Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-11-09
THE BOY WITH A LASSO.
DY EDWARD wILLETT.

from a knot Of Mr.. Robey's pupils
who had shut him out of their sports
Sam was not much mistaken in his
guess. He had just entered the
school, and he had come from far-ofl
Texas, and his life had been passed
on a cattle farm, where he had had
few opportunities for study, and of
those few he had availed himself but
poorly He was "low down" in Mr..
Robey's school, and the boys voted
him heavy and stupid, and named
him Texas"
Every WE'LL" said Sam. 81 may
teach them a thing or two yet. l
will stick to those studies, and if there
is anything in them, l mean to dig
it out, or go home and tend cattle"
The next day was the first Satur-
day of the term, and the boys had
planned a grand excursion into the
woods.
Early in the morning they set out,
loaded with provisions, fishing tackle,
and all appliances for big holiday,
with the exception Of guns, which
were not allowed.
Sam Roden carried nothing but
dong and strong rope, which he had
been greasing and working over for
two days, and in the end of which
he had skillfully knotted slipnoose.
"What are you going to do with
that, Texas?" asked Ben Travis.
"Just taking it along to play WITH"
Sam replied. "It sort of reminds me
of home, and l don't want to forget
my old tricks while l am learning
new ones"
After walking through the woods,
they came to Swift creek, a narrow,
deep and rapid stream. 1t was too
wide for jumping across, and the wa
tier was too cold for swimming.
As they wanted to get on the other
side, and had brought an ak, it oc-
Cured to them that they might cut
down a tree, so that it would fall
across the creek and form bridge.
So they set at work, but a poor job
they made of it, firing themselves out
with hacking that was nothing like
cbopping. Then Sam Roden inter-
fered.
l Excuse me, fellows" said he, "but
Il think you had better let me do that,
as it's in my line. If you will look
up that tree, you will see that it would
never fall across the stream. Let's
find another"
He found a tree that suited him,
rand in a few minutes he cut it down,
lodging the top on the other side of
The creek, and leaving clean and
level stump, Then he trimmed away
the branches on the upper side of
the fallen tree, completing the bridge.
The boys all crossed over, and
walked along the course Of the creek
until they came to Bestor's pond,
where the water spread out into a
little lake, a short distance above the
fall, and seemed to have no current
TO speak Of,
Here they found skiff, which they
borrowed without permission Of the
owner, and five of the oldest boys,
as many as it would hold, got in, and
padded about the pond.
But they went too far down, and
The current was swifter than they
thought, and soon it was drawing
them rapidly toward the falls.
Then they tried to row against it,,
but they were poor oarsmen, and an
oar broke, and they were hurried
downward, crying in vain for help.
Not quite in vain! Sam Roden
had run down to the waters edge,
holding his rope in coil in his right
hand.
"Hi, there~ he shouted; "catch
this!"
With free swing of his, arm, he
flung the rope, and it flew out over
the pond in circles and curves.
"Take turnP directed Sam.
And he called to the boys who re-
NAMED on shore to come to his as
sistance.
They pulled the boat to the bank
where its living freight was unloaded,
and nobody cared to venture in ii
again
"Well, Texas, you do amount to
something, after all" said Ben Travis,
who had been the leader of the boys
in the boat. eff it hadn't been for
that rope Of yours, we would have
been in pickle"
81 know how to use a lasso. ]