Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-10-27
81 suppose an experienced man lik.

suppose an experienced man llN0
you could do it, but we are unused to
these wild horses. I'd like to sell him
to some man who knows about such
animals. He's fine pony, strong as
a lion, but he's terrible bucker. !
never saw his equal"
He smiled again indulgently. "Lets
take look at him.
The pony had filed his hay basket
and looked as innocent as worsted
kitten.
''Nice little feller, shore thing
said the Missourian, as he patted the
Rat. "He's young and coltish.
What'll you take for him?'
'sNow, see here, stranger. I am a
fair man. 1 don't want to deceive any
one. That pony is wonder. He
can outbuck any horse west of Sci,
kirk range"
The old mans eyes were very ag.
gravating. ''He needs an old hand,
that's all. Why. could shoulder the
little kid whilst he was a-pitchin' his
blamedest. What'll you take for him?"
"I'd throw off IS, and you take the
rope; but, stranger, he's the worst"
He refused to listen. He took the
pony. AS the Rat followed him off he
looked so small, SO sleepy, so round
and gentle you would have said,
There goes man with pony for
his little girls
We laid off day at Tchincut lake.
We needed rest anyway, and it was
safer to let the man from Butte go on.
l had made every provision against
complaint on the Missourian's part,
but at the same time one can't be too
careful.
There are no returning footsteps on
the long trail, but few days later /
overlook the man from Indiana, who
had been see-sawing back and forth on
the trail, now ahead, now behind. He
had laid off a half day.
He approached me with a curious
look on his face.
Stranger, what kind of beast did
you put off on that feller from
Butte?"
ga mighty strong, capable little
horse. Why?"
''Well, say, was just a-passing his
camp yesterday morning, when the
thing took place. I always was lucky
about such"
''What happened?" queried I.
81 don't wish any mans barn to
burn, strangers, nor his horse to take
fall outen him, but when anything
does go on like to see it. You see,
he had just drawed the last knot on the
pack and as 1 came up he said: 'How's
this for $40 pony?' I said, Pretty
good. Who'd you get him off of?'
'''A couple of tenderfeet,' he says,
who couldn't handle him. Why, he's
gentle as a dog; then he slaps the
pony on the side. The little fiend lit
out both hind feet and took the old
man on both knees and Knocked him
down overa pack saddle into the mud.
Then he turned loose, that pony did,
stranger. l have saw horses buck
plenty, Mexican bronks, wild cayuses
in Montana, and all kinds o. beasts in
California, but never seen the beats
of that blue pony. He shore was a
bucker from Battle Creek. The Butte
man lay there a groanin' his two knees
in his fists, whilst trail of flour an
beans an sacks an rubber boots led
up the hill an at the far end of that
trail bout thirty yards up the blamed
cayuse was a-feedin' like a April
lamb"
"What happened to him?"
"Who?"
''The pony"
cold Butte, as soon as he could
crawl little, he says: Gimme my
gun, I've been a-pachin' on the trails
of the Rocky mountains for forty years
and / never was done up before.
Gimme that gun He sighted her,
stranger, most vicious, and pulled
trigger. Thepo gave one big jump
aud went a-rolin' and a-crashin' into
the gulch. ''You'll never kick again,
says the feller from Butte"
Poor little Blue Rat. He had gone
to the mystic meadows where no pack
saddle could follow him. - D-troit
| Free Press.