Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-11-01

DttilcS anu Ntl OlI Ut Il ~sttiop
to outride the living storm, turn the
leaders, turn the vast herd to milling
and eventually bring it to a state of
quiet. As the men galloped on neck
and neck together one of them sudden
ly shouted:
Great God. fellows. There's n fam
ily camped down by the three post
oaks! / saw them less than an hour
ago. There's Il man an woman an
a kid"
Drawing Stampede and Plague.
Dick knew where the three post
oaks were. They We're on a high, open
prairie. and the stampeding herd was
headed straight for them. Without a
word Dick turned his course slightly
and dashed in among the frantic, foam
ing cattle. 1t was one thing to ride
on the outside and another to be in
! among the tossing horns and plunging
| masses. BY gallcnt work on the part
of the pony he managed TO reach the
three trees just as the leaders of the
herd began to arrive, Only few yards
away lie could dcscry the outline of
the figure of Il woman holding Il baby
in her arms.
where's your huSband:"
"Gone for water" she said. casting
terrified glance over her shoulder
in the direction of the Belknap creek.
Without another word Dick swung
the woman up in front of him and dash
! cd away out Of the path of the STAN,
pedc. Providence and Il good horse
saved him and his burden When the
| crowd at the station heard of him and
| his exploit next day Uncle Henry Har
ris. the wooden-legged local preacher
and ferryman. exclaimed:
''Well. Dick, that's three you've re
! pented for"
Yes" said Dick. ''it is, countin' the
kid. They was men that / killed
though an I don't know as | ought to
count kids in place of EN-
"Oh," replied the old man, that's one
of 'cm that the Bible says, "Of such
! is the kingdom Of heaven"
IF you count that way the kid would
be worth more than he whole drafted
layout. That wouldn't be fair, though
an | hold man out to count fail
when he repentS. if he ever does. II
the Good Man will count the kid fol
one it'll be al I'll ask"
The next summer Il Mexican Wagon
train passed through the country, and
! two of the teamSters showed well de
veloped signs of smallpox. The res
of the train left these two to die or
the prairie and pushed hurricdly on ou
of the way. When the cowboys heart
of it they Were highly enrlged and de
termincd that the best thing to dc
was to shoot the sick men down like
dogs and so avoid the danger of the
plague.
You'd better kill 'em at long range
then" remarked Blue Dick. Il guess
the Good Man would count greaser
if he'd count kids, and | think II
tackle these two"
He was as good as his word He
removed them to 4 good. dry place
remote from human habitatiOn, an(
waited on them as if they were his owl
children. All through the long no
days he cared for their wants. and oft
en- at night he stood guard over then
| with his Winchester. No one disturbed
them. BY fall they were well and able
to go their way. Blue Dick was as wei
as ever. but it was not until scvera
months later that he veltured back Il
Red River station.
THAT makes five. boys annOunc
ed. ''cOuntin' the kid ana the two grcas
ers. I've only got one more to repen
for
"What'H you do them" asked SOM
one.
"Well, I sorter like the business apC
I think I'll keep my hand in. I'll tt,
to get Il few ahead sos that if / hay,
to kill any body else it'll be sOIter made
up for in advance"
Failed with His Sixth.
The next week there was Il fgh
between two squads of men on thu
sandbar in the river in front of tht
town. Such fights were nothing TN
common, but this one was a little worse
than usual. One of the cOmbatant!
vcntured farther toward the opposite
line than usual and was shot off nj,
horse. This was Blue Dicks opportu
nifty. Putting spurs to his pony III
dashed between the lines across thu
sandbar toward where the wounded
man lay. He reached the place, bu
the fellow, misunderstanding his inten
tons. drew his siX-shOOter and sho
his would-be rescuer through the body
Blue Dick fell from his pony, but held
the bride reins still in his hand.
III bet / do save you yet, d-n you,
! he growled through his clenched teeth
Take these rcins and climb up Oh
that pony and git
The man attempted to obey. He
succeeded in clambering on the pony's
back, but a Winchester ball brought
him to the sand again, dead this time
After the fight was over the boys
brought Blue Dick to the little hote
and made him as comfortable as posi-
BILE, though all could see that the enc
was near.
ut looks like plagued shame that
1 couldn't save him, after l tried sc
| hard. That would have made six. and
| the thing would have been square"
The rough cowboys stood around In
aWestruck silence.
"Dogged if | don't hate TO die while
/ lack one of the six" remarked the
dying man, after Il long silence.
Say" calculated one of the toughest
men in the room. 1T don't come much
| in my line of business, Dick, but we've
all heard the preachers tell about the
| Good Man that died himself for just
such poor cusses as we are. Maybe
! you might count Him for one"
| A light came into Blue Dicks eyes
though he was evidently rapidly grow.
ing weaker.
II hadn't thought of Him." he gasp.
| ed, AN don't know how it would
| be. If / can't figger it out some such
way as that, though, I'm afraid I'm q