The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-18
CHAPTER I.
n WHICH SPIDER AND THE BALLET GIRL
ARE IyTRODUCED

ARE INTRODUCED.
There ain only one thing he won't
do. an that's lie. said the Ballet Girl
60 me. Work Sure he'll work, but
he works all wrong. darsn'. let i'm
akin the spuds (potatoes) even. He's
orkerd. that's what he is. but it ain't
sio more'n natcberl. bein like he is. all
lsigs an arms. with jes' ernough body
Tor ter hor 'em together an no head at
ell That's why they calls him Spider.
Is'pose. his bein all iaigs an arms He
hasn't got no other name. not as
knows"
While speaking the Ballet Girl looked
doubtfully In the direction of the cook
wagon. near which Spider was Dusiiy
engaged In securing an iron soup kettle
90 large that it nearly concealed him.
Perhaps would better explain that the
Ballet Girl was gray bearded man,
cook for the field outfit Of the Circle NJ
ranch. The cowboys had given him this
name because. as one of them explain.
Cd. the cook had wooden leg and was
therefore unable to dance
The Ballet Girls statement that
Spider had no head was libel. He had
. head, and. though 1t was small and
not st all beautiful. it was a very good
one and was covered with heavy
thatch Of extraordinarily red hair.
A Spider worked among the pots
and pans he certainly was awkward. l
had been watching him all the morn
ing. ! had nothinr slse to do.
It was but very short time since
had scquired an interest in the Circle
u brand. Just before this large mum.
her Of cattle had been sold and driven
sway overland toward the railway.
whore they could be shipped to the east.
and I haA at once been sent forward to
overtake toe herd In order to assume Its
management. Now. q herd Of cattle
that has TO pick up its food as Ii goes
along does not travel rapidly. and
had overtaken IL without difficulty. but
the horse was riding immediately eel.
sbrated that event by stepping into a
badger hole. breaking his leg and at the
same time spraining one of my ankles
and wrist. In a bed made up in one
Of the springle.s wagons I had been
painfully jolted for couple Of stages
over the half desert plain. Then we
reached the Rio Gila and stoppe for
The river was full from bank to bank
With rushing. brown water. far too
deep and too swift for us to attempt
crossing IL with the cattle. We could
only wait until the river fell.
"What's the matter with the boy 2
! asked. Cant he cookf"
"You dom 60 for ter s'pose I'd trus'
Inn ter try. do your" replied the Ballet
Girl disgustedly. "No. he can't cook,
IN II he could he'd be alwus tryin some
q them monkey shines er his. SOS you
wouldn't dare eat nothin he'd touched.
Why, Ii was only week back that he
took some salt an saleratus an stained
tt with coffee. SOS IL looked like brown
sugar. an give 1t ter the boys ter sweeten
ther slumgullion (tea) with They said
was a-tryin ter pizen 'en. the boys
did. an they said IL did it some more
they'd hang me on the tongue er my
own cook wagon"
''But you know they wouldn't have
done anything Of the Sort" inter-
posed.
''Dunno. replied the cook obviously.
"Them boys. they gets mighty playful
sometimes Course they oughter "a
knowed | wouldn't do no such fool
thing as that .foun' out who twas
that done 10 an toll EN-"
''How did you find outt" inquired
curiously
''Asked i'm. I said he wouldn' lie.
The boys. they licked him good fer that
Sod l. you bet you"
"What did he do then - asked.
'Filled my boot up with IN lasses.
When l got 1t off-an it was er mighty
long time s'--my foot looked as
though I'd vanished IL an the varnish
hadn' dried. kicked him with 1t fore
took Ii of. an then ! hung it on the
wagon ter dreen. It's dreenin yet
Sect
He pointed as he spoke to cowhide
of generous proportions that hang over
the side OF the mess wagon. From the
straps that were intended to pull it on
by there slowly dripped stringy. brown
stream OF molasses.
IAN that ain't all he done. e" the cock
went on. "He took some spuds what he
knowed | was a-gonter bake in the
ashes. an he loaded 'em up with powder.
When put 'em IN the Goals. they bust
ed in a little while an filed mess er
biscuit was e-mixin plum full er burnt
powder an raw pertater. Some Of it
went down my neck inside my shirt"
Ibid you whip him againS"
Nope. Icouldn'. not that time. He
cut away an didn' come back till was
ersleep. an then he got my timber laig
an q saw an said he'd saw the laig in
two II didn' cay wouldn' do nothin
to him fer them there explosive spuds
i couldn' chase i'm. 20 had ter prom.
:se But sayi I clean fergot You wn.
one er the bosses wouldn't a tol' yer
elao Thu hoy ho atn't mana ., kol ~