The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-01-08
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!: WILD NELL Is CHOICE
Svovovovovovoo vovovovovovi'

just where the muddy stream swept
in a long curve through the cottonwood
bottom stood a picturesque log cabin of
the kind so often met with in the more
isolated parts of the Bad Lands. Its walls,
formed of peeled logs laid lengthwise
on top of each other, the interstices be-
tween chinked up with clay, were wealth
er stained and gray. Underneath the
one front window ran a low wooden
bench, on which still stood an agate
ware basin and a rough bar of yellow
soap, "reminiscences of the morning wash
but just completed. A vine of eastern
origin and strange to that climate, which
had been brought from New York by
the Widow Roberts on the occasion of
her only visit there, stretched out its
tendrils to clasp the window shutters in
clinging embrace. Near by stood the
high corral, which just at that moment
contained a bunch of the widows own
Texas long horns, which, she declared
with pardonable pride, were as fine as
any ever reared on Bad Lands grass.
The river, stealing silently along until it
lost itself in the rugged hills of the dis
lance, completed the picture.
The widows cabin was a Mecca for
most of the cowboys who lived on the
ranches round about. 1t was not the
widow who proved the attraction, though
truth to tell she was a comedy woman
and managed her little domain as well
as any one could have done. Rather
was 1t Nell, the pretty daughter, with
her two bright eyes, which did such dam
age, and her reckless, harum scarum
ways. Wild Nell was her name to all
who knew her. She could ride a horse
as well as any man and some that many
men couldn't. She knew how to handle
a rife, too, and had astonished Ellis, the
old trapper, on one occasion by sending
a bullet through a buck white tail at a
trife over 300 yards, as true a shot as
any the old man had ever made.
Nell, seated astride her favorite mus
tang, Prime, and galIoping madly along
the trail, her black hair flowing wildly IL
the wind, was daily sight to the towns
folk of Readville, the more sober among
whom shook their heads in horror at her
actions. Not so, however with the COW
punchers, who looked at her enviously as
she sped along, her pony kicking up
clouds of dust. She had more than once
shamed some of them by her exhibition
of broncho busting and Buck Loley had
not dared to show himself for a week
after she took the job of breaking Bra
dy's white nosed mare out of his hands,
Buck had roped it, saddled it and been
thrown 20 feet almost as soon as his feet
were in the stirrups. Some of his ribs were
broken, and he was generally bruised up
Nell had mounted it afterward undaunt-
ed, and when she got through Brady's
white nosed mare was as dOcile as any
lamb. All its plunging and catapult
jumps had failed to shake her. The end
Of it was that Buck was guyed by every
stockman from Readville to Bingham un
til he wished that such a thing as a white
nosed mare did not exist. And, to make
it harder, Buck was one of Nell's most
ardent admirers.
1t was all right till that ''dude" from
Pittsburg' ca me saIaaG Nell had never
seemed to take the advances or the boys
seriously and had made poor Buck miser
able by soundly boxing his ears once
when he mustered up sufficient courage
10 tell her how much he really thought
of her. Nevertheless it was conceded by
the ReadyilIeites that Buck was one OF
two who stood the best chance. But the
arrival of the dude changed ALL He had
money, and he knew how to dress to ad
vantage. Blue flannel shirts and greasy
leather chaparejos did not compare favor
ably with back east clothing-at least
so thought Buck for one.
Il amt no good alongside that tender
foot" he had declared to Nell dejectedly
She laughed aloud. You never can tell
what girl means by laughing in a case
like that. But big, good natured Buck
put the worst possible construction on it
and silently moped.
The dude plainly liked Nell. His visits
to the cabin were frequent, and his horse
was often to be found tethered by the
door. He thought he could ride. He
had ridden fast horses on his uncle's
Pennsylvania farm, and he was disposed
to regard the western article rather con-
temptuously But there is a vast differ
ence between an eastern thoroughbred
and demure looking "bronc," with the
devil in him, only waiting to be coaxed
out by the touch of a man, the kind to
which the saddle or the feel of spur
is an unknown quantity and with the
wild, free blood Of the plains coursing
through every vein. Yet the tenderfoot |
didn't see the difference. But Nell had !
a discerning eye and could read men. She |
saw through him as If he had been |
transparent.
Many visits to the house by the stream |
bred friendship with Nell which soon |
ripened into love, on the part of one at |
least, and that pennsylvania coyote,
as Buck unfeelingly called him, under |
stood how to use every advantage gain |
Cd He conld talk Of hooks and travels
in strange countries, whereas all Buck |
knaw was cattle. the condition Of the |
arIot md th;ngs Incidental 70 ranch |
,,,onls Iife Ha oftan tboupht of tbis
a,,d iookod rrefrIIv ~ bis greot brown |
bands rvhich II rim comnared hadly |
LEI +bo deI;cata vh;ta fingers Of the |
aosta.,ar r.;th thair diamond rings
Mi S,,as stonding Nv tba corral Iook- |
~, ~. ovo. IN loyoIs a. tba greaf hlue |
a,.s1,yas ~ cen+;roi into tho dav Har. |
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en-. q ns sili GUY ul,n slo's' e. 80 nov
WIN you w any 'i'i'is ~ '''e' W"
Az - 20, car baor /. rrial,, she added
, ~ Than sha CHANGED the subject
"a s7.,s,ostod a ride along the old Fort
- ~ tso1
- 49,, sod,l,aa for Neu and
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