The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-10-15
CAMP CHARITY.

IT frequent finds myself takin a
notion ag'in a word, said the old
cattleman as he lighted a cigar,
'same as l do ag'in some people.
There's the word charity as shore
~ wearies me heap. Not but what
/ believes in givin, an as fast as /
runs up with human bein in a hole
/ most likely lays off day an pulls
him out. But ] don't like this yere
word charity none whatever. 1t
seems like it puts you on boss an
leaves the other man afoot. 1t sets
you way up an the man who takes
it way down yander.
what you alls calls charity" in
the east is nuthin but plain every
day business on the range, an you
sees it round your camp as common
as cactus, an so You amt applaud.
in or aboosin or speculatin on it
none whatever.
, You see, son, it occurs numerous
in the west that many a good man
rolls outen his blanket in the morn
in to find his luck done stampeded
in the night This yere existence of
ours is just the same as a COW pony.
We throws on our saddles an draws
the front cinch tight an the rare one
loose, aocordin to our notion; we
swings on, sticks in our spurs an
away we all goes. But this yere
week or next, some time or other,
we finds we've cinched the hull on to
some high, half broke broncho of a
situation, an it stays with it all we
knows, an spite of curb, quirt, buck
in straps and spurs we discovers
ourselves buoked plumb out an off,
afoot an alone in the wilderness of
some disaster.
Such a oatasterfy shouldn't be
counted ag'in no one. The best rid
er as ever see spurs will frequent
find his pony saying 'adios' most
redio' lus an unexpected. I've struck
grass bead fust an mighty involun-
tary a whole lot myself an looks to
find it in my face plenty often yet
before I ceases to whirl my rope.
This yere teaches me a lot an
you'll be plenty testified in takin
odds that as frequent as squar man
,gits shot too hard to hold his gun
an me see it, backs his play with
mine He don't slip from his saddle
none while / can hold him thar; go
gamble on it. I never seed no more
churches than oalabooses, no more
preachers than police, but l saveys
when to hep pard withouten no
teaohin.
"Speakin of preachers an police,
do you know I alters allows the
must somehow belong to the same
outfit; cause wharever you crosses
the trail of one you'll shorely find
the hoof prints of the other. They
seems to come west together, they
do. Well, l s'pose they're workin
the same round up, an it's all right
an proper too. The preachers are
riddin the ridges an mesas an the
p'lice the valleys an dark sinful can
yons of human life. But they're bot
a-brandin with the same runin iron
for decency an law.
I've gone on yere heap about
doin of benevolences, an / recalls a
little missionary play it comes our
way to make down in Wolfville,
A. t., some years back on the trail.
The victim in this yere charitable
cloudburst was woman.
THAR amt nuthin as will rouse
up an oonsOonle western man as
the spectacle of a female of his spe-
cies a-gittin the worst of the deal.
He'll froth an paw round frightful
at the mere idee
"This yere episode l hereby re-
lates was this way. 1t was just about
the fourth drinktime-as you alls
say, 8 a. Man band of us was
standin an stampin round the bar of
the Red Light a-fixin of the hour in
our minds, when up comes the stage
rom Tucson. Old Monte was LOOK
- mighty dignified, an a-poppin his
hip like the crack of '45, where
y he was maxim camp with his ont
. ON the dead gallop, an to D
lookin ON these yere signs was
l..nty plain he had squaw inside.
Il old Monte was mighty soft on