The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-11-07
BENTON LOUISIANA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER Z, 1901.

well to strike out afoot for the Madre
Chiqueta; but there were livin' tracks
around the spring, and the coral was a
frail thing, so he gritted his teeth and
stayed, and then in his need came a
man and a blackboard to the camp. It
is safe to say that no man ever got q
heartier welcome.
He stayed two days, and when he
went betrayed his eastern origin by
asking for the "bill."
'God!" exclaimed Hank, "ef you
only knew how tickled I've ben ter have
you here! How much do l owe you,
pardner? I'd like ter hire you fer the
mex three months jest ter talk ter
me-"
That gave the parting guest an idea.
He may have realized how this solitary
herder felt. Perhaps even during his
brief journey the dreariness of the
desert had entered into his own soul.
At all events, he unpacked his big
cowhide trunk and took therefrom a
small box and a paper parcel. From
the box he took a curious little ma
chine, upon which he fitted glossy hol-
low cylinder from the parcel; lastly
attaching tin funnel and winding up
the arrangement with a key. Then,
as Hank gazed in open-mouthed won
der, a curious whirring sound proceed
ed from the funnel, and then in nasal,
vibrant tones voice which said: La
dies and gentlemen, fellow citizens:
have no hesitation in declaring to you
tonight that in his attitude on the
financial question, the president of the
United States has placed himself in
direct opposition to the letter and the
spirit of the constitution" "Know
who that is?" asked the traveller. "It's
William Jennings Bryan. Here, We'll
jerk him out and try another. Sousa's
band. How do you like that? Here's
The Little, Old Red Shawl That Moth
er Wore Another speech. Take the
whole lot and be happy. There is a
dozen records, and they ought to keep
you from getting lone some, for while,
anyway"
Hank had never seen or heard of
anything like this before, and his de-
light and gratitude knew no bounds.
He wanted to pay his benefactor for
the machine, but could only get him
to accept a tanned wildcat skin. Then
this angel entertained unawares got
into his blackboard and his team rap
idly carried him out of sight.
But Hanks case was different now.
At night he could wind up his little
phonograph, and music and song and
oratory and laughter filed his shack
through the medium of the tin horn.
There was one record that he used
more thanany other and swa thed more
tenderly in its protecting cotton, and
| as time went on there were evenings
when this particular record was the
| only one that he used. It started off
| with storm of handclapping. Then
the music of single violin in prelude,
and woman's voice, strong and sweet
and clear, sang:
Round my Indiana homestead wave the
In the distance loom the woodlands clear
| and cool;
Oftentimes my thoughts revert to scenes
of childhood
| Where I first received my lessons-na-
| lures school,"
Hank tried to imagine what she
would look like, and presently identi-
fed her with colored lithograph of a
girl feeding chickens, that had come
to him with months supply of plug
tobacco-a blue-eyed, faxenhaired
maiden with round, white arms and
a preternaturallt graceful form. And
so the singer grew very real to him,
and he thought about her as he watched
his flock and ever the refrain of the
song rang in his ears:
''The moon shines bright tonight upon the
| Wabash,
From the fields there comes the scent OF
| new mown hay,
| Through the sycamores the candle light Is
On the banks of the Wabash. far away.
"Well, you don't seem to have suf-
fered none," said Bill Williams, when
he drove up to the camp two months
later. Fat and happy, by Jinks. And
I wuz expectin' to need Jesus here to
haul you back into El Paso. Reckon
you don't need no relief"
II sure do" said Hank. "Jesus kin
tumble out an take hold, an I'll pack
my warsack an go back with you. !
may be all right, but amt goin' to
take no chances until after I've taken
in the town fer awhile"
So the Mexican took hold" and
Hank went back to Ell Paso with his
phonograph and drew his wages.
The second night of his relaxation
he and his friend William were at
tracted by the lights and the show bills
at the door of theater. They went in
1t was about the usual programme
juggling. dancing, singing, dialogue
all the rest of it, and the two men en-.
joyed it with the abandon of children
But suddenly Bill was aware that Hank
was gazing with far more than ordi.
nary interest on girl who had just
come on the stage-a blue-eyed and
extremely golden-haired young WON.
an. He nudged his friend and received