Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-12
THE TABLES TURNED

1900 A~A1I1IkIC l. ~ 1GAN ILL
"A darn Gudc!" snorted Joe Dalzey
contemptuorsly.
That was the general verdict from
all the boys when Phil Ames made his
appearance among them at Middleton 8
ranch.
Della Middleton had returned home
from the city. and Phil had come with
her to the ranch, where her father well
coined him as the son of one Of his
friends and companions of other days.
1t was soon whispered also that Phil
was sutton for Della S hand, and that
alone was sufficient for him to be watch
ed closely and criticised by the cow
boys. who, every one of them. were
ready to swear by and to do anything
in their power to please the queen of
the ranch. Miss Della Middleton.
Phil Amos. at n first glance. looked
rather effeminate, but upon closer OBJ
servaticn he proved to he quite other
wise. There was not n surplus ounce
OF flesh about him anywhere, and his
frame WIS well knit and strong. More
over. Phil was u pleasant, easy going
fellow whom nothing seemed to disturb,
and whose temper was the sunniest in
the world.
Therefore a couple Of weeks at the
ranch was sufficient for Phil to gain
the good will of everybody around the
place. Even Joe Daley. the most crit
zeal among them all, had to admit that
lpxsx l,,,l T. i \
might improve into a right good fell
low if he staid at the ranch long enough.
In the rough play among the cowboys
Phil held his own easily and often turn
cd their ride jokes SO that they lost
their sting. or fastened the laugh on
him who had expected to sec Phil made
ridiculous.
Joe Daley considered himself the
leader among the boys on tho ranch.
and they seldom ventured to differ with
him in his opinions. which he never
failed to express with all the decision
and emphasis he could master.
One evening after Phil had been ut
the ranch nearly a month Mr.. Middle
ton came into the house where he and
Della were together.
II have to send n squad Of the boys
over 10 Bald prairie tomorrow. and
don I know where in thunder I'm going
to find cook 70 go with Them" he
said.
What is tho matter with Edmunds,
papa!" asked Della.
He is down with tho chills, and that
puts him out CT the question. There is
Andrews. too. gone off to town and
won't be back for q week, said MIR.
Middleton.
cook" asked Della.
why. there isn't ono of them can
make u biscuit that wouldn't choke a
dog"
Suppose You send Dinah and my
self with them? We could manage,
reckon" said Della, laughing.
but what would become of us who
have 70 stay mt home:"
do your own cooking or starve,H
laughed Della.
I'm afraid it would lie the latter
most of the time said Mr.. Middleton.
mo. I've cooked for camping outfit
before now. and If the worst comes to
the worst can do it again, only can
hardly spare the time"
iii 20 and cook for them. Mr.. Mid
dleton, said Phil. II suppose it is
only coffee, bacon, biscuits and batch
of cornbread occasionally.
''You cook!' exclaimed Mr.. Middle
ton. WHY, my boy, they'd mob you
at the first meal"
''Why do you think so:"
''Your cookery would drive them to
il. They would have to do it in self
defense, you know-kill you or starve
to death themselves
They would have to do neither, I
assure you," protested Phil. laughing.
II am u better cook than you think. I
hope you have not forgotten that staid
in the mountains of Colorado nearly the
whole of last YEAR, did the most of
tho cooking for the three of MS there,
and, il I say it myself. there was TO
enc ever turned up his nose at what l
placed ON the table,
Fer awhile there was q lively Discus
sion about Phil going rs cook with the
cowboys. but Inc finally gained the con-
sent from both Mr.. Middleton and Del
Ia, and it was decided that he could
20, provided he woald not blame them
il anything went wrong. The next
day therefore he drove away in the
wagon containing the raw materials on
which he was to display his art q Q
first class cook for q cowboy camp.
If Phil comes out ON top in this e.,