Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-03-16
MRS. BUCK TUPPER.

throng that was just then rushing to the
slver mines of the southwest.
But, alas, for the best laid plans Of an
unsophisticated tenderfootl Six months
later | found myself one day stranded in
a 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
70 miles into the country with a party
OF men who were to take charge of one
Of his ranches 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 nevzs been beyond the New
Hampshire hills. His very opposite was
Ross Harper, 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 Tupper.
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 IN
heralded through shops and saloons on
his mustang. Buck was an inveterate
gambler, though something of bnngler
it seemed-at least his earnirgs went
regularly into the hands Of thsf 5ank
dealer at Waho.
One afternoon as Buck and l 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 q runaway AS
reading matter was at premium just
then, l 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 it was some minutes before I
noticed that Buck also had dismounted
and was examining with great interest
something that he had picked up from
the roadside.
It proved to be the photograph of
woman-a fine, oval face, the slightly
waving hair brushed simply back from
the low, broad forehead. The eyes, that
you would have sworn were a clear gray,
seemed to look into your own with a
.ssweet trrstful expression. Several times
during the ride home Buck took the PIC
tEre R9m bis blouse, regarding il y. !
Vine by the horses, foundS u 81 ~
tlns ay in fastening the6dgt aslly
smoked an No aD9Esls-1 Es Chimney piece is ~
ut ain srplace 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 led them
to the picture, presenting them with
mock ceremony to Mrs. Buck Tupper.
The name seemed to tickle Bucks fancy
self with pleased chuckle.
From that time "Mrs. Buck Tupper"
became a household word with US, but it
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 Waho
was in the mid-t 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 bit touched; indeed
I 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 off
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 a great time at Waho on
Christmas eve. However, when men
toned it to Tupper he shook his head
slowly:
"Naw, did think some about it, but
Mrs. Buck Tupper"-looking up at the
picture with half snile-"I flowed if
she was here she'd rather | wouldn't"
Seeing that l was disposed to listen he
| went on: 81 never had no bringin up,
reckon, but 1 sort o felt from the first
as though that picture was token, an
says, some day you'll find that woman
herself, Buck Upper. OF course never
could be fitten for such" signing hum
bly,, "but made up my mind to be de-
cent an squar anyway"
For more than month we had been
annoyed by cattle thieves, but in spite Of
the fact that we had been re-enforced by
daring company Of men, they con
tinued to elade us. 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 signal to his men, put
spurs to his horse and in a moment they
were galloping down the gorge. with
several Of our party in pursuit.
They had gone but short distance
when shot took effect, and the horse Of
cne Oh the outlaws fell dead.
Larkins and hurried forward TO pre-
vent the riders escape, but as we lifted
the saddle, by which the rider had been
pinioned to the ground, the long cloak
and broad sombrero fell back; disclosing
the fact that our captive was woman.
At this moment one of the men came
galloping back with the news that Buck
had been shot. This of course put an
end to the pursuit, and we hurried back
to the ranch with the wounded man.
4 O'Flaherty and took charge Of him,
while Harper was left in the outer room
! !. 49, E,,.o,,, +1,, G,.e4