Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-12-24
Il ETY.
The Story of Christmas on the Plains

didn't get no Hool ny lhl 1900
neither Whisky starved me an iroae
me as long as / stuck TO il, an. that
what it'll do for any man that lo'e' u
like / do
As LEFTY said this be looked care care,
fully away from his employer OsatN
drinking habit was the one gn'"'hs
anxiety and distress that ne hau' ...
II had been growing sleadlly Wutse
since Lefty came TO the ltW nlou'a,
lt used to be that Clark only drahk 10
excess when he went TO Antelope, Wnere
there were bar rooms and conNiNnl CON,
panions, but now the buckboard e0nW
not be got ready for n drive OF a 9ay
or two across the country without Jue
Of whisky In it.
Lefty's own bitter experience 70 GER
tain passages in which-the most shame
ful and criminal-he always referred
with open simplicity, gave him an appe-
citation and horror Of the declivity upon
which the other was starting aud Ne
only lacked the courage 10 speak
When Clark was beginning on one o.
HE sprees, Lefty's beseeching eyes would
follow him. only to drop huinbly when
they met his look; and the silent protest
and entreaiy was rs well understood be-
tween them as words could have been.
Lefty stood between him and publicity
so far as was possible; and lessened by
his own wutchfulness and care the ter
rble risks Clark ran when drinking II
came TO he the regular thing that Mnen-
over the blackboard was brought out Tor
one OF the managers trips Lefty got
old Hank pearsall TO take charge Of the
house and the cooking while he drove for
CLARK. II was only so that he felt at
ease; for then he knew that whatever
mnuilin reaching for the lines, or
elashing at the halfbrokcn broucho team
there was. he was there To take care of
Clark. who had more than once. of late,
rolled out of the blackboard. and Lefty
had had hard work. what with the wild
team and Clarli's hclplessness. to got linn
back in.
One lowering December afternoon they
stopped ut Antelope for The mail, ON their
wnv home from a distant ranch. Things
had zone better, II was weeks since
Clark's last spree. and he had been doing
almost entirely without LIQUOR But 1t
was Christmas eve; every bai-room was
full Of cowboys and ranchmen, drinking
and lilarioua.
Ctors y,nuId have lbn foam NM nm and
fed. and they Themselves had sumner a
the Antelope House.
yvben / XIV Wont IN hin, In tho t,Ar
after supper. Ozark would have come. hut
there was n crowd nround him that
| ,vouldn't heor to il Finally. nnnovel M
| / fsftv's nersisfence thev turned fhoir nj
| tention 10 him. and Ii ,yos onIy by thn
| exercise Of considrrobie deytority and adj.
| moe tI,ot bc ,,nt Mi ,viti,nut b,vin,, In
drink WIN ihcint
Full of anxiety, he went back again
and again, sometimes finding. CLARK de-
fcrnincd To make night of H., some
| times half sobored up aud willing to go;
| but whom, ON the strength of this, he
got the horses out and brought the buck
| board around he always failed, by
| little, To get Clark away
| Once he got him in. and they drove as
| far as the outskirts of the town, when
| Clark turned obstinate aud made him
go hnck.
Finally. long after midnight. when he
went again into the bar. Clark said he
would 90 with him II Lefty would take
one drink. Uoping 10 pncifv and get him
away, Lefty finally took the drink. then
on similar plea and promise, another
and anothr; TN, by the time they left.
they were about equally intoxicated.
| When they came 10 The first gate into
| tho Rita Blanca. pastures, about three
| mics from tho rcnCh- house Lefty .ayr
ihe lines 10 Clark ANA got down 10 open
l 1t, the whip UNDECIDED In his hand.
But the long drive in the sharp mir Lad
sobIed him M enough that ne wondered
To see thc tall uusts on each side of HE
gate moving The next moment lie knew
that there was "a man hehind each post.
It being. the only possible cover an assai-
lare, open, NAE mooalit piaia 'i'6e re Eye