The Penn's Grove record., 1894-08-24

~GO tn pace three min
: !: !: !: !. !. !. !. !. T.. !. :. :. !. !. :. !: !. !: !. !. !. !:
M .~f" utes longer, wher
LE tn boy rolled of
MEesE III an cried t me, n
/ he loosed tn cinct
NiENI@ t ease tn sorrel'!
wv SE%tW%4J breath:
w N ''Rope yer besI
horse, Steve, an
an load all yer gunsl fer tbs fifty Pie
gan imps howlin' down the valley
gatherin' stock an swearin' t raid IN.
burn tn Silver Conchoi"
9Th Silver Conchol" cried I, weth a
gasp O. horror. I've been called "Crur
dor Steve" hunter an guide, in Ia
North Country since long before tn cat
tie ranches came, an it's nothin' new fer
me t. fight redskins; but if tbs a crea-
ture on TIL face o. Gods earth tibet |
despise an dread it's a Piegau Blackfoot,
weth his snsakin' ways, only like a fash
an gone, weth blood in his tracks, be-
fore y en- git tn charge in yer Winches-
ter er tn saddle onto yer cayuse.
1.-THE Silver Conchol' said ], know
in tibet Perry Wlnston's wife was alone
wei there weth her baby an tn Chinese
cook. Is tn news straight, Lenl
How'd y'hear about it,"
"Dead straight Ben got it in Shes.
te-te an drove up t. tn place an hour
ago weth TIL sickest lookin' stock y'evef
saw him hold tn strings over"
IAN, now, Steve, If yll give me a
fresh horse-fer y en- see tibet Monies
clean busted-IW go an bring tn
roundup in. 1 don't reckon vi want t
stand off no fifty Piegans single-handed,
not fer very long, an tn boys is yer
only show. There're on Painted Robe,
an it's fifteen miles over. Tibet pinto o
your II do it in an hour an a half, an
tn boys won't say up their stock nona
comm back, so y en- count on hclP in
from three t. four hours, Steve, if y en-
hold tn redskins level tibet long"
Lord, how we did work. Ropin', an
saddlin', flllin' and strappin' on cartridge
belts, an chargin' guns an Wincie5ters.
Tbankin' tn Lord tibet tn cartridge key
was more'n half full; an loadin' EN-
into every corner o our clothes, where
we cd make 'em stick.
We made a quick job oft, ferI knew
tn nature o. tn red cusses I'd got + deal
weth too well Z take any cuances on
Ben's havih' got much th' start of 'em,
though he'd brought his heavy coach
Ben drives tn Orleans an Fort Sublette
coach; an they say he's tn best reins-
man in TIL Northwest. Three Fingered
Ben down tn big Canyon o. tn Ar3ali,
a thing hardly ever done before or since,
T. bring tn news; an counted Oh haviu'
got q few hours over TIL thievin' %rascals,
while they was pickin' up stock in tn
upper basin.
Twas nigh shutdown when III
broncos struck tn trail down TIL c%oulee,
on a slingin' lope; an | took a LOOK back
at my shack, thinkin' most likely it 'u'd
be in ashes before I saw tn place ag'in.
TIL little valley lay quiet enough.
Twas late in tn fall, an a touch o
smoke in TIL air made me think o
burnin' ranches. A jackrabbit skittered
by a headlong pace us if warnin' us t
hurry along. An TIL chatter O. tn
prairie dogs had a sort O. piercin', TN
natural sound. Our horses feet seemed
= keep time to n SORT o'tuue-"Piegans,
ride fastl Piegans, ride fast!" beat ont
by tn click O. TIL fallin' hoofs, an tn
boot O. an owl chlmed in on TIL same
key.
Lens road lay tn same as mine fer a
couple O. miles, but we scarcely spoke
till tn trail branched, an singin' out,
"Hang on by tn skin o yer teeth till we
get there!" he turned t tn left an
struck out fer tn big plateau in th'Low.
er Lake basin, while l kept on DOM til
coulee t tn Silver Concho ranchhouse.
didn't have t put quirt or spur t
my horse; he knew whu5 1 wanted by
tn tone o. my voice an tn touch o my
hand on TIL rein, an was layin' off tn
ground tn very best he knew how.
Twas six good miles from tn bend, an
it gave me time t. study about tn job l
had on hand. A white man always
feels like he cd whip about five times
his W weight in redskins, but l knew
tibet fifty of 'em-an'B lackfcet at tibet
was a mighty big contract fer o man o
my size. An then I thought about TIL
woman, an tn baby.
Y see Perry Winston came out here
from III States a dozen years ago-on
account o sonethin' bein' a little off
with n O. his luugs-an' hired me fer
guido on a long hunt up among tn
Rockies; anil happened t Save his life
o time or two before we got back. o.
couIselt was all in tn way O. business,
an whut 'u'd be sure t. happen to a
hair-brained kid o. ~youngster like he
Vas then; but Perry never forgot it, an
when he made up his mind thct this
country was good enough fer him, an
tettled down at TIL Concho, first as cow.
hand, an then as manager an partner
fer Perry's got money-he use { smoke
his pipe, nights an rainy days, over at
my shack nigh about as oten as he did
at home weth TIL boys.
Well, after a while he went back t.
see tn old folks, an tn old place; a
brown-faced, broad houldered Teller,
tibet y'd vow never knew he had suca a
thing as a pair o. lungs about him; bu.
rollin' a little in his gait, from sittin'
close T. a stock saddle nine months in
TIL year. Th'ncxt winter he went ag'n,
ac' that time he broughs a wife h6mt
weth him; tn prettiest al best it'll
woman on tn northern range, as ever,
man on tn rivor.--except IN few tibet,
got wives O. their own..-W freely swear
o. course l thought then tibet it u,
be all weth nc, but not q bit O it. Sh
was jest as much my friend as Tarr,
was, an saw him nigh as of'ca az
did before, tn only difference benz tao
I went T. th' Concho, instead This ridil
over t my place, an after a while Their
was tn baby tibet 'u'd como T. me--.atte
a big romp weth her fathcr.--an' C Iddl
her fluffy yellow head ag'i1 my old can
vas coat an drop of TO- sleep. l tell y
when | thou ct O. how them. red imp
'u'd dash her brains out as'in tn wal
an tramplc her under their dirty moe
casins / u%nsluug ing Winchester al
drove Ia steels into poor Tartar. TIA