The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-25

|. !. !. ]. ]. !. !. !: !. !.
ii M/Tn-/rs Ill Up in the midst Of
81 fIEk n HI the sheep camp and,
II IAM45 ls fguratively speak
i [ETFf. ing, cursed his day.
| .zLSr> III n d, he may
CEsSW1iEl have done so liter
i l~t.n s.s-s5, IN ally. for ali l re-
kJ member; what.
~ L. know is that he
pronounced some formula to the effect
thsta man might as well be dead as spend
bis Christmas in a sheep camp.
| couldn't help laughing at him, he
seemed in sach deadly earnest about it.
though the thought of the wife and babies
down at the ranch house on the Rio Pecos
vent to my heart. and the sight OF the old
mans hopeless eyes moved my sympa-
thies great deal more than CORDS loud
Il lamentations.
Corb was our Adonis; big, straight.
young fellow, with hair like curly corn
silk. way that took with all the women,
and a rowing fancy, and I knew he was
signing 20 think of the feminine worlds
he might have conquered during the
1 Christmas festivities; but the old man
il was easy to guess that his faithful heart
was very sore for somebody in particular.
II
some SIX weeks down toward the Devil
river. The spot We were now on had
plenty Of sotol. but no water anywhere
near. Sheep will live very well, you know,
without water, ana get fat, if they have
sotol; so our Mexican hauled US barrel
when he could. and we used it 10 drink
and 10 cook with. and the man tho washed
his face too much was considered unpa-
Iriotlc. 1t Is, no doubt, very shocking
70 relate, but we were all extremely pat
rlotic, and, the water supply CHANGING to
be just then very low. there hadn't been
4 face washed in the camp for a week. The
work of sheep-camp is killingly hard,
and II is dirty. Travelling as we must, no
nan carries more clothing than he carries
On him, and soto, catciaw and mesquite
thorn soon make rags OF them. Corb was
always handsome-dirty or clean, whole
or ragged. His good looks lay in his lines
and proportions, and were ineffsceable;
blt the poor Old Man-never q beauty at
his best-grew simply hideous. He had,
With his clear. honest, light gray eyes, a
stiff black beard which, If left unshaven
for two weeks, transformed him into
ierocious hrigand.
We had been hard at ii slashing soto Il
day, and werel sitting, unusually tired,
ragged and dirty, around the campfire
when Corb filed his protest.
Boys, said /. after the manner of a
Santa Claus, ''what'N you have for Christ
mas"
"a big bath tub full Of water, a halfgal-
Ion Of cologne, a new suit of clothes, and a
dance TO go to- answered Corb, promptly.
We both laughed: the wish was such a
Photograph Of the boy and his ambitions.
"What'lI do for you. old man % said
well, said the old man, modestly, and
quite as if he expected me TO produce them
from somewhere, I'D like a pair of
breeches-these are most too bad-and
some decent grub for the crowd"
That was the old man all over. A little
Tor himself and great deal pro bono pub
deo. That, with many other unobtrusive
good points, was why those who knew the
bashiul Old fellow weli-he was younger.
by the way, than Corp, think--loved
HIN.
Suddenly Covb stood up again. "Deliv-
I efance : he said. dramatically, and point
ed 10 the horizon. where we saw a group
OF horsemen making for us. That's
something new FOR Christmas. anyhow
ne ad0ei, tr!umphantly. then with
sudden change OF tone, " Hide me: there's
coupe OF riding habits IN the layout"
Ii vas nh very weil for me TO laugh at
iae discontinue OF CorD and tae old
nan. The @iie and babies are just as
az 10 see me dirty IS clean, and my cap
i;ai prize u drawn. but We consider Il, ali
1ile sane. mean thing To bring ladies' 10
sheep camp when the outAt has been
oe' long time and may he safely reck-
oacd % have reached the acme OF destltu-
soh. They come Innocenuy enough,
ICES ihelr hearts, and confident that
YOU Il be glad 10 see them. but the boys
VINO engineer such pleasant surprises
usually know better
answering the mute appeal in the old
Mans eyes | said. as the approaching
party dipped into the draw east OF The
esIp Yes. yoG hide out Corb anG
ssh entertain tAsm--glt'' and he got,
aOeFe Sas tang 81 thlcket 81 Scrao ana
ssesqoite west III thc camp, and he MADE
lof II AMI was oUt gf sight bv the time the
0ySd came ap over the divide.
nhen they came IN among US we 81"
We hal no one 10 blame wlth the inoppor-
.ahe visit; they were All tenderteet, Aus
"a and Galveston people, the leading
spIR young lady. Mss Belle Hardin,
sAo haG been visiting ~ the ranches
soVFe and teW days az my place. and vas
nov fldlng down 10 take the Galveston,
harFis2urg * san Antonio road home,
sy' baggage having preceded her. They
m'enaed IL s,pp and take supper with Il,
saa then ride ou ten miles 10 the ranch
tne
Tow should know that the whole Wild
.AcQrSiou--ior it Has a ND one for ladies'
Thar time Of the year-bad been under
Sken az Tie command Of one Imperlous
4 .o4ng woman. because she wanted % see
re cld msu before she ief.2 But ! Gid
shoW Il. IS ae. as f she mad told me IN 50
many words. tv tie time Miss Belle s dJs-
sponle3 eyes had roanee over the entire
elhp, taken 80 yhe INSIDE OF the tent,
.saeiiy turned open t8 their gaze, aud
'-Ihed ioqGl~nE.v 90 ne.
l Would nave told her insunctiveiy,
.IA' the OLD man vas busy about some
saere an5 wog.d lie in directly; but the
~ eounseled rcrh 70 say. IN most az
Natns ana pur.Ic manner, The Oh
ah-that's what We call Mr.. basset
sosh hs-e--cu; ard run when he saw VINO
.oa folks we're. He's not T. yed tor com
.ahy, y'2 sve. and he's NOT very soclaole,
aoW guess We won { miss hum.
me i.ash that rose on Miss Bellies cheek
s'aed L! Tor the old man. ! saw the