The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-07


arranged il, that Judge Granger was the
instant jauntly bestridiug.
The cowboys recognized the missing
horse at once, and they didn't recognize
the judge, which was an unfortunate COM
blnation of circumstances for the latter
In considerably less time than it takes
10 tell it the eXcitable ranchers had, Ge-
spite his indignant protests, uuceremoui-
ously separated the judge from the stolen
animal and hustled him under a conven-
lent limb which overhung the roadside.
Persons found with stolen horses IN their
possession met with scant consideration
in that section of Uncle Sans domain at
that period, and the crowd had a rope
neatly adjusted about the judges neck
and were on the point of stringing him up
when l proVidenually happened along on
my way TO town.
Strange to relate though he had been
tirst-class stranger to me for the last
fifteen months, he now not only recog-
nized me at once, but actually beamed
with pleasure at the sight of my face.
Why, how are you, Mr.. Boomer?
Mighty tickled to see your he jOyfuly
exclaimed. Just tell those crazy cowboys
who | am They won't believe me, though
l have told them that I am Judge Gran
ger of Boomvile, and that l bought this
COMPOUNDED horse instead of stealing it,
That is rather rough on you, mister
said I, calm and cool as a cucumber on
ice. Sorry 1 can't help you, but the fact
is you are Just as much of a stranger
to me as YOU are to the rest of the crowd.
The judges face grew fairly purple
with rage. 1t was very poor policy 10 al
low his wrath to get the upper hand of
him at that critical moment, when a word
from me might have settled his fate and
set him TO dancing a hornpipe in the air,
but he did SO.
" You internal scoundrelr he howled,
you know well enough that 1 am Judge
Granger! Haven't you been running al
ter my daughter for the last eighteen
months and trying to obtain my consent
to make her your wife.
"'You certainly seem to be familiar
with some of the facts in the case, said
I, still calm and collected. I am a sutton
for the hand of Judge Changers daugh-
ter, 1t is true, but the judge hasn't rec
ognized or spoken to me in over a year,
and under the circumstances l see no
reason why I should go out of my way
to recognize him or do him a favor, even
if he needed it as bad as you do this
minute. Now, 1 don't admit that you are
Judge Granger, but if you are, just in
troduce me to the crowd as your pros
pectiVe son-in-laW and I'll see what l
can do for you.
TN be hanged if I dor snorted the
judge.
You cerainly will be Il you don't, ,
I retorted, grimly, starting to drive on.
Hold on there Boomer shouted the
Judge For heavens sake, don't go on
and leave me to the mercy of this
crowd! They'll lynch me, sure if you
do
Guess you're right, said I, careless
ly. But If you want me to help you out
of your scrape I shall have to insist on
your doing the square thing by me and
Jessie in return. Just repeat after me:
1 am Judge Granger of Boomville and
freely consent to the marriage of my
daughter Jessie to Robert J. Bloomer,
manager of the Big Six ranch, and here
by invite the entire crowd now present
to witness the wedding ceremony and
drink the brides health at my home in
Boomville at 1880 this evening.
Seems TO me your getting in an
awful hurry, young man. Better give
the women folks a chance to get ready,
hadn't you% demanded the judge
You needn't worry over that part
of it; FL take my chances on their being
ready said I. An l ask of you IS to re-
peat the sentence l just gave you, and
III see that the rest of the programme is
carried ont
well, it was a bitter pill for the judge
to swallow, but the cowboys were grow
ing impatient, the rope began to tighten
up around his neck at this opportune
the sentence, word for word as l had
given it to him.
1--WE rode into Boomville like conquer
ing heroes, escorted by a dozen gallant
though somewhat vociferOus cowboys
These gentry circulated impartially
around among the saloons in the place
making a fresh circle at least once every
thirty minutes, until the hour of 73C
in the evening, when they promptly put
in an appearance a the residence OF
Judge Granger to see me get spliced and
toss off a snifter TO the health of the
bride as they expressed it.
"And 1 am happy to say that they were
not disappointed in either of these desires
Not only did they witness the splicing
(Which was performed with neatness and
dispatch by the local Methodist parson
who was an old hand at the busness), but
they drank to the health of the brides
rfather and all the rest of the brides rela-
tives for three generations back, or until
the supply of liquid refres hments ran out
and then, with three rousng cheers and a
rafting pistol fuslade as a grand finale
they dispersed for home, leaving Jessie
and me to settle down and enjoy our
honeymoon in peace.
This, concluded Boomer is the true
story of how I won a father-in-iaw, and
although he was inclined to be a trihe
balky on the start, l don't believe either
of US have had occasion 10 feel sorry since
that things turned out as they did"