The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1893-02-15
MRS. BUCK TUPPER.
My profession is that Of civil engineer

My profession is that Of civil engineer
ing.
After very unsatisfactory year spent
in the employ Of certain mushroom rail-
road companies I resolved to seek a
shorter route to fortune by joining the
throng that was just then rushing to the
silver mines of the southwest.
But, alas, for the best laid plans Of an
unsophisticated tenderfootl Six months
later found myself one day stranded in
wretched little mining town without a
dollar in my pocket.
How happened just then to meet and
make friends with Colonel Dingler it is
no part of my purpose to relate. Suffice
to say that when he offered to send me
10 miles into the country with party
of men who were to take charge Of one
of his ranches I accepted without demur.
There were five Of us, with all possible
diversity Of character and bringing up.
Dennis O'Flaherty was brilliant
young Irishman, the son of New York
alderman. He had broken with his fam
lily because of his disposition to fiirt with
pretty girls rather than to ''study for
orders" as had been intended. ~
81 Larkins was typical down easter,
big and rawboned, and until six months
ago had never been beyond the New
Hampshire hills. His very opposite was
Ross Harper, a dapper little fellow who,
in spite Of his sombrero and brace Of
pistols, looked very like one of the dunn
mics that used to adorn the front Of his
clothing store back In Cincinnati, but
for all that he was plucky and clear grit
to the backbone. Then there was Buck
Buck Upper
Just where he hailed from no one
ever seemed to know.
He seemed to be part Of the wild
west himself, and his knowledge Of Its
bold, wicked ways was something mar.
velous.
He had a playful habit of gallop.
ing across the country, firing right and
left simultaneously, or OF dashing I'M
heralded through shops and saloons on
his mustang. Buck was an inveterate
gambler, though something of bunglel
IL seemed--at least his earnings went
regularly into the hands of the faro bank
dealer at Waho.
One afternoon as Buck and / were re
turning from beyond the canyon, where
we had gone in search of some missing
cattle, we came upon the trail Of com.
pany of horsemen.
From the broken bits Of saddle, cook.
ing utensils and papers that were scat
tered about the gorge, it was evident
that there had been runaway. As
reading matter was at premium just
then, / was off in an instant and was
gathering up the papers, which proved
to be Of recent date.
So absorbed did / become in their con-
tents that 1t was some minutes before ]
noticed that Buck also had dismounted
and was examining with great interest
something that he had picked up from
the roadside.
1t proved to be the photograph of {
woman--a fine, oval face, the slight,
waving hair brushed simply back from
The low, broad forehead The eyes, tina
you would have sworn were O clear gray
seemed to look into your own with |
sweet, trustful expression. Several time
during the ride homo Buck took the pic
ture from his blouse, regarding it will
an air, of pleased ownership.
When / came into the house after put
ting away the horses, I found him busilJ
engaged in fastening the picture to the
smoked wall above the chimney piece.
at ei:'t no place for SUCH" he said
nodding his head at the picture and
glancing apologetically about the room,
"but Buck Tupper's proud to give you
the best he's got"
Looking upon the matter as great
joke, when the others came in l led them
to the picture, presenting them with
mock ceremony to Mrs. Buck Upper.
The name seemed to tickle Bucks fancy,
and he repeated it over and over to him
self with pleased chuckle.
|, From that time "Mrs. Buck Topper
became household word with us, but ii
was not until some weeks after this that
we learned how much of reality she
had become to the eccentric fellow. One
day, when one of his chums from Wahc
was in the midst of a somewhat doubt
full story, Buck had interrupted:
"Gimpsey, don't 'llow that's jest the
talk right nice woman likes to listen
to-" glancing significantly at the face on
the wall. Gimpsey stopped, disconcert-
ed and astonished, but he did not finish
the story. think he went away believ-
ing that Buck was q bit touched; indeed
am not sure but that the rest Of us
shared the opinion.
1t was evident that for some reason a
radical change had taken place in him.
He went no more on his boisterous cru
sades, and on Sundays, when he was of
duty, / had found him several times try.
ing to spell out the words in the little
Bible / had carried with me In my wan.
derings.
For several weeks flaming bills had
been posted about announcing that there
was to. be great time at Waho on
Christmas eve. However, when I men.
toned it to Upper he shook his head
slowly.
"Naw, / did think some about 1t, but
Mrs. Buck Tupper"-looking up at the
picture with half smile-'T flowed II
she was here she'd rather wouldn't"
Seeing that was disposed to listen hi
went on: II never had no bringin up,
reckon, but sort O felt from the first
as though that picture was a token, al
I says, some day you'll find that woman
herself, Buck Upper. OF course I never
could be fitten for SUCH" signing hum
bly,, "but l made up my mind to be de
cent an squar' anyway"
For more than month we had beer
annoyed by cattle thieves, but in spite Of
the fact that we had been REINFORCED by
daring company of men, they con
tinued to elude MS. One bright, moon
light night, however, we came down up
on party of them. Our men at once
opened fire. At first they showed fight,
but as we far outnumbered them their
leader, with a signal to his men, put
spurs to his horse and in Q moment they
were galloping down the gorge, with
several Of our party In pursuit.
They had gone but q short distance
when shot took effect, and the horse of
nt,s, r, ffa nf,t1au,a fall dead