The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-03-27
TWO GAMES OF FREEZE-OUT,
BIZ ). D. wHELPLEY.

The range rider of the Judith Gap
was playing freeze-out in the stage
ranch saloon. There were four players,
the stakes were the drinks, and it cost
one dollar round for whisky every
few moments, for 'red liker" was two
bits drink in the days before the rail-
roads in Montana. That made no diff
ference to the range rider, however. He
might lose his monthly stipend of $50
in one night, but he could run "some of a
BILL" for he had an all winters job
ahead of him, and the profit on the
goods was so many hundred per cent
that the host could afford to take the
chances. And then, you know, if he
got real hard up he could get few
broncos to break, and five dollars was
easily earned by riding something that
no one else would. 1t was little risky,
to be sure; but then how else could
cow-punchers die if not rolled on or
trampled to death by some terrified
horse. So the game went on.
The wind howled around the log
building. and the fine snow sifted
through some of the cracks where the
mud daubing had fallen out. The box
stove roared and got red in the cheeks
In an unsuccessful attempt to keep a
pail Of water that stood in far corner
from freezing. Notwithstanding its eff
forts, the crinkle of the ice was heard
as the cold outside increased, and pene-
In uolrC al
forts of the stove.
1t was about ten o'clock in the MORN
ing, but the sun was only up an hour or
so, and the ice laden storm from the
no.rth was making very successful at
tempt to conceal the fact. A "blue fog"
was rolling through the gap. and the
mercury had all dropped into the bulb,
tired of trying to keep track of the
eccentricities of q climate borrowed for
the occasion from the snowy wastes of
British America.
The game went on at the table in a
quiet kind of way. Every time the
range rider moved his foot the spur
chains jingled on the floor. The stage
stock tender on the other side of the
table was playing his best, for he knew
he had reached the limit of his credit
at the bar, but the cards were against
him. Two sheep herders completed the
quartet, and the sneaky-looking blear-
eyed stock tender sized them up with
glance that bodied i'll if they perchance
fell asleep before the till behind the
bar had received their rolls, earned by
standing out on the hills in the storm, in
the six or seven months past. Two
wet colley dogs lay by the stove with
smoking pelts, dreaming of the trail,
for every once in awhile one of them
would give curious ''yip-yip," that
suggested efforts to get slow band of
sheep into the corral The bartender
stood with his elbows on the counter,
peering out of the window and waiting
Tor the inevitable moment, that oc-
CURED at more or less regular intervals,
when some one of the players would
"go broke" requiring round of drinks,
a dollar added to the steadily increas-
Ing store in the till, and redivision of
the chips.
After doing the honors on one of these |
occasions, he opened the door, admitting
q cold blast of air and snow that made |
the card players swear. And peering
out, he said:
slime fur the stage. / guess she
kid ynust ha' missed the trail"
SWELL, what If he has?" growled the
stock tender, to whom the arrival of the
stage meant an hour of cold and dis
agreeable work. Its no use freezing
us to death lookin' for him; he's no |
chicken"
The sheep herders laughed the range
rider yawned, when rafting of wheels
and harness, and cheerful "hullo" out
side caused the game to be forgotten,
and all made rush to the door. They
were greeted by two or three mail sacks
thrown with considerable force; and as
the stock tender led away the horses
the driver, great bundle of blankets.
shawls and buffalo robe, rolled off his
seat and followed the mail sacks. as
they were dragged through the saloon
by the barkeeper into the store beyond. /
After the driver had loosened up his
outer wraps and melted the frost from
his eyelashes, he looked around and
nodded to those present. When his eve
bit on the range rider, he said:
"Hullo, Bill; saw Campbell at the
river, and he sent note to you. Here
IL is" and he handed a piece of paper
to the rider. Bill looked at it moment
and then whistled softly to himself.
glancing out of the window at the
scurrying snow meanwhile.
he wants yoR 70 20 down the sorsh