Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-12-05
A FRONTIER BOHEMIAN.

The sun was setting on the Maverick
valley. As | walked TO the door Of ths
ranch few parthian arrows from his de.
ciining bow splintered themselves among
the dusky tops of the live oaks. There
was faint pink glow all around the lorl-
xon that ON Its western threshold fingered
In feathery fiecks OF crimson and gold.
The brief twilight OF Texan latitudes was
already Fastening through the thin files
OF mesquite that stood like struggling
plckets before the windows Of the little
cabin. A silence was falling over the
hnshed landscape-s'vast, measureless,
complete"
Certainly | had some excuse for the
sudden loneliness that fell upon me. 1t
was the first time in my border life that |
had been left upon the trackless prairie,
solitary and alone. The annual shearing
was just over. But an hour before our
entire ''outfit" had departed for general
merry making at a distant frontier town.
As | had volunteered in accepting the
position Of cook during the past three
weeks, and for that period had labored TO
I'LL a recnrrent and appalling vacuum in
eighteen able bodied men, my efforts had
naturally been somewhat debilitating.
Amid that exuberance of society, in which
solitude seems n myth, had declined
conviviality and elected repose was left
behind as custodian of the ranch
But as stepped from the door for the
purpose of penning the buck herd, was
beginning To regret my choice. | realized
that la '.tenderfoot,n y with only a three
months residence In the state-was alone
upon an area of 80, 900 acres without let or
limit; that my nearest neighbor was five
miles away, over n chariless, emerald
sea, to be traversed only by aid of that
shifting guide, the sun; that my only
companions in this primitive wilderness
We're thirty-fiye merino bucks of contenI.
plative and exclusive tendencies; a shep-
herd dog, which was immaturely effusive
and dslobberingly ydemonstrative upon being
addressed as Mss Flo,n and an ebony
cat TINT wore II NANCY and somewhat dis.
sinated exterior under the sohriquet OF
Miss Emma. A dearth OF the consola-
tions of female society apparently inspires
the native Texan to a courteous acknowl.
edgment Of the sex of domestic pets.
When, therefore, | had driven the
horned contingent of my associates into
their rude brush pen, and had fastened
the hurdle gate, stood leaning against il
and seriously regarding them 1t did not
add to the cheerfnlness OF my surround
ings TO notice that they bore an nnmistak.
able resemblance to company OF hook
nosed Jews; that their knees were sprung
with the rheumatism of age; that their
eyes were rheumy and inllamed, and that
they appeared In be unusually afflicted
that evening with snnfflcs aud chronic ca.
tarrh. Besides, they were SO fresh from
the shears that the air of venerable wis.
dom which their faces nrrogafed seemed
10 be caricatured by the rest of their
bodies. They were SO repulsiye i'm ap,
pearanee that | at once dubbed the most
disreputahle specimen ssFaginn-a bap
tismal inspiration that eventually
achieved popularity. Then, with thai
hypocrisy which characterizes man wher
lonely, | began to patronize my much
abused dog, and even the feline antique
for both had accompanied me in my pas
toral duties. After which | walked bach
to the ranch. Here encountered another
dubious object, that in my then detected
condition struck me as almost ominous
This was pet lizard which, for the past
month, had inhabited the neighboring
kitchen--a long, low structure with can
vas roof-and which was now perched
upon the doorstep But .'Tommy,' wa.
ON the present occasion very much out ol
luck. lie was not, under the most favor
able circumstances, prepossessing oh
ject He was brick red, covered witt
polka dots Of black, and had diabolica
ieer about the eye. Tommy however
had now unaccountahly lost his tail and
was obviously SO humiliated and dspir
ited that he unconsciously infected and
aggravated my own melancholy.
| opened the door of the kitchen, into
which he immedi ately diyed and hid hi.
diminished Hardship from view. Enter
ing the little cabin, and acting from 4
feeling of generous hospitality that mus
have struck both as phenomenal, in
yited the companionship of Miss Flo
and Miss Emma Then lighted thu
lamp, and drawing the solitary chair oil
the apartment TO convenient distance
picked up n volume of s.Macanlay's
Essays uor we were fortunately blessed
with an abundance of literaturel, and dis
posed myself to read. | remember think
ing, as | settled myself into comfortable
position, that | would make amends fol
my enforced isolation by profound literar,
culture, and rather plpmlng myself upor
how much benefit ] should derive from
this prairie study. But made sinrularl,
little progress that evening / found my
self entirely unable to concentrate M,
attention. / was oppressed by an indie
Unable feeling Of dread that at last cnl
minated In u nervous sensation of beins
observed. | threw aside my book In dis
gust, aud endenvored to account for IL.
II was now pitch dark outside. / wai
sitting at little desk that, from the pow
erty OF our household furniture, wa.
Obliged to perform manifold duties. To
night it was somewhat overburslened witt
frontier brio-a brac, conspicuous anon.
which was a large Colts revolver ans
cartridge belt perceived that, a. sat
WIS directly in line with the two win
dows of the ranch-one on the south, TIN
other on the north side of the house
Partly from a feeling Of caution whicl
one acquires ON the frontier, and paFtl,
from this nervousness could not explain
! shifted my chair around against thl
wall until faced the southern window
In effeciing this change OF position / sue
ceeded In treading on Miss Emma and dis
commnding Miss Flo, who, after Ieokinl
at me In grieyed fashion, accommodates
herself 10 another quarter with the ustla
canine philosophy and cir umlocntion.
As ] Tilted fily chair against the doc