West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1890-01-16

A v.
10 scent the fun at once; for he throwcd
mp his head with a snort, walked ONT n
Few yards meeting Ab, and then, as he
saw 'nat ms victim was coming directly
toward him, the long horn bracod him
sell, and waited for his arrival. In two
seconds, another big, red fellow trottcd
up and took his position alongside, and
then another, and another, until thore
was wall OF white horns, fifty wards
long, barring Abs road TO the mound,
ana hundreds of cattle coming In every
direction 20 take a hand in the frolic. 4
man aioot was a curiosity to them. with
which they were evidently bound to be-,
come acquainted, il possible.
They'll kill him in holy minnit'
muttercd Uncle Dick Scofeld. zen he
another sad gatherin' of friends around
the cigar box that holds his remains. |
tell We, Smith, human life is ter bile nm.
sartin,'
Alb Skinner's haint," replied the
Sheriff. He's the uckiest feller in forty
three States don't sec how hos pninu
ter make it, but he'll come out some
how"
"Just then we saw Skinner ston md
/ put his hand in his pocket. Ho had an.
/ preached within sixty Yards of the herd
and every hoof was watchinp him. with n
| general head shaking, and believing.
That would have frightened common
man into fits
" He's gittin' his gun said uncle.
/ 'Mobby he thinks he kin bluff 'em with A
little shootin', but he'll miss il, an if he
kin Kill two hundred dollars worth nt six
dollars head, I'll try ter stand it,
But Alb did not intend 90 shoot. lie
had dropped down out of sight in the tall
grass, and as we were wondering what Il
all meant, we saw a tongue OF flame lean
up in the mir, aud rapidly spread, with
the wind tanning il i'm the direction of
the cattle ut race-horsc speed Then the
believing and scraping ceased the wall
oil cleaning horns fronted In the other
direction, and the whole herd made a
break for the bare hills, while Ab stepped
IN behind the blaze and followed
"Ihe smoke settled in the little valley
ana hld everything from view. and |. for
one, was quite satisfied that il should be
so' There was no danger to be apprc-
hendcd from the fire-for the ranch was
protected 10y stream that the blnzc
could not cross with the wind against IL
/ but knew that my fifty dollars was
gone aud felt as sour as vencgar,
"Uncle was feeling no better. He
seemed TO bo paralyzed. and never made
a kick about the fire running his rance.
and when three pistol shots from the knot
notlhed us that Skinner had got through,
/ hc looked as though he had been sen.
fenced to the pen for life.
Tho money is Alb Skinner's', said
Smith, aud we knew il we kicked we
would have tho Sheriff TO kill, and not
only him, but all -four Of his brothers
and they were all bad men.
/ "Tell him not TO como back" said
uncle, savagely, as Smith got on his
horse, to deliver the stakes according TO
! agreement. 'Ab is good fellow, but
he IS too alfred smart. He would own
/ the ranch in lcssn a week. >"
"Sol Dot vos der way Of IT," nut in
/ Dutch John, soberly. clio gets your
money, already, ehl Dot vos goot-I
vos glad OF dot"
"And that wasn't the worst OF It,"
went ON Charley. "If the matter had
/ stopped there ! wouldn't have minded IT,
so much. But, you see, uncle and
/ tried to get even, and that made the
/ business worse.
81 sent home for some money and
only got a twenty; but by hustlIng pretty
+ lively, and striking all the bows for
loans, ] managed To raise twenty more.
and laid my plans TO start north Mt once.
Then, Just about that time Uncle Dick
sold bunch Of beef cattle 10 q drovcr,
| and J went with him TO deliver them AT
. Rawhide City and there we met Ab
/ skinner once more.
| ''If any Of you fellows were in Raw
| hide City in -, you know what sort Of
"a place il was then. For general, all
round meanncss, don't believe that lit
tie burg was ever cquacd. The worst
/ men in the southwest 1ockcd there by the
I dozens, and gambling and shooting WAS
7 thc order Of the day The Golden Spur
+ saloon was the headquarters Of the very
worst citizens, and not "a day passed
without n knife or six-shootcr bcino
used ON some Of its customers. There
had been u fight there the morning wc
got into town, and am unoTcndiuo spec.
tator killed with n stray bullet. Tho
next day the proprietor knocked NIcxi-
c1n in the head with n wine bottle. and
that Night two cowboys stood on oppo-
site ends of billiard table. and cx
changed shots with army rcvolvcrs
"'Gts thc worst hole in the Union
slid Uncle Dick to- Ab and me. A man 5
life would bc in danger there II Doc bad
on 70 suit OF b'.lor iron. Iagrccd with
him. but Ab turned up bis nose and
laughed.
They know who to fool with down
thor, he said. They ro the worst kind
of bluffs thc hull crowd of cm. Whv
lN hct could gp down au' cuss the hull
crowd, aud get away without % scratch
Uncle Dick nuycd inc with his elbow
aud grinncd. You're aassiu'. Ab. bc
said Talk cheap but j.. takes money
Co back it,
".Ive got it, replied skinner
Put it up then, said Uncle. 'or else
hush
SAYS sheriff Smith in town. said /.
Suppose wc get him fo hold the money.
The proposition suited tho others.
aud we found our man and stated the
case. Ab was to go to the Golden
Spur and deliberately insult tho whole
crowd chat might bc there. from tho bar.