Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-10-14

providence or fate, or whatever they may
choose to call their creator-those individ-
uals, sir, are idlers Or towards "
The speaker was one Of a group of men
lounging OH the deck of the Great North
west, which few hours earlier had COM
menced her slow upward progress against
the mighty current of the Yellowstone.
He was a prosperous ranchman of Mon
tana, returning from an eastern visit.
''We all get our chances, he resumed,
after puff or two at his pipe and pleased
glance around the observant circle SIT is
our fault, not the Lord S, if we don't keep
hold of them. Chances that may look as
full of sting as chestnut bur- but that
hold sweet kernels of success for the man
who has the pluck and the cleyerness to
grasp them. And I'll tell you story with
that text if you like-a story which shall
be new, though the text is chestnut
cit happened some years since, before
the Northern Pacific had crossed the
Rockies. The terminus that season was at
Zenith City, and the class Of travel which
demands luxury didn't come beyond Bis
marck, where the company economically
shunted the sleepers before rushing away
from civilization.
$50 the train which started from Zenith
City one November morning was made up
as usual Of passenger car, a box car and
the locomotive, while its quite unusual
number Of travellers was composed entire
ly of party of 20 cowboys.
"Thcy meant to go east for such length
of time as their cash would endure, and
though it was burning in their pockets to
be spent they were resolved not to waste
any of it in railway tickets-a resolve Of
which they informed the conductor when
he came to them about half an hour out
from Zenith City.
"He was young fellow, as were the
cowboys. Everything was young in Mon
tana in those days. This chap Lloyd, how
ever, was slim built, with color that
changed like a girls, and very queer he
looked among the big, brown, 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
fares also, said Lloyd without glancing
at the gathering crowd.
"'When the company can get it, some
body chuckled.
Invariably, Lloyd asserted, 'or the
passenger who refuses to pay is put off the
train.
"'You don't say? Suppose you try.
Here are Tim and me to begin with, and
the whole carful after us, for not cent OF
our earnings is going into the money bags
of your - swindling companyp
"'You will hurt me much more than
the company, he said when he could get a
hearing. i shall lose my place If don't
collect your fares'-
"'That is your lookoutp
GIVE amt going to tell your boss IL
you keep quiet.
"There is greed for torturing animals
which disfgures most human nature from
| Spanish bull baiters to those rat fighters
down east. So those bright eyes of Lloyd's
didn't meet any more encouragement thar
! squint at the flood through one of the port
holes of the ark
Without speaking he stood, very pale
and still for moment, looking at the open
pocketbook in his hand, while they all
stared at him, grinning and jeering Pres:
emily the color rushed back over his face,
and shutting his book with a snap he went
out of the car.
HE was followed by roar Of laughter
and facetious yells.
"Then the crowd returned to poker play
ing, some of them just bit discontented
with their victory and muttering that 20
to was too big odds for any chap, 'spe-
cially a slim, little chap with fists which
couldn't hold their own against kid.