Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-12-22
7 II E r F IR S T
NIGHT IN CAMP

dow, A. T., a few weeks ago with seven
New Haven friends and asked who
wSiuld be good man to conduct an out.
fit TO the Moqui snake dance at Oribi, it
was ''Chuck" Hardy that was recon-
mended to him.
"Thar's man." said native, speak.
sng of Hardy, "who was never known
10 git inter hole whatso he couldn't
fog his way out of it IL yer only let him
have his own way ana his six-shooter-
don't know as yer need to be so per
tic'lar bout lettin' him have his own
way, though, fer he'll have that any.
way If he's got his cutter on his hip"
Hardy was known in polite society as
q "cow rustler," but the sheriff always
referred TO him in plain English as
cattle thief" For this outspokenness
Hardy admired the sheriff, and always
felt rather proud of himself when that
dignitary referred to him by the latter
little.
A half dozen times he had been ar
vested, but he was never convicted
Twice he was caught redJhanded burn
sng out brands The foreman of the
-'Hash-Knife'' outfit was unlucky
enough to catch him at it the first time
and the following day the foreman was
buried. Again Mexican was impolite
enough to interrupt him while he was
burning out a Long II" brand. At
Winslow few days later the Mexican
had a bullet taken out OF his leg and
then left for old Mexico, or, as the cow
boys putt, she drug it clean out of crea-
dion."
Over the Indian trail that leads from
Winslow to 0ribi il is so miles COM
mon saying in Winslow is that coy
ote has something TO be proud of IL he
manages to go over the trail without
either dying of thirst on the Painted
desert or sinking in the quiclsands OF
the Little Colorado. Because of the
difficulties to be encountered upon the
trip the doctor was careful to get a
good man to onduct the outfit, and so
"Chuck" was engaged. Like nearly all
cow punchers, he knew how TO cook
that is, he knew how to fry beef until
ii resembled q trunk strap, to make
something which looked like coffee and
TO make something else which he called
bread.
Just at daybrsak on the morning of
the start the commissary. piled high
with bedding and provisions, rolled out
of Winslow across fuckers fats with
Chuck up on the high seat driving.
Alongside the wagon, riding a half
broken brocho, was Rob Ricketts,, a tall,
1oose-jointed puncher, better known as
Rickety Bob. Some four hours later,
after they had their morning "bawth"
and had spent an hour at breakfast.
the doctor and his friends left in the
light rigs, thinking to overtake Hardy
at noon. But when their luggage was
put aboard" the rigs were overloaded,
and at noon they were fully ten miles
behind Hardy, and were thus forced to
do without lunch.
II had been cloudy all morning, and
about one o'clock in the afternoon be-
gan typical Arizona rain-a drench-
ing pourdown that lasted INCREASINGLY
for hours, and seemed to come but
from one. little insignificant cloud
that hung just overhead. At five
O'Clock darkness came on. To the
west little above Rabbits Ear range
of mesas settled a heavy bank of dark
clouds in which faint flashes of light
ming cleaned. The eddying wind
would suck one cloud scrap after an
other from the bank and hurl them
out over the flats to reinforce the
gushing cloud overhead. All the after
noon Hardy kept the shoulders of his
four horses hard against their collars
When darkness came on he had not
reached the high ground where he in.
tended to make camp. Water six
inches deep covered the flats, and
Hardy forced his horses on at a swift
er gait than before. The heavy wagon
rolled and tossed like n distressed
boat as the front and rear wheels
dropped alternately TO the hubs into
soft, miry chuckholes. But Hardy
Kept on, and at seven o'clock, with a
whoop of triumph, he pulled up his
tired, weary team on the top of
large sand dune.
After the horses had been fed and
pile of green greasewood, the only
fuel to be had, had been gathered,
Hardy and Rickety Bob set about
making camp: They built a large
fire, so that those in the rigs behind
might know where to come, and be-
gan to prepare supper.
"Say, Chuck" said Ricketv. as he
rummaged about in the wagon, do
you know we clean plump forgot to
bring coffee mi;?7
mo; you don't say?" CO
Eyes, sir; and the hen fruit what
yer got fer them hifalutin tenderfeet
air jes' plump made inter an omelet
already. I. And, good gosh! Look at
the lid OF this here bread oven. She's
cracked plump clean acrokst."
'Well,f drawled Chuck, "ef that's
the case guess thar amt none of
our friends whatso will suffer great
lot with govt afore they git back,
anyhow" rTITE ~ E TNT> TFt
Say, Chuck" said Rickety, scratch
inghis headthoughtfully and balancing
himself on the hind wheel. of the wae-
on, do you know we're agoin' ter,
have trouble with them THAR NAV
ericks2 We air, shore. They's les
lila LOT Of hrnnlxs >