The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-09-17
GRADY. COOK OF
THE XII OUTFIT
New York Press.)


SANDY Fork of the Arkansas river a MI,
herd of beef steers of the NJ OUTFIT We
irinkin- of the shallow creek. The an,
fit had just returned from a beef HIM.
and was awaiting the arrival of a train -
cattle cars to convey the fat, Iong-horDs5
cattle to the Chicago market II vag
the last work of the season. Every M
had a summers pay coming TO him and
some even more than that. Night herd.
ing, the bane OF every cowpuncher's ev
fistance had ceased. while rosy pfeas77r.
exemplified by a bath. shave. shsranoo
t-va new sets Of canton flannel rnds,
wear, suit of store clothes and tyva7r,-
four hours or 1eVerlSn life in Chicse,
had just dawned-
No. Bill Thank you just the same
replied Hugh Grady, the NJ. t-OC.z -
Jerking BiHs invitation You Know
haven't tasted tangiefOOt In three vears
m going east 10 see the girl he added
laughingiy, avoiding his hosts lJlrChfDs
emCrts 10 det2ln him
Don't get Hugh started for beava7..
the bar 1 know that he's got 500 10
tie good IN just one bank and wants ~
make p front when he lands in Missouri
and meets his people
He's a, raving maniac after his third
drink, the barkeeDer added. and thar-S
what has kept him away from there for
mob, though, being mostly lunatics az
ready, L dom see after such a lesson IN
morals as LIaL from me now / do les
than To set EN- up The same2-'
TIE XII camp was located under biz
cottonwood tree that DOked its branches
10 over the sandy banks OF The creek
The campfire was splitting little Tongues
or fame and Walker was -re1arino rha
evening meal. having escaped the tor
ments and torture that marked his self
denial in refusing to drink When a mo-
ment was reached wherein the food
could take care OF itself the cook, with a
furt1ve glance about, drew a Crumpied
letter from inside his blue shirt scanned
its somewhat clumsy writing hungrily-
kissed the old fashioned Untype the en-
veloDe contained and turned 10 his WORK
with a lurking look OF happiness playiDp
about the corners Of his stern rnoUtF
Walker was as erect and as brown as any
BlackfCOt in the north He was slender
why and as quick as he was clean II
preparing meals for twenty men thres
times a day in the most adverse circum
stances and without confirmation Cd
rumors that dyspepsia had Overtaken ths
horse herder-
I'm wild and woody and full of feas:
Never been curried below the knees
roared Felix McGinnis, emphasizing the
accurate description or himself with a
tusillade from his port rapid-fre gun.
And I'm the raving, tearing hen hawk
OF the GuyanaS.' Clipped little Mac
Bullet, as he proceeded to waste am
munlIlOn on anything that ne discovered
in the skies, and the rest Of the XL boys.
IN various stages OF lnclpleut absent
r1fudeduesS notifying the prairfe dogs
lizards and tarantUlas that the XII boys
were in camp and ready TO feed, fight Or
1-cl-c- As a matter OF natural SeQueuCs
many TASKS of whisky were, produced an
an evenings fun was carried out COZ
scientiously- Even River Bend whisky.
famous as it was then for its ingredients
and Its InVar1abIe prompting toward
crime, could not combat the desire OF the
XII men TO enjoy a full nights sleep, The
first in months. and soon oblivion relgued.
There are your checks. boys Mooney
announced the next morning, declaring
the seasons work at an END. and soon an
exodus from the home ranch began
Coming up the TRAIL boys. tell you what
we eat:
Little piece Of bread and a little piece Of
A little bit of coffee. and sugar on the
sly
They run US on the cheap plan-root
hos, or die"
chanted MacBuIIet as he and A halt
dozen more of the outfit stuck their
heads from the smoking car window on
the Denver express TO the Few who were
ieIS behind Zach day saw more Of the
men disappear until Grady was abOue de
only one left, and soon his employer
Aleck Tucker, noticed the cooks IN
easineSS, and recognized the symptoms,
feared for the results
7 Il take my time now, Mr. Tucker II It
is convenient
''Surel But you don't want it ali. my
boy do your replied Tucker, with some
anxiety. Hadn't you better leave me
with all but about 800 or 500 You can
have a good spree on the hundred, and
you'll be mighty tickled TO md out after
Us al over that You amt broke Be
SIDES, you've got to go east this year
III have to take it all, 1 reckon. I've got
a scheme of opening a saloon. some
where. and as soon as its running al
right III so back to Missouri. get Spuceo
and bring the miSSuS back with me 1
amt goin' TO drink again There's moth
Ing IN IT, and ought TO know, II any
man does"
Right you are. Hugh answered the
old cattleman, we don't have 20 hide
Things from R1rh OThpr and if
bound to carry out your plan, why VIII
have 10 give your money 10 you on de-
mand- Don't forget. though that your
bank book calls for over 5000
while Tucker was arranging Grady
amairS, the cook was ViSibly nervous Ills
myers clasped and unclaSpeo UnenlSel'e-
constantly and with a parched tongue
made unnecessary attempts 10 m0iSten
PAIR OF cracked, dry lips, while waiting To-
Come back Hugh. any time. whethe,
you want a job or not, and bring you
With CHEEKY swing Of his big somDrero
Grady turned in his saddle to say Good
by and disappeared over the hill that hle
me view OF the big corral from the EalI-
He never touched drop in my place
said HeidaeNer later, but just paced up
in
In less than seventy-two hours the
sympathetic engineer OF trelgn3 ueLA
slowed Up opposite the XII ranch, permit
ing a man whose garments were an ult
QEES0lEI ana ragged ONera rs 10 jump
II was Grady, who had yielded 10 n-S
thirst, and a natural consequence NO
been stripped even of his shoes BY tne
harpies of Holiday street and olneL
equally vicious localities of which Denver
could boast in those days. No one on ING
ranch. as Tucker thOughtfully Warnt9
all, spoke 10 Grady in a way 10 reInlnt
MIN OF what had happened, and the eA-
cook resumed his position
I II never cook a better meal l-lL-
this, Grady said at noon on the SetoNSS11
| day of his return. as he served MS siIltLL
flock with dinner. and he spoke truly. q
] the first man TO enter The house IouI-GSt
| Hugh lying in bunk dead. Blood ~
spurted over the walls. and the terIlltC
cash in the throat was as evident as 10
I nlcEed. rusty razor lying on the nooI III
dicated the cause r,
I'll try not to muss up your blankets
/ he has penciled on 2 piece of paper ~ ~
| dressed TO his '-bunkie.' ana Il Seentig5I
| that Hugh actually had tried TO holl ~ ~
mead over the bunk edge to carry out III
/ desire.
| It took crowbars to loosen the Iro zS.-
/ earth confined by the whitewaShed IeIO!S,
1 but Grady's comrades tOiled manIuliy -
/ digging the grave on the bare ridge ~ ~
] OF River Bend. The weather was
terry cold. and Heidaeker sent MS pa atb
| keeper. Paul Wagner. up the NIL WIZ
| some whisky for the workers. Din
| This is great" remarked Jerking DE-
! who. after a couple of futile efforts, Hl t,
/ a connection with the neck Of the - %
/ tie, returned TO his task. hummlhs INV
/ old cowpunching song:
We get behind the cattle and drive en-
/ up the trail ,vv