The Springfield herald., 1897-10-01

game was smashed the boards in the
table were splintered, and the gam
bier lay on the floor as limp as rag.
Everybody thought at first that
Buck had killed the fellow. but they
were mistaken. The chap lived, but 1t
was long time before he was able to
walk step. or even to stand on his
feet. 1t is safe to bet, though. that he
never tried any more skin games on
cowboys"
The old saying that Sooner or later
every man will meet his match" proved
true in Buck Rogers case. For years
he rode the range, unconquered and
invincible and victor In every con-
test with man or beast. But he at last
met his match. He went up against"
thing in comparison to which he was
a mere feather. In plain words, he
'bucked a cyclone.
One Saturday afternoon in July Buck
was down at Dodge City. The town
was full of cowboys but they were not
very lively. The day was intensely hot
and sultry, and even cowboy did not
feel inclined to exert himself unneces-
sarily. The usual amount of liquor
was disposed of, however, and old Buck
managed to take care of his portion.
Along about the middle of the after
noon black cloud came up from the
east and another from the west. These
clouds advanced and met overhead, and
then began to conduct themselves in
most peculiar manner. They rolled
and tumbled and pitched and churned,
and twisted In and out among them
selves.
The street was lined with people who
watched these clouds anXiously, for
every one felt assured that cyclone
was brewing. People had left their
homes and the stores and shops and
the cowboys had left the saloons-at
least. those of them who were not
too drunk. Old Buck had mounted his
broncho and was standing in the road
in front of the postotiice.
Pretty soon there came sweeping
across the prairie from the west mass
of black cloud. funnel-shaped and
bristling with electricity. Every one
knew In an instant what that meant
The dreaded cyclone had appeared.
Some of the people fled in search o.
places of safety, some dropped down
right where they stood and began to
wall and pray, while others stood, open
mouth and dumb, staring stupidity Al
the terrible engine of destruction. Bu'
old Buck Rogers did none of these
things.
AT the first cry that a cyclone wa.
coming he tore off his hat and threw i,
down in the road, gave one long, un'
earthly yell of defiance. and dashed
down the street right toward the cy
clones track. AS he went he cried:
I've never seen the thing yet tina
was able to do old Buck Rogers up, ant
I've fought white men, Indians and
bears. I'm not the man to be scared OF
little wad of wind and cloud. Who
| o-o-p-e-e-e!
The people watched him as he racet
out across the prairie, his long hail
flying and his face set squarely to the
front. They saw him as he bore down
toward the cyclone, and above the roai
of the wind they heard the shout OF
defiance which he gave out. The mex,
moment they saw the mighty moving
monster and the man meet. They saw
the latter swallowed up in that black
cloud. That was all.
In a minute the cyclone had passed
1t had missed the town, and the people
breathed easy once more.
Immediately party went out iu
search Of old Buck, and after a long
hunt somebody found him. He way
hanging in the forks of a cottonwood
tree, about twenty feet from the
| in,y ,aI gDh la
tween the limbs that he could noi
move. His broncho lay ten yards
away, stone dead. Buck was rescued
and carried back to town. more dea6
than alive. The doctor examined hin
and found that while his injuries woul6
not prove fatal he would be a cripple
for life. When he heard the announce
ment old Buck groaned. He looked at
the cowboys who collected about him
and said:
Boys, I'm done. / went up against
a critter at last that was too much for
me. l was licked fair; and from now
on I'm gentle as n lamb. When little
wad of wind and cloud can pick man
up and toss him into the fork Of
tree like that done me, it's time for
that man to pull in his horns and shut
up shop as fighter. I've got no more
to say, and after this, if 10-year-old
boy wants to lick me he can do it."
In the course of time old Buck was
able to get about, but he was never the
same man. His spirit was completely
broken. He had lost all zest for fight
ing, and instead of being the rashest
and most obstreperous character in
the section, he had become the quietest
and most demure. He lived good
many years, but as it was necessary
for him to use crutch he never re-
turned to ranch life.