Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-12-31
AN IDYL OF THE HIT.


the ranch house, awaiting supper, The
Mexican cook has just begun his fragrant
task, so half hour must elapse before
these Arabs are fed. Their ponies are
turned into the wire pasture. their big
Colorado saddles repose astride the low
pale fence which surrounds the house,
and it is evident that their riding is over
for the day
Why are they gloomy? Not boy Of
them can tell One is from Princeton.
too. They have been partners and com
paneros and worked" the 1T cattle To-
gether for months, and nothing ever
came in misunderstanding OF cloud
The ranch house is their home. and
theirs has been the unity of brothers.
week ago pretty girl, the daughter
of one of the owners, came to the ranch
from the east She was protected in
this venture by an old and gnarled aunt.
watehful as a ferret, sour as "A lime
Not that the pretty girl needs watching;
she is indeed in every move propriety's
climax. No soft or dulcet reason woos
her to the west; she comes on no love
errand. She is elegantly and profoundly
tired OF the east. that Is all, and longs
for western air and western sights. She
has been ut the HIT ranch q week, and
the boys have met her, every one. The
meeting or meetings were marked by
awkwardness as to the boys, utter in
difference as to the pretty girl. She
met them as she met the ponies, cows,
horned toads and other animals, domes-
tic and indigenous to eastern New Mex
leo. While every cowboy was blush
ingly conscious of her, she was purely
and serenely guiltless of giving him
thought
Before this pretty girl came the boys
were friends. and the calm tenor of their
relations with each other had never n
ripple She was not there a day before
each drew himself insensibly frCm the
Others, and vague hostility shone
dimly in their eyes. II was the instinct
of the fighting male animal aroused by
the presence of the pretty girl She,
however. proceeded on her daily way,
sweetly unconscious of the sentiments
she had awakened
Men are mere animals; women are,
too. for that matter, but they are very
different animals from men The ~
fort the race makes TO be the other. bet
ter or different than beasts fails II al.
ways failed; it will always fail. Civil.
zation--culture-is the variest veneer
and famously thin. 4 year on the plains
cracks this veneer = this shell - and
leaves the animal exposed This is by
the expanding growth Of all that il ami
malish in n man. these attributes Of the
physical beng fel and pampered by n
plains existence
The dark. vague. impalpable differ.
ences which cut off each Of these Great
ures from his fellows and inspired him
with an unreasoning ani unreasonable
hate had grown with the brief week Of
their existence. a philosopher would
look for trouble soon on the HIT.
what did Won 20 and take my saddle
for yesterday. Bill" said Jack Moore e
q boy by the name Of Bill Watkins
'Canse | allows I'll ride il some
says Watkins Il thought it might like
TO carry high grade cowpnncher once. :
We'll. don't take il no mofe, said
Moore modify ignoring the gay iuso-
lence in the reply. "Leastwise, don't
come a-takin' Of 1t an sayin' nothin'
You can palaver Americana. cant Won;
When You aims to ride my saddle agin,
ask for il; If you can't talk make signs
anu II AbH 4stll Hlhht hIElt =
bush. but don't 20 Injunin' off no saddle
of mine no more"
Whatever do YOU allow is liable tc
happen If ! take it agin tomorryg" in
quired Bill in high scorn.
Bill was of n more yiyacious temper
than the gloomy Moore.
"You takes il agin an mingles with
you a whole lot, mighty prompt" re
piled Moore III a tone of obstinate injury
These bows We're brothers in affection
before that pretty girl came, and eithel
would have gone afoot all day 10 lens
his saddle to the other. Going afoot too
is the last thing let me assure you,
cowboy will 10
We'll, don't you fail to mingle none
said Bill, with cheerful ferocity," on &C
count Of its being me crossed the trsli
of the shorthorn like you, over on tn
Panhandle onct. an puts him in the fir
an has plenty of fun with him"
Stop the play now. right we're. sal,
Tom Rawlins. the 1T range boss, VIII
was sitting close al hand "You a
spring trouble round we're an I'll be In II
WhateYers the matter with all you pei
pie anyway: You're like passel of sor
head dogs for moren week nov
You're shorely too many for me to sab'
an / clar gives you up
The boys started some grumbling n
ply, but the cook ealied them to supps
Just then. and. one aninalism becomin
oyershadowed By another, they f0rgi
their raneor aad vague animosities
thoughts of supplying their hunger. T,
ward the last Of the repast Rawlins arc
and going TO another room began owe
looking some entries in the ranch book
The pretty girl did not eat at the ranc
table. She had little banquets IN b,
own room. Just then she was IN h,
own room and began singing in 10
tenor some tender little love song tht
seemed born Of a sigh and a tear. I'll
boys Mt supper heard her. and their r
Sentiment of each other existence bega
again 10 fame In their breasts and bui
nasnly IN their eyes. None Of these 50
ages was in the least degree in love vii
The pretty girl either. They might ha-
become 50, all or any Of them
The singing went on in cooling. SO
way that did not bring you the words
only the music
What says about nv saddle viii
back, imeans, said Moore, finally. tur