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 Uncouth Exterior OFTEN
times Covers Over a Warm,
Kind Heart.
How Mack RiSked His Life
One Xmas Eve on the
PpaipieS,
So That a Dying Child Should
Get a Santa Claus
Dolly.

ATTRACTIONS VI GIlt ClSHl-uoS oHVh'
Mae" has departed long since, but his
deeds of daring Observation-Disclosures
graceful curve with which he dropped
a line about the horns of crazy Texas
steer-Will long linger in the memories
of the juvenile population or the city.
Jim Stanford. the Old-time rancher OF
the North Platte, who ate his Christ
mas dinner at the Merchants yeSter-
day. tells a story about MAC" and one
Christmas day on 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 cOun-
try, an frOZe tight OH top, SOS the gam
est Texan as ever wore hair couldn't
scratch null buffalo grass to keep alive
on. Toughest winter sever put In, 1t
was. Not as | was a man to give up at
misfortune, as my boys ID tell yOu.an' it
wasn't steers as aged me bout live year
in night. a month before that | took
nv wife out from Chicago. an our little
girl as was an invalid. The air OH the
prairips 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
throat to conceal the sob which had al
most escaped him.
"Christmas eve it was when first | S0t
ewes on Mac. He came knocking at the
door of the rancho and aSkin' for IA
ton of coffee and beans. My wife SUt
in the room whar' little Stene lied bout
dead. and Their was a doctor thar from
Omaha as had been Stayin' right by her
for two days. Mae were hard-lOOkin'
rilI that night. for it were blowin' the
worst blizzard outside as ever l 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 If
somebody yelled Put 'em up Couldn't
SepnO man freeze to death nOhOw, sol Jest
tells Mac to put the pony in the barn
and come in. By heavens, mister, [
never see man
EAT THE WAY
Mae did thatn might. While he was pun
iShin' beans an coffee. little Stenie be-
gins to cry again. She was wantin' a
dolly for Christmas, half Outn her
mind like, an Mac, he looks over the
table at me an seq sort O. short: KID
sck?' Consumption | SEE. Wants
somethIn' fer Christmas, don't sheT
SeZ 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 seq 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 seZ so durn short that he sort o
scared me. Mister, kin see the kid? I'll
ask the missiS.' SEE |. fer he looked so
dern wild like [ was afraid he'd brighten
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 III.
There he stood, did Mac, the toughest
looking ranger Sever [ clapped eyes
onto, standin' up at the foot of our
baby'S bed, with his big, dirty hat i'll
his hand an tears rannIn' down his face
ez he looked at the poor little feveriSh
sufferer. 'Stenie,' sez her mother,
here'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
EDiI lrinCr f1nu 1nllUV Mnn
stood straight up and shook back his
har-kind of a way he's gOt-an'
seq he to me, 'Hev ye got
fresh pOny?' Lots of 'em, seq l.
Madam seq? Mac, speaking to my
wife. Madam he SEES, the kid shall
;hev the dolly. Ye can tell her as Santa
Claus hain't forgot her nohOw. an will
be here afore mOrnin'. Show me tibet
horse, mister he SEE lOOkin' at me,
Pun 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 in no such StOrm-there
Amino road fer ten miles, SEE L. 10
h with the road seq 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 sez to Stenic, There's
real grit SEE |, an q TeXican at that.
Stenie she seq, God grant he may get
through an | amt no sort O. prayiu'
man but | seq if after her.
"'WOTSe an worse, that ere storm
seemed after Mac was gone, and it
didn't seem to me eZ man or beast could
live iii 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 on 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 Oh a cot in the next
room a-snOrin' like HI beatin' tan
bark. ] Jest walks outside an listens a
minute as well eZ could in the wind
an snow. Seemed to me l heerd 4
shot. but ! wasn't right sure nOhON, so
l waits a minute am hears the same
sound again. Warn't no mistake bout
ii now. Somebody was a-cOming close
to an a-shoOtin' like the devil was be-
hind him. Then | knOwed thar was
somebody tryin' TO find the ranch an
couldn't fer snow. Out comes my Rem
linton, an l did some lively shOotin' fer
about a minute. Then the other fellow
answers me. an pretty soon here comes
a fellow on a long-legged string
critter as [ knOWed belonged in
one o. them hire stables in Platte.
First | thought it warn't Mac, fer the
horse warn't mine, but [ soon knowed
different. Through the loose snow he
comes jest a-tearin' an wOrkin the Cad
along the binders o the stringy critter
he was rldin'
Az Isarx l-a9ss i,a I'M fa