New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-10

veek-when Mack comes over to see why the
horse have not been sent I'm getting silly az.
ready. My head thrObs so and my leg too. IL
can get started once I'll know enough to Keep
a-going. But how to decide. I'll leave it TO
chance"
He placed his broad hat on the end of his
qurt. held upright, balanced it carefully and
gave it a twill.
"Now, if that side with the bullet-hoc stops
toward the south III crawl toward home. and II
II turns to the mountains l will hunt the water
holes Hold on" Stopping the revolving NAT
and closing his eyes he said in very 10" voice:
ooh. Lord don: know as one cow-puncher ~
much object to you. you got so many. but
never did much dirt. only TO Billy, ana ne was
so mean himself It served him right If you
will help out OF this scrape and make the
hat stop at the right place I'll never forget
It Amen"
Very earnestly then he balanced the hat and
set it turning After several revolutions II came
to a stop with the hole toward the mountains
THE water holes it is, then" said he. ana
carefully noting the direction indicated: "thats
rather more to the left than would choose ouI
II you say so. 1t goes.
Without delay. but without haste. he made
his preparations for the great effort before ne-
Gliding on a course he had whimpcrcd n little;
the shock and pain had unnerved him. There
was now no more Of that. He had purpose
and meant to execute it, With bandages nlau'
from portions OF his clothing. he bound up ths
leg to give it some support He set his teeth
down hard in a strip OF leather cut from MS
shoe then fixing his eyes upon landmark IN
the distance which should remain IN view as lie
moved over the plain he pulled his fre'ght.
1t would fatigue you to follow this mans trail,
as foot by foot and hour after hour he painfully
progressed toward the water s-toriuren
with thirst beset BY doubt whether h. should not
find them dry Upon the desert a man. for lack
Of water may perish in few hours. In lhe
cattle country they can and DO I'VE ana suner
for days without it, This man did He was
only a common forty dollar month man. IL
ne did not get through another would take MS
saddle and his bunk To the coImrany ,b MAJ nay.
roll John Doe or Richard Roe. he hau ilEtn
meanlv: not always teHperately. Iul ne niu q
trait common to COWBOYS, Il splendid American
grit and he got through. On the thlrd DAY ne
dragged himself to the first OF the water. holes:
1t contained a small amount OF brackish ana
muddy water. Beside it grew stunted Willow
bush Beneath the bush lay a sleeping call
Here were all the elements necessary to insure
his safety. TO work it out was matter OF de-
tail. g..
The man does not remember whether he first
shot the calf or first sllked his thirst, nor when
the idea occurred To him or the peranpulatoIS
splints But by the time he had eaten his sec
ond meal OF veal-which followed very closely
on the hrst-his plan was complete. lie thihkS
he devoted about twen;y-four hours to refresh.
ments. During that time he Kept inc leg III Wei
bandages greatly reducing the swelling
1t was a work Of time to cut down the low
fashioned a cane from the stoutest portion. From
smaller branches he made N number OF splints'
and these NJ bound about the broken leg py
rawhide thongs cut from the cafsKih ana W."
soaked in the pool The contraction OF the RAJ"
hide in drying mad very strong ana rlgid
support extending from the foot to the Knee
and upon this with the help OF the cane. he
would walk II was not sprnginG. II was SLOW
and painful motion but by contrast with ~
thr,c n. lies achieved in three days on hands
and knees IL seemed both rapid and easy. lie
covered the distanc" To- the ranch In one day ana
night. coming in just when the foreman was cali
ing Roll OUT
Tn, first thing be- asked after the boys had
nut him in bed ard cut or the rawhife. was TOT
somebody To shay ~.
He had 4 hard enough time for several weeks.
but the doctor did fpt ampuiate the leg. as ne
IT first threatened to- ID. We never convinced
this sawhones though Ne showed him the raw
hide splint. OF Tho fact that the man walked
eleven miles IN n broken l"g
"IIumbug"' said ~. mo such case on record
The thing Is prepo,terous."