The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-02
Anyhow. ii looks like it's all we

was not borrowing trouble. said
that thought we'd better start for Lo-
rena's as soon as we could get away in
the morning.
II reckon. agreed the foreman.
snow there's another thing wanted ter
say. You see how we was at the river
this mornin. We're short handed, that 8
what we are. an we want more help"
This fact was not news to me. and !
said So
"Well, we're shorter'n ever now,"
the foreman went on. "Hollis he won't
Oe no good fer awhile-one of his arms
is foot an a half lonser'n the other,
an it'll take er month ter get it back
where it was. Now there's that kid
Spider. He done some mighty good
work yes day in tho herdin. not ter talk
erbout that job he done fer Hollis a
man what tried ter throw him down all
he knowed. S'pcse we take him on.
"But what will the cook dor" OBJ
jected.
Hes all right. We en- pick up a
Chinaman er sunthin fer him bimeby,
an now he says the kid'll be sight
more use roun the cattle than ever he,
was with the cook outfit. / guess we
en- call that settled. SO fur es the Bally
Curl goes. Course know the kid can't
do mans work yet. an / only mean
ter give him boys pay fer now. till we
see how he does. Are you willin2''
was perfectly willing-more than
that. ] was delighted to give Spider his
chance. but I did not cay So I only
asked how Spider was to get suitable
oucfit-apart from the horse. If. he had
taken fancy to the ugly brute he had
ridden that day he might have the
creature and welcome
"Iguess that let's rs out-the horse
responded the foreman. 1.-THE boys has
got up sorter chip in fer the rest.
Hollis. he'll come up with consid able
Of II. I reckon. He will fer the chaps
anyhow. He owes it,"
Hollis certainly did owe the chaps,
but was rather surprised from my
knowledge Of the man that he should 40
readily acknowledge his debt.
"Oh. yes. Hollis is mighty grateful, I
reckon. replied the foreman when /
expressed my astonishment. "Hollis'n
come down with the money all right,
don't you fear" There was something
peculiar in the foreman's tone that
made me suspicious
docs Hollis know that he's expected
to contributor" l asked.
"No. not yet He will. though. I'm
a-gonter see him now." The foreman
hitched his holster conveniently for.
ward and departed. I shouted an order
after him to the effect that. whatever
Hollis might or might not be willing to
give. there should be no coercion in the
matter. ! never knew whether or not
this order was obeyed. Irather think it
was not
did not witness the announcement
OF Spiders promotion. Long before sun.
rise had started ont with the foreman
to arrange with Lorena for the use Of
his pastures The herd was to follow as.
As the foreman had said. found Lo-
rena to be most villainous old Mexi-
can and surrounded by a most villain.
ous crew OF followers He knew that we
were at his mercy. and therefore over.
charged rs frightfully. The pasturage
on his range was good. and that at least
was a comfort. but ! didn't at all like
the prospects in other ways Two days
later. when the cattle arrived, we
camped. as before. on the banks of the
river. Our ostensible reason for camp
ing there was, of course. that we would
be ON hand at the earliest possible mo-
ment wheh the river should fall enough
to allow rs to cross But really we
chose this place, the foreman and /, in
order to be as far away as we could
from the wicked little town Of Aqua
Caliente. the headquarters Of Lorena
and his friends At best the town was
far nearer Us than we liked. The dis.
tance was only 90 miles or SO.
For week or two after We arrived
we did not seem to me to have much
cause for alarm. In fact. I would have
been rather relieved had not the fore.
man kept mp a continual croaking. The
cattle were in no way interfered with.
1t is true that many :. our men would
avail themselves Of every possible op-
rortunity to get to Aqua Caliente. and
would frequently stay there much
longer than they ought; but this. in
view OF the time that had lapsed since
they had seen town Of any kind at
all. was no mere than one must EXPECT.
There was little for the men to do.
In fact. for this first fortnight, the
life settled back to it's old monotony as
far as | was concerned. To Spider the
new responsibilities that he had as
sumed seemed never failing delight.
He worked indefatigably. and at night
was quite ready to 90 to sleep without
the preamble Of setting the camp by
the ears. according to his former habit.
Apart from other reasons. l think that
Spider would at this time have consid.
cred such an outbreak beneath his dig.
nity unlpas pOvp,nit ,d fSr ,,o;,,kx - II