The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-08-04
BLUFFEDT The LIGHTNING
How Cowboy Casey Played Ajax On the
Plains.
He Received a Stroke OF lightning
So Near His Uranium That Ho
Changed His Style and 10
Now q Rich Cattleman.

~ was Jest a-musin' on the phenome-
mons Of nature" observed the cattle
man e a Kansas City Z a reporter,
wettinR q finger and feeling furtively
OF the spark he had been seduced
into buying by q local bunko man. After
he had carelessly and ~momentarily re
turned his finger to his lips add become
satisfied as TO the nature of his acquisi-
ton, he continued:
"Cowper, or some of those old fellows,
had his head about him when he writ:
He move In a mysterious way an he
never tips his hand or somethin' to that
effect.
~ was minded of this an set TO consid-
erin the truth Of the poets remark, down
to the stock yards this afternoon by the
comm Of n couple Of car loads Of the y.
c. brand. This we're Casey, which the
same y. c. is his mark, duly entered of
record, came down to the Pecos
country 10 or ~ years ago; any
ways, il was before the big drought.
He was a well educated, intelligent
young Teller, who had been shipped from
the effete East by suiferin' relations.
Casey took a notion rather strong that he
had beer endowed with ability, IN fur
dermore had the direct commission to pay
off the national debt. In pursooance of
this end he was applyin' himself to the
pleasant duty OF drinkin' all the whisky in
sight, an you bet he had largely dimin-
ished the visible supply an the dealers
were drawin' on the bonded warehouses
hard. This enterprise IF hisn didn't get
no angcore from his family. On the con-
trary they fit it. At last, yielding TO
parental in~fiooence. Casey went west, his
--l-. A.-..., sl.s l.sl .ssl.-- -
hisself to death or reform. They was
most inclined to set in their stack OF chips
on the event fust mentioned. Supprisin'
enough. he didn't do neither, but kept his
same old gait. He'd load hisself to the
guards on every eligible occasion, but he
didn't die of or brace up. When he was
sober he chased steer over the boundless
pampas as a raglan thing.
"What with the bracin' air, the long
time between drinks, an a natural gay
ETY. OF constitution, young Casey grew
exceedingly frivolous. He was that airy
an flgurative In his discourse hat
the cowboys thought his intellect was
on the tobaggan slide an let IL go at
that.
zone night thar came up the most
powerful thunder storm. Rain is as
skeerce as respectable women In a mimi
CAM in that region, n lightnin' is yet
HloTe oI u InlTdtlt. All TUE coWDOys III
the cow camp was woke up an begin
ridin' round the herd. n singin' to the cat
tie To entertain 'em. and by keepin their
minds engaged prevent EN- from SIAM
pedin' with fear.
1.-THE lightnin' come down in solid
sheets Of fire an the thunder discounted
artillery by several. Casey wasn't sayin'
much at first, but presently grew very
".D- the world he yeils i'm a general
way, and then says: Hit me, why don't
yer? amt got no in%sulators" the light
min meanwhile diggin' cellars in the face
OF nature every time n bolt dropped. Then
his young maverick began n cussin' the
universe generally and reviled the Creator
from Genesis to Revelations, most bias
phemous. Men hat heard him talk find
their hair standin' on end yet when they
think about il, an at once goes to remem.
BERN of n KILN or n railroad wreck to
take the taste outen their mouths.
"A man named Jim Hedley was ridin'
next to Casey. | reckon that, barrin' the
ayter actresses, which I'm told il more UNI
certain in their belief than they are of
gettin' their pay when the weeks up, a
cowboy is the most superstitious Of all
critters. They don't seem 10 waste no
time in reasonin', but hears rmo in
the winds. mea the native COW.
puncher, not the imported article.
This man Hedley was from Texas an
had been raised on the range When
Casey fust opened out he simply paral-
yzed his pardner. Heaiiey looked Tor moth.
I'M less than the %fellcr's complete exter.
mination, IN would a bought pools on
the next streak o. lightnin' emptyin' the
saddle.
"Prcsently Hedley got himself together
an, personally addressin' Casey, be says;
tremens, quit yer cussin'; the divil'll ge,
his road brand onto you all quick enough,
Quit yer %cussin', or l let's windows into
YER
At the same time he pulls his six-shooter,
an Casey. who could see him in the
flashes, knowed he was game Ia make
good what lie said.
5 Casey says, Put up your gun, I'm
through" Funny enough, he give the
lightnin' n stiff bluff. but he didn't care
to take chances ON Hedlcy's putin him
IN the dark. Either that or he'd talked
his wv self to standstill. Hedle,
wouldn't ride nigh him agin while the
storm lasted, still believing that Case,
would shorely get II in the neck before
morniD for his defyin' of the lightnin
and doin' the Ajax act, IN in SIGH case no,
carin' TO be In the immediate vicinity an
takin' chances on gettin' caught by the
overflow or bein' i'm bad company. For O
week after that none OF the boys was par
ticular about bein' too friendly with
Casey.
"Now whatdo you y happened?
"Three months later another storm
came up on that same range. Second
or third throw outen the box Sim He'd
ley, which had made the roar aboul
Casey's cussin'. an Hedley's horse wa,
laid out cold. The same stroke OF light
min killed both. m il was So hard 4
knocked the shoes off'n the mustang
Casey was never teched. He prancea
around that region, half crazy an %entirel,
irresponsible for another year or SO. n,
takes six months wages up 10 Trinidad
Col. n goes again monte, which game
he cleans out, aud likewise causes a fare
bank 10 turn up its deal box the sam
night. Then he thinks things over an
gives IL out everywhere that his time fer
quittin' drinkin' an foolishness has don,