The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-08-14
A SACRIFICE.
Cowboy JOe'S Generous
Deed.
Surrendered the Girl He
Loved 10 a Brother.
A Pathetic Romance OF Baylor
County, Texas.

]
! settlers make occasional references TO tie
Sayages. or the Savage brothers as they
sometimes call them. This does not refer
TO the time when The InoiAns were in the
country although that time is by no
means so far distant C. 10 he beyond the
memory oi living man: nor does it imply
anything esnecially wild and ferocious
about the character Of The men in qEes-
tion. II merely eoos back 60 the first ball
o. the sos when TWO brothers Of that
name were among the uromiDent inhshi-
tAnts of that sparsely settled district In
some countries events Of that perioo
would ne considered comparatively
modern. but in Western Texas they are
ranked as strictly ancient history.
FIT seems, from a careful survey Of the
facts in tho case. that neither OF TIE
brothers wns really had man at heart
nofwi tbs stArdinC tie fact that great
many people who ought 90 know are
strongly inclined 10 think otherwise IL
il certain that one Of them was as true n
man as ever trod the soil Of Isxns or
any other state. for that matter. All who
knew him agree that The r.nsl wear or has
lie. at any rGre, was year OF such cour-
age and self-sacrifleing heroisln as one
reads OF in BOOKS but seldom looks for in
real life. Tire people Of West Texas arc
not much prone 30 hero worship and
whenever tboy agree that man OF their
acquaintance is above the average Of NOR
talitv there is very likelv 10 be some basis
for the belief Judging merely from phys
ical appearance one would have had
little trouble in deciding which OF the
two men would be more likely 10 prove
Of heroic mold. Bill, the younger.
was a man of magnificent physique not
unduly Large, hut with muscles OF such
herculean strength a. perfect health and
the free life OF Western cowboy are apt
10 impart. He was iighi-complexioned-
and is said 10 have possessed vigorous
manly countsnance, such a. ought 10
have made him more successful in bis love
affairs than he really WAS Joe. on the
other hand, was rs much picture II
weakness and deformity rs bis brother
was OF health and strength. he was not
only n peaked-faced. slender SLID OF
man. bu. he was a cripple as well. When
be was years old and Bill was cnly x q
cyclone had struck the log house in which
the BOYS and their parents were Twins.
The mother and father were killed. but
when the Dsighbors came TO look through
the ruins of the cabin they found Joe
crouchcd on the hed with his limbs spread
out in such a manner ss 10 rroesct his
baby brother A heavy log had fallen
across his right foot ard right wrist,
crushing them both very badly. but bill
was still sleeping in absolute uncon-
sciousnss az The existence OF any such cis-
turhing affairs rs cyclones AS result
of his Injuries AT the time, Joe was "cluh-
footed" through the whole Of his life. and
his right forearm had big knot on Ii.
and crook that made his right hand
turn out when il should have turned in.
Il il said that loe was proud OF his de-
fnrmities rather than otherwise-presEm
ably because they had been incurred in
- -. kns
Bill was, for the most part, tenderly re-
gardful of the brother who bad sacrificed
health and almost life for him.
Naturally enough. Bill was the more
prosperous of the two Before he was 80
he owned considerable bunch" Of
cattle. and leased quite body OF land in
rne eastern part Of Bsylor county as
ranch. Joe was his line-rider. and in
that capacity was enabled 20 do great
deal OF such work as did not require sny
very great amount of mere muscular
strength. Everything worked smoothly
with them until May Conley came 10 live
with a married brother Of hers who lived
only a few miles from the Savage ranch.
She was not n highly educated girl, hy
any means, and IL is doubtful il She was
more than fairly intelligent, butkhe was
pretty ana she was fickle-and that tells
the whole story. In this case Joe was The
first victim. He met May at one of the big
oamp meetings that-are common in that
country in the fall of the year. and after
that he was very pronounced in his
attentions to her for several months.
Then his attentions ceased rs suddenly
aud abrurtly as they had begun. people
noticed this and they also noticed that
Just about that time Bill began going 10
see her.
"Bln took it up just where Joe laid Ii
down, remarked one cowboy TO another
during one of the intervals in a dance on
one occasion.
Nav, that Amt it," responded his
friend II think Joe laid il downljust
where Bill took IL up.
one day as the two brothers and one or
two Others were engaged in branding some
Of Bills yearlings the subject was brought
"Sure enough, Joe. what ever made
You quit goin' To see that Conley gal so
suddontT" asked dim Smith, one OF the
helpers. in n jocular way.
II stopped SOS 10 give Bill chance"
said Joe, with what was evidently forced
attempt at gayety.
"Shucks !" calculated ris brother.
lyon needn't stopped for that III
couldn't beat you Id better quit -
There was Just the least bit OF con-
temptuous emphasis on that word you. "
and Joe noticed It. A slightly shamed,
pained louk cane over his poor, thin face
anu nf lAlleTtus
"W-weil. didn't kecr much FOR her.
no way. l was just foolin' from the
first.
My deliberate opinion is that this state
ment was n lie. lt Is my opinion, fur
thermore, that in this single. ungram-
matical mispronounced, mutilated lio
there was loftiness of thought and
purity Of purpose such as an angel in
heaven might we'll aspire To. Bill did not
take any such view of the matter. though,
for ho only looked up and retortod an
grili;
My opinion Of any body that would go
foolin' round n woman when he didn't
care nothing for her IL that he Amt much
man.
Hes pretty small potatoes-he shore
II. put la Tom jackson, the fourth man
ns the branding. Nobody noticed the
romaik particularly at the time. nut sub.
saquent events caused them To think "a
great deal about 1. later on.
I'm surprised at YOU. Joe. said Bin.
1ne ghost of "A forced smile hovered
ritoously ON .Ioe's lips for moment but
he merely rubbed his forehead with the
knot on his wrist in the nervous way
peculiar to him ON such occasions, and
said nothing.
A.tk. f,.,.. ana ,r ,vx, N,.io ,,etia,,.