Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-04-01
A PLAINS INCIDENT.

Joe was not q nice boy at all. lhere
were doubtless many excuses for nature
perverted and distorted by the blasts Of cir
cumstance to which 1t had been exposed,
but the actual result as represented in Joe
was neither gratifying nor edifying, save
IN one qualification-.Joe was an excellent
cowboy But the vices of the young rascal
oyershadowe1 and poisoned to a great ex-
tent his attachments in even this career,
for so cruel was he that no owner of horse
flesh could see him vault into the saddle
and draw blood with first stroke of the
spur without "a thrill of sympathetic pain
and an involuntary expression of disgust.
On the other hand, when, tempted to
distant straying by the sweet upspringing
grasses of early June, the horse hand scat
tered far and wide upon the boundlcss
prairie, and grown canny through long
experience of cruel man. made use of every
hillock and ravine to evade pursuit, theirs
was none like Joe to find and bring them
in. and. though his mount on such occa-
sions stood tottering with bloody and heav-
ing TANKS and rolling eyeballs that seemed
to crave mercy, a bellyful of water from
the stream hard by and few hours crop
ping of the grass would bring him round
again. and, even if it didn't, what matter'
"Only $50 worth of horseflesh," said Joe.
Then the amount of cow sense pos
sessed by our hero was almost startling
Riding his watch around the herd on nev
er so black n night, he seemed the very in
carnation of prescience. No fat bullock
could rise from its lair in the bunch grass
and steal away from its comrades, doomed
to slaughter in the distant stockyards,
without hearing the rapid clatter Of Joes
pony's hoofs and seeing itself confronted
by the dark lad, whose eyes gilttered with
cruel menace, ana whose ups poured lor1n
frcsh Noilc! OF nnprccatloh with each
furious whirl OF his lariat.
When calves We're 10 ne branded no plu-
full beating soitened Joe heart nor stalu
his hand. thoHed 10 the point OF death by
the tension OF ms crl-l moose, these tender
creatures We're dragged mercllessly through
mud or DUST or stones or plazlhS c1hpers,
while their moaning mothers gazed with
loIllng tongues ana ll"odshot eyes upon
Their offspring aGonieS. and joe sweep
ing with SaNa.'H race from MS saddle DOW
scooped up handful OF dirt and flung it
with drri@i>o laughter into their poor
DUMP ii.t't'> or no man "I the Whoie ollI
tit could ts'5.-; 80 many c3lteS "S he In "a
given thEt me rahelnE IRE ana tliae Is
valued even Oh the hams.
Now, Ii .I'r mad come IN hlS DEAN ~
trampliag oil cattle IL "A fAahl 'llT >sAtiA-
rete or E9hlAr az the horns oi laodthed
COW, or II hi- "t%, fen'i,",1i &c i'tfa'e ny
spur thruSts and roWsri~> II shake rom
Ii lack - 49, 81 u I!dcr. lad suddenly
reared ard Inn itself lHr'Ward, crushing
him To the .fmnd ." end OF tins I'M
pleasant ynath would nave Teen IN hoWlse
singular But that ta> dunghin weed
t.ttA rs Ne q
Terry h-I-ti.t Aarc .-ipr,rd in was certainly
an a.; ri.orulh"ry example of the NaSarIes
OF destiny.
Autumn was come, and the herd OF
choicest reeves was gathered. Seated tran
gull in their saddles, the owners contem-
plated with Infinite satisfaction their sleek
sides and eon'cnted faces. Excitement of
any KIND meant shrinkageo OF flesh and was
to be strrnuously avoided because OF the
corresponding ShrlnkaSe IN the pockets OF
the two gentlemen on horseback who
looked through those living prime rolsts
to roseate perspective of winter OF
pleasure and luxury following upon the
summer of toll and hardship. There is
usually thorn u the rose somewhere.
Here there was IA river To be crosscd-a
river which at this season should have
been little more than II ripping rll. but
which recent and phenomenal rains had
swollen To an alarming volume. Its turgid
waters rushed cddying by, and ever and
anon splash of startling force told of
banks undermined and IA still rising tide.
Scarce more than stone throw away the
opposite hank fringed with timber and
smiling in sunlight, offered an inviting
camping ground
The cattle, which had been purposely
Eny,ff hp rt1,v