The Opelousas courier., 1899-05-06

cordial greeting and urged them t
sit up by the huge, red-hot heate
and thaw themselves, while sh
poured out the fragrant cufee an
added a few more dishes to the alread
ample spread.
They resumed their journey non
too soon, for the days are but scant
length at that season of the year, an
the sun was already sinking toward
the western horizon. Off to the RICH
a lean, hungry-looking coyote eye
them curiously for a moment from tn
top of a small, conical-shaped butte
then dropping upon his launches b
elevated his nose and gave vent to
weird, blood-curdling howl, like tn
wall Of a banshee %foretelling death
This prelude was Immediately an
swered from a neighboring draw, an,
then half-a-dozen of them joined a
once in a hideous symphony that wa
swelled still louder by the hoarse, deel
bass Of a gray wolf concealed among tn,
sombrous shadows of the cottonwoods
Minnie shivered as she listened t.
this grewsome orchestra, and Nav
erick Bill drew the fask from hi.
pocket, saying as he did SO: '"Take {
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 az
she replied: 81 don't drink whiskey,
MI. Harris, and you ought to be
ashamed Of yourself for making such
a suggestion"
Bill gave vent to a long, low 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-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
I 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 I was a little kid, way back in
Tennessee, my OIL nanny used to
take me on her knee an read to me
out Of the Good Book an T remem-
Der n 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
same? When I first knew you, years
ago, you never drank, or smoked, nor
gambled, and papa said that you were
the best oow.hand that he ever had
about the ranch. What has made
such a change in you since then?"
swell, Minnie, it's hard to tell.
You know I've been in the COW coun-
try a long time. I commenced wrang-
ling horses fer the Cross Anchor out
fit when I was only twelve years old
poor little Maverick kid without
kith or kin in all this wide world as
he knowed on. But the OF lady's
teachin's had taken a mighty strong
holt on me, an I allus aimed to act
right an save my money-ad' I did
fer quite q spell. In SO I had a nice
little bunch of cattle of my own; then
hard winter come and wiped 'em
Ill out. AFTER that I put my money
n the bank, but the bank went broke,
an put me afoot again. Next thing,
ny horse fell on me an drug me all
over the fat with one foot in the stir
up, an it took a heap Of money fer
l~octor's bills. Seemed like the Lord
lun 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
vas just as sweet an pretty as an an
I used to holt her on my knee
n tell her stories by the hou-; an I
lsed to braid horsehair quits an
'ridles for her ponie. SIZE was the
My critter on earth that I wei loved
ince my poor Of mother died, an
7hen she was a little thing I think she
Ised to kinder like me, too. But
7hen she got oldor her DID sent her
wayt to school, an I knowed that set
led it. She wouldn't have no more
Sc fer an old broken-down cow
'uncher when she came back, an
'heu I thought about it, it made my
cart bad, as the Iniins say. did
.'tnever go to be tough, but just non
hally drifted that way, like a steer in
blizzard. If I once thought she
cared fer me I'd sure brace up
n be a man again."
He tried to catch q glance from
eyes as he concluded, but she
as gazing far away over the moon-lit
Ills.
Glow thick the coyotes are to-
said she, presently. wasn't
nat the bowling of a gray wolf, Mr..
YES" replied Bill, gloomily.
Shave the wolves killed many cat
this winter?"
Eyes, q whole lot; they pulled down
three-year-old Flying V steer, up at
forks, day a-fore yesterday"
"1s it possible? They must go in
'rge packs to do so much mischief"
"Thst's what they do, from fifteen
twenty in q bunch" "Whoa!"
ne of the horses had stepped into a +.
hole, and was sprawling
pom the ground with his mate stand.
q over him.
Bill sprang from the vehicle, dex-
disentangled the team, and
had them in proper position
gain. {