Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-10-06

a racket, and Ferguson felt SO SOOu He
stood right up and gave a cow-puneher S
veil. The inside of that house must
have been built for good hearing IN,
for never heard such keen, high
sounding call like that was, and I've
been a coWman for nigh forty years.
The other noise and racket all stopped,
and everybody looked at Ferguson sur
prised like.
Ferguson sat down. A fellow all
over buttons came down to us Van
Dusen talked some to him. The Teller
began to laugh and he turned round
and said something to all them people.
Everybody began to laugh and holler
and clap their hands. Van Dusen told
Ferguson it was all for him, and he
must get up and respond. Ferguson
stood up in his seat, and said right
OUT
"Feller citizens! This is bully
town. This is sure the bulliest show
I ever saw. Me and my friends like
you and your style. When the show
lets out we want every one Of you to
come and take a drink with us
There was heap more applause. l
never saw a man so tickled like Van
Dusen was. l felt mighty proud Of
Ferguson. burned if knowed it was
in him.
CYAN Dusen said that was the finest
show, in the finest show house, by the
finest show folks in the world. There
wasn't no need to keep on. We'd seen
it ALL Do you know, just then, when
there wasn't nothing more TO look ahead
for, l began to find out l was tired out
l was tireder than if l had spent a
month branding yearl!ngs. l thought
CT all that seven days water to cross
and I asked Van Dusen if there wasn't
some way of getting around by land.
There wasn't any. Ferguson was just
as tired as me, so we made up our
minds to ind some quiet town and rest
up for week or two, so we'd be better
braced up for tackl.ng the water Van
Dusen knowed such place. He called
it 'Busshard,' though it didn't spell that
way. He went with us to it. IL was
about an hour by railroad out in the
country. You bet it was sure quiet and
peaceable. There was a long street all
up hill, with red rooted houses on both
sides. Up little ways was the tavern.
1t was a little, low, two-stOr.ed place
with a stOOp in front. Cleanest rooms,
beds and table | ever saw. The land
lord was a fat little Frenchman. He
was sure polite. Must have been raised
among wimmin. Van Dusen jabbered
with him and told him all about how to
fix us up and feed us. Van Dusen told
us all about how to get over to Have
yer, where the home boats was, when
I'VE wanted to go. Then he left us. We
was sorry to lose him. If ne ever comes
out here what's ours is his'n.
THE very next day we were sitting
outside on the little stoop taking things
easy. A couple of cavalry soldiers were
inside getting drink and their ponies
were standing unhitched right at the
door.
"All on a sudden we heard q terrible
racket, screaming and connection
Here come q crowd of men, wimmen
and children running down the road
and falling over each other. Right af-
ter them was two big black, long-horn
steers just a tearing. Before we could
do thing the whole business stamped
ed down the road right past us. The
soldiers ponies reared and pitched, but
l grabbed one and Ferguson the other.
We was straddled of them right then.
Them steers had to be stopped or some
body would get tossed and tromped on.
We put right out. The saddles were
queer No pOmmel and no lariat to
them. Stirrup feathers way yonder
too short. Didn't see how we could do
anything without lariat rope, do you?
Been loaflng around here every summer
for four years and never saw anybody
tail COW, did you? It's nothing but
fun. That's what we did to them steers.
l run my pony right down and along
side one Of them. l grabbed his tail
and got a good hold. SO did Ferguson
on his'n. 1 made the pony keep right
on and l fetched a heave on the tail.
We was q running a little faster than
the steer, and of course, may have
pulled his hind feet off the ground.
We kept right on and l hoisted his
hind part over his front part and he
came a somersault, cherallop, down on
the hard road. He houndered round,
but he'd broke his leg and couldn't get
up. Ferguson turned hisn, but it got
up again. 1t was Jared up consider
able and ran round in fool way, and
Ferguson turned il again. Then l
turned it, and then Ferguson. 1t was
bully, and felt like was home again.
You bet, we yelled and cussed. AT
last the brute laid down and give clean
up. 1t wouldn't run no more.
"A Teller came running up with an
ak and the fun was all over. You new
er heard such a stir like when We got
back. The children kissed us, the wo-
men kissed us, and the men would
have kissed us, only we wouldn't let
'em. Everybody jabbered and jawed,
and the landlord made more noise than
any three. Them two steers was rails
ed in the mountains somewhere, and
had broke out from train on its way
to Paree. l never would have thought
they could raise wild stock like that
in such q tame country.
"This wasn't all, by a burned sight.
A few days more and here comes a fat
Teller all gilt cord and buttons, with a
half dozen more got up like him.
There was a brass band playing and no
end of people The gilt fellers came in
the tavern and the landlord grabbed
me and Ferguson and took us in a big
room, where they all was. Every fell
Ter took turns talking to us. | couldn't
make out what it was, so me and Fer
guson Just waited. Then a Teller steps
up with red ribbon and medal. He
fixed one on to me, and another feller
fixed one on to Ferguson. It's a sorter
purity thing, amt it?"
And the Colonel fumbled in an in
side pocket, brought the decoration out
and handed it to me. handled 1t rev.
erently. 1t was the red ribbon and the
bronze medal of the Legion of Honor,