, 1897-10-05
J ZEE.

tenderfoot Brtttsher was played out.
They were taking a drove Of cattle, thou
sands Of them, across the far-saretching
Texan prairie, and it was a W months
contract. Much romance hangs about
the word cowboy; prairie is a pleasant,
sounding word. Couple them together,
and we at once see lowing cattle brows-
ing onward; cloudless. warming, bril-
liant sunshine merging into mellow sun
set far away on a horizon; monster
camp-ires burning redly in the white
ness Of the moonlight. We hear the
merry song. the genial yarn, the tink-
ling Of cowbells. the crack Of the long,
thonged whip. the barking Of dogs. the
netghing OF mustangs. the jest o: chiv.
alrous good-fellowship. Pistols. SOM
breros, ~lassos. riding-boots. bare bronz>
ed throats. and dancing, daring, devil
may-care eyes. also come into the pic
lure. 1t is very nice.
These cattle. however, did not low. II
constrained to give tongue at all, they
beloved in a way which was 0 pleas.
ant to hear; and the browsing was not
a success. because the blazing sun had
had become a fashion among these par
ticuiar beasts to lie down and die rather
than try to browse.
According to the arrangements OF
Jake Costa. the boss Of the outfit. the
rain should have come during the frs;
week out. But 1t hadn't; and the sun
kept smiling down. quite regardless O.
the countless oaths which these parti-
cular cowboys thought fit 20 level at it.
There were sunsets daily-beauti:ul
sunsets; but a cowboy sunset means bed.
time and that is all, and the moon, /!
seen at all. Is e in the early morn
ing at getting-up time, and is not adj
mired. There were no songs. no yarns.
no laughter, even after the whisky had
run dry: nothing but the complaints and
oaths and petty quarrels Of dirty, dry.
mouthed men, who were often too des-
perately weary to taket of their boots
before rolling themselves in their blank,
cts to rest.
Jake Costa, a giant with a hairy face
darkened with Spanish blood. was, as
has been said. the boss Of the outfits,
and the tenderfoot's name when he
started had been Sydney Stobart. 1t had
now, by common consent, become sim.
ply "Sawney."
Sawney was q round-limbed. blue
eyed English youth, and had done his
best: hut Sawney,s best. though 1t in
VOWED great bravery. almost heroism,
was about as useless and despicable from
Jake Costa's point of view as 1t well
could be. 1t was very distressing to
Sawney. but somehow whatever beas;
he rode developed a IRE back whatever
steer he was sent to round up always,
somehow. persisted In going in the
wrong direction. Sawney could not
cook, or threw a losso, or build a fire.
or strike a tent, or swear, or hold his
own in any way whatsoever, and grew
faint At the sight OF blood when a steer
was slaughtered. All he could do was
to ride like an Englishman-which
meant riding like \ tailor from a cow
how. no,,, a, v,ov-,rd v,za distracted
ly with his boyish blue eyes at Jake and
ri. conon.nions while thew swore at him
hv t,,rn. Door sawnev, He was an
Eprl,.h gentleman.
One man onlv never swore at Saw
nov ua u.e .nown 40 Jae-pentle lee
.or,at,ma. M one lnew bis other
,.m. :, ,.roa y, hi, everv one knew
~, 70 co.,h r,do q. we,, ga and drink
=. r,,.,h -. .na t. no kea swe,r bet-
,.r ,h.n ,nv c,vhcv in rex,s He was
.m,u 10, u,,.h m,cb- ined face
,,a M. h,ir an his t..mnles was white.
M. m.,..,as .are I,ta solid India rub
her ona An. nowsrs -, nbv,ica, endur.
49,. .nd ,,th,... so,..disragard we're
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.,.. sho,r,no svan
49,. .,.t no over showed
- s,o,.smsn, or ,nteres, in hi,
s'e1 1870. Ala
~ 800 ,rom bis ,irs calm.
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u3fc NE 0Ou anu OuLId8o III