River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-08-29


not without a touch of it here in Mon
tana. And that the tormented animal
belongs TO our own kind adds keener
relish To the fun, when the party do
ing the tOrmenting has swallowed as
much bad whisky as the cowboys had
that morning so those bright eyes of
Lloyd's didn't meet any more enccur-
agement than did Father Noah's the
first time he took a squint at the
flood through one of the portfolios of
the ark.
Without speaking, he stood, very
pale and still for a moment. looking
at the open pocketbook in his hand,
while they all stared az him, grinning
and jeerinC. There was a firmnass
about his mouth that didn't suggest
unconditional SURF snder to two or
three who watched him closely and
who were much surprised when sud-
denly the color rushed back over his
face. AID. shutting his book with a
snap, went out of the car.
''He vas followed by roars of laugh
ter and facetious yells.
"'Call again, young fellowr
"Always glad TO see vour
Then the crowd ret. ned to poker
playing. some of them just bit dis
cOntented with their victory and NUT
tering that twenty to one was too big
odds for any chap, specially q slim
little chap with fists which couldn't
hold their own against kid"
The story teller interrupted himself
with chuckle.
~
forgot to take stock of brains How
should they guess that the man they
had put to proof carried more brains
inside his handsome head than fur
nished the twenty of them. though
they were not fools. either?
"A quarter of an hour later the train
stopped, not gradually, but with jerk
which sent poker chips flying. There
was q cowboy half out OF every window
in the car quicker than you could have
cooked pistol. for stations were sell
dom within a hundred miles of each
other in those days, and they all knew
that this sop wasn't regular.
behind and before them the track
stretched as far as they could see,
while ON both sides the prairie spread
away to the low edge of the gray sky,
which wasn't any grayer than itself,
lonely as the ocean. sir. and infinitely
more silent Not a sound or a move
ment, except that of the locomotive
whisking off at full speed.
I'm came the cow boys heads with a
volley of hard swearing, and there
stood Lloyd in the doorway, cooler
! than / am this instant, holding a six
shooter.
lyon have just Eve minutes TO make
up your minds" he said, and his voice
was as steady as his eyes will you
pay your fares ike honest men or get
ont and tramp to the next settlement,
forty miles from here? Our engineer
is waiting within hail of Us, and he
will not come back unless / give him
the order. Oh, you may murder me if
you chooser he cried. stepping further
into the car, as half a dozen pistols
were grabbed. But / can shoot as
straight as any of you'll don't mean
to die alone-and at the sound of the
first shot our engineer Will be off to
Bismarck
For one long moment the prairie
wasn't stiller than that carload of ex-
cited humanity. II Lloyd had even
blinked! Thank God, he didn't! Then
big fellow broke into a laugh. took
bis pistols from his belt, and laying
them on a seat walked toward Lloyd,
holding out his empty fists.
'ShalSeg he said. That was a lone
handl And pluckny you played itr
Prom Lloyd's side he faced the lot
of them.
Boys he cried. a chap who can
look straight down the muzzles Of so
many cowboy shooters for the sake of
doing his duty, that chap will make
the kind of partner most of us want 10
yoke with, If he will let us, eh?'
Lloyd smiled. slipped his pistol
into his pocket anu gave his slim
fingers to the others brawny grasp.
well, sir, all crowds are alike.
whether cattle or men-they follow
leader. There was a cheering pres
emily which astonished the waiting
engineer. Then the fares were paid
as fast as Lloyd could take them And
that is the end of this story"
The ranchl-.an paused. and began
carefully TO relight mis- pipe, which
had died out.
Where is Lloyd now? In Helena,
state senator from county," he
answered an eager questioner when
the pipe was again in working order.
Where is the fellow who stood by
him?" he laughed jovially. Neither
he nor his whereabouts point the
moral of this tale. But, when Lloyd
runs for governor. as he will next
year. he shall have my vote, for he
runs to win in any race he enters And
that is my creed of life, boys-'the
Lord helps those who help themselves
I've seen it, and believe it?'-N. y.
Tribup-