The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-09-23
BILLS LITTLE GAL.

Being man with wide circle Of
aequaintanees, 1 purposely avoid ac-
curacy as to dates and localities 1t is
not even necessary to explain how be.
came associated with General Surly in
the management of big cattle ranch.
lie was one of the southern gentlemen
whose earthly possessions were pretty
well wiped out by the war but he did
not stop to chlde fate nor wait for some.
thing to turn up. He converted his
available assets into cash and made the
Investment in which was eventually
interested
or course the general had beautiful
daughter, or l would have nothing
worth the telling avoid going into
rhapsodles by simply saying that she
grew to be a strong, stately and grace
ful woman whose physical attractions
We're matured i'll the outdoor world,
whose education and accomplishments
were those that few women have the
mental grasp to acquire and whose
heart was as tender as when her little
glrllsh voice was raised i'll angry protest
against placing the cruel brand upon
some bleatlng maverick. I'll not betray
by how many years | was her senior,
but fell III love with her the first time
l saw her. little vision of beauty
astrlde burro, riding wildly and with
out fear, swinging a miniature lasso,
her black eyes aglow and her raven hair
streaming in waves that even the sweep
ing wind of the prairie did not
straighten.
Though she was a gentle little mis-
tress every one about the place was her
slave. Even stoical old Bud whitley.
who should have lost every yestige Of
romance III his experience as trapper,
scout Indian fighter and cattle man.
had secretly adopted the little witch in
his heart, which had come warm and
true through all these experiences. Like
MANY a man who led the rough life of
the frontier, he localized u good wom-
an, and the alteration bestowed by him
upon Kitty Surly was us devoid of our
earthly conception of love as though
she had been an angel.
1t was after she had been east to
natural beauty enhanced by the refining
influences and opportunities she had en-
joyed that old Bud came to me. Il
don t like the way that coyote from the
Robelda ranch is a-tryin to git inter the
round up over here, " he began Jim
Bumpers no sOrter Teller fur SIGH a
woman as our Kitty. | never heerd yet
where he wiped out Teller critter what
he didn t take unbeknownst or to dis
advantage. He's made big money but
he ain square, an he'd make it hell on
airth fur a woman. Hesmakin strong
play fur to git ON the good side of the
gineral, an I've bout made up my mind
that orter to tend to slippin Jim S
cinch. Takin chances with critters like
him is the same as takin chances with
rattlesnakes. Jist say the word, an I'll
make jim Bumper git out o. here or
fight, an he won t fight me fur certain
reasons as Is private till git ready to
turn loose | reckon he's feelin kinder
panicky already, fur give it out all an
singular to the boys over to the ranch
that our Kitty warn't agoin to Craze
her pritty face on no range 'ceptin our
own an that any Teller what tried rop-
III her wouldn never know jist how it
happened he was disapp inted. don't
of en- cut loose, but there hahn none
o the boys is hankerin partickaler to be
round when | blow up. E"
| could see that the veteran was in
deadly earnest, for his parchmentlike
faee had an unwonted glow of color,
and Ill his deep set gray eyes there was
CLINT as ominous as death warrant.
See here, Bud, said in a concil-
latory tone There are some things
about this case that understand better
than you do I'm as determined as any
man living that Jim Bumper shan't
have Kitty Surly. | happen to know
that she loves another man who would
try to be worthy of her and who will
marry her if the general can ever be
convinced that "A big fortune is not es-
sential to her happiness Jim immense
wealth, got nobody knows how, dazzles
the general for a time, but he will new
er ask Kitty TO marry against her will,
and can see that Jim is losing ground
every day in the generals esteem. 1t is
all right to let matters take their course,
and nothing must be done that will
make her talked about.
But old Bud did not belong to the
class of men who are content to drift.
The necessity of his life had been to
plan, plot and anticipate the movements
of the enemy. But he said nothing and
l accepted the matter as at an end for
the time
1t was month before we were
startled by very unexpected occur
renee Bud rushed into the room where
the general and | were transacting
some business to announce that Jim
Bumper had kidnapped Kitty and was
following the old trail to the nearest
large city No time was lost in lamenta-
tions or inquiry. With a rush for arms
and horses we were in the chase For
hours Bud laid right with us on his
dilapidated bronCho that he always said
had done nothing more than switch its
abbreviated tail when struck by light
ming some % years before Though Jim
had one Of the best mounts in the whole
territory the extra weight began to
tell, and little after midnight we had
our quarry in sight The general was
dead shot Bud never missed unless he
wanted to- and ! had a craving for