Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-08-04
A LONE HAND.
PLAYED on a Western Railroad.

PLAYED on western hdlIOeto'
Chose who blame their failures TO
Providence or Fate, or whatever they
may choose to call their Creator-those
individuals. sirs, are idlers or towards.
The speaker was one of a group or
men lounging on the deck of the Great
Northwest. which few hours earlier
had commenced her slow upward pro-
gress against the mighty current OF the
Yellowstone. That he did not Delong
10 either Of the classes he condemned
was written in the mingled resolution
and complacency Of his sun-burned VI
sage while his right to teach as one
having authority" was established
among his hearers by their knowledge
that he was a 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 ar0l-
trary assertions an attentive silence,
that offered fiattery'S Subtlest incenseto
a talker who preferred mOnOlOgue to
conversation. and STORY telling to any
form of speech Il was a preference he
had acquired during many a night
watch beside camp fires. when, like a
masculine ScheheraZade, ne had told
his stories under the conviction that
ultimate saftey depended upon his
pOwer to amuse his companions until
the stress Of suspense which tried their
nerves should have passed.
I'VE all get our chances" he resum-
ed. after a puff or two at his pipe and a
pleased glance around the observant
circle. Its 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 a wave of his
hand toward the lofty walls of green
which shut in the Yellowstone from tho
prairie world beyond. 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 cleverness to grasp them, And
I'll tell YOU story with that text, if
YOU Hke-a story which shall be new,
though the text is a chestnut"
There was an acQuiescent laugh, q
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 did not
come beyond Bismarck. where the COM
pany economically shunted the Pull
mans before rushing away from civili-
cation. So the train which started
from Zenith City one November morn
ing was made up, as usual. of a pas
senger car. a box car and the locOmo-
tive. while its quite unusual number OF
travellers was composed entirely Of
party Of twenty cowboys. They had
lust been paid off for their summers
work. and had begun their holiday on
the previous evening by an all-night
spree. But amusement in a prairie
town was not varied enough for them.
They meant to go East for such a
length of time as their cash would en-
dure: and. though it was burning in
their pockets TO get spent, they were re-
solved not to waste any of it in railway
tickets-a resolve of which they in
formed the conductor when he came to
them about half an hour out from Ze-
NTH City.
HE was a young fellow. as were the
cowboys. Everything was young in
Montana in those days. except the sky
and the prairie, which are eternal, or
seem to be. This chap Lloyd, however.
was slim-built. with color that
changed like a girrs-threatened with
consumption then. though he has go9
the better of that as of other disadvan-
tages-and very queer he looked among
the big. brawny roughs. who left their
card-playing to swarm into the aisle, or
lean over the seats nearest those of
their comrades who had answered TO
his request for tickets that they had
none
The company will take money for