The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-04-13

the FIRST stunning shock of surprise had
snbsided. on the pinnacle OF all earfhl,
bliss
Spider might weli he rieGscd tt.
''boys had done their hest. and Spiael
WAS equipped ffofu head to heel viii
cowboy parapbpinaiia saddle, bride.
spurs aud all His chm : were resllend.
ent. The new leather made his legs. &c
the men said, look like those OF n newly
hatched chicken, they were 10 yellcw
So taken with them was Spider that BIZ
was nearly thrown several times The
first day he wore them because. instead
OF looking to see where his horse was
going. he was admiring his legs, But d
glory greater even than the chaps lay
In his ''gup, the heavy pistol. that
with its hoist " and well filled car.
fridge belt SPIDER proudly bnckled
around his waist He seemed to have
grown two inches taller az he sfrntted
about the camp The outfit would have
been woefully incomplete without this
weapon If u herder becomes nnhorsed.
the half wild cattle will attack him
oftener than not and without this means
OF defense he would be helpless.
Spider threw himself into his work
with an energy greater, IL possible. than
before, Lack Of energy was at no time
one OF Spiders faults. and this was
most fortunate, for WI needed him and
every u IN whom we could depend
more and more as the days passed by
Matters In the camp were going from
bad to worse
Those men who went most frequent.
ly TO Agpa Caliente began going often,
er than ever Sometimes they w0uld
leaye their work In order TO go there,
and when they returned they would be
filed with the malignant whisky preya,
lent In that region or with the still
mere malignant niescnl Could We have
replaced them these men would have
been discharged ut once, bDt we coplj
not replace them For a time was
eomforted by the reflection that IN soon
rs their money gave ont this conduct
mnst censo II did not cease. bDt IN,
steDd II becnme worse than ever Some
Of the cowboys left Some became No
useless that, great ns pnr need WIS, we
Ind to discharge them or all the men
who went often 10 Aqua Caliente. Hollis
alone wonld return sober
IAN he's jus the las one care
about, said the foreman as for tbs
bnndrndth time we were holding q
Hes han In glove with Lo
nm the hnll gang, It's them what
get the boys awgy-it's their reg lar
trick They wants ter weaken rs all
they can m then snenk the cattle, Been
cattle fer years, they have, only
40 one couldn't prove nothip They
amt takin no chances they en- help,
Dnt the rivers goin down purity fas'
now, an they know ", 80 reckon
make Their try fer orr herd In a
aight or two-~t'pight maybe Better
got the Aattle together There Amt no
$50 In opr foolin ourselves things
lon't look none too CANDY, no way You
IN SEQ en- :
What the foreman said was perfectly
rpe fully realized that now, and Mt
nee gave orders 10 round M the cattle
river hAd fallen considerably, and n
vas decided that we should move the
amp and gather the cattle NJ the near
NJ ford, ~ miles below, In this way II
vas Just possible that, " the river NJ
owed ns, we might get across and away
'efore there was an opportunity for
All OF our men We're nv supper that
light, and all OF them, with tho axcep,
Ion Of Hollis, were trustworthy, The !
theirs had been weeded ont days before
~ the hnsty meal was finished the fore, ,
ann stood w and made u little speech i
Q tho men II was very short [
'Hoys, no said, ~ reckon you all
nows what yen got ter do, Now yop
,anter saddle MP an do " jps' a. QniGk .
y yon know how Theram bo trouble ,
lsa NJ both ends er the line, Now's the
inc ter start, J
The boys aaddled and started, In ,
NY mlnntea, except for the Ballet :
|ir|, who was hprriedly striking eamp :
acre WINS not \ human being In sight !
the spare horses ahead of me, ,
went directly 70 orr now camping '
|aoe, gathering by the way what few
title oonld got, was the first Ia nv, !
70 NJ the ford, huilt i fire to guido =
10 others 70 this point and sat down ,
keep " going until the cook eopld {, /.
mo up and rolieyesm v
Few OF the cattle had strayed far !,
by q shouting cowboy or two :
Ly ~ y