The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-15
THE SLEEPLESS KID.

he deems is his dooty.
"But where Jack shines exceedin' is when
you opens a new game onto him. 1t is just
beautiful, as mere example to men, to
see the confidence with which that Jack
gets a stack of chips an sets in agin it.
One hot afternoon-Enright an Doc Poets
is away about some cattle or something,
but the rest of US is holdin' down the
camp-we're sorter hangin' an revolvln'
round the postoffce, a-waitin' for Old
Monte and the stage. Here she comes,
final, a-rattlin' an a-creakin', that old
drunkard Monte a-crackin' of his whip,
the six bosses on the canter, an the whole
business putin on more dog than a Next
can officer of revenoo. When the stage
drors up, Old Monte throws off the mail
bags, and gets down an opens the door,
but nobody gets out
"'Well, Pm a coyoteP says Monte, a
heap Disguised, wherever is the female|
"Then we all peers into the stage an
thar's jest a baby, with maybe ten
months start down this vale of tears, in
side, an no muther nor nuthin' along
Jack Booth, jest as 1 says when begins,
reaches in an gets him. The baby amt
sayin' nuthin' an sorter takes it out in
smilin' on Jack.
"'He knows me, for hundred dollars
says Jack, mighty ecstatic. Pm an Apar
che if he amt allowin' he knows me. Wher-
ever did you get him, MonteT
"'Give me drink says Monte, trackin'
along into the Early Bird; this yere makes
me sick After he gets about four fingers
of carnation under his belt he turns in an
explains as how the mother starts along IN
the stage all right enuf from Tucson. The
last time he sees her, he says, is at the last
station back some twenty miles in the
hills, at dinner, an he s'poses all the time
she's inside along of her progeny until jest
now.
"'I don't reckon says Old Monte, look
in gloomy like, as how that womern is
amin to saw this yere infant onto the
stage company none?
Don't addle your whisky frettin' about
the company says Booth, a-seUtin' of the
kid on the bar while we all crowds in for
look at him. The camp'll play this hand
for the infant an the company amt goin'
to be in it a little bit
"I wish Enright and Poets was yere,'
says Cherokee Hall, 'to be heard hereon,
cause shore deems this q grave occasion.
Yere we finds ourselves possessed of an on
expected infant of tender years, an the
question nacheral enuf now is, whaUever'll
we do with it'
"'Let's maverick it, says Dan Boggs,
who is mighty good sort of man, but
onthinkful.
"'No,' says Cherokee; its mother'll come
hoppin' along tomorry a-yellin', you seel
This yere is sabed all easy enuf. This old
sot Monte has jest done drove off an left
her planted some'rs UP the trail an she'll
come along shore in time
'Meantime,' says Booth, the infants
got to be took care of, to which dooty l
volunteers. Thar's tenderfoot a-sleepin'
in the room back of the Red Light, an he's
that Terminate an effect he's got a sure
nuf bed an some gooseha'r pillars, which
the same | do yereby confscate to public
use to take care of this yearlin'. Is the
sentiment pleasin'P
"'Jack's scheme is right says Boggs,
AN for that matter he's alters right. Let
the shorthorn 60 sleep under mesquite
bush; it'll do him good a whole lot, for
sech is life in the far west
"I'm some dobersome of this play says
Cherokee. Small infants is mighty mys-
ferrous people, an thar amt no ivin' man
was ever onto their game an able to fore
see their needs yet. Do you allow you can
take care of this young one, Jack? Be you
equal to it?'
"'Take care of small baby like this
says Jack, plenty scornful, as amt weigh
in twenty pounds averdupois? Well, it'll
be some funny now if can't! could take
care of him if he's four times as big. All l
asks is for you all to stand by in crisises,
an back the play, an you can go make
side bets we'll come out winners on the
DEAL
az amt absolute shore says the post
master, 'bein some out of practice with in
fants myself, but jedgin' by his lookin'
smooth an silky l offers fifty dollars even
he amt weaned none yet, an we leaves it
to the mother when she comes
al won't bet none on his bein' weaned
says Booth, but I'll hang up
fifty dollars even he drinks outen bottle
as successful as Old Monte
"'pl jest go you once says the post
master, if lose. It's fifty dollars even he
grows contemptuous at bottle an dis
dams it,
''Well, we all talks it over an decides
Booth is to nurse the infant, an at once
proceeds to make a procession for the ten
derfoot's bed, which he resigns without
struggle. Cherokee Hall an Boggs then
goes over to the corral an lays for goat
which was a mother. to milk it a whole lot.
The goat was mighty reluctant an re-
fooses to enter into the spirit of the thing,
but they makes their points right along,
an after a frightful time, which now an
then demands the assistance of a large
part of the camp, comes back with more'n
a pint.
That's all right says Booth. Now
go out an tell the barkeep TO give you
pint bottle. Wen have this yere game
a-winnin' in two minutes
so Booth gets his bottle an fills her
up with goats milk an makes a stopper
outen cotton cloth an molasses for the
young one to dror it through. About this
time the infant sets up yell an amt
peaceful agin until Booth gives him his
six shooter to play with.
Which shows my confidence in him. |
SAYS Booth. There's only a few people
left I care TO pass my gun to-
well, Booth gets along with him first
rate, a-feedln' OF him the goats milk,
which he goes for with Gvidity, tharby /
nettin' Booth fifty dollars from postmaster. /
He has Boggs build fire so he can keep
the milk warm. an Is that earnest he don't /
even go for no supper, Jest has it brought !.
to him
g 'Somebody'll have 20 ride herd on this /
yere founding ali night ! reckon says /
Boggs to Jack when hiss bringin' him
things.
az s'pose, most likely, we will have TO /
make the play hathaway says Booth
All right says BoEEs- You know me |
an Cherokee We're in this any time Won