Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-23

uldu uOHDSOn'
Us that on the square, young fellerY"
said Thompson rising. "Look out what
yer about. l cut yer weazen as soon as
/ would rats" and he walked toward
the young man with the knife open in
his hand.
Don't, pa" said his daughter, and
Mrs. T., joining in, SAID: Just sit
down. pa; yer supper is ready"
"Well, come up, young feller, and
git some supper, and ef yer honest in
what yer said about ole Thompson bein'
chief 'roun' here, shake" They shook
hands cordially, and this strangely as
sorted pair sat down at the table TO eat.
Mrs. T. and her daughter were very
pleasant and agreeable. but the old
man said nothing. After supper he
went out in the yard and sat on log
for a long time, whiting and chewing
tobacco. Az last he came in and said,
abruptly:
"Young feller, I've been a-thinkin',
and eff yer dead In earnest about what
yer said, thet there's to be no one chief
in these parts but ole Thompson, won't
take yer to Jail, and yer kin go home."
The young mans heart leaped into
his throat as he grasped tho old chaps
hand and shook it warmly. He had
conceived great admiration for the
| old man, and expressed it. Here was
| man so much worse than himself he
was proud to call him chief and ac-
| knowledge his authority over him.
Yer bet, dad, it's all right and yer
chief every time!" cried the young des-
perado, wringing the old mans hand
| again.
"Well, then, none O. yer monkey
shines when I'm 'roun', aud see yer
don't fergit it. Jake, bring him his
horse-and here's yer guns, young
| feller."
| THE WOMAN HAD LOOKED ON, SMIL-
| INGLY,
and when the old man passed him over
| his pistols, the young desperate
made deep bow to the two women
which they returned with polite cour-
tesy.
Bidding this strange family good bye
the young man sprang upon his horse
and rode swiftly away. He had strange
thoughts as he went back to his ranch.
In all his life he had never seen IL fam
lily like this one and naturally his rough
nature was charmed with them.
| subsequently learnd the history of
this strange family and may as we'll re-
late it here in my story as anywhere.
Thompson had formerly lived in Iowa
about six miles from Sioux City, in the
valley of the Big Sioux river Matters
did not turn out we'll with him and he
moved to Nebraska and settled on the
Big Blue river. Thompson was Il good
natured farmer and loved his family.
For many years he had been an exem-
plary husband and father. He seemed,
however. to be unfortunate in all his
efforts to get on in the world and this
soured him and made him ill-natured.
He was a man of fierce and forbidding
aspect but not half as savage as he
| looked. At last he took to drink and
became a desperate character He
made frequent trips from his farm on
the Blue to Hooks ranch, or Dog
Town" as it was then called. Here he
would become drunk and associate with
all the rough characters thatfrequeutcd
the place. He had prodigious strength
and was quick and dead shot. He
soon came to be a leader among the
men he associated with, and nearly ev-
eryone was afraid OF him. The mere
sight of old dad Thompson" as they
called him would quiet the
most reckless desperado. 1t WINS
not long until he took to card playing,
a thing he had never done before, and
soon became a persistent gambler. At
first he would play only for the drinks,
but before long he bet anything he had
with him. Being man of intelligence
he brooded over his sorrow in his cups
and at the gambling table When very
drunk he would curse himself and speak
of his neglected wife and daughter who
he knew were looking anXiously for his
return home. He praised his daughter
constantly and declared always she was
the handsomest and best girl in the
| world.
Anon the old mans boon compan-
ions and always patient listener to his
praise of his daughter was Long Nosed
Ned, the stage driver. He would sit
for hours and hear the old farmer praise
'his Mary" as he called her. Ned was
a man devoid of honor or soul and a
confirmed gambler. He was always
hashily dressed, always playing and
constantly, when he could get there. in
the society of old mar Thompson. He
encouraged Thompson to drink and
play and seemed anxious the old man
should sink lower and lower in the scale
of degradation.
One evening when they had been
playing and drinking all day, for
Thompson was now nearly always at
Hook 8 Ranch, Ned bantered Thompson
to put his horses and wagon up against
a hundred dollars which he produced.
The old man thinking he could win did
so and soon lost his team. Then Ned
bantered him to play for his farm and
put up the team and two hundred dollars
against the claim. Thinking he could
win his team back as we'll as the two
hundred dollars. The farmea staked
his claim and lost. Rising from the
table he realized what he had done
and said he was ruined. He said he
would go home, but reflected, no had
no team now to go home with. The
more he reflected the more desperate
seemed his situation. Ned piled him
with liquor, and when he had MIN
properly drunk he said, jokingly, he
would put up the farm team and $50 in
money against
, HIS DAUGHTER MARY.
Not knowing what he did and crazed
, | with liquor the farmer sat down to play.
| | The rough characters gathered about
: the table to see the play. OF course.
| the advantage was with Ned from the
, first and the farmer soon lost, his
daughter going with his team and farm
' to Ned. Slowly rising from the table
/ Ned went out, hitched up the team.
then calling for quart bottle of
: whisky invited the farmer to get into
1 the wagon and said they would go home.
| parhnpc II was tha u h cly NJ in