The Van Buren press., 1894-12-15
JERGUSON'S LAST FIGHT,

A cowboy fight is good fun. It Is
virile ond exciting. II is full Of action
and Il mot dulled by the tiresome d.
plomscy Of civilised warfare. A few
drinks Of red liquor, few CRACKS" or
s'bluffs" or s.sassings." and the guns
are barking away in . killing bee.
TIBET 10 bit Of = town In Fergus
county. Montana. 1t 10 In the heart Of
the great northern cattle range. On
IT. eastward side IL fiat, treelesA,
chcerless plain Of bunch grass, broken
ct times by long strips OF burning
alhali and sand. To the west and
south ere the dim. blue-tinged tops of
the Rockies extending like mighty
belt and lost In the horizon to the
north. The mountain eagle drifts
hundred miles before his flight brings
him from his lofty home to the square
where Ubet's maguates gather Of
summer afternoon to discuss the COM
parative values OF their herds.
Ubet was browsing in sultry heat
In the summer of 1892, when Sails
bury coach drew up before the only
hotel and half dozen passengers
climbed from the hurricane deck and
shook the white, stinging dust of the
alkali plains from their garments.
The big-hodied, red-shirted landlord
stood by with , hearty ''howdy." The
boys In the street ceased shooting at o
mark and crowded about the leaders.
The bartender came forth In his top
boots and white sombrero to gossip
with the driver about the new strike
In the Cumberland and tho picking up
Of times in Yellowstone gulch.
II hear Ed jackson hit hard game
agin . hnrdy-house dance at Lewis
ton," he said.
II reckon" said the driver.
1.-TWO shots in the lung and one In
the leg, 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'. :"
Got kind O. keerless, reckon"
Drunk, hear say. Stranger, have
suthin' to wash the allali outen yer
throat? Come ahead, Charley"
The stranger. his host and Charley
were soon exchanging "how" over q
pine board bar resting on cottonwood
logs. Behind was long, narrow shelf
covered with rude but significant bits
of bric-a-brac. There was the gun with
which Big Andy Gallagher held up the
Livingston stage three times in one
week, and for q companion piece was
. strand from the rope which subse-
quently choked the life out of Big
Andy ON the old cottonwood tree by
the Triangle ranch. Then there was .
bit of dull-yellow quartz, the first
float found by one Of the Hanley
boys In their long search for the Cum
berland lode, and on the walls were
various posters announcing the merits
Of local breeding horses.
''Bout time packed another barrel
Of that Three Star. Charley" said the
driver.
Next week, reckon" replied Char
Icy. 1.-THE boys from the I. E. outfit
was up las Monday week an pretty
nigh cleaned US out Said they reck-
oned they'd be up sgin to-day"
THAT 80? Imet OF man ferguson
aud his boy Aleck at the Clearwater
ford an they reckoned they'd be up
with the other boys of the Trisnale.
Said they was lookin' for few shots
at two russ'lcrs in the T. E that
picked up fifty head of Triangle cattle
las spring. Fight to-day, maybe.
Will want the two bays shod, Charley"
"Stay around an maybe you'll see
some fun." said Charley, the bar
tender. to the stranger. II wouldn't
give hurrah for them two russ'iers II
or man ferguson gets drunk. He's an
old hellion when he's drunk"
The stranger walked 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
A. talking sheep and steers, nav