St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-26
WEIRD, WILD NIGHT.
Lasso Mack, OF Equestrian
Fame, Comes Out in a
New Role.
An Uneouth Exterior Often
times Covers Over a Warm,
Kind Heart.
How Mack Risked His Life
One Xmas Eve on the
PpairieS,
So That a Diving Child Should
So That a Dying Child Should
Get a Santa Claus
Dolly.

attractions Oh TIE clSHt-udy ShoN'
Mac" has departed long since, but his
deeds of daring horsemanship-the
graceful curve with which he dropped
a line about the horns of a crazy Texas
steer-wiIl long linger in the memories
of the juvenile population OF the city.
Jim Stanford, the Old-time rancher OF
the North Platte. who ate his Christ
mas dinner at the Merchants yester-
day, tells story about "Mac" and one
Christmas day oil the range, which goes
to show that beneath the rough buck
skins of the cowboy there is heart as
big as they make 'em.
1T were four year this very day."
said Macs one-time employer. as he
settled down on one of the big Office
chairs and told the story of "a Christ
mas on the PRAIRIE" Things was look
in mighty tough on the range; hard
winter on horns that were, mister, an
critters was layin' dead from cold an
starvation all over the RIM. Sncw was
deeDer'n ever | seen snow in that c0un-
try, an froze tight OH top, SOS the gam
est Texan As ever wore hair couldn't
scratch 'nuff buffalo grass to keep alive
on. Toughest winter sever l put in, 1t
was, Not as | was man to give up at
misfortune. as my boys ID tell yOu.al' it
wasn't steers as aged me bout five year
in night. A month before that l took
nv wife out from Chicago. an our little
girl as was an invalid. The air on the
prairies would help her. so the doctors
said: but doctors don't know it all, l
guess; anyway, she's dead now;" and
the rancher cOughed deep down In his
-. hA xx,hioh hod OIL
most escaped him.
..Cbristmas eve it was when first l sot
ewes on Mac. He came knocking at the
door of the rancho and askin' for ra-
ton of coffee and beans. My wife sot
in the room whar' little Stene lied bout
dead. and Their was doctor thar from
Omaha as had been stayin' right by her
for two days. Mac were hard-lOokin'
pill that night. for it were blowin' the
worst blizzard outside as ever see on
them prairies Stenie-that'S my wife
she didn't want me to let the. lad in,
for the boys was all gone to Platte for
Christmas, an Their wasn't nobody only
me and the doctor, and he looked like
chap as wouldn't give no back talk II
somebody yelled Put 'em up Couldn't
seenO man freeze to death nOhow,s sol jest
tells Mac to put the pony in the barn
and come in. By heavens, mister,
never see man
EAT THE WAY
Mac did that night. While he was pun
ishin' beans an coffee, little Stenie be-
gins to cry again. She was wantin'
dolly for Christmas, half Out'n her
mind like, an Mac. he looks over the
table at me an seZ sort o. short: Kid
sick?' Consumption seq. Wants
sometinn' fer Christmas, don't sheT
SEE Mac. an he looks through the win
der at the snow eZ was flynn like
cloud. Yes / SEE, wants dolly fer
Christmas Wants it real bad, don't
she? Mac seq, an he looks at me so
durn queer like with them black eyes o.
his. I'D bad, stranger SEE l; been
erwin, fer it all day.
MAC didn't say nuthin' fer bout a
minute. then he drains his mug o. cof-
fee. an seq so durn short that he sort o.
scared me. Mister, kin Isee the kid?' I'll
ask the missis,' seq i, fer he looked so
dern wild like [ was afraid he'd frlghten
the little un. Stenie didn't seem to like
the idee. but then she SEE, Let him come
in Jim, mebbe he's got children of his
own somewheres; SO Mac he walks In.
There he stood, did Mac, the toughest
looking ranger Sever [ clapped eyes
onto, standin' up at the foot of our
haby's bed, with his big, dirty hat in
his hand an tears rannln' down his face
iez he looked at the poor little feverish
sufferer. 'Stenie,' seq her mother,
there's a gentleman come to see yOn;
won't you speak to him." The poor lit
tie kid holds up her lips up to be kissed,
same as she does to every one. an
whispers to him eZ loud eZ she could
speak, Did you bring my dolly% Mac
stoed straight up and shook back his
ha'r-kind of a way he's got-an'
fresh ponyp Lots of 'em, seq l.
Madam SEE? Mac, speaking to my
wife, Madam he SEES, the kid shall
ihev the dolly. Ye can tell her as Santa
Claus hain't forgot her nohOw, an will
he here afore mornin'. Show me tibet
horse, mister he SEE lOokin' at me,
Pm goln' to Platte.' he seq. an you
kin bet your last fence rail I'll be back
with the dolly this side o. SUNRISE
why man. seq to him. there won't
no man nor horse neither get to Platte
an back again i'm no such StOrm-there
ain'tn no road fer ten miles, SEE |. To
h with the road Sez Mac. THE town
is due northwest, an I'm goin' there
right now, an comm back with the
dolly. Time is talkin' now. Stranger
seq he, show me the corral 1t warn't
no kind % use talkin' to him. fer he'd
sot his head on goin' to town
an wouldn't hear nOthin' else. l seen
him ride away in the worst blizzard as
ever blew. an | seq to Stenic, There's
real grit SEE l, an Texican at that.
Stenie she seq, God grant he may get
through an amt no sort O. prayiu'
man. bat SEE it after her.
"WOrSe an worse, that ere storm
seemed after Mac was gone, and it
didn't seem to me eZ man or beast could
live in sech weather. One o'clock come,
then two, an Mac never shows up. 1t
were fifteen mile o. prairie to Platte, an
not the easiest of all in good weather. |
sOt by the stove keepin' water hot, fear
the little un'd get worse, an speclatin'
bout the chances o. Mac gettin' through
to Platte. Four o'clock struck OH the
old clock in the corner, an Mac hadn't
shown up yet. AT five goes inter the
room an
LOOKS AT THE MISsIs
an the kid. Both on 'em was a-sleepin,'
an the doctor laid on cot in the next
room a-snorin' like HI beatin' tan
bark. j jest walks outside an listens
minute as well eZ | could in the wind
an snow. Seemed to me / heerd q
shot, but / wasn't right sure nOh0W, so
/ waits minute am hears the same
sound again. Warn't no mistake bout
it now. Somebody was a-coming close
to an a-shootn' like the devil was be-
hind him. Then l knowed thar was
somebody tryin' to find the ranch an
couldn't fer snow. Out comes my Rem
linton, an did some lively shootin' fer
about minute. Then the other fellow
answers me, an pretty soon here comes
critter as / knOwed belonged i'm
one o. them hire stables in Platte.
First thought it warn't Mac, fer the
horse warn't mine, but l soon knowed
different. Through the loose snow he
comes jest a-tearin' an workin the CAD
along the binders % the stringy critter
he was rldin'.