The herald., 1894-12-27

resources, their eiffontsry. in short. all
their characteristics outstrip those of
their eastern brothers. Just where the
tramp Of the west merges into the dss-
perado is hard to say. All vagabonds
OF the plains are dishonest and willing
to do anything that will bring money
into their clutch. Most Of them are too
lazy or too shittless to become desperate
outlaws. The life of the outlaw is a
hard one. He who lives it must always
| be on the alert. He muot improve every
Opportunity, losing not one chance. He
muet be fearless and must have plenty
| OF nerve. His ends can only ba accom-
| plished by stalking his life agsinet an
other. The tramp fancies none OF this.
He loves liie to we'll to continually place
! it in the balances. Moreover, the des-
perado is busy man. That fact alone
bare the tramp.
But while the tramp is not desper-
ado in the western acceptance OF the
term. his surroundings compel him to
adopt in measure the methods OF the
desperado. The result 10 that the tramp
lives half outlawed. Desperadoee despise
| him because he has not the get-up to
become full-hedged outlaw. Law
abiding citizens loathe him. They re-
gard the desperate as a man whose
courage in q measure atones for his
crimes. 1t is this feeling on the part of
the two classes of western people that
makes the tramp's life among them
hard at oil times and frequently unen-
durable. Eastern tramps are aware OF
this state OF affairs in the west, and
they wisely stay away. The feeling OF
! the people does not assume the form of
| open hostility. 1t msnifests itself in the
guise OF indifference. The tramp finds
himself ignored. He asks for food and
does not get it. He socks a bed and
does not find it. He begs for money,
but remains penniless. He endures this
state OF affairs as long as possible. Then
he either becomes citizen who earns
his living by legitimate LABOR, or an
outlaw who is not yet plunged deep in
crime. In either event, he batters him.
self. One difference between the east
ern tramp and the western tramp is
this: Crime in the east frequently
makes tramp man: crime
in the west frequently makes a
man tramp. This, OF course,
from the western standpoint. For on
the plains it is more honorable to be a
dssperado than tramp.
| IL will readily be eeen that no tramp
remains tramp long in the west. The
make-up OF the floating population of
tramps changes continually, although
| its general character remains the same.
When description of the typical tramp
OF the plains is given, therefore, it must
be description of the man who has not
| yet really settled down in the west, or,
If he has settled down once, is Undergo
ing change in his plan of life either
from the desperado to the citizen or vice
versa. The proportion OF such changen
is about four from desperadoes to citi.
zena to ten from citizens to dssperadoes.
The tramp represents the intermediate
| state. And in this he also differs from
the eastern tramp, who is a confirmed
character--a state unchanging and un-
changeable. There is one element in
western trampdom not made up OF des-
peradoes or citizens in process OF change.
This element is made up of tho vaga-
bond class from the east.
They last usually year or eighteen
months. The conditions OF western life
! cannot change them and they cannot
change the conditions of western life.
Both are confirmed. There is nothing
left for the vagabond but to ge. out. He
does this. going back to the east.
The cowboy tramp, or, as he is called,
the 'puncher prowler," is by far the
most interesting class OF western tramp.
His distinguishing feature is his posses.
sion OF horse. How he got it no one
asks and no one cares. The western
way OF looking at horse questions is not,
has another man got any? but have l
lost any? Horses in many parts OF the
west can be bought for as little as So.
Ii one has lariat but no money he can
get horse for nothing. and, if it is u n
broken and wild with no danger of pu u
ishment. The cowboy tramp's horse is
usually tramp among horses just as its
owner is tramp among men. Its very
appearance indicates that fact. The
punchsr and his horse roam at will.
They sleep together, get wet together,
and go hungry together. No one but
drunken Indian or dishonest ca ttleman
would buy puncher prowlsr's horse
even If he would sell 1t. Possession OF
the purchase is too uncertain. The
cowboy tramp lives by working occa-
sionaliy as a puncher, but usually as a
poacher. He above all others can cook
sage hen until its strong meat sweet.
ems 10 delicious mOrsel or roast prai-
rie dog until one tasting it would swear
1t was possum.
On the Beaver ranges several years
ago the writer lost his wav. Night fell
and hunger beset him. After wander
ing about with his horse for several
hourD. vainly seeking to find the trail,
he spied light Pickering far off on the
prairis. Making his way to it be found
a puncher prowler With two prairie dogs
and sage hen. The prowler's pony
gazed contentedly near by. unhobbed.
The prowler was making ready for q
least. He had killed the prairie dogs
before sunset and had stumbled onto
the prairie han in the duck. He had
killed the prairie dogs with a revolver.
The sage hen he killed with a stone.
af1er shooting at it twice and missing it.
The hen is the silliest OF western birds,
not having ths sense to ay when shot
at. but sits jerking it's head from side to
side. Ii bullet strikes the ground at
its feet it hops into the air, and lmmed-
lately settles down again. The puncher
had the dogs skinned and W as picking
the hen when the writer a pproached
him.
where's ths trail?' asked the
writer.
Three miles or so back" was the re.
ply. TOO far to srri ke now. Won't
you feed ?"
While he talked the puncher rapidly
plucked the hens feathers. Then he
cleaned the bird carefully. Next he
soraped up q pile OF clay. moistened it
with water and worked it into thick
paste. He smsared this pazte on the
hen until it was hidden in coating an
inch thick and resembled huge egg of
mud. He carefully placed it in the fire