The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1900-03-08

ARE INTRODUCED.
There ain only one thing he won't
do. an that's lie,' said the Ballet Girl
to me. ''Work? Sure he'll work, but
he works all wrong l darsn' let i'm
skin the spuds (potatoes) even. He's
orkerd, that's what he u.s. but it ain't
no more'n natcherl, bein like he is, all
laigs an arms, with jes' enough body
far ter hol' 'em together an no head at
al. That's why they calls him Spider,
I spase. his bein all ]aigs an arms. He
hasn't got no other name, not as l
knows.
While speaking the Ballet Girl lnol<od
doubtfully in the direction OF the cook
wagon, near which Spider was busily
engaged in securing an iron soup kettle
SO 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 M
ranch. The cowboys had given him this
name because, as one of then explain
ed, the cook had wooden leg and was
therefore unable to dance.
The Ballet Girls statement that
Spider had no head was libel. He had
a head, and, though it was small and
not at all beautiful, it was very good
one and was covered with a heavy
thatch Of extraordinarily red hair.
AS Spider worked among the pots
and pans he certainly was awkward. l
had been watching him all the morn
ing. 1 had nothing else to do.
1t was but very short time since
had acquired an interest in the Circle
NJ brand. Just before this large num-
Der of cattle had been sold and driven
away overland toward the railway,
where they could be shipped to the east,
and 1 had at once been sent forward to
overtake the herd in order to assume its
management. Now, herd of cattle
that has to pick up it's food as it goes
along does not travel rapidly, and l
had overtaken it without difficulty, but
the horse was riding Immediately GEL
ebrated that event by stepping into
badger hole, breaking his leg and at the
same time spraining one Of my ankles
and wrist. In bed made up in one
of the springless wagons l had been
painfully jolted for couple of stages
over the half desert plain. Then we
reached the Rio ella and stopped, for
the river was full from bank to bank
with rushing, brown water. far too
deep and too swift for us to attempt
crossing it with the cattle. We could
only wait until the river fell
,.>+s , a.
l asked. Cant he cook?''
''You don go for ter s. pose I'd trus
i'm ter try, do your replied the Ballet
Girl disgustedly NO he cant cook,
an if he could he'd be alwus tryin some
er them monkey shines er his, SOS you
wouldn't dare eat nothin he'd touched.
Why, it was only week back that he
took some salt an saleratus an stained
it with coffee, so s it looked like brown
sugar, an give it ter the boys ter sweeten
ther slumgullion (tea) with. They said
I was a-tryin ter pizen 'em, the boys
did, an they said if 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, I inter-
posed.
Dunno, replied the cook obviously.
''Them boys, they gets mighty playful
sometimes Course they oughter "a
knowed I wouldn't do no such fool
thing as that I foun' out who twas
that done it an toll 'em.'
'How did you find ort?' 1 inquired
curiously.
"Asked i'm. 1 said he wouldn' lie
The boys, they licked him good fer that.
Sod I, you bet you.'
"What did he do then p I asked.
'tFilled my boot up with m'lasses.
When got it off-an it was er mighty
long time frs'-my foot looked as
though I'd vanished it an the varnish
hadn't dried. kicked him with it fore
took it off, an then hung it on the
wagon ter dreen. It's dreenin vet
See?''
He pointed as he spoke to a cowhide
Of generous proportions that hung 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.
can that amt all he DONE" the cook
went on. 'He took some spuds what he
knowed l was a-gonter bake in the
ashes, an he loaded 'em up with powder.
When put 'em in the Goals, they bust
ed in little while an filled mess er
biscuit was a-mixin plum full er burnt
powder an raw pertater. Some of it
went down my neck inside my shirt
''Did you whip him again2''
"Nope. Icouldn', not that time. He
cut away an didn' come back till was
ersleep, an then he got my timber laig
an saw an said he'd saw the laig in
two if didn' say wouldn' do nothin
to him fer them there explosive spuds.
/ couldn' chase i'm, so had ter prom
ise But sayl I clean forgot you was
one er the bosses-I wouldn' t "a top yer
else. The boy, he amt mono so bad. He
dom mean nothin wrong, an he wouldn'
do low down thing, not ter save his
neck. ain got no kick comm, SO you
won have i'm fired ner nothin. will
your ..>
The cook stood boring his wooden Loo