The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1899-04-12

at times when the vehicle swayed and
joited about, crossing deep, narrow
creeks with the horses at their top
most speed, she felt an almost ire
sistible desire to scream. Fifteen
miles out they stopped at an Indians
cabin to change horses, and two hours
later Maverick Bill pulled up his tired
team before the door of long, low,
dirty-roofed, log tavern where their
midday meal was awaiting them.
Their hostess, Mrs. March, short,
stout, elderly lady, whose reckless
disregard for his betrayed her British
birth, met them at the door with q
cordial greeting and urged them to
sit up by the huge, red-hot heater
and tbaw themselves, while she
poured out the fragrant coffee and
added few more dishes to the already
ample spread.
They resumed their journey none
too soon, for the days are but scanty
length at that season of the year, and
the sun was already sinking towards
the western horizon. OFF to the right
lean, hungry-looking coyote eyed
them curiously for moment from the
top of small, conical-shaped butte,
then dropping upon his launches he
elevated his nose and gave vent to q
weird, blood-curdling howl, like the
wall of banshee foretelling death.
This prelude was Immediately an
swered from a neighboring draw, and
then half-a-dozen of them Joined at
once in a hideous symphony that was
swelled still louder by the hoarse, deep
bass of gray wolf concealed among the
sombrous shadows of the cottonwoods.
Minnie shivered as she listened to
this grewsome orchestra, and Nav
erick Bill drew the flask from his
pocket, saying as he did so: "Take a
drop of this, Minnie. A sip of some
thing hot is just what you need now. "
Minnie dropped the blanket from
her face, and her eyes flashed fire as
she replied: ''I don't drink whiskey,
Mr.. Harris, and you ought to be
ashamed of yourself for making such
suggestion"
Bill gave vent to q long, lew whis-
tie. II plumb forgot that you'd been
back East for the last two year.
don't 'spect you'll mix with common
COW w-punchers any more"
Certainly not unless they behave
themselves like gentlemen" retorted
Minnie.
well, that depends; if you fgger
that we're agoin' to act like them
Eastern dudes, you're away off; but
l tell you what, Minnie, we're just as
good as they are, only they're sly an
deceitful about their onerryness, an
we've got the rough all ON the outside.
When | was little kid, way back in
Tennessee, my ol' nanny used to
take me on her knee an read to me
out of the Good Book, an 1 remem-
Der one verse specially that said:
God loves sinners, but hates hyper
critics, or words to that effect. Well.
He sure amt got no call to put us fell
lers in the fire fer bein' hypercrites.
Perhaps not; but, Mr.. Harris,
don't you do a great many things that
your poor old mother would't approve
of if she were alive-and it is possible
that she knows about them Just the
same9 When first knew you, years
ago, you never drank, or smoked, nor
gambled, and papa said that you were
the best cow-hand that he ever had
about the ranch. What has made
such q change in you since then?"
"Well, Minnie, it's hard to tell.
You know I've been in the COW coun-
try long time. 1 commenced wrang-
ling horses fer the Cross Anchor ont
tit when | was only twelve years old
poor little Maverick kid without
kith or kin in all this wide world as
he knowed on. But the oil lady's
teachin's had taken mighty strong
holt on me, an l allus aimed to act
right an save my money-ad' 1 did
fer quite a spell. In 'S6 1 had a nice
little bunch of cattle of my own; then
the hard winter come and wiped 'em
all out. Arter that 1 put my money
in the bank, but the bank went broke,
an put me afoot again. Next thing,
my horse fell on me an drug me all
over the fiat with one foot in the stir
rup, an it took heap of money fer
doctors bills. Seemed like the Lord
dun give me up an turned me to the
wild bunch. But what worriet me the
worst of anything was this: There was
little gal on one of the ranches that
was just as sweet an pretty as an an
gel. l used to holt her on my knee
an tell her stories by the hour; an 1
used to braid horsehair quirts an
brides for her ponie. Sic was the
only critter on earth that 1 ever loved
since my poor Of mother died, an
when she was little thing think she
used to kinder like me, too. But
when she got oldor her dad sent her
away to school, an 1 knowed that set
tied it. She wouldn't have no more
use fer an old broken-down cow
puncher when she came back, an
when l thought about it, 1T made my
heart bad, as the Injins say. did
n'tnever go to be tough, but just non
chally drifted that way, like steer in
q hliz1a Tf opoa thoue,ht aho