New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-22
A WHOLE MAN.

He will get prodded everywhere. If he takes Of
fence at rough banter, Lord help him when he gets
into mining-camp. If he wear his heart upon his
sleeve, let him steer clear of the Mexican towns
and their pretty senoritas. If lie would know
any peace, let him keep away from the cattle
range, for the cowboys jests as keen and cut
ting the spurs at their heels.
Frank Robbins was beginning TO find out some
Of these things. But if you gave him a whole
decade he would not find them all out.
"What the boy wants is toughenng, said Mart
Selby
Mart was big and tough and he saw 10 good
reason why anybody but child or Il woman
should be tender.
He's young colt that wants Mexican bit
showed into his mouth, and then be ridden through
the cactus"
At Lucin's ranch the boys joked and irrtated
Robbins, but it did not to tougher him.
They cared nothing for whiskey that didn't scratch
it went down, and when he put water in his
they called him perfect lady and laughed loudly.
Stand their joshnG,' said Mart to Robbins,
and you'll get along better. They'll always
make it hot for that don't josh back
"Oh don't mind it," replied Robbins. 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
never anything but tenderfect. lie simply would
not take men as he found them, though they were
perfectly willing to take him And the absurd
ideas that had Judgment in his head Chief
among these were that lie must have 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 not truthful. that
one was not temperate. and the other was not nice
in his speech There was something lacking in
each one.
What l want is whole man, he sighed; Il
never could take up with these half-made fellows
But il is not so easy. Even when i find man
that is temperate and intellectual he turns out TO
be selfish. What would not give for whole
man for friend and companlo1na whole 1 man .hnh
Mart saw the young fellow" sorely needed a
friend and helper; particularly one who would
order man, but he never seemed to hit upon him.
Few such men as be looking for are to be
found within thousand miles Of Lucin's In
o single man who did not like TO take observations
Of Old Ashbys cloth-and- paper ceiling through the
bottom of q whiskey-glass and if you heard a
was uase no cheru Rs YOU lily "'O "''' ''
One day the BOYS outdd all their other little
WEAKNESSES to Robbins by getting him hopelessly
drunk. OF course it was no killing matter; but
he had never been drunk before, and he took it
very seriously and resolved to leave camp next
Mart did not like this His heart had warmed
toward the young fellow. and he hated to see
him leave the place. Finally he resolved to go
They agreed between them that they would not
go on the range again They would 60 prospect
Aud thus it was that they came to make the
journey over the desert toward Dead Horse
Gulch. Now, As everybody in that country knows
the wealth of Dead Horse Guch is great but il is
very hard TO reach. Miners who have lived out
the awful heat Of the alkali plain, that lies all
cash have come back with full belts, but no0e of
them have ever gone second time.
In suggesting this Journey, Mart Seby had a
double object. First. he wanted 10 tougher the
young fellow and next, he wanted to enrich
them both Mart knew that Robbins had come
out West to make enough money to marry nice
that the young fellow had found money making
very slow work.
before the buttes in which the gold was hidden
was q long and toilsome journey. But the real
work only began with the crossing Of the alkali
White and naked lay the dead land before their
aching eyes The eve OF heaysn s shone down with
Mart had counted on the journey being hard
that the water would give out so soon. nor that
the horses would sink down and die as they did
ss raw
above the white earth on which their clearly
defined shadows fell with. inky blac',nese.
set at nauHbt. for they travelled on and on toward
Che buttes. and yet they seemed to grow no
nearer.
Il was toward evening they reached a rocky
iAet in the of alloali. and there. after very
had meal Of hard tack. they fell asleep. Robbins
dreaming Of clear. cold water. drawn from marble
fountains in crystal gohlcts The young man was
the first n awake: The sun was bcGinnng 70
bins lifted his hand to rub his eyes.
R-r-z-zz!"
Then tongue Of flame dartcd toward him and
struck him the palm of the hand.
my God" he groaned. it's rattlesnakc. and
he's bitten me !"
His voice seemed 10 awaken hundred echoes.
and 10 these responded a hundred rattles.
Selkv sat up In his blanket and stared at him
subsidy. Az he made the movement q rattle.