The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1894-09-11

an load all yer guns! fer tbs fifty Pie.
gan imps lowlin' down the valley,
gatherin' stock an swearln' t raid an
burn tn Silver Concho"
~,<.Th' Silver Conchol" cried 7, weth
gasp O. horror. I've been called "Ceur
n'Or Steve" hunter an guide, in tn
North Country since long before tn cat
tie ranches came, an it's nothiu' new fer
me t fight redskins; but if this crea-
ture on tn face O. Gods earth thet
uespise an dread its q Piegan BIackfoot,
weth his sneakin' ways, only like flash
an gone, weth blood in his tracks, be-
fore y en- git th' charge in yer Winches'
ter er tn saddle onto yer cayuse.
The Silver Concho!" said I, know
in thet Perry Wlnston's wife was alone
over there weth her baby an th' Chinese
cook. Is tn news straight, Lenl
How'dy' hear about it?"
s'Dead straight! Ben got it in Shos-
te-te an drove up t tn place an hour
ago weth tn sickest lookin' stock y ever
saw him hold tn strings over"
AL, LOW, StSkC, IL y IL SlfO SAS q
fresh horse-fer y c'u see thet Monte's
clean busted-I'n go an bring tn
roundup in. I don't reckon y'll want t
stand of 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. Thet pinto O.
your II do it in an hour an half, an
tn boys won't save up their stock none
comm back, so y en- count on help in
from three t four hours, Steve, if y c'n
hold tn redskins level thet long
Lord, how we did work! Ropin', an
saddlin', flllin' and strappin' on ca fridge
belts, an chargin' guns an Winchesters.
Thankin' th' Lord thet tn ca fridge keg
was more'n half full; an loadin' 'em
into every corner o our clothes, where
we cd make 'en stick.
we made quick job o It, fer / knew
th' nature o tn red cusses Ia got t deal
weth too well t take any chances on
Ben's havin' got much th' start Of 'en,
though he'd brought his heavy coach
Ben drives th' Orleans an Fort Sublette
coach; an they say he's tn best reins.
man in th' Northwest. Three Fingered
Ben dowc tn big Canyon O. tn Argali,
q thing hardly ever done before or since,
Z bring tn news; an counted on haVln'
gotta few hours over th; thieVin' rascals,
while they was pickin' up stock in tn
upper basin.
Twas nigh sundown wh"c our
broncos struck tn trail down tn coulee,
on a slingin' lope; an I took look back
ct my shack, thinkin' most likely it 'u'd
be in ashes before saw tn place ag'in.
Tn little valley lay quiet enough.
Twas late in th' fall, an touch O.
smoke in tn aIr made me think O
burnin' ranches. a jackrajbit skittered
by headIong pace rs if wacnir' US t
hurry along. An th' chatter O. th'
prairie dogs had sort o piercin', un-
natural sound. Our horses feet seemed
t keep time to sort o tune-"Piegans,
ride fest! Piegaas, ride fastw beat out
by th' click O. th' falliu' hoofs, an tn
hoot O. an owl chlmed in on tn same
key.
< Lens road lay th' same as mine fer a
couple o miles, but we scarcely spoke
till th' trail branchcd, an singin' out,
s'Hang on By tn skin O. yer teeth till we
get there!" he turned t tn left an
struck out fer tb' big plateau in tn Low
er Lake basin, while I kept on down tn
coulee t tn Silver Concho ranchhouse.
III didn't have + put quirt or spur t
my horse; be knew whut wanted by
th' tone @ my voice an tn touch O my
hand on tb' rein, an was layin' OF th
ground tn very best he knew how.
Twas six good miles from tn bend, an
it gave me time t study about tn job I
had on hand. 4 white man always
feels like he cd whip about FIVE times
his own weight il redskins, but Z knew
thet fifty CT 'cm-an' B!ackfees at thet-
was mighty big contract fer man O.
my size. An then thought about th'
woman, an tn baby.
y see Perry Winston came out here
from tn States a dozen years ago-on
account O somcthin' bein' little of
with one O bis luags-an' hired me fer
guide on long hunt up among tn
Rockies; an happened t save his life
time or two before VIC got back. o
cou!se1t was all in th' way O business,
an wbut 'u'd be sure = happen to g
hai--b-a;ned kid o Z youngstcr like ne
was then; but Perry ne7er fergot it, an
waea he made up his mind thet this
country was good enough fer him, an
settled down o. tn Concho, first as COW
hand, an then as manager an partner
fer Perry's cot money-he use t. smoke
his pipe, nights an rainy days, over at
my shack nigh about as olcn as he dld
at home weth tn boys
swell, after while he went back t
see tn old folks, aa' th' old place;
brown faced, broad-shouldered feller,
thet I'd VOW never knew ne had such
ching as pair o lungs about him; but
roIlin' little in his gait, from sittln'
close t O stock saddle nine months IN
"a wear. TIL next winter he wcut az u,
a. tLAt time DC brought Il VIE home
wcth him; tn prettiest an best little
womaa on th' northern range, as every
man on ia rivcc---cxcept tn few thet's
got-wivcS o their own---'i! freely swear.
O'scour5e I thought then thct it 'u'd
8c auwcth me, but not : bit O it. She
was jest as much ny friend as Perry
was, S:l' saw him nigh as of'en as /
Gid before, tn OIL: difference benz thes
1 wcat = tA' Conclo, instead O his ridin'
ove. l my p.ace, an after q while'there
was tn BABY thet 'u'd come 3 me---after
: big ronp weth her ta:her---an' cudd!e
her tiutIY yellow head ag'i1 uy Ola can
gas coat a. dEop OF to sleep. tell ;,