The record-union., 1892-08-29
HE BACKED THE DUDE.
How Puny New York Tenderfo,
Astonished the Natives.


Astonished the Natives.
We had stopped at a railroad station on
the Pecos River in Texas, and many of
the passengers were walking up and
down the long platform. Among them
was q dudish young man who excited
considerable ridicule from the dozen
rough fellows hanging about. One of
them finally said something about "chaw-
ing him up" when an old man in the
gang raised his hand and said:
That's 'nough, boys; don't go any
further"
whats it to your" demanded the
other.
"a heap, reckon! It's so much to me
that Ill do little shootin' on that feller's
account If need be-"
The two men looked menacingly at
each other, and for twenty seconds | ex-
pected to see them draw and fire. Then
the younger one walked away, growing
as be went, leaving the field to the old
man.
Would you have fought for the dude?"
l asked when the strain had been re-
lieved.
''Sartin,' he grimly answered.
But you don't know him."
mo, and probably never shall; but he
sort O. reminds me of leetle sarcun-
stance that happened seven or eight years
ago. had ranch upon the Pecos plains
and dude came out from New York
City to visit naybur o. mine. He was
jest sich bean stalk as this chap. He
had soft hands, a woman's way of talkin'.
and l looked him over and made up nv
mind that Texas baby three years old
could give him pointers. Why, durn it.
If ne didn't wear white shirts and collars
and play the piano! l tried to be civil to
him, cause he was stranger, but it bout
made me sick. l never looked at him
without thinkin' of mush and 'lasses.D
"Well?'
"Wall, arter he'd bin out thar about
three months Jim and me went out one
day to look up some stray mustangs.
The first thing wesknew we got a volley
from lot of Indians who had broke loose
from the reservation. Jim was hit in the
shoulder, but fortunately carried off by
his hoSS, who was a flyer. I headed for
sink L knowed of and reached il with
out a scratch. Then, you see, my caper
was to stand 'em off till Jim could send
help. l had a Winchester and plenty of
cartridges, and durin' the flst hour /
wounded one cuss and killed another.
Then L got chunk of lead through this
right arm and began to feel bit narvous
as to how it would turn out. l swiped a
bullet into another, and in return / got
this rake along the skull. 1t wasn't ten
minutes arter that befo' I began to feel
powerful sick and weak and l Jest reck-
oned that my scalp was goin' to make an
ornament on some red critters belt
But you still stood them OFF,"
"As well as able, but the end would
have come in about fifteen minutes more.
The last three or four shots fired 1 was
SO blind | couldn't see rod. The reds
were shoutin' to each other and maxim,
ready to close in when / heard a white
man yellin'. l couldn't see what took
place, but l know how it was jest the
same. That mush-and-'las dude was
out on boss huntin' jackass rabbits.
and Jim run across him and told him
how l was fixed and axed him to ride for
help. What do you think the burned
cuss did ?''
erode for homer"
''Not muchl He rode for me! He'd
never seen war Injun in his life and
Jim told him thar was full dozen arter
me, but it made no difference. He comes
up on dead run, yellin' and shootin'
and, pll claw my hat if he didn't lay out
two of the critters and kill pony afore
they could get away. He sailed right in
SO mighty hard that they thought he had
a big crowd behind him. That thar little
dude with soft hands and puny arms
lifted me onto his hoss and rode to nv
ranch and then heads q crowd back and
runs them reds 'leven miles and kills an
other.
why, durn me he got two ponies out
of that scrap and he gathered up more
wampum, bows, arrers, tomahawks,
knives and sich than any six of us had
collected in five years. When 1 got
about helped him box and ship 'em to
some club in New York. Pears to me
it was sumthin' like the Manhattan
Club. Leastwise it had tarnal longish
name and the feller was MEMBER
And you came to like him?'
Say! He kin hev all I've got in this
world any time he axes fer it. I made
big mistake sizin' him up. He could
beat any of US with the pistol and the
feller who took hold of him for wrestle
was throwed sky high before he could
bite his terbacker. He could run like
deer. outjump a kangaroo and we
couldn't find a bronco who could buck
him off,
And that's why you interfered, is it?o
Exactly. Show me dude and I'll
back him. These boys hain't learned
the difference between dude and fule
yit, but | hev and L don't want no bet
ter chaps behind ME in q pinch than
dudes. specially New York dudes.n
Four thousand two hundred and seven