Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-02-28
WOODBURY., n J, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1901

fer him. He had two boys that wuz
| jest like him, an his ole woman wuz
worse'n he wuz.
| zone fine, cloudy evenin Gus Minnick
an Todd Blakey comes along an rustles
| ten head of old man Haines ponies
an wuz hikin south With 'em when
| they met up with crowd of inquirin
strangers who were driftin back down
Prairie Dog into Kansas after an on
successful pursoot of some north bound
boss thieves. The boys had too many
brands in their bunch, an one of the
strangers reckernized Blakey, so they
tied their feet under their horses
bellies an headed fer the nearest tim
Der. They give Blakey the first swing
i'll an wuz adjustin the grass rope to
Gus neck when old man Haines comes
up with his biggest boy, Arch. They
had been hot an close on the trail all
the time.
'As soon as they explained who they
wuZ an identerfied their ponies, the
boss stranger allowed that there
wuzn't no reason why the ceremonies
shouldn't perceed, an he throwed the
other end of the rope over the limb.
"'Why,' says the old man, you hain't
goin to hang that poor boy, air you?'
"I reckon I am says the boss stran-
gler, cheerful an gay.
81 don't believe it helps a man to
hang him. says Haines. You jest give
him up to me, an I'll take him back to
the ranch with me an surround him
with moral influences an keep him out
of bad company. He's got good in him,
an I'll bring it out of him an make a
useful citerzen of him.
"Well, the long an short of it wuz
that he begged so loud that they let
Minnick go, an old man Haines started
back with him. On the way he talked
to Gus like father an told him how
wrong it wuz to rustic cayuses when
he could get 'em himself by workin
honust fer 'em. He made Gus pres
ent of the ten that he had stole as
starter an offered him good wages to
work on the ranch.
"Gus staid there fer two months, an
then he got inter argument with the
biggest boy about breakin a colt an
slot him up an lit out Old man Haines
wuz real provoked about it, but he
jumped on horse an put out after
Minnick an overlook him at Box FL
der. AS soon as Gus seen him he
throwed down on him with Winches-
ter, but the old man told him to behave
bimca1f on nI1it t1,on1-oxiY with f,o
arms.
81 sh'd think you'd seen the evil of
them sort of actions after KILN Hen
ry,' he said.
" Did l kill him?' says Gus.
eyes, you did, says the old man as
severe as he knowed how. An l sh'd
think you'd be ashamed of yourself.
don't wonder you felt as if you didn't
want to look me in the face after sech
actions. All the same, l don't want
you stragglin off where you'll get inter
bad comp'ny, so you jest come right
back home with me. We've got to have
them colts broke, an we're short hand
ed now.'
'Well, Gus knowed how forgivin the
old man wuz, an he went back, an they
all avoided the subjec' of Henry, SOS
not to hurt lis feelin's. He staidion q
month longer, an then because the
old woman burned his cakes fer him
he Drained her with the skillet The
other boy told him that that wuzn't no
way to do, an Gus got mad an mas
sacred him with glc butcher knife an
then set fire to the house an lit out.
"When old man Haines got back an
found out what had happened. he said
that it wuz enough to make a man lose
patience, but he wuz sot in his ways,
an he said that he would make good
citizen Of Gus in spite of hill an high
water. So he went out after him again
an coaXed him back, an everybody
said that Gus was changed man from
that time forward, as meek as Moses
an honust as the day"
care they livin there together yet?'
inquired the post trader, with some i'll
terest.
The old bullwhacker took a large
chew of tobacco before replying. Then
he said 81 wuz hopin you wouldn't
asst me that question, becuz it might
seem TO mlertate against my thery.
The truth is that the old man sent Gus
to town one day, an Gus come back
with a jug of whisky fer himself, but
he forgot the old mans smokin ter
hacker. The old man said that it show
ed selfishness an ingratitude on Gus
part, an he allowed that he must be
poor material anyway, an he had done
the best that he could with him, but
that settled it. They wuz standin by
the woodpile at the time, an the old
man had the AK. come along jest in
time to assist at the funeral
'Still I never took the old mans
view. l reckon that Gus jest forgot"
Chicago Record.