The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-02-28

INTO Ine Temuda.
Toward evening the outfit came to
headquarters, and Alex, united the en-
tirely extinguished Robbie, set him out
of the wagon without looking at him,
and after putting the pony in the pasture
and the saddle in its place went to the
messhouse.
Not word was ever heard from head
quarters about this awful reasonable
deed, any more than there had been about
Frosty's little scrap with the kid, which
made us all wonder if Robbie hadn't
some decent points about him, and if
plenty of thrashing might not, after all,
make a man of him.
At l6 the boy had little brand of his
own-all stolen except what his father
had given him for he was beginning to be
the most audacious, skillfnl and success
ful thief in the Panhandle. His earlier,
and always his most extensive stealiDgs,
were from his father; from them he
graduated into a regular full-fiedged
rustler.
The foreman of the Quarter Circle Y
ranch met him one morning skirting
around their pastures with his rope out
and swinging, and Robbie had a very
lame explanation of why he was there.
He had always a branding iron in his
boot or about his saddle.
He mavericked his fathers calves more
freely than any others, and under the
very noses Of the old mans cowboys;
and it was this heartless ingrstitude, and
his poor old fathers untiring love and
inexhaustable admiration and fondness
"a tenderness which followed and pro-
tected the young scamp from the conse-
quence Of his rascality, and which refns-
ed to see or hear anything wrong about
the boy-that suggested to some one the
descriptive title Of "Finnegan's Absa-
lom," which Immediately stuck and en-
tirely superseded his proper name.
don't believe half the people in the Pan
handle-to which neWly-opened coun-
try | had come to ranch for myself, and
they had followed later, when. be was
about I2-knew that his name was Rob-
bert Emmett Finnegan.
When he was about 10 the old folks
gathered him up rather suddenly and
sent him to college. lie had got to be a
big, fresh-colored, rather fine-looking
fellow, with an investigating blue eye,
and peeyish under lip, the kind of fel-
low all the girls naturally 90 wild over,
but no man could see without wanting to
kick, unless his legs were paralyzed.
knew the whole Panhandle to man
thirsted for his blood, and yet he was
safe from bodily injury for the sake Of
his poor old father and mother. But
everything could not be borne; the old
man was gently but firmly offered an
alternative; so of to college Absalorn
went.
An account 1 incidentally overheard
one day ran Ike this:
SAY Finnegan's Absalom's gone off
to college"
"Nop'
"Yes. Country got too hot for him,
and Finnegan sent him away"
"What was it"
'Oh, they say he swung too long loop
for them. and they wasn't going to stand
it any more"
And this was a clear statemeh. of the
case in cattle Fernacular.
He was two years at college, spending
his vacations at San Antonio and other
cities. Then they had 10 bring him
home. In the first place, his prodigality
was about TO ruin them; the cattle Just
wouldn't hold out. Then, too, it was
judicious to withdraw him when they
did, instead Of waiting for expulsion.
Shortly after Finnegan's Absalom was
sent away to Austin, the Finnegan house
hold had acquired new member. This
was half Mexican girl Of about Is,
whose parents, attempting to cross the
treseherous Canadian at night, when the
river was up, had missed the ford, gotten
into the quiek-sand and been drowned
thing easy enough Of accomplishment
in the Canadian, even in daylight, and
without an extra big stream.
Ysabel was the offspring Of one of
those strange, ineongruous unions you
see sometimes on the frontier, where
such odd jetsam and Aotsam from the
great sea of life are drifted and tossed
together in fantastical combination.
Her peregrinating father had long
been a sort Of institution in ali north and
west Texas, in the guise of the harmless,
necessary peddler.
A Yankee Of the Yankees, selling pat
ent churns, neE-fangled household i'm
plements and reciptites for making every
thing in the world you wouldn't want
in Texas-inciudiDg all sorts Of perfumes,
marvellous eements, furniture polish and
fancy temperance drinks. A man Of
iron muscles and tremendous will power,
there seemed to be lack in him that
prevented him from using his remarka-
ble and varied forces except to the most
trivial ends. A crank, that lacked but
balancing touch to be a genius; full Of
strange contriyances and inventions, a
deyourer Of all books and papers, author
and admirer Of all sorts Of wild social,
financial and political schemes
Only little weight, a touch Of con-
tinuity, little sequence in his ideas,
persistence in any one line Of thought
or effort, and he might have been a
statesman, financier. leader Of men,
and left his mark upon his time and
place, instead Of one of fate's blank
cartridges-an sdventitous Bohemian,
blown idly hither and thither oy every
little gust Of destiny.
1t was in one Of his outb1rsts Of re-
forming social conditions, wiping out
prejudices and breaking down race dis
tinciiOns, that Jason Tuttle married
Felice Gomez.
This girl vas Of a Mexican family Of
some traditions, little property in land
and cattle, and much pride, refusing to
associate upon terms Of equality with the
run Of poor Mexiczns in the country, and
insisting apopleetieAlly upon Czstilian
blood whenever such a matter was