The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-02-05

up his head with snort, wall 4 out q
few yards meeting Alb, end then, as he
saw that his victim was coming directly
toward him, the long-h0rn braced him
self, and waited for his arrival. In two
seconds, another big, red fellow trotted
up, and took his position alongside; and
then another, and another, until there
was a wall of white horns, fifty yards
long, barring Abs road TO the mound,
and hundreds of cattle coming in every
direction TO take hand in the frolic. A
man afoot was a curiosity to them, with
which they were evidently bound to be-
come acquainted, if possible.
They'll kill him in holy minnit',
muttered Uncle Dick Scofeld. It'll be
another sad gatherin' of friends around
the cigar box that holds his remains.
tell ye, Smith, human life is terrible un-
sartin.'
"'Ab Skinner's haint," replied the
Sheriff. Hes the luckiest feIler in forty
three States. / don't see how he's going
ter make it, but he'll come out some
how"
"Just then we saw Skinner stop and
put his hand in his pocket Ho had ap-
preached within sixty yards of the herd,
and every hoof was watching him, with a
general head shaking, and believing,
that would have frightened a common
man into fits.
"'He's gitti1' his gun, said uncle.
'Mebby he thinks he kin bluff 'em with a
little shootin', but he'll miss it, an if he
kin kill two hundred dollars worth at six
dollars head, I'll try ter stand it.
"But Alb did not intend to shoot. He
had dropped down out of sight in the tall
grass, and as we were wondering what it
all meant, we saw tongue Of flame leap
up in the air, and rapidly spread, with
the wind tanning it in the direction of
the cattle at race-horse speed. Then the
believing and scraping ceased; the wall
of cleaning horns fronted in the other
direction, and the whole herd made a
break for the bare hills, while Alb stepped
in behind the blaze and followed.
"The smoke settled in the little valley
and hid everything from view, and I, for
one, was quite satisfied that it should be
so. There was no danger to be appre-
hended from the fire-for the ranch was
protected by stream that the blaze
could not cross with the wind against it
but knew that my fifty dollars was
gone, and felt as sour as venegar.
"Uncle was feeling no better. He
seemed to be paralyzed, and never made
kick about the fire running his range
and when three pistol shots from the knot
notified us that Skinner had got through
he looked as though he had been SEN
fenced to the pen for life.
"The money is Alb Skinner's', said
Smith, and We knew if we kicked we
would have the Sheriff to kill, and not
only him, but all four of his brothers /;
and they were all bad men.
"Tell him not to come back" said
uncle, savageiy, 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 less'n week )"
"Sol Dot vos der way of it" put in
Dutch John, soberly. "He 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 l
tried to get even, and that made the
business worse.
''I sent home Tor some money and
only got a twenty; but by hustling pretty
lively, and striking all the boys for
loans, managed to raise twenty more,
and laid my plans to start north at once.
Then, Just about that time Uncle Dick
sold bunch of beef cattle to drover,
and I went with him to deliver them at
Rawhide City, and there we met Alb
Skinner once more.
''If any of you fellows were in Raw
hide City in '79, you know what sort of
place it was then. For general, all
round meanness, don't believe that lit
tie burg was ever equaled. The worst
men in the southwest flocked there by the
dozens, and gambling and shooting was
the order of the day. The Golden Spur
Saloon was the headquarters of the very
worst citizens, and not day passed
without knife or six-shooter being
used on some of its customers. There
had been fight there the morning we
got into town, and an unoffending spec
tator Killed with a stray bullet. The
next day the proprietor knoc Mexi-
can in the head with wine bottle, and
that night two cowboys stood on oppo-
site ends of a billiard table, and ex-
changed shots with army revolvers.
"'It's the worst hole in the Union,
said Uncle Dick to Alb and me. "A mans
life would be in danger there if he had
on a suit of b'iler iron. Iagreed with
him, but Alb turned up his nose and
laughed.
" They know who to fool with down
thar, he said They're the worst kind
of bluffs-the hull crowd of 'em. Why,
I'll bet could go down an cuss the hull
crowd, and get away without scratch. ,
"Uncle Dick nuged me with his elbow
and grinned You're gassin', Alb, he
said. Tai cheap, but it takes money
to back it.
"'Tve got it, replied skinner.
a" Put it up then, said Uncle, 'or else
hush.
A" 4 saw Sheriff Smith in town, said l.
Suppose we get him to hold the money.
"The proposition suited the others,
and we found our man and stated the
case. Alb was TO 60 to the Golden
. 4 Il ~ L II