Omaha daily bee., 1888-11-04

ance, they would inquire whether he
didn't think it was his treat. He al
ways did. Then every mothers son of
them in the hall would call for whisky.
and as this vile stuff was never retailed
at a lower figure than two bits over the
bar, the costivitv rarely failed to run
we'll up into a ten-dollar bill. After
this evidence OF generosity the gracious
cow w-puuchers would either allow him to
remain and enjoy the discontinue of
some other sucker, or kick him out into
the street, as the fancy seized them.
A good story in this connection is to
be told Of Messrs. John II. Brandt, the
gentlemanly B. & M. travelling auditor,
and Charles A. Worthington, another
urbane official OF the road.
These two gentlemen found them
selves in this delectable town on the
2lst of October year ago. They had
gone up on business for the road, and in
the evening after supper at the depot
hash counter they thought they'd stroll
up town and see the elephant. They
were we'll aware that Whitman, as a
city, was full-blown daisy, and very
tough place generally, but on account
OF their connection with the road, and
from the fact that they had four or five
hundred graders at work there, they
apprehended neither danger or un-
pleasantness. The sounds of riotous
merriment exuding in great chunks
from the interstices in the board
and sod walls OF the "Razzle-
Dazzle attracted their attention, and
they concluded to drop in and
see the fun. They were soon within the
glaring refulgence of the bar, and were
amazed at the spectacle spread out be-
fore them. frowsy group OF cowboys
Nd ,x,,t civ tro
a-hip, crowded and jostled around
faro game, the dealer being dignifed,
long, gray-whiskered old gentleman
known as the Judge" and the "look-
out' no less a parsonage than the placid.
pallld, thin-faced, sharp-eyed Doc Mid
dleton. At the far end of the room,
perched upon an upright whisky barrel,
was greasy coon saving wood on
consumptive violin, while before him
was set in quadrille, four very reck-
less cowboys and their partners,
a quartette OF females with about as
much drapery upon their lissom forms
as is to be seen upon Domenichino's
statue of Minerva. 1t was a loud and
were ranged the usual habitues of the
place, waiting patiently for some one to
treat.
Hello there" cried a tall, thin cow
boy, as Mr.. Worthington' glistening
tile caught his eagle eye, and leaving
the set he advanced toward our friends,
and laying his hand ON Worthington's
shoulder, continued, "Just in time
pard, come on an join the dance"
mo, thank you," suavely replied Mr..
Worthington, 81 never dance" and he
winked at Brandt.
''Git out" rejoined Mr.. Cowpuncher,
81 know you dance, come give us
STEP" ,
"Oh, yes, think you'd bet
ter" persuasively from the man
of serope and sombrero, and
with this supposition, his sixshooter
was slung across his arm, looking the
startled railroad official square in the
face.
well, do feel like dancing" joy
ously exclaimed Worthington, sin fact
never felt so much like it in all my
life-come on, Brandt, let's take a
whirl. On with the dance; and let JOY
be unconfined-"
1t was the cowboys gun, and it tore
big ragged silver out of the plank at
Worthington' feet and scared him out
"Dance
Was the peremptory adjuration from
the man Of the lariat aud broncho, and
bang! went the siXshooter again, barely
missing Char'ey's glisteniug tile.
Then you should have seen Messrs.
Worthington and Brandt.
Did they dance?
For nearly one hour. Galloped,
waltzed, schottisched, rippled, mazur-
kaed, polkaed and iigged. Deiehanty
and Hengler, Billy Emerson, Dick
Slider and Andy Mckee were nowhere.
The steps they executed were marvel
Gus for their grace and beauty, phenom-
email in conception, incompatible in
their alacrity and time.
Their fairy forms, now here, now there,
lowered like children of the air."
Worthington's plug fell of and rolled
to the floor, only to be perforated again
and again by balls from the cowboys
guns. The men yelled and whoOped
like fiends Of some Internal arena, while
the women screamed and laughed, and
finally joined in the weird, unbridled
| can-can, and the scene became one OF
| general uproar and confusion, and dur
| ing this our friends made their escape
Hatless and perspiring they reached
| the caboOse on the siding at the depot
but they never ventured out again tha,
night, nor the next day even, did they
20 back up into Whitman. They wera
no hogs and knew when they, hat
| enough. ~.
IL was my intention at the outset o
this article to give the readers goot
deal of the history Of Whitman; tine
murder Of Joe Hall. the infamous Dor
der rough and rutthroat, how Bunker
Flimmcr wouldn't nor didn't dance a
the cowboys bidding; the grea
cattle ranges: how they rounC
up, cut out and brand cattle
the whole great country, measure
less plains, rolling sand hills and beau
tiful lakes; about the game, now an(
formerly; buffalo, elk. deer, wolves an(
coyotes; geese aud ducks; the dreaded
prairie fires aud the ranchero's guard
the bright side OF cowboy life, and O
many OF the fine fellows there are anon,
them, as we'll as abeat the town @