The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1898-12-15

grievsd. but what could we dor
-Why don't some Of yon make =
sucak on his Bible and cache IL where
he can't find II r. asked fhe Kid tIle h
always asking fool Quesslans.i The
saen had thought of that, but so one
hafi the nerve.
1'0h, he would kin the man that
touched IL. ard get drunk just the
saiffc," declared the cook.
"Ntll. I'D like to sec II tried" pr
sisted this Kid.
WHY not do Il youSseif7'' asked the
foreman. ~Nobody IA holding you"
"what, meg'' said The Hid. In q shaH :
yelcr; "i'm only boy" and went away
TO bed.
We sat around the table some time
longer. smoking and drinking hot rof-
I fee. As the clock struck for midnight
the mess-houke door was flung opeh--as
] thought by stronger gust OF wind.
! TgE4i2g to look, found myself looking
into ihe mugsle Of one of Laraway'A
guns. lie stood In the doorway with bis
eyes afiFe and gun Ia either hand.
(which one OF you dogs has get my
Blble?" he cried, tits not In the holr,
and III give you iust ten seconds TO
produce H."
"Now, Laraway." said the foreman, In
q smooth tone. you got the drop on Us
oil right, bgi tell you It's Gods truth
/ that mot man here knows anything
about yonr Bible, We thought sou had
dug II up and was half way 10 town Ly
now"
stop that driyelng and get the
Bible" Rrowled Laenway, and the ham.
mers went "click click" ~ be raised
them both. 'i'll pc, few ei sou before
you get out Of thls,"
i, looked as though some one was
! going 70 get hurt. All the hot coffee /
had been drinking came to the surface
In Precipitation. Every man 20 the room
was looking square OF I.araway. And to
every man II seemed that the pistols
were looking square ut himself,
| The Kid always was sandy--and
frecklee. Half an hour before he had
skunk or to bed, Now. just at the RICH,
moment, he skunk mp behind TaraSny.
| jumped onto HIS back like a cat, put
both hlS freckled hands TO the mans
threat, and brought him down. The
guns weni OF through thc roof
Mr.. Laraway was tied 10 his bed that
night and many nights after. lie had
| 4 severe attack of brain fever. from
I which he came out ~ weak as ba bv,
! During his con,aleKcence he never
spoke Of his Hible, and he had an aver.
sioH 10 lifrar. During those days a
strong aud quiet friendship grew up be-
I tween Laruway aud the Kid.
The "old man" was visiting his ranch.
es that season, and took great Interest
In the sick man; told him 10 70 of
somewhere and get well aud hearty be-
fore trying to work again; said his pay
should 20 on exactly aS though he we've
10 the saddle. but Lsraway said: I've
no place TO go that like bali SO well as
tbs Old ranch. Snd no friends so guoi as
these" So lac stayed around camp and
made hair brides and cinehcs. and rend
books. and helped the cook, and did all
those things that o man (ysr. cowboy
does only when he is invalided.
Among iha visitors whom the "uld
man entertained nj the ranch that
spring was Mitchell, she famous mind
reader. One Sunday afternoon he vol
nntecred TO show the boys what he
could do. He gave ms show that
couldn't be beaten on any stage. We
had objects NIL over the place and KEEP,
him chasing around for nm hour.
! ~ last Mitchell said: This Ia all
dead easy for me; II doesn't smuse me
/ You all know where these objects are
placed. and the trail IN hot 70 them
( Now, said he 10 the Kid, who had been
one Of the most interested participants;
YOU fix your mind on something whose
whereabouts Ia known only TO yourself,
and which sou don't want nc TO find. Z"
lie took the Kids hand and began to
wander around the buildings. Twice he
circlcd the corrals, then. getting his
/ bearings, made 3 bee-line fog small
bowlder strewH butte quarter.mlle
away. Fly this time he Was fairly drag.
ginR the reluctant Kid along. and the
cook, who had often charged the boy
with Riding the commissary at night,
rejoiced openly.
an bet boiled dinner said he, .that
we find a cache Of canned goods up In
these rocks"
The miud.rcader halted at the first
big bovlticT. and the boys quickly
turned Il over. The bed Of the rock was
rounded hole. some three feet deep,
and ut the bottom lay amsai black
tuok-Luraway's Bible. At sight OF
1t we fell back u step and stood about
the hole as solemuly rs al grave. The
Kid was blubberlng. Il didn't mean nc
HARM" said he,
I.arnway had been 10 the second rank
of those who followed the mind.rcadef
up the hill; now he crowded TO the
front and looked In.
my Bible, by Cod he cried, and
jumped into the hole. As he came out
with the book In his hand, and atrode
down the hill without word 10 anyone.
he tore out the ay-leaf upon which be
had written his pledges. | picked IL
up and kept IL rs a record of noble Ell.
deasor.
you've got The sand" presently said
the foreman TO the kid, who was still
snivsliBg
"But II did no good" Eobbed the boy
''Noihing will ever do him any good
asserted the foreman, gioomiiy.
We turned our back to the Kids
cache, now dcEpoiled, and walked siow.
~ down this hill. For some time thsre
was no comment on the loreman's CON.
ciusion. We heard ciaiter of hooss
gu the hard read as Larsway spurrsd
away toward town.
Then the Kid lifted HIS head Che waa
ever a stubborn younFsterl. "I'lI save
him yet" he said.--san Francisco Ar
goHaut.
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