Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-08
OLD "TEx" SPINS A YARN.
The Story Of How English" Died on
the Plains.
From the Chicsen Her.,A

Prom the CHICAGO Herald.
The Palmer house had two guests last week
who attracted no little attention from their ap-
Pearance. They wore the regulation broad
orimmed hat. their hair was long and about
their waist was the belt that. when on their
native heath, carried small arsenal These
strangers were two genuine scouts from the
plains and had seen much serxio. one Of
them was Tex" Bender, scout who had been
one OF Col Drums chief aides in the chase for
Colorow, the Ute chief. Bender was found in
a laxative mood. and the drift OF conversation
turned upon instances OF people. OF whom
nothing was known more than. perhaps. a nick
name, losing their lives and leaving no chance
Tor friends or kindred ever knowing what had
become of them
These cases are more common than one
wooId think, the scout said, land many Of
them make the saddest kind Of a story
Upon being urged TO spin a yarn, Bender re-
lated the following incident:
Scoufing." be said, has been more OF q
pastime with me than ANYTHING else Nv main
interest on the plains is cattle raising and the
story shall tell is one that occurred on a ranch.
One day young fellow came into our camp
looking Tor job. His nationality was so
clearly marked that at his first appearance he
was greeted with a rough but hearty saluta-
ton or Hello. Engiishr He was English with
NOuO1 ne ne mao Deen trumplDg
for a long time, had been to aay number OF
camps, but had found them all full and be
wanted TO go TO work badly. Well we needed
another hand just then. so we took him though
II was with rather an idea that he was some
thing OF tenderfoot In this we soon found
ourselves mistaken. II was a mildnsss and
eNloent genfieness OF character that had given
the impression English had been ON the
plans long enough to know his business, but
the roughness. the bravado that so many ac-
4, rrl-
DAYS were few before We found we had A treas
ore-at least he was such to the fellows who
were always willing some one else should do
What they ought to do, and English was so
eooo-natured, so willing that at first / am
afraid he was imposed upon dreadfully, but be-
lore long be sort of crept into our hearts. and
we felt most as though il was wicked 10 take
advantage of his good nature. Our camp was
pretty tough. and we didn't ordinarily stop
mueh on account OF things being wicked, but
we let up on English just the same. You SEES
he had done every boy in camp more or less
fayors. When one fellow was sick English aid
all his share OF the work and his own too and
then tended the sick chap nights staying awake
70 give nun his dope regularly. There was
hardly one OF us that didn't owe English
money. He always said be had no use for il,
ana said II. too, with a sadness that made a
FELLOW feel there was a bitter heartache behind
all his make-believe cheerfulness. At first
sae BOYS S,s, used o to guy poor English, and
and all that kind Of stuff. and have seen the
tears start In his eyes as be turned away and
left the crowd. English certainly had his
tory, and II was undoubtedly a sad one. he
got SO ne would seldom SIT in the cabin with
US. but would go away by himself. not in any
morose spirit, but he always seemed afraid the
boys would speak 70 him OF things he did not
care to hear. l said awhile ago that we were
pretty tough; guess We were no worse than
most OF the fellows out there, but we did play
cards o.
can bet l shall never forget it-there was a
game going on. One fellow had been losing
right along for several days. and had got
pretty sore. This night his luck was as bad or
worse than it had been. and he lost all his
money and, in tact. about everything he had.
and his anger got the upper hand of him. One
Fellow seemed TO have been more lucky that
night than all the rest of u.s. and very naturally
the fellow who had lost felt particularly bitter
toward TINS chap, and in moment of rage
ne said the thing that never-among
us fellows-fails to bring out a gun He
said the winner had cheated. knowing full
wen himself the result of such a charge his
pistol was out as soon as the words and in a
olind rage he fired. Close as was his intended
victim, his anger unsteadied his aim and he
failed to hit hum. His position was such that
ne faced the door of the cabin. This door, un-
evenly hung. would when opened swing 70 Of
Its own accord, and in the excitement Of the
moment no one had noticed the door open and
! close, but before word could be spoken there
came TO cs the sound of fall and a croan
Two at least of those who sat there in a kind
OF awe-stricken wonderment, as the smoke
| circled IN clouds around the room. heard that
noise. They jumped to their feet and passed
outside. The rest of us were too much excited
to notice anything except the combatants; both
had their guns out now and had Jumped
for shelter, each eager TO pepper the
other, but before another shot could
be fired an occurrence took place that
made us instantly forget our excitement
of moment before. The two bows who
had gone out returned. As they pushed open
the door 1t could be seen they were carving
some burden. In moment they were in the
room, and one of them said, in a voice sad and
solemn: Boys, guess YOU have done shooting
enough for one night. Do you see what YOU
have doneY They laid the form they were
bearing gently down upon the floor and we all
rushed forward to see who il wes. It.was poor
English. He had been sitting all alone while
we were carousing and had Just attempted TO
enter when the bullet. intended for another,
went through his heart English was dead
and all we knew of him was the nickname we
had ourselves given him. He had never told
us OF his friends, and could only bury him
and put a slab at the head of his grave on
which was scrawled as best we could the one
word. English Perhaps his friends or rela-
tlves are still waiting for him to return They
viii never see him. nor will hundreds of other
friends see those they are hoping and expect
ing TO see. They lie in lonely graves on the
open plains. unmarked except by nick-names {"