The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-06-28
LARAWAY'S SWEAR=OFF
By G. B. Durham.

" ing, in the face of a keen north
west wind, we were riding home to the
ranch. We had been to the railroad
with a bunch of beeves, and preferred
night riding to making another camp.
The cow-ponies logged steadily along,
and the men, tired, and chilled, sat
stifly in their saddles. There was no
talk between man and man, but to his
mount each spoke a word from time to
time-a word of encouragement when
he Jagged, or of reproof if he stumbled.
Toward ten o'clock, when nearing
the gate of the pasture, a light appeared
ahead and to the left of our curse. AS
we came up to the fence, we saw that it
was a lantern hung on a fence-post
some 20 rods off the road, and swinging
in the wind. By its fitful flare a. man
in a long ulster was digging in the
hard soil with a s~hort-handled spade.
In the uncertain light he looked to be
of enormous size, and as he thrust the
spade with quick strokes again and
again into the frozen ground, the long
tails of his coat swished about him or
streamed in the wind.
"Looks like the devil a-ddncing," said
one of the men as he got down to open
the gate.
"The devil is making him dance, no
doubt about that" replied the fore
man.
No more was said. The man en-.
crossed in his task had not seen or, at
least. had not noticed us. The loose
horses turned in at the gate, struck w
a lively gallop; there was a general
shaking up of bridle-reins and a ring
ing of spur-chains. Up a long hill and
down a steep short one, and we were at
the ranch-house, and the grumbling
cook was turning out to get us a hot
supper. He always grumbled-that
cook-about getting meals after hours.
but once when a couple of us sneaked
in late and went to bed without waking
him, he raised such a ruction that we
never tried it again.
Half an hour later we were well
warmed and eating a good meal in the
mess-house.
"Laraway is digging up his Bible
dSdlu, ICuldl hCo tAC COOh, dS 4C
poured strong black coffee into big
cups.
II know it," said the foreman.
Frank Laraway was a better man by
half than half the men you know. He
had spent as much will-power in resist.
ing the drink habit as would suffice to
carry two average men through life J..
honorable careers, surrounded by
friends and family, and pass them on
with Al credentials to a better world
After wrestling with, and being period
ically thrown by, the appetite fer
liquor for many years, he left his work
in the city and took to a ranch life. On
the ranch and range he became a valued
employee. but twice or more each year
he would disappear for a time, return
ing haggard, shrunken, and dead
broke, and with a fresh determination
to conquer the appetite. 81 don't want
to be good, or great, or rich,' said he;
II just want to be my W boss"
1t CHANGED one day that Laraway,
then SOLDERING up in a little railroad
town, heard a man say: "I'm going to
swear off this time on the biggest
Bible in town." He asked if he might
go, too.
"Sure," said the man, becoming COM
m%unicative at once; 'I've swore off on
numbers of them little Bibles; I've
swore off before Judge Blank and Fa
ther Ryan. This time I'm going to the
big church"
The two men went to a PASTORS study
and the ~section-hand, requesting him to
produce the large pulpit Bible, was
solemnly sworn, with his hand on it's
open page to abstain forever from all
intoxicating beverages.
"That is a long while" was Laraway's
comment.
"Do you keep the Bible locked up?"
asked the Irishman, anxiously,
"The building is always closed when
not in use" replied the pastor.
"Why did you ask him that?" de-
manded Laraway, when they had come
away.
The Irishman marveled at the ques-
ton. "Why, don't you see?" said he;
.it's because if I can get at the book
when the first is on me I can get let
off,"
Swearing off" is a common industry
in q frontier town, but it had never be-
fore COME to Laraway's notice. 1t
seemed to him, on reflection, to promise
some. assistance to himself in his per-
petual fight. He bought a Bible and
he promised himself, with his hand
upon it, that he would taste no liquor
for six months. Then he came home