Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-07-28
A WHOLE MAN:

A sensitive man has no business on
the desert. He will get prodded
everywhere. If he take Offense at
rough banter, Lord help him when he
gets into a mining camp. If he wear
his heart upon his sleeve, let him
stear clear of the Mexican towns and
their pretty senOritas. If he would
know any peace, let him keep away
from the cattle range, for the cow
boys tests are as keen and cutting as
the spurs at their heels.
Frank Robbins was beginning to
find out some of these things. But
if you gave him whole decade he
would not find them all out.
''What the boy wants is tougher
ing said Mart Selby.
Mart was big and tough, and ne
saw no good reason why anybody but
a child or a woman should be tender
''He's young colt that wants a
Mexican bit showed into his mouth,
and then to be ridden through the cac-
tuS."
At Lucin's ranch the boys joBed
and irritated Robbins, but it did not
seem to tougher him. They cared
nothing for whisky that didn't scratch
as it went down, and when he put
water in his they called him perfect
lady and laughed loudly.
s'Stand their joshIng," said Mart to
Robbins, ''and you'll get along bet
ter. They'll always make it hot for
man thatdon't josh back"
''Oh. I don't mind it, replied Rob-
bins, badly OVERRIDING his effort to
look unconcerned.
1t had been the same everywhere
he had been in the West. He was
one of those men who are never any
thing but tenderfeet. He simply
would not take men as he found
them, though they were perfectly
willing to take him so. And the
absurd ideas that had Judgment in
his headl Chief among these were
that he must have a friend-a chum
who should be man after his own
heart. He had been looking for such
a man for two years. He picked him
out occasionally, but he never found
him to suit. This one was not truth
fui, that one was not temperate, and
the other was not nice in his speech.
There was something lacking in each
one.
s'What I want is a whole man." he
sighed; II never could take up with
these half made fellows. But it is
not so easy Even when find a man
that is temperate and intellectual, he
turns out. TO be selfish. What would
1 not give for a whole man for a
friend and companion-aw whole man. u
He would not take up with Mart
Selby, though Mart saw 1.-THE young
fellow" SOrely needed a friend and
helper, particularly one who would
tougher him. He kept on looking
for his made to order man, but he
never seemed to hit upon him. Few
such men as he was looking for are
to be found within a thousand miles
of Lucin'S. In fact, at Lucin'S yoU
would be at loss to discover a single
man who did not like TO take observa
tionS of Old Ashby's cloth and paper
ceiling through the bottom of {
whisky glass, and if you heard q
voice, will give you my word OF
honor it was no cherub'S.
One day the boys outdid all theil
other little WEAKNESSES to Robin:
by getting him hOpelesslY drunk. o.
course, it was no killing matter; but
he had never been drunk before, anC
he took it very seriously and resolved
to leave camp next day.
Mart did not like this His hear
had warmed toward 1.-THE young fel
low" and he hated to see him leave
the place. Finally, he resolved to g
with him.
They agreed between them tina
they would not go on the range again
They would go prospecting for gold
And thus it was that they came Il
maze the journey over the deser
toward Dead Horse Gulch. Now. a
everybody in that country knows. tn
wealth of Dead Horse Gulch is great
but it is very hard to reach. Miners
who have lived out the awful heat O
the alkalI plain that lies all aroun
the butteS wherein the gulch make
its cash, have come back with ful
belts, but none of them have eve
gone a second time
In suggesting this journey, Mar
Selby had a double object. First, h
wanted to tougher 1.-The young fe
low" and next, he wanted TO enric
them both. Mart knew tnat Rol
bins had come out West to max
enough money to marry a nice gi