Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-07-24
THE SLEEPLESS KID.
BY o. II. LEWIS.

Dl " LEWIS
"If thar is one thing" said the old
cattleman with strain of affection and
respect in his tone, (Which endearS this
yerc Jack Booth to me, ;peshul, it is the
cam uncompromisin' way he lines up on
what he deems is his dooty.
"But where Jack shines eXceedin is
when you opens new game onto him.
1t is Just beautiful, as mere example to
men, TO see the confidence with which
that Jack get: 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 hold
in down the camp-we're sorter hangin'
an revolvin' round the postofice, a
waitin' for Old Monte an the stage.
Here she comes, final, a-ratthn' an a.
creakin, that old drunkard Monte a.
cIackin' of his whip, the six hosses on
the cauter, an the whole business putin
on more dog than a Mexican officer OF
revenoo. When the stage drors up, Old
Monte throws of the mail bags, gets
down an opens the door, but nobody
gets cut.
"''Well, I'm a coyote! says Monte, a
heap disguised, 'wharever 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,
inside, an no mother nor nuthin' along.
Jack Booth, Jest as says when begins,
reaches in an gets him. The baby ain t
sayin' nuthin' an sorter takes it out in
smiIin' on Jack.
He knows nc, for hundred dol
lars, says Jack, mighty ccstatic. I'm
an Apache if he amt allowin' he knows
me. Wharever did you get him, Moute!'
"'Give me drink, says Monte,
trackin' along into the Early Bird; this
we're 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 be s'poses all the time she's
inside along Of her progeny until jest
now.
"I don't reckon, says Old Monte,
lookin' gloomy like, 'as no that womern
is amin to saw this we're infant onto the
stage company noneF
Don't addIc your whisky frettin'
about the company, says Booth, asettin
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 little bit
4 wish Enright and Poets was yere,
saws Cherokee Hall, to be heard hereon,
cause shore deems this a grave occa-
sion. Ycre we finds ourselves possessed
Of an unexpected infant of tender years,
an the question nacheral cnuf now is,
t....-o.-t, .-a do vr ;tk ;fr
Lets maverick it, says Dan Boggs,
who is q mighty good sort OF man, but
outhinkful.
"'No, says Cherokee, its mothcr'l
come hoppin' along to-morry a-yellin'
you seei 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 infant
rot to be took care of, to which dooty
volunteers. Thar's tenderfoot asleep
I'M in the room back of the Red Light,
an hes that Terminate an effect he's got
re-nui bed an some goosc-ha'r pillersi
which the same do yereby confscate to
public use to take care of this yearlin'
Is the sentiment pIeasin'f
'''Jack's scheme is right, says Boggs,
'an for that matter he's alters right. Let
the shorthorn go sleep under mesquite
bush; it'll do him good whole lot; fol
sech is life in the far West.
s''I'm some dobersome of this play,
says Cherokee. Small infants is mighty
mysterious people, an thar amt no livin
man was ever onto their game an able to
fortsee their needs yet. Do you allow
you can take care of this young one,
Jack! Be you equal 70 liz
"'Take care OF small baby like this,
SAYS Jack, plenty scornful, 'as amt
weigh;n twenty pounds avcrduPois'