Griggs courier., 1895-08-30

~~>O'~
ards"
The speaker was one of q group Of
men lounging on the deck of the Great
Northwest, which few hours earlier
had commenced her slow, upward
progress against the mig hty current of
the Yellowstone. That he did not be-
long to either of the classes he con-
demned was written in the mingled
resolution and complacency of his sun
burned visage, his right to ''teach as
one having author ity" was established
among his hearers by their knowledge
that he was prosperous ranchman of
- county, Montana, returning from
an eastern visit. Therefore, most of
them, who were beginners ON the path
along which he had journeyed success
fully, bestowed upon his rather arbi-
'trary assertions an attentive silence
that offered f1atte ry's subtlest incense
to talker who preferred monologue
to conversation, and ''story telling" to
any form of speech. It was a prefer
ence he had acquired during many a
night watch beside camp fires, when,
like a masculine Scheherazade. he had
told his stores under the conviction
that ultimate safety depended upon his
power to amuse his companion until
the stress of suspense which tried their
nerves should have passed.
I'VE all get our chances" he re-
sumed, after puff or two at his pipe
and plea sed glance around the OBJ
servant circle. sit is our fault, not
the Lords. if we don't keep hold Of
them. That is a truth, youngsters. as
solid as these everlasting bluffs"-with
wave of his hand toward the lofty
walls of green VIII ich shut in the yell
iowstone from the prairie world be-
yond. ''Chances that may look as full
of sting as a chestnut burr, but that
hold sweet kernels of success for the
man who has the pluck and the clever
ness to grasp them! And I'll tell you
a story with that text if you ike-a
story which shall be new, though the
text is a chestnut"
There was an acquiescent laugh, a
drawing nearer of camp stools, and the
ranchman continued:
''1t happened some years since, be-
fore the Northern Pacific had crossed
the Rockies The terminus that sea-
son was at Zenith City, and the class Of
travel which demands luxury didn't
come beyond Bismarck, where the
company economically shunted tha
Pullmans before rushing away from
civilization. So the train which started
from Zenith City one November morn
ing was made up, as usual, of pas
senger car, a box car and the loco
motive, while its quite unusual num-
Der of travellers was composed entirely
of party of twenty cowboys. They
had just been paid off for their sum-
mer's work, and had begun their holi-
day on the previous evening with an
all-night spree. But amusement in a
prairie town was not varied enough
for them. They meant to go east for
such length of time as their cash
would endure; though it was burning
in their pockets to get spent, they
were resolved not to waste any of it in
railway tickets-a resolve of which
they informed the conductor when he
came to them about half an hour out
from Zenith City.
nc was young AcA1oW, oS were
the cowboys. Everything was young
In Montana in those days except the
sky and the prairie, which are eternal,
or seem to be. The chap Lloyd, how
ever, was slim built. with color that
changed like girl's-threatened with
consumption then, though he has got
the better of that as OF other disad-
vantages-and very queer he looked