Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-06-13

exclaimed when demonstrated with
him. 81 wouldn' stan no sort er a show
fer a job-a kid like me-if couldn'
ride. Then 1 ain got no horses er my
own
Still, as said, for two or three even
ings there was quiet, and then the
chaps were finished. Spider wore them
continually. to climber 'em up some"
he said. Truly they needed limbering,
for the leather, when made into tubes
of SO small diameter, was so stiff that
SPIDERS knees could not bend it in the
smallest degree. and he was obliged to
walk in much the same manner that
one steps off distances on map with
pair of compasses. The report circu-
lated through the camp to the effect
that Spider slept in those chaps of his
was without foundation, but it is GER
tain that they were never far from
him.
The Ballet Girl, with grin, confided
to me that when Spider rolled himself
up in his blanket for the night he
stood the chaps up against a post at his
feet. go that he could see them as he
first opened his eyes. OF course the
men chaffed him about them continu-
ally. They compared the chaps to
couple of small stovepipes, but said that
of the two the stovepipes were the
more flexible. Spider stood their chaff-
ing good naturally enough in the main,
but at first he resented this allusion to
the stiffness of his chaps, SO for a long
time the men called him Stovepipes in
stead of Spider.
But, like most pleasant things of this
world, Spider chaps were too good to
last. One morning he appeared without
them and went about his work very So
berly. Never before had seen him in
such detection. l inquired as to its
cause. Without word he brought me
the blackened and shriveled remains of
what were once his proudest possession
and laid them before me.
1T was that Their Pug Hollis what
done it. !" he said at last in reply to
my repeated questionings. Gle took
the chaps when was sleepin las night,
an he propped 'em up with rocks like
as though they was stovepipes, what
the boys had called EN-. an then he
built fire under 'em. They didn't
smell none too good when they was
a-cookin, an the smell woke me up. 1t
was too late then-they was like you
see here. That's what he thinks is q
joke"
Hollis notion Of joke did not at all
appeal to me. So thoroughly disgusted
was that expressed my intention Of
discharging him at once. much as we
needed help. did not care to have such
a man around. Spider, however, would
hear Of no such thing.
"You wanter bounce him JUS cause
he burnt up them chaps er mine, an
that's the only reason you wanter
bounce him now, when you want every
man you en- get, an more, too" said
he. "Them chaps ain nobody's look
out but mine, an If like such jokes as
them. why them jokes goes. that's ALL
don't ask melody ter look after my
quar- Is fer me. You ain gonter bounce
Pug Hollis"
| mildly differed from this last state
ment.
mo. You ain'-you can't do nothin
erbout 1t at all" persisted Spider. 81
toll you bout them chaps myself, so you
can't. You said you wouldn' do nothin
bout nothin what toll you"
Ihad never said anything of the kind.
But. nevertheless, in inviting Spider
confidence l had certainly implied q
promise to make no use of it. His posi-
ton. therefore. was unassailable. and ]
had to retreat from mine with what
grace I could. Hollis was allowed tc
stay.
| Besides, just at this time we needed
men more than ever. The river fell
somewhat, and 1t was decided that we
should attempt to cross 1t with the cat
tie and pursue our journey toward the
railway. The water was still SO higf
that there was considerable danger thai
some of the cattle would be swept ava!
and drowned ae they crossed, but on tn
other hand the pasturage where we thel
were was nearly exhausted, and 1t wa
impossible to say how long we nigh
have to remain If we neglected to avail
ourselves of the opportunity this fal
offered me- At that season of the yea
the water might rise at any momen
and keep us from crossing for an in
definite time Therefore 1t seemed ia
better In every way to expose some o
the cattle to this chance of drowning
rather than to run so large risk o
starving them all where we were.
Before reaching the conclusion ther
was an earnest debate, which Spide
followed most anxiously When the de
cision was reached, Spider. knowing
that every hand would be required il
the herding. begged to be allowed t
form one of the force, and. after consul
tation with the foreman and the Bale
Girl, consented, and as temporar
measure Spider was taken on as a COW
boy.
This was season of joy to Spide,
As the glad tidings reached him he be
came so exultant that he was unendur
able. At our earnest request he subsid
ed somewhat after awhile and after h
had gone about from man to man try
Ing to borrow the necessary equipmen
horse and saddle-for the crossing O
the following morning We thought W
had heard the last Of him and wer
just about to turn in when sputte,
ing howl from Hollis was followed by
volley Of bad language that was ur
mistakably directed at Spider. The gis
Of this language seemed to be that b
(Hollis) was poisoned. The investigated
that Immediately followed proved tha
this was not true. 1t was only tina
Spider had discovered in some way iii
hiding place Of carefully boarded bot
tie of whisky belonging to Hollis. Em1
tying the whisky on the ground, spide
had filled the bottle with mixture {
his own invention. the nature of whic
, did not transpire, except that kerosen
was one of its more prominent features
Consoling himself in advance for tn
hard work that the next day woul
bring, Hollis had taken some swallow