The Yale expositor., 1894-11-02


cowboys at the station mounted their
ponies and set off 1T n headlong gallop
TO outride the living storm, turn the
leaders, turn the vast herd TO milling
and eventually bring II to q state or
quiet. As the men galloped on neck
and neck together one Of them sudden
ly shouted:
Great God. fellows! There's fam
lily camped down by the three post
oaks! l saw them less than an hour
ago. There's a man an woman an
q kid"
Drawing Stampede and Plague.
Dick knew where the three post
oaks were. They were 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 10 be in
among the tossing horns and plunging
masses. BY gallent 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 descry the outline of
the figure of a woman holding baby
in her arms.
"Where's your husbandW
"Gone for water" she said. casting
terrified glance over her shoulder
| in the direction Of the Bell1nap creek.
Without another word Dick swung
| the woman up In front of him and dash
| ed away ont Of the path of the stam-
| pede. Providence and 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 fcrryman. exclaimed:
We'll. Dick, that's three you've re
pented for"
YES" said Dick, ut is, countin' the
| kid. They was men that ! killed,
though. an don't know as I ought TO
count kids in place OF EN-"
"Oh," replied the old man, that's one
OF 'em that the Bible says, "Of such
| is the kingdom Of heaven"
IF you count that way the kid would
! be worth more than the whole drafted
! layout. That wouldn't be fair, though,
an ! hold man out TO count fair
when he repents, If he ever does. If
the Good Man will count the kid for
one it'll be all I'll ask"
The next summer Mexican wagon
| train passed through the country, and
! two Of the transfers showed well de
veloped signs Of smallpox. The rest
of the train left these two to die on
the prairie and rushed hwriedly on ont
OF the way. When the cowboys heard
Of IL they were highly enrlged and de-
! tcrulned that the best thing TO do
was TO shoot the sick men down like
! dogs and so avoid the danger of the
| plague.
You'd better kin 'em Mt long range,
| then" remarked Blue Dick. II guess
the Good Man would count groasers
If he'd count kids, and l think III
tackle these two"
He was as good as his word. lie
removed them 10 n good, dry place.
! remote from human habtIti0n. and
waited on them as If they were his own
! children. All through the long hot
] days he cared for their wants. and oft
en- ut night he stood guard over them
with his Winchester. No one disturbed
| them. BY fail they were well and able
| to go their way. Blue Dick was rs well
/ as ever. but il was not until several
months later that lie ventvfed back TO
! Red River station.
"That makes five bows" he annOunc-
ed. "countin' the kid and the two grCas
crs. I've only got one more TO repent
for"
"Whatn you do thcnY asked some
! one.
"Welf, I sorter like the business ard
I think I'll keep my han1 in. III try
TO get few ahead. SOS that II | have
to kill anybody else it'll be sorter made
up for In advance"
Failed with Ills Sixth.
The next week there was fGht
between two squads Of men the
sandbar in the river In fro II al the
| town. Such fights were nothing I'M
common. but this one was a little worse
than usual. One OF the combatants
ypntured farther toward the opposite
line than usual and was shot off his
| horse. This was Blue Dicks opportu-
nifty. Putting spurs to his pony he
dashed between the lines across the
sandbar toward where the wounded
man lay. He reached the place, but
the fellow. misunderstanding his inten-
tlons, drew his siX-shooter and shot
his would-be rescuer through the body.
Blue Dick fell from his pony, but held
the bride reins still in his hand.
"Il bet | do save you yet, d-n you,
he growled through his clenched teeth
Take these reins and climb up on
that pony and git"
The man attempted to obey. He
succeeded in clambering on the pony's
back, but n Winchester ball brought
him to the sand again, dead this time
After the fight was over the boys
brought Blue Dick to the little hotel
and made him az comfortable as posi-
BILE, though all could see that the end
was near.
1T looks like a plagued shame that
couldn't save him, after ! tried sc
hard. That would have made six. and
the thing would have been square"
The rough cowboys stood around in
estruck silence.
"Dogged If | don't hate TO die while
lack one Of the SIX" remarked the
dying man. after long silence
Say" calculated one of the roughest
men In the room. at 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.