The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-06-28

buried it.
"That crazy Irishman's notion about
getting let off if he can lay hands on
the book don't &c for a cent with me
now" said Laraway; "but before the
year is up I'll be a crazy Irishman my
self"
The one-year pledge proved too hard
to keep. Twice since its making, at in
tervals of six or eight months, Laraway
had dug up his Bible, cancelled his
pledge, and got drunk. Tonight we
had seer him overcome for the third
time. We liked him well, and we were
grieved, but what could we do?
"Why don't some of you make a
sneak on his Bible and cache it where
he can't find it ?" asked the Kid. (He is
always asking fool questions.) The
men had thought of that, but no n
had the
"Oh, he would kill the man that
touched it, and get drunk just the
same" declared the cook.
"Well, I'd like to see it tried" per,
sisted the Kid.
"Why not do it yourself?" asked the
foreman. "Nobody is holding you"
"What, me 2" said the Kid, in a shaky
voice; I'm only a boy" and went away
to bed.
We sat around the table some time
longer, smoking and drinking hot cot.
fee. AS the clock struck for midnight
the mess-house door was flung open-a.
RI thought by a stronger gust of wind.
Turning to look, I found myself looking
into the muzzle of n of Laraway's
guns. He stood in the doorway with his
eyes aire and a gun in either hand.
(Which one of you dogs has got my
Bible?" he cried. sits not in the hole.
and I'll give you just ten seconds tc
produce it."
"Now, Laraway," said the foreman, in
a smooth tone, 'you got the drop on us
all right, but 1 tell you it's Gods truth
that not a man here knows anything
about your Bible. We thought you had
dug it up and was half way to town by
now"
"Stop that driveling and get the
Bible" growled Laraway, and the ham.
mers went "click, click" as he raised
them both. "I'l pot a few of you before
you get out of this"
1t looked as though some one was
going to get hurt. All the hot coffee
had been drinking came to the surface
in perspiration. Every man in the room
waslooking square at Laraway. And to
every man it seemed that the pistols
were looking square at himself.
The Kid always was sandy-and
freckled. Half an hour before he had
skunk off to bed. Now, just at the right
moment, he skunk up behind Laraway,
jumped onto his back like a cat, put
both his freckled hands to the mans
throat, and brought him down. The
guns went off through the roof.
Mr.. Laraway was tied to his bed that
night and many nights after. He had
a attack of brain fever, from
which he came out as weak as a baby
During his convalescence he never
spoke of his Bible, and he had an aver.
sion to liquor. During those days a
strong and quiet friendship grew up be.
tween Laraway and the Kid.
The "old man" was visiting his ranch.
es that season, and took a great interest
in the sick man; told him to go of
somewhere and get well and hearty be.
fore trying to work again; said his pay
should go on exactly as though he were
in the saddle. But Laraway said: "I've
no place to go that I like half so we'll as
this old ranch, and no friends so good as
these" So he stayed around camp anG
made hair brides and cinches, and rea6
books, and helped the cook, and did all
those things that a man war. cowboy
does only when he is invalided.
Among the visitors whom the "old
man" entertained at the ranch that
spring was Mitchell, the famous mind.
reader. One Sunday afternoon he vol
unteered to show the boys what he
could do. He gave us a show that
couldn't be beaten on any stage. We
had objects all over the place and KEEP
him chasing around for an hour.
At last Mitchell said: "This is all
dead easy for me; it doesn't amuse me
You all know where these objects are
placed, and the trail is hot to them
Now" said he to the Kid, who had beer
one of the most interested participants;
you fix your mind on something whose
whereabouts is known only to yourself
and which you don't want me to find.'
He took the Kids hand and began tc
wander around the buildings. Twice he
circled the c~orrals, then, getting his
bearings, made a Decline for a small
bowlder-strewn butte a quarter-mile
away. By this time he was fairly drag
cling the reluctant Kid along, and the
cook, who had often charged the boy
with raiding the commissary at night
rejoiced openly.
"I1l bet a boiled dinner" said he, that
we find a cache of canned goods up in
these rocks"
The mind-reader halted at the first
big bowlder, and the boys quickly
turned it over. The bed of the rock was
a rounded hole, some three feet deep
and at the bottom lay a small black
hook-Laraway's Bible. At sight Of
it we fell back a step and stood about
the hole as solemnly as at a grave. The
Kid was blubbering. II didn't mean nc
HARM" said he.
Laraway had been in the second ranh
of those who followed the mind-reade,
up the hill; now he crowded to the
front and looked in.
"My Bible, by God," he cried. and
jumped into the hole. AS he came out
with the book in his hand, and strobe
down the hill without a word to anyone,
he tore out the hy-leaf upon which he
had written his pledges. I picked it
up and kept it as a record of noble, en-
| deayOr.