Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-09-11

the low paling fence that surrounds the
house and it is evident their riding is
over for the day.
Why are they gloomy? Not boy of
them can tell. One of them is from
Princeton, too. They have been part
ners and campaneros and worked" the
1T cattle together for months and
nothing ever came in, misunderstanding
or cloud. The ranch house is their
home and theirs has been the unity of
brothers.
A week ago pretty girl, the daughter
of one of the owners, came to the ranch
from the East. She was protected in
this venture by an old and gnarled
aunt, watchful as a ferret. sour as q
lime. Not that the pretty girl needs
watching; she is, indeed, in every move
propriety's climax. No soft or dulcet
reason woos her to the West; she comes
on no love errand. She is elegantly
and profoundly tired Of the East-that
is all-and longs for Western air and
Western sights. She has been at the
HI ranch q week and the boys have
met her, every one. The meeting or
meetings were marked by awkwardness
as to the boys, utter Indifference as to
the pretty girl. She met them as she
met the ponies, cows, horned toads and
other animals domestic and indigenous
to Eastern New Mexico. When every
cowboy was blushingly conscious of her
she was purely and serenely guiltless of
giving him o thought.
Before this pretty girl came the boys
were friends and the calm tenor of Their
relations with each other had never 9
ripple. She was not there day be.
fore each drew himself insensibly from
the others and vague hostility shone
dimly in their eyes. TWAS the instinct
of the fighting male animal aroused by
the presence of the pretty girl. She,
however, proceeded on her daily way,
sweetly unconscious of the sentiments
she awakened.
Men are mere animals; women are
too, for that matter, but they are very
different animals from men. The effort
the race makes to the other, better OF
different than beasts, fails. 1t always
failed it will always fail. Civilization
-culture-is the veriest veneer and
famously thin. A year on the plains
cracks this veneer-this shetland
leaves the animal exposed. This is the
expanding growth of all that is animal
ism in man; these attributes OF the
physical being fed and pampered by
plain existence.
Tie dark, vague impalpable differ
ences which cut off each of these
creatures from his fellows and inspired
him with an unreasonable and unmeas
urable hate had grown with the brie
week of their existence. A philosopher
would look for trouble soon on the HT
"What did you go take my saddle TO
Yesterday, Bill?" said Jack Moore to
bow by the name of Bill Watkins.
s'Cause allows I'll ride it some,
said Watkins. Thought it might lik
to carry 9 high-grade cow-puncher
once"
"Well don't take it no MORE" sal
Moore, modify ignoring the gay in
science in reply. "Leastwise, don
come a-talkin' of it an sayin' nothin'
You can PLAYER American, can't you
When YOU aims to ride my saddle agin
ask for it; if you can't talk, make 1gns
an if you can't make signs, shake
bush, but don't go to runnin' off n
saddle of mine no MORE"
aWhatever do you allow is liable +
happen if I takes it agin to-morrey )!
injured Bill in high scorn.
Bill was of more vivacious tempe
than the gloomy Moore. -,
"You takes it agin an I mingles Wit "
YOU q whole lot, mighty prompt re
plied Moore in tone OF obstinate III
jury. .r,o.;o
before that pretty girl came and el'ne
would have gone a-foot all day to len
his saddle to the other. Going a'foo,
too. is the last thing, let me assure you
that cowboy will do.
Well, don't you fail to mingle none,
said Bill, with cheerful ferocity, on q. &c
count of its being me. l crosses tn
trail of the short horn like you over o
: the Panhandle onot, an puts him IN Tn
fire an has plenty OF fun with him; -;
J @Stop the play now, right yere, 90, 90,
Tom Rawlins, the 1T range boss, wh
w aa sitting close at hand. You l,2 a. !:
spring trouble round yere an ~ =, pc 81
. Z. Mhstever's the matter with all yo
|. n, neople. anyway? You're like . passe