Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1897-10-08

the cattlemen grazed their great herds
on the millions Of acres OF public lands
and amassed quick fortunes from the
Tree government pasturage.
In those days the cowboys rode the
plains free and unrestrained. disregard
Ing all law, and governed in their con
duct by nothing except their desires
They were wild impulsiye creatures
overlooking with the spirit of liberty
which they caught from the boundless
prairie and breathed in with the pure
exhilarating air that intoxicated the
blood with life, vigor and strength.
OF all the cowboys on the plains OF
Kansas at that time, old Buck Rogers
was perhaps. the most impulsive and
reckless. He had for years lived a
ranch life, and had chased steers" in
every part of the cattle range from the
river Rio Grande to the Platte. Be-
sides, he had fought Indians and Mexi-
can greasers, and had helped Buffalo
Bill round up the meat which he was
supplying, under contract, to the men
who were constructing the Kansas Pa
sific railroad.
/ At that time Dodge City was pre-emi-
nently a cowboy town. They used to
round up" there after payday, blow"
their money into every folly they saw,
get uproariously drunk, and proceed to
paint things ultra red. II was nothing
unusual for a gang of men to race up
and down the streets, yelling like Co
Danche Indians and shooting at the
signs and terrifying women and chill
dren and the pale tenderfoot almost out
Of life. They had full possession of the
town, and they ran it to their own lik-
Ing
If old Buck Rogers happened TO be
present he was sure TO lead in all this
deviltry. 1t was a saying that went
undlsputed that he could drink more
whisky, yell louder and shoot straight
er than any other man on the range"
And he certainly did everything that
lay in his power to justify this state
ment
Often and often as he stood at the
bar of the saloon and In rapid success
sion tossed glass after glass of whisky
down his throat until the hardest
drinkers in town looked on in fear and
Rmazement. Then he would go out and
mount his broncho and, throwing his |
hat to the wind, would charge up and |
down the street at a mad gallop, his |
long hair flying out behind, each of his |
hands working pistol with astonish- |
ing dizziness. while from his throat
there came series of the most terrific
and unearthly yells that ever emanated
from a human being.
And fight! There was nothing that
Did Buck wouldn't stand up before; and
II was his boast that he had never met
anything either man or beast, that he
had not been able to lay on its back.
The boldest and most daring cowboys,
even those who possessed an enviable
reputation as fighters, sang very low
If their prowess when Buck Rogers was
around. He was not only brave and
reckless, but he was as strong as an
TX, and q blow of his naked fist, fair
y planted was enough to settle man
or all time to come.
One day down at Dodge City lot of
cowboys were talking about old Bucks
strength, and recounting
ONE of The feats he had performed
When one of their number, man who
lad recently come up from the south,
aid:
Never heard about the trick old
tuck played on a chap down in Texas
ne time, | reckon?"
Guess not" somebody replied.
"Then I'll tell you about it. 1t was
ne night. just after pay day at the XII ,
anch, and the boys were all down at
OWN blowing in their money. There
Tas just one saloon in the place and,
I course, that was where the crowd
FUNDED up. :
well when the boys had got pretty =.
ell loaded with liquor a slick stranger
lade his appearance at the saloon and
pened up with some kind of a film c
am game. The game was a clean u
eal from first to last but the boys 4
tucked IL. and were. one after an Il
her. cleaned out so quick that 1t al |
ost made their heads swim. The c
sers didn't feel bit good over being
orked that way, and there was good 1
sal of muttering and cursing, to say b
Dthing OF menacing scowls and ner-
,us lingering OF pistols. But the s.
lmbler. a thin. wiry little cuss. had h
S nerve with him, and he proceeded h
it'll his game as coolly as though he Il
nd been surrounded by friends. z
AT last old Buck went over to the t
BILE and put up a twenty dollar gold n
zee Sgainst the game a
3" DO l stand any show to win In a
is business?' he asked. Il
- oh. yes the gambler answered a,
ou stand an equal chance to win or n
o,