St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-08-24
GETTING EVEN.
nY ARTHUR sTRISGER.

81 always sort O. nursed the privitt'
idee BilPd never get along in these
parts" ruminated Timber-Line Ike
aloud, toasting his heels before the
grub-tent fire, "and ] allow Bills
career in these territories weren't al
together meteeric Bill were always
hungerin' for something more siren
nous n drivin' picket pins and brand
In cattle, and he had habit o. sayin'
he'd just like to stir up US moss
backed, pig-eatin' Canueks for mer-
ry round or two. And b'fore Bill left
the country he did his considerable
stirrin' all right
What most soured Bill on the
northwest was this bein rounded up
and corralled in Calgary for three
weeks by the mounted p'lice as a
smallpox suspect, when he didn't have
no more smallpox than that dog has
'em. Cheyenne Charlie always said
Bill was reglar sensitive plant on
wheels, and allow heidi getso some
dead again the p'lice and said the
force we're breakin' the sperrit Of the
west on the wheel O. tyranny, and rob
bin life of its fittin' and natcherallib-
erty and romance, tryin', SEE Bill, to-
turn the land Of the bean-fed cowboy
into aopen-air kindergarten
.Then Bill got to broodin', and just
whether he followed on the trail O.
that pnrsoot too hot and got bit
queer in his garret, or whetheritwere
just out and out cussedness on Bills
part, ] amt venturin' to remark.
ssBut Bill got kind O. miser' BE and
peaky and homesiek, and after tryin'
his hand at the illicit importin' o.
whisky done up in factory made egg
shells and retailin' at three dollars
dozen, he gave up his ranch and any
claim on permanent abode, and went
driftin' down Macleod way, waitin',
we all allowed, for some appropriate
opportoonib for doin' his sfirrin' up
b'fore slidins over the line.
Now | allow there had been GER
tain ranchers who'd looked on Bill
with rude and s'picious eyes, OWN, /
s'pose, to Bill's capacity for absorbin'
unbranded cattle and his puzzlin way
Of aequirin' eayuse every now and
then. And although there never
were any out-and-out charges made
agin Bill, it were pretty generly un-
derstood that askin noomerous ques-
tions weren't goin' to be the means O.
hangin any halos round Bills long
haired brow.
So, considerin' Bills standin' in
the community, I allow it were reg
5lar tidal-waye of astonishment that
went over the eastern slope when 1t
was reported that Bill had gone into
the Gospel business down Macleod
way, and was engineerin' meeting
house along with Montana sky pilot
who'd come over from Shelby juno
ton to regenerate what both him and
Bill deemed a lost country.
g amt sayiR whether Bill started
in! at this business downright sincere
orsnot. Mebbe he didn't! Mebbe he
did, and like many another cnss got
finally treed BY temptation there
were no standin' off, and sort o. had to
throw up the mits.
That special temptation, came to
poor Bill when he was busy holdin'
his meetin's down south q Macleod.
near the American border. Corporal
Cotton and IS constables Of the
northwest mounted p'lice came along
in the shape Of specially strong pa
trolliD' party, lookin' for half breed
named Alexis, who'd sneaked half q
dozen stolen horses over into the Do
minion. This patrollin' party, some
thoughtless, do admit, rounds up
Bill and accuses him of aidin' and
abettin' Alexis in his nefarious pur-
scots, the unreasonableness of which
Bill points out some eloquent and
shows the same to be out of the ques-
tion. in SO much as man who was
leadin' a new life and givin' himself
up 10 good works weren't settin' his
heart on broken-winded broncos and
the numerous follies and vanities OF
this world.
Bill were heap hurt By them in
situations. he didn't say much back