The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-18
CHAPTER l.
IN WHICH SPIDER AND THE BALLET GIRL
APE TETRODITCFD

IN WHICH SPIDER AND THE BALLET GIRL
ARE INTRODUCED.
There ain only one thing he won't
do. an that's lie, said the Ballet Girl
to me. s'Work? Sure he'll work, but
he works ali wrong. darsn'. let i'm
skin the spuds (potatoes) even. Hes
orkerd. that's what he is, but it ain t
no more'n natcherl, bein like he is, al!
laigs an arms, with jes ernough body
for ter hol EN- together an no head at
all That's why they calls him Spider.
Is'pose. his bein all laigs an arms He
hasn't got no other name. not as J
knows.
While speaking the Ballet Girl looked
doubtfully in the direction of the cook
wagon, near which Spider was buslly
engaged in securing an iron soup kettle
SC 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 NJ
ranch. The cowboys had given him this
name because. as one of them explain
ed. the cook had wooden leg and was
therefore unable to dance,
The Ballet Girls statement that
Spider had no head was a libel. He had
q head, and. though it was small and
not at all beautiful. it was very good
one and was covered with heavy
thatch of extraordinarily red hair.
AS Spider worked among the pots
and pans he certainly was awkward. l
had been watching him al the morn
ing. I had nothing else to do.
It was but very short time since
had ACQUIRED an interest in the Circle
M brand. Just before this large num-
ber of cattle had been sold and driven
away overland toward the railway.
where they could be shipped to the east,
and had at once been sent forward to
overtake the herd in order to assume its
management. Now, a herd of cattle
that has to pick up its food as it goes
along does not travel rapidly, and l
had overtaken it without difficulty, but
the horse was riding Immediately cell
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 had been
painfully jolted for couple of stages
over the half desert plain. Then we
reached the Rio Gila 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.
4.What's the matter with the boy?'
I asked. Cant he cook?
.sYou don go for ter s'pose I'd trus
i'm ter try, do yoa?" 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. SOS it looked like brown
sugar. an give it ter the boys ter sweeten
ther slumgullion (tea) with. They said
was a-tryin ter pizen 'em, the boys
did, an they said if did it scme 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, l 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. -foun out who twas
that done it an tol' EN-
<.How did you find out?' inquired
curiously.
asked i'm. l said he wouldn lie.
The boys. they licked him good fer that
Sod j, you bet you. -
.sWhat dia he do then?'' asked.
Filled my boot up with N 'lasses.
When l got it of-an it was er mighty
long time frs'-my foot looked as
though I'd vanished it an the varnish
hadn dried. kicked him with it fore
took it off. an then l hung it on the
wagon ter dreen. It's dreenin yet.
See!'
He pointed as he spoke to 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-
IAN that ain all he done. the cock
went on lie took some spuds what he
knowed l was agonter bake in the
ashes. an be loaded EN- up with powder
When put EN- in the Goals. they bust
ed in little while an filled a mess er
biscuit was a-mixin plum full er burnt
powder an raw pertater. Some OF 1t
went down my neck inside my shirt.
Ibid you whip him again?s
Nope lcouldn' not that time. Ee
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
;ea Rn+ savI clean feroot Won Waa