The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1901-05-24
Err FIRST:
+ NIGHT IN CAMP
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mended TO him.
''Thar's a man" said native, speak
| ing OF Hardy. ''who was never known
to git inter hole whatso he eouldn'i
fog his way ont of ii il yer only let him
have his own way and his six-shoOter-
don't know as yer need to be so per
/ tic'lar bout lettin' him have his own
way. though, fer he'll have that any
way if he's got his cutter on his hip"
Hardy was known in polite society a.
a "cow rustler," but the sheriff always
referred to him in plain English as q
seattle tibet" For this outspokenness
Hardy admired the sheriff. and always
felt rather proud of himself when that
dignitary referred to him by the latter
title.
A half dozen times he had been ar.
rested, but he was never convicted,
Twice he was caught red-handed burn
ing out brands. The foreman OF the
Hash Knife" outfit was unlucky
enough to catch him at 1t the first time,
and the following day the foreman was
buried. Again Mexican was impolite
enough to interrupt him while he was
burning out Long H" brand. At
Winslow a few days later the Mexican
had bullet taken out of his leg and
then left for old Mexico, or, as the cow
boysput it, che drug it clean out of crea-
ton"
Over the Indian trail that leads from
Winslow to Oribi ii is so miles. A com
non saying in Winslow is that coy
ote has something to be proud Of II he
manages to go over the trail without
either dying Of thirst on the Painted
desert or sinking in the quicksands OF
the Little Colorado. Because of the
difficulties to be encountered upon the
trip the doctor was careful to get a
good man to conduct the outfit, and SO
"Chuck" was engaged. Like nearly all
COW punchers, he knew how to cook
that is, he knew how to fry beef until
1t resembled trunk strap, to make
something which looked like coffee and
to make something else which he called
bread.
just at daybreak on the morning OF
the start the eommissary, piled high
with bedding and provisions, rolled out
of Winslow across fuckers fats with
"Chuek" up on the high seat driving.
Alongside the wagon, riding a half.
broken brocho, was Rob Ricketts,, a tall,
loose-jointed puncher, better known as
Rickety Bob. Some four hours later,
after they had their morning "bawth"
and had spent an hour at breakfast,
the doctor and his friends left in the
light rigs, thinking to overtake Hardy
at noon. But when their luggage was
put aboard" the rigs were overloaded,
and at noon they were fully ten miles
behind Hardy, and were thus forced to
do without lunch.
1t had been cloudy all morning, and |
about one o'clock in the afternoon be-
gan a typical Arizona rama drench-
ing pourdown that lasted increasingly |
for hours, and seemed to come but
from one little insignificant cloud
that hung just overhead. At five
O'Clock darkness came on. To the
west little above Rabbits Ear range
of mesas settled heavy bank of dark
clouds in which faint flashes of light.
ming CLEANED. The eddying wind
would suck one cloud scrap after an.
other from the bank and hurl them
out over the flats to reinforce the
gushing cloud overhead. All the after.
noon Hardy kept the shoulders of his
four horses hard against their collars.
When darkness came on he had not
reached the high ground where he in.
tended to make camp. Water six
lncnes deep covered the flata, and
Hardy forced his horses on at swift
er gait than before. The heavy wagon
rolled and tossed like distressed
boat as the front and rear wheels
dropped alternately to the hubs into
soft, miry chuckholes. But Hardy
kept on, and at seven o'clock, with a
whoop of triumph, he pulled up his
tired, weary team on the top Of q
arge sand dune.
After the horses had been fed and
! pile of green greasewood, the only
fuel to be had, had been gathered,
Hardy and Rickety Bob set about
making camp, They built a large
ire, so that those in the rigs behind
night know where to come, and be-
ran to prepare supper.
Say, Chuck" said Rickety, as he
about In the wagon, do
vou know we clean plump forgot to
BRING coffee mill?"
"No; you don't sayf"
Eyes, sir; and the hen fruit what
rer got fer them hifalutin tenderfeet
ir jes' plump made inter an omelet
Ilready. And, good gosh Look at
he lid Of this here bread oven. She's !
racked plump clean acrosst." /
"Well," drawled Chuck, ''ef that's (
he case guess thar amt none Of
ur friends whatso will suffer a great
Of with govt afore they git back,
nyhow."
'Say, Chuck" said Rickety, scratch
lg his headthoughtfully and balancing
imself on the hind wheel Of the wag-
n, 'sdo you know we're agoin' ter
ave trouble with them THAR NAV
ricks? We air, shore. They's jes
Ike lot of bronks. You've jes' got
er give 1t ter 'em proper the first
ime yer meet up with 'em er thar's !
o handlin' 'em at all. So eff i was Z
on j wouldn't feed them critters too
trong at the go-ofF."
Guess yer right thar, pard," re- ,.
lrned Chuck. "I1l jes' go 'em on that !
roposition tonight"
When DIR. Beecher's party came up :
little later Chuck was singing TO !
le most doleful tune song the 70 !.
ain of which ran
30 wen leave this spot, this dismal hole, !
And pun for the Rio Grande,
here In sunlight bright Wen bask and