Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1889-02-08
THE TEEDERFOOT COWBOY.


tenderfoot cowboy:
COWBOYS are born, uot made. somo
men are born cowboys, some acquire COW
boys, and others have cowboys thrust up
on them; but the genuine genius is born to
bsstride the bsrbarous pinto IN pursuit Of
the feet footed maverick. History is re-
plete with instances where men from other
walks Of life have sought TO become COW
boys and failed. The shores of time are
white with their bleaching clavclea.
they did not have the afiaius. They
werc not en- rapport with the Texas steer.
they thought that to be a cowboy they
only needed to let their hair grow long
and tie it with blue ribbon at the back.
The gentle reader may not believe It,
but | saw an amateur cowboy land in the
far west whose long and waving hair waa
tied with knot Of pale blue ribbon and
who wore a new SUIT of buckskin that had
never been wet.
meeting OF "Kaveyard No 2" was at
once called to take action in the matter Of
entertaining the new and beautifully pic
turesque terror. In calling the meeting to
order, the most exemplary bedouin of the
lAriet stated that there was an apprentice
at the outer gate Of the corral who desired
to become free working knight Of the
Qulrt.
A programme was then arranged by
which the young man was to be entertain
ed aud fully instructed in the signs Of dis.
treas, grand hAiling signs, grips, pass.
words, explanations and signals of the
order.
The name Of The apprentice WAS Claude
Any body would almost know that to look
at him. He wanted the pure air Of the
plains to fan his brow, he said. and 6l
him With vigor. He wanted to learn how
to rope steer and conquer him and make
him subservient. The gentlemen Of The
"kaveySrd" said that his morbid curiosit,
should be erati6ed.
First, however, be must vet the nav
buckskin clothes. They weat into 4 Rilded
he'll and drank a good deal Of common
cooking whiskey at Claude's expense
Then they took him to an irrieatins
ditch andksaturated him with moiature
Alter that under the auspices of "Kave
yard No. 2. he WAS kept ont in the not
sun til; his buekskini iclothes began to dry
and shrink.
Slowly as the sun rose higher Claude'u
pantaloons proceeded to ditto. He began
to attract attention. With hiS hair looped
back and festooncd with a pale blue rib
bon with grease OH 1t. aud suit of buck
skin that WAS getting 30 tight that it might
crack down the back at any moment, peo-
pie began to gather around him and ex-
press an interest in him Boys stopped in
crowds to ask where it came from and ous-
mess men hated and said 1t was queer
what funny things wei would run across
we didn't have a gun.
Finally they took Claude out to the
stock yards to rope a steer" They did
not dare to run him in with real sure
enough wild steer, but borrowed one of a
man who kept wild steers to let on such
occasions.
Claude chased the ferociouS beast around
the yard nearly all day before be threw
his lariet 80 rs to catch on. The loop
went over the steers neck, but unfortu-
nAtely the fierce young solitary horseman
got his own neck tangled up in the other
end Of the string. Those who know the
habits OF the steer. even when domesti-
Gated, will remember that it lakes a man
with a very muscular neck TO outjerk him
when he iS in good spirits.
This steer jerked Claude head irut across
the arens. the amblinR steed bringing up
the rear. It was an exciting scene. The
steer had one end Of the lariet, the horse
the other and Claude was suspended be-
tween them in the hands of his friends.
Sometimes the steer would jerk and
then the horse would retaliate. Then
they would allow Claude to get his breath
and the exercises would be renewed. Fl
naly the secretary of the society for the
prevention Of cruelty to Texas steers came
IN and cut the rope.
Claude went home in few days after
this episode wearing a look of chastened
disappointment and human clothes.
At the academy Of design at Cheyenne
there may he seen a shrunken and emaci
ated suit of buckskin clothes with shOrt
sleeves and knicksrbocker pantaloons, alsC
a Soiled knot Of blue ribbon. They are
mementoes OF Claude.
No Traces Left.