The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-01-22
THE TRAMP.
By WILL IlsExBER

The siOOching figure OF man moved
/ slowly along dim prairie road. His
garments were threadbare, and his gener-
al appearance presented a picture Of
wretchedness ana want
A cold March wind was blowing over
the dry. dead grass, and patches of shad-
cw and sunlight were chasing each other
over an unbroken waste OF prairie
The man drew bis thin c1zt more close
Iy about him, and shivered SIS keener
blast than usual swept around him
Hits perry pass yer come 70, Jim
Skinner" said the figure in the road.
~Ye have been trampin' all day without
bite Ter eat, and ef ye git anything. yer
going ter have ter bag-yas, bag +
And be threw out his hand with ges-
iure Of disdain, and quickened his pace,
a flush Of shame and humiliation mount
ing his thin, pale face.
Who'd a-ihought ye'd ever come ter
ihis7" he exclaimed, almost fercely.
What did yer ever come west fer > Ter
git land cheap lsnd-land fer almost
noihin', Rich land that's what they
said7-he laugheda sort ofchoking laugh
cheap lsnd-rich land-bufalo wal
lers-alksly water an sger r
There Was a look Of yeKxtion and inf
mite disgust pictured On his face as be
strobe onward.
For six months Jim skinner had been
. holding claim, and had batiled with
all the hardships and privztions that fall
to the lot Of the poor who seek to make a
home fer themselves in the Great Ameri-
can Desert"
He had lived in a dug-out, worked
hard and half starved hiuself-spent all
the money he had. took the ague. and
lived in his hut helpless, till q: last star
vaiioa had driven him forth, weak, half
sick, and zfoot, to look for some kind Of
work among the cattle-men to gam his
daily bread.
Mile after mile he had trudged along,
with no sign Of hsbiiafion to break the
monotony, save now and then the rude
cabin or dug-out ofsome poor clsim-hold-
er, who. ike himself, was struggling
with dire misfortunes and battling with
want
1t was near the middle Of the afternoon.
he vas now nearing that part Of the prAi-
rie country which was monopolized by
the great cztile-men, and was called the
range
A mile further on was a small cattle
ranch. He felt weak and sick, and be
knew he could not continue has journey
much inTthe- without rest and something
10 cal.
II he could not get work at the 6rsf
place-he could not 20 fnrther-he must
have something to eai-wouid be be
compelled to beg He bad no money
nothing to give but hisclothes. A bitter
smile stole over his face There we've no
ragnlsh on the range
lie quickened has pace. and hurried A
few inmates later he paused in front OF 3
large frame building, surrounded by nu-
merous barb-sire eorTals- He stood for
a moment in the road, irresolute Ii be
failed 70 get work, should he ask for q
lodging and something TO eat ? His face
flushed at the thought. Work? Whist
could be do in his present weak condi-
tion Nothing. He turned toward the
building.
Dave Foster. the owner Of the cattle
ranch, came out Of the building and saw
the slouching figure standing still in the
road.
What are you proving around here
forgr he demanded, casting look Of dis
trust on the forlorn looking object before
him.
I'm lookin' fer work, stammered
Jim skinner, hardly knowing how to an
swer the harsh question.
A likely story" was the answer. Il
guess you ara one Of those fellows that
lock for work in the day time. and other
peoples cattle by night Clear cut I've
bad enough Of such as YOU already"
A bot flush maBiled Jim SINNERS face
for an instant, and then disappeared.
leaving him as pale as death He tried
10 speak, but the words stuck in his
shrnas He r,astered his ernnfinns with