, ight-haired, bare
footed boy who trudged along beside
the wagon and drove the skinny
mules.
Discouraged 1t seemed to describe
everything in sight. The mules
crawled along in a half lifeless way,
and the old wagon squeaked mourn
fully. Small ,white-headed Jeffshuffied
his bare feet after each other in a
weary fashion, as if they were almost
too heavy to drag. Even the little
slate-colored dog at his heels trotted
along in a spiritless way, with droop-
ing head and wagless tail. 1t was
only when Jeff stopped to caress the
small ours head that both seemed
cheered up, as if each felt better for
| the others regard.
The sun seemed to shine in weary
way through the haze, and the rocks,
stunted trees and barrens seemed to
have grown thoroughly disheartened
after years of staring into each 9th
er's expressionless faces. Even ma
ture seemed prey to discourage
ment.
But where the encouragement
reigned supreme was at Tres Pinos,
| the mining camp toward which the
skinny mules and rickety wagon were
crawling.
The most thoroughly discouraged
men in the discouraged camp of Tres
Pinos were those that composed the
crowd in the Four Ace saloon. And
in there was one man more discour-
aged than the rest that was Scotty
Bits.
Tres Pinos was discouraged be-
cause, in the words of old man Raw.
son, Everything that went at all
went plump dead wrong" Its mines
had virtually "petered out" and
with the disappearance of the camps
prospects of prosperity of it's citizens
and the hopes of the rest.
Then, too, to make the dose of ad,
yersity more bitter to swallow,
Boomapolis, the camps hated rival
had not only struck rich 'leads'' al
most at the moment that those at
Tres Pinos had "petered" but had
added indignity to the impartiality
of Providence by sending insulting
messages to the discouraged ones al
Tres Pinos, inviting them to "come
out of the Wilderness" and the like
| The Growing cause for discourage
ment had come that morning wher
Lucky Ivens had announced that HI
was going to remove the Four Ace tC
Boomapolis.
| As unenviably situated as his com
rades, with prospects of prolonged
thirst and little prosperity. Scotty
Bits, always nl-natured, had give1
up in disguised encouragement aftel
his efforts to pick a fight with any
body in the room had failed, becaus'
all were too dispirited to fight.
| After emphatically affirming thai
he had never before met men so lack
ing in animation, or, as he expressed
it, $50 dead in the SHE'LL" p gnacioul
Mr.. Bits declared that hewould whil
the first one who entered the door
way.
And as no one appeared, Scott,
dashed himself into q great rage AMI
seemed on the point of starting ou
to hunt for victim.
Then as he was anthemizing hi
circumstances and surroundings {
boy, slight, light haired and bare
footed, and with asmall, slate coloret
dog in his arms entered timidly. Be
fore the lad could utter word, Bit
sprang forward, and snatched tn
cur, bowling, from his arms.
"Yur, boys" Scotty shouted, "yur'
q picnic I'll bet can throw this pul
as high as the Four Ace an shoe
him three times before he strikes tn
ground"
The little dog yelped dismally, ant
the boy burst into cry OF fear ant
grief.
"Oh, mister" he cried, "don'
hurt Eli! Don't"
"Shut upl" roared Scotty, savage
ly, 'you make more noise than yel
blamed blue pupr'
"But, please, mister, don't hurt
him! Eli is sech a good dog an
eyes, good for targetp' criet
Bits.
The small cur wriggled from
Scotty's grasp and fed to his bare
footed master, who picked him VI
and huging the little slate-colore(
body to his breast, started to run
but Scotty grasped him before b
could reach the door, and snatchet
the yelping dog from his arms.
"Looky yere, Scottyl" said ole
man Rawson. "Let the dog alone
Hain't you got no better business
than pickin' on"
cole man." interrupted Scotty
grimly, " tend to yer own funera
an you won't git hurt Dip into
other peoples business an"
He completed the sentence by tap
ping the handle of his huge revolver
significantly. Old Rawson subsidized
muttering angrily.
oval, what dye bring the dog yul
fer, any how2" Scotty demanded o
the boy.