Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-04-16
I H "UNDRESSED KID"

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and that Young Cub" had been
playing some pranks on the grizzled
and testy Mr.. Barr, and Hank. by way
of delicate reference to the palpable
fact that the parental bed-slat or
trunk-strap had been allowed to get
dusty between .whalingSh when the
Infant had been of yet more tender
years. bestowed upon his tormentor
the sobriquet by which he was eve
after known.
L was not that the Kids years were
so few-he was twenty-two-but he
was, on, such q kid He had evil
IDENTITY mingled with men for years
but the association did not seem to
have rubbed OF any OF the marks OF
extreme youth. at least in his behavior,
and no one ever thought Of smiling,
even when Shorty Fleming, the boss
youngest brother, aged eighteen, adj
dressed the Kid ny any of his numer-
Gus ~diminutives.
One could not help liking the Kid,
in spite OF his pranks for he was al
WAYS so good natured and obliging.
If he was ready to cut up a hair-brush
and scatter the bristles in some tired
fellows bunk about bedtime he was
Just as ready TO do double duty in case
his victim happened 20 be i'll.
There were a few chickens at the
ranch. and one of the Undressed's
chiefest Joys was to feed them corn
with q string attachment, and laugh
himself almost to death at their fran
tic efforts TO kick themselves loose.
But If one Of those same chickens
happened to be hurt or i'll, he would
nurse il just as a woman might.
On the occasion when he stuck shoe
makers wax on Hank Bars saddle.
and Hank came into supper without
the basement of his jeans and made
sarcastic remarks, the Kid felt him
self a born humorist and one would
have thought that capers OF this sort
were the highest aim in life; but it
was he who. after a cold, hard days
work. rode twenty miles on a stormy
night 10 get a surgeon to set the leg
Hank had broken in the evening. But
pranks are pranks and the prankee
seldom takes the same view Of them
as does the prankist: and thus it came
to pass that the Kids light-minded
ness. together with his everlasting
lokishness. brought upon him the
scorn Of his fellow-laborers at the
.hX.' They all liked him we'll
enough, but that was all They never
considered him or included him in
their plans, except when there was
some uncomfortable duty to perform.
In fact they paid very little attention
to him. Briefly, he acted like a ff-
~teen-year-old. and vas so treated.
The neat spring Miss Mary Brooke
appeared on the scene, as a visitor TO
Colonel Hanford's, six miles south OF
US. She came. she saw-and the rest
OF it. Women were very scarce in
our vicinity, especially young and
pretty ones, and to our unaccustomeC
eyes, Venus and the three graces and
ali the rest weren't in it with Mary
Brooke. and we bowed down and wor
shipped like a lot Of half AedgeC
idiots.
We were all serious, too. II wa:
-emarkable how many business trans
actions Boss Fleming had to talk oyel
with the colonel all Of a sudden
and how /, the Scribe. took such
fancy to reading and discussing Brown
ing with Mrs. Hanford, who wa
slightly deaf, and, therefore. not cas-,
to with. 1t was not long
however, before Boss Fleming and
had the running all to ourselves
Fleming, as a near neighbor, a hi
ranche-owner and a wealthy man, ha
a strong hold on the colonel, and ]
the Scribe. having stuck to my des.
in early youth, and being. therefore
able to talk a little on such subjects 4
interested Mrs Hartford. had quit
captivated her. and the boys. pei
ceiving this state of affairs, discreet
withdrew and spent their evenings a
of yore.
All but the Undressed Kid. He
being from Boston-Mis5 Brooks
home-also came in for a share OF he
smiles and conversation; but. as h
showed no signs OF change in hi
youthful ways, we didn't pay much a
tention to him, except to consider hii
much in the same light as one might
nuisance in kits. He was in the way
OF course, but that didn't cause US an
worry.
To be sure. we wondered how IL wa
that Miss Brooke could tolerate h
nonsense and chatter. for she wa
somewhat staid in her ways and
person whom one would hardly SUI
pect Of a liking for levity. The DO:
and | were both sure that the Kid
constance presence would begin to pa
very soon-briehy. he would max
Miss Brooke tired and we two coul
fight it out solely between ourselves.
But. somehow, this state Of thing
didn't come TO pass. The Kid mar
aged to get in as many calls as di
the boss and ]. and. what was wors,
usually had Miss Brooke pretty muc
to himself. worse luck TO the old folk,
and it made Fleming and myself yer
weary to hear her laughing at h.
time.worn jokes. until the tears role
down nor cheeks.