River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-11-29
JERGUSON'S LAST FIGHT.

4 cowboy fght is good fun. II is
and is MT du.led ty the tircsome ar
plomacv of civilized warfare. y f.N
drinks of red liquor. few cracks or
''bIuif>' ar --stssiur>," and the guns
are barking .ay IN killing he,-
Jbet Is bit of "A town Ia Fergus
county. Montana. Il Il iu the h,ss-s Of
the great northern cattle range "a
its eastward side i a fat. treeIess.
cherries plain Of bunch grass. broken
At times by long strip, of burning
Rlkuli and sand. To tie west and
south are the dim. 5lue-tinged tops of
the fIo..-jcS exterding Ike mighty
belt and lCst IN the horizon 10 the
north. The moUHtasa sag!- d-ifss a
hundred miles before ms Fi..t @~ings
him from his lofty home 10 the 81 a-e
where Utet's magnates gather Of
summer afternoon g discuss the com
parative values Of their herds.
TIBET was browsing in a su.1ry heat
in the summer Of ls92. when a Sails
bury coach drew up before the only
hotel and half dozen passengers
climbed from the hurricane deck aud
shook the white, Stingiug dust of the
alkaI plains from their garments
The BIG bodied. red-sh-rted landlord
stool by with hearty '-howdy." The
boys in the street ceased shooting At a
mark ana crowd -d about the leaders
The bartender came forth IN his top
boots aad white sombrero e. gossip
with the driver about the new strike
in the Cumberland and the picking up
of times in Yellowstone gulch-
II hear I'll Jackson Eil hard game
Rgin a hurly-house dance at Lewis >
ton. - sail.
II reckon" said the driver.
Two shots i'm titJ Iuug and one in
the leg-I hear fellow from Yellow
stone say
Zone in the lung an one in the leg.
but the Cumberland's surgeon says
Ed-ll pull through with good nussin'.'
'.tsot .lind % keerless, reckon"
Drunk. hear say. Stranger. have
suthin' 10 wash the a!bali outen yer
throat? Come ahead. Charley"
The stranger. his host and Charley
were soon exchanging how over a
pine board bar resting on cottonwood
logs. Behind was a long. narrow shelf
covered with rude bat significant bits
of bric-a-hrac. There was the gun with
which Zig Andy Galiagh he'd up the
Livingston sta re three times In one
week. and for q companion piece was
a strand from the rope whics. subse-
queutlv cho ed the life out Of Big
Amy on the 9lt cOttn, .-ooi tree by
the Triangle ranch Then there was
bit Of dull-yellow quartz. the first
float found 10y one of the Ilanley
boys in thsir long search for the Cum
berLaud loic and ON the walls were
various poster, announcing The merits
of local breeding horses
Bout time pacsel another barrel
of that Three Star, Charley" said the
driver.
Next week. reckon. replied Char
ley. The boys from the T. Z. outfit
was up las Monday week an pretty
nigh cleaned rs out. Said they recl,-
oned they'd be up agin to-day"
THAT 50? met OF man ferguson
and his boy Alecs at the Clearwater
ford an they reclsoned they'd be up
with the other boys of the Triaugle.
Said they was loolSin' for a few shots
at two russ'lerS in the T. that
picked Up fifty head Of Triangle cattle
las spring F;ght to-day. maybe
VIII want the two BAYS shod. Charley"
stay around an maybe you'll see
some fun" said Charley. the bar
tender. To the stranger i wouldn't
give hurrah for them two rus>'lers If
OF man ferguson gets drunk. Hes an
old hellion when he's drunk.
: he stranger Wake about the
square and past the long. uneven row
Of log houses with false frame fronts
Within the stores the red-shirted
clerks were sleeping on the counters
or talking sheep and steers. NAV
erieks and markets. On the walks the
village loafcrS were whiting down
the edges of dry goods boxes. In the
gambling houses the dealers were
browsing in their chairs and the look
outs were mapping on the billiard
tables Small boys were lying in a
bit OF bunch grass shaded from the
sun by cottonwood tree. There was
not a souu, 10 jar the heated air save
the clang % the anviIs in the black
smi;h'e shop where the drivers two
bays were being shOd
away 80 A-AF Nat~A NAANtE - seen = NlAlll
and mistiilSe puif Of alsaG dust. Il
turns and twists aud VIZ. ggles in the
hot air. and seatters upWar,, and away
into whirling clouds Ii moves TO the
vast in flying line. and from it, cen
ter come a half dozen galloping
horses with As many riders. slowly un-
covered from their smoky DISCUSSES. IL
comes nearer and nearer. until il
resfches the ranch that marks the
limitations of bet. and then the airs
pierced by a shrill weird yell. the cow
BOYS signal:
"Oh-he-eeSyo-OO-O whoOpr'
Il echoes through and Cuiekens the
drowsy life OF Ubet like an electric
shock. The village boys crawl from
under the grateful shade Of the cot
tOnw OOd and gather in the square.
The faro dealer calls to the lookout