The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-10-24

ut is just after Short Creek Dave gets t
be one OF them evangelists," remarked tn
old cattleman, as we made company TO
each other one evening, "an' has been ex
hortin' of US Wolfville people over in tn
warehouse Of the New York Store, as Dal
Boggs confdes in me how once he mebb.
half way makes up his mind he'll be re
ligous
Leastwise,' says Boggs when he take
me into his past that Away, Il allow
pll be religious in the Spring, after tn
round-ups is over
It's in the Winter when I makes thi
determination, an Of course the Sprin,
roundup is months away. But alters put
1t up I'd shorely made it, an got pluml
into the fold; only it was a bad Winter, an
IN the Spring the cattle was weak an
starved; an gettin' down an chillin' tt
death abont the water holes; an was rid
in the hills, a-cussin' an a-swearin', a-pull
in of 'em up onto their feet an all round
it's that rough an I'm that profane an
violent, reckons towards April probably my
souis buried under 10 foot of cuss words, an
| J'lnin' the church IN my case is mighty likely
TO be bluff, so turns it down.
You see,' says Boggs that time, thar's
no use tryin' 10 hold out cards OF cold-decl
| your Redeemer. If your heart amt right
it's no use to set into the game. He sees
plump through every card you holds, an
| nuthin' but a straight deal from the warm
deck does Him. So l thinks, ben' as how
you can't fool your way into heaven, an
recalin' the bad language | uses that Spring
an Winter workin' them cattle, won't even
try. An that's why, when resolvin' one
Winter to get religion mebby next June, |
don't get nuthin' when June comes but
whisky, an goes on an persists in my sinful
life as thartnfore.
It's over to Taos l gets this religious
idee. I'm just into camp from some'ers
down round Seven Rivers in the Pecos
country, an | don't know a soul. Which
I'm By nature sociabe an gregar'ous; so
not KNOWN folks that Away weighs an
preys on me; an the first night / hastens
to remedy this yere evil. Pm the possessor
of wealth to limited extent-for l shore
despises benz broke CONF plete an generally
keeps as good blue stack in my
bags-an' SO l goes projectin' round from
dance hall TO saloon, an deciminates my dine
70 an acquires nose paint an friends. As thar
amt but three saloons incloOsIve of the
hnrdy-gurdy, I'm goin' curvin' on these
grand rounds I've instituted on sort of
triangle. 1t can't be said but I'm maxim
runnln' OF it, however; an / don't reckon
now it's more'n an hour when / knows all
the good people in Taos bar Mexicans, an
what Eastern folks would get fooled into
calm the betterelement" II also follows
like its lariat does loose pony, that I'm
some loaded, not to say confoosed.
IFS because I'm confOOsed Pm misled
into this prayer meetia'. Not that such ex-
ercises is due to dam nay chances none now
nor yereaiter; but. n amt calculated to
adorn no such exercises. nor take proper part
tharln; an I'd shqreiy passed 1t mp an kept
on 10 the hurdy-gardy ii I'd knowed. As it
stands, blunders into the game inadvertent;
but, havIn' pckedRup The hand nacherally
goes on an plays ii. /, It's this way about
them religious exercises; I'm just emerged
from the Tub oflBlo0d, an am p'intin' out
for the dance halls when crosses the trail of
wicky-up, all lighted, an sihgin' on the
inside. i takes it for joint don't know,
an amt seen none as yet, an nacherally
heads up an enters From the noise, al
lows mebby it's Mexican place; which
grea,ers alters put up a heap of singin' an
scnfllin' an talkin' in all they does from
monte to a bul fight.
80 The second Pm in / sees it amt Mexi-
cans, an il amt monte. Good people they
was; / sees that; an as passed. of 'em near
the door looks shocked at sight of me, Pm
TOO bashful TO break out again; but sorter
aiges into the nearest seat an stands pat
can see for all | has under my belt the outfit
fggers on raisn' the long yell and stam-
pedin' 'round permiscns to make trouble;
an SO, thinks to myself, I'll fool you-all
lot, for just won't say word. So ] sets
quiet coyote at noon, an after awhile
ah. D. 4.
his prisons, which l interrupts as ] comes
surgin' in.
- When he's talllin' he says one thing /
remembers. It's about castin' your bread
upon the waters. He allows you'll get it
again an plenty withit It's playin' a white
CHIP TO win blue; that's what this sharp
says; an 1T shoreIy strikes me as dead easy
game. Every time you does good, says this
party, fate is out TO play a return game with
yoa an sooner or later you quits winner on
al the good you promulgates that Away.
:" SETS the zeal out an gets some sleepy |
at it, too. Bni | won't leave till the end, so |
as not to scand liz9 ;he congregation an as |
some heavy when the plate goes |
by, amt regarded no setback to the |
meetin' neither. When the CONTRIBUTIONS |
hox-which she's tin plate--Comes down |
where / be, I'm sorter noddin', Pm that |
sleepy. | hears the jingle Of money, an |
rouses up ,hinkn' mebbe it's poker, / reckon |
"'" How hard are you IMP" / says to the |
party next to me, who's just gone to the CEN
ter for peso.
90" Dollar" says the party.
"'" Well" l says, amt seen my hand |
since the draw, but I'll raise you nine, Just |
the same" An boards a ten-dollar bill.
90 When the rest goes, | sorter slides forth |
an lines out for the dance hail. The fact is
Pm needin' what you call stimulants. But
all the same il sticks in my head about that |
bread business, an castin' good deeds On the
water that away. 1t sticks thar yet, for
that matter.
go Ben' released from the devotions of
them people, l starts in to drinkin' again
with zeal an earnestness. Thar comes a
time when all my moneys in my boot. You
see ] only takes Two stacks of reds with
me when / embarks on this yere debauch.
Bein' some crafty, an new Injun at that
agency that away, an not knowin' what
game may go against, puts the rest of my
bank roll over in Howard's store. 1t turns
out, too, that every time / acquires silver in
change, carefully COMMITS it to my left
boot, which is high and ample an seems to
be built to hold specie. Why puts this
we're silver money in my boot laig is shore