Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-03-25

MI | | l#z5S###>> he loosed tn cinch
NJ 4 TS##<Ss#| t ease tn sorrel's
wv via breath:
" Nxg "Rope yer best
horse, Steve, an
an load all yer guns! fer tbs fifty Pie
gan imps howlin' down the valley,
gatherin' stock an swearin' t raid an
burn tn Silver Concho!"
18Th Silver Concho" cried I, weth
gasp O horror. I've been called "Ceur
dor Steve" hunter an guide, in tn
North Country since long before TIL cat
tie ranches came, an it's nothin' new fer
me t fight redskins; but if this crea-
ture on TIL face O. Gods earth tibet l
despise an dread it's PIegan Blackfoot,
weth his sneakin' ways, only like flash
an gone, weth blood in his tracks, be-
fore y en- git tn charge in yer Winches-
ter er TIL saddle onto yer cayuse.
1.-THE Silver Conchol" said I, know
in tibet Perry Wlnston's wife was alone
over there weth her baby an tn Chinese
cook. Is TIL news straight, LEM
How'd y hear about it?"
"Dead straight Ben got it in Shes
te-te an drove up t. tn place an hour
ago weth tn sickest lookin' stock y ever
saw him hold tn strings over"
"An, now, Steve, If VII give me
fresh horse-fer y en- see tibet Monte's
clean busted-rll go an bring tn
roundup in. / don't reckon VII want t
stand off no fifty Piegans single-handed,
not fer very long, an tn boys is yer
only show. There're on Painted Robe,
an it's fifteen miles over. Thet pinto o.
your II do it in an hour an half, an
tn boys won't save up their stock none
comm back, so y en- count on help IN
from three t four hours, Steve, if y en-
hold tn redskins level tibet long"
Lord, how we did work Ropin', an
saddlin', tillin' and strappin on ca fridge
belts, an chargin' guns an Wincaesters.
Thankin' tn Lord tibet tn cartridge keg
was more'n half full; an loadn' EN-
into every corner O. our clothes, where
we cd make EN- stick.
We made quick job O it, fer knew
tn nature o tn red cusses I'd got t deal
weth too well t take aGy cnances on
Ben's haviL' got much TIL start of 'em,
though he'd brought his heavy coach
Ben drives tn Orleans an Fort Sublette
coach; an they say he's til best reins-
man in tn Northwest. Three Fingered
Ben down tn big Canyon o tn Argaii,
a thing hardly ever done before or since,
t bring tn news; al counted on havin'
got a few hours over TIL thievin' rascals,
while they was plckIn' up stock in tn
upper basin.
Twas nigh shutdown when our
broncos struck tn trail down tn coulee,
on slingin' lope; an took look back
at my shack, thinkin' most likely it 'u'd
be in ashes before saw TIL place ag'in.
Tn little valley lay quiet enough.
Twas late in tn fall, an a touch O.
smoke in tn air made me think O
burnin' ranches. A jackrabbit skittered
by headlong pace as if warnin' US T.
hurry along. An TIL chatter o. tn
prairie dogs had a sort @ piercin', un-
natural sound. Our horses feet seemed
T. Keep time to sort O tune-"Piegaus,
ride fast Plegans, ride FAST" beat out
by tn click O tn fallin' hoofs, an tn
boot o an owl chImed in on tn same
key.
Lens road lay tn same as mine fer 9
couple o miles, but we scarcely spoke
till TIL trail branched, an singin' out,
Chang on by tn skin O yer teeth till We
get there!' he turned t til left an
struck out fer tn big plateau in tn Low
er Lake basin, while l kept on down tn
coulee t tn Silver Concho ranchhouse
didn't have t put quirt or spur t
my horse; he knew whut | wanted bl
tn tone O. my voice an tn touch o. my
hand on tn rein, an was layin' off tn
ground TIL very best he knew how
Twas six good miles from tn bend, an
1t gave me time t study about tn job
had on hand. A white man always
feels like he cd whip about five times
his own weight in redskins, but knew
tibet fifty Of 'em-an' Backfeet at thet-
was mighty big contract fer man o
my size. An then thought about tn
woman, an tn baby.
Y see Perry Winston came out here
from tn States a dozen years ago-or
account o somethin' bein' little of
with one O. his lungs-an' hired me fe
guide on a long hunt up among tn
Rockies; an | happened t save his life
time or two before We got back. o
course 1t was all in tn way O. business
an whut 'u'd be sure t happen to ;
hair-brained kid O. youngster like h,
was then; but Perry never forgot it, an
when he made up his mind tibet thi
country was coed enough fer him, an
settled down at tn Concho, first as COW
hand, an then as manager an partner
fer Perry's got money-he use t smo&'
his pipe, nights an rainy days, over a
my shack nigh about as often as he die
at home weth tn boys.
Well, after a while he went back t
see tn old folks, au' tn old place;
byown-faced, broad shouldered Teller,
tibet y'd vow never knew he had sdc1
thing as pair o lungs about hun; bu
Tollin' little in his gait, from slttin
close t stock saddle nine months il
til year. Tn next winter be went az n
an that time he brought wife homt
weth him; tn prettiest au' best it'll,
woman on tn northern range, as ever.
man on tn river except tn few thet'
got wives O. their own---'ll freely swear
o. course l thought then tibet it AZ
be all weth me, but not bit O. it. Sh
was Jest as muca my friend as PER-,
was, an l saw him nigh as ofen as
did before, tn only difference BEN the
| went t tn Concho, instead O. his ridil
over { my place, an after while Their
was til baby tibet 'u'd come t. me---afte
big romp weth her father an cIddl
her fully yellow head ag'iu my old can
vas coat an drop of to- sleep. tell J
when thought o how them red imp
'u'd dash her brains out ag'ln tn wa
an tranple her under their dirty moo
easins unslung my Winchester 81
drove tn steels into poor Tartar. this
was measurin' his length at every strid
an pumpin' fer breath like u Dloker