The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-17
A

tobacco il tho bowl Of his pipe, prcpara-
tory to reliRhting that article--''speakin Of
tenderfeeta reminds me " one I knowed
oncet, Renco which time 4 hev BEN a whole
lot moro respective in apeakin' OF 'em.
's,Twas In this summer OF I8-. 7 war
then workin' for Ole Harvey Skerrett, who
KEEP store an run a ranch down at Three,
Forks. in TIL foothills.
Near skerrett, bout two miles away,
ole Isl Hendershott had i ranch. Hp like
tsr thatS ever wore millinery. ana 81 hs
va proper proud IT her. you bet. More
over, all8of ~ aaloots round Three Forks.
was Dip TO our back hair in love with her
plumb, taarin' wide awaks mashed, ass
I'VE heard say. But II didn't % none of w
no good---laaatvays, only one of ~. That
war Ferry Roane, . young ranchor from
down TIT creek bout ten mile. Perry, hs
cut 10 ali out, 'thout half-tryin', cause he
was Biz, Shan'some cuss, n'woll fixed,
besides hnyin' been T. school lots when q
lid. So he went in an winned-almost.
THAT il u nay, he fro2e Ms out an kop'
regular comp''ny with Hetty.H 7 guess twas
all settled that they was " DO hitched sons
time ~ other, when bout May, along come
.n foller from Boston with q letter to Ole Si
from some relation o. his'n, an ies' camped
right at STA fer TIL summer He WIS one
81 these here artist chumpa--not q real,
genooine photographer, but one Of th' sort
that carries q lot Of paper, an pencils, an
color in little lead gquirt-gnng, an, draws
red. white an blue sunsets, likewise funny
lookin' trees an'bowlders. He talked like
nbook an called al the boys mister, be-
ssa.-Ea.s.;-.sS4L. - - M sn ~ ia hn 1i1r9f hNur
v1hes y e saia Hi Hi tine. ! y \. ] .
Sure 'nongh, va guyed tn chap lots at
frat; but Spenceleyr-thnt WIZ tn tender
foot's name-vas 40 d%ogponsd nice an
pleasant, an took Q Joke 80 esGy, We ell got
tlikin' him tiptop. All '1cept Perry Roane.
Cause why? Jest 'oause Spencsley Was
under Til Same roof with Hstty. an he
knowsd that it might turn out kind Of bad
fer him, specially as he knowed right then
which nobody else did-that aetty want
much stuck on him, anyhow. an had, only
promised y marry him him Y Splsase th' ole
mani Ye see, Perry was q good deal Of a.
bully, an drank considerable. an then
there was an ole story bout his having
skipped out from III states, leavin, g wife
no fgger with 81. He had his eye on
Perry's pile, an was willin' T. take chances.
Oh maxim Perry treat Hetty first rate,
cause TIL ole man was g toler'ble danger
GUS cusg himself. &.S. Js
.tWelI. III artist Teller got t. feelin' sort
Of soft On Hetty himself, an most ev'ry
day they'd 20 wanderin' round tn country.
drawin', mn fishin', and so on, an in TIL
evenin' when Perry come over = set = willis
he'd find Mister Artist there in tn aettin'-
lite, him not KNOWN that Perry had a first
film on til calico. An Hetty, Jest like any
woman. 'njoyed it all immense:
but Perry wasn't tn chap = stand this
very long; So one mornin', happenin' t. DO
at tile store an meetin' Speneeley ..there, he
walks up, am says u him: See here, nay
pnie-faced an weak-eyed conaumptive.
Dye know whose8toes you've been steppin'
tiSpenceley looked at. him kind Of queer,
but said he didn't know as he'd hurt any
Well, SAYS Perry, sit'is my toes an it'll
pay you II climb from under fore some
thin draps on vi. Dye know who has tn
first claim o.. Miss Hendarshott's COM
pauy2 Better find ont an take care of
yourself An Perry started y 60 out,
%swaRgerin', but IT, artist says, real sharp.
sMr. Roane. I wasn't aware that ] was in
terferin' with you. # I am, however, an
YOU don't like IL, Pm sorry; but I wish you
& understand that nyther you mr. any other
rowdy can bluff me one bit. Dye under
stand?' 5 gS
"Perry turned like he'd been kicked. tt
was tn first time we'd ever heard him
sassed, an Ne was lookin' fer th' artist fol-
Ter T. get bruised 8 whole lot. But he
wasn't-not any. Perry looked at him :
whole minute an seen there was no scare
there. 80 he jest turned an walked out,
grumblin' am cursin'.
..Somebody, hid, took q shot at Spenceley
q few nights later, but he never kicked
none, only come upt tn store an blowed
hisself in for o forty-four an took shots at
. mark ev'ry day, jes' fer sport, ne sez; but
/ kinder s'misad trouble In tn near foochur,
which was erect.
''Ono day, not long arter this, gome ga
loot brung word tibet, tn 'Paches was out
shout muzzles, IN was chnwin' ev'rythin'
in sight-an', moreoyermors comm our
way, an not fur OF, nuther. Nope, we
didn't wait none. Men tn ole man jes'
TUX all TIL dust in TIL box. hid all tn stock
we could, nailed up th' shopt'tw Stone
an lit out fer Hsndershott 8, Z tell thena.
Thar Skerrett leaves me-, him hayin' TIL
fastest little mustang in tn kentry, an
goes On Z tell folks. "a many q he kin.
'sWa-nl, Hendsrahott's folks was ready,
real sudden, only Ole 81, he wouldn't 20.
Seq he: II hain't goin' one foot. This here's
all + got, 'cept TIL ole lady an Hetty. an
Tn goin' T. stay right here an hold i. ne
be wuss Of nor nothin''.' An thar Ole 81
STAYED, an bundled mem TIL artist an the
women-folks off for Chloride quick. NIh'
wimmen was in q light waggi,, little jose,
II GreABer kid, dr1Vln' an TWO fre1E6r RltlB
ON TIL bacl-seat. Mem SpsnoeIey rid th'
bronco-back, 'longside. yGg$sE5l
Long in TIL arternoon, bout three, we
looked over south, an hero come a TELLER on
hossback, like a streak o. grenBed lightnin,'
THROWN dust like tn very doooe-an' back
q him, bout tWo'r three miles. come bout
d dozen a. fifteen fellers--near az we Cd
g%uess-also kickin' up a big cloud.
"''Twns a good ten mile II Chloride, and
We thought we was coners. fer. OF course, we
didn't d pose them last fellGrs was nnthin'
but Injuna. "
~a6penceley set his teeth an looked at his
guns, an 30 dbl. Then he rid mp T. th'
Vaughn, give ,Hetty q six.shooter;. sayin,
make them mules fly. Then he come back
whar / wuz mn sez, real quiet: Dye think
We kin hold 'emg of long 'nough. Mister
Hadeu?' / guessed yes; but, great Scott!
didn't I wish / was outer that!5 s@%I
~ ssTh' lone chap. catno rnoin' up. Twas
Perry Roane, whitor'n a gravestona. He
didn't stop, only yelled ~'Injuns!' and keep
on goin', not stoppin' " say 'Hellol' u Hetty
in th' w~aRRin-ias' KEEP on, headed for
Chloride. lib artist turned II mo in a min
ute, with his mouth curled UP, an seq.
''atampededp IN
We waited, all ready fer them Injuns, but
when they come up tn blood sort Of come
back Y my hsnrt ngen, cause we cd SEQ n
milo oil thet they was white-HurveyorH an
cowboys; some atnmpeded theiraelves, we
foul' out. M S$
Things not quiet iii d day u 10, fer III
@hnpY,aunH thut$ TInNla$ Gan hnH n Inf ~ un.I