The sun., 1902-12-21

tne drummer. he Kept ais uncOmfO fOftaDie
perch for about four hours. and then he
jumped down, ran like a stampeded jack
rabbit 10 the hotel, and locked himself In
his room. Jim and l could see that the
| boys were going To be in pretty good shape
| to receive the pink boy from Chicago when
he got in.
THE next morning the boys had oiled
| up their tonsils and done the best they could
with breakfast and were standing around
the station. letting the Indian summer sun
trickle on them, when Overland No. 3 was
due. Jim and l were standing talking with
the station agent when she rumbled in.
THE train was made up mostly Of Pull
man palace cars and tourist sleepers, but
it was cut in two in the middle by day coach
smoker. II was out of this day smoker
that our pink boy came. We heard him
yip-yapping for a full minute before he
reached the door. Before he did appear at
the door OF tho car the conductor stepped
down and said seriously to Jim and me and
the station agent:
s'You want to look out for that damned
ombrey OF a cowpuncher that's gettin' off
here-thats him. a-roaring in there now.
He's from some Wyoming outfit back near
Rawlins. and he's sure been making war
medicine ever since he climbed aboard.
Shot half the windows out of that smoker
before he d been riding half an hour. Better
have the boys stow him somewhere to rest
up
THE blood-curding yelling had been GO
ing on in the day smoker all the time the
conductor was talking to us, but Jim and !
had no idea yet who was making the noise
we expected to see some son OF gun from
Snake River lurch out Of the car onto the
platform.
ing both Jim and me for nickel's worth Of
h.Nra IN, hue tod ha w hn
appeared at the car door. He was our
tow -head from Chicago
He had on fringed leather chaps, blue
flannel shirt. knotted blue polka dot necker.
chief. big white dented sombrero. cart
ridge belt stuffed full and two guns--same
makeup as any Of the hands standing
around
His face was bronzed-he got the heavy
coat Of tan on purpose by calling boat
around Lake Michigan. The rat-tailed
hair was tousled around his forehead
He looked taller and huskier than he ever
had to US with his spike-tailed coat on.
Underneath the sleeve Of his shirt any
body. could see that he had pair Of arms
on him-he was gym-trained.
-He was carrying in his right hand black
affect on their travels When he got to the
car door, still bowling like Navajo full OF
mescal. he threw his glazed bag with all
, around The bag struck Iafe Murdoch,
one Of our men, in the chest, and came near
knocking him down. Lafe picked the bag
up and grinned.
'Yee-owr yelled this apparition--it was
an appariton to jim and me, you can bet
as he stumbled down the steps Of the car.
Hee-ow! Gimme path! I'm plumb fun
o loco-weed and I'm a-swervinl lee-owV
Jim and me? Well We both felt twenty
seven pounds lighter than the forequarters
of prairie dog, that's all.
Gimme that grip, ye son Of skunk"
bawled our pink boy, lurching up to our
man Lafe-and III just mention to you
that Lafe was whole lot vicious when 1t
came to his turn-and with the words he
knocked Iafe's hat of. Iafe picked the
You sure have strayed a long piece
from the reservation. haven't you, ombrey''
said sai5l Lafe: Food-na'urediy' to our bowling
'Yee-owr bawled the youngster from
Chicago who was going to be oyr guest.
'Th' iron what branded me WAS het in tn
Goals o. hell Yee-owr
-'You lose, said to Jim.
That's right said Jim. ruefully.
"The hands, standing around and watch
said to each other Well, all o. them
Wyoming boys is Injuns right He looks
like an albright hoy, at that. when the juice
ain d-ANln III MN
''Im sassy huzzy from He'll -fr-Sartain
Crick. an tn roper that gifts a loop over me
has got L wear more horns than hairs
howled our pink boy from Chicago, and
then he started to kick his glazed bag to the
hotel across the street
.Lafe Murdock, our mantle most
dangerous man. as say, that we had when
the situation got what you might call right
close--stooped to pick the grip up an carry
1t for the new arrival,
Might spoil y'r gear, matey. kindly
remarked I.afe. in picking the grip up.
Bang, went one OF the tow-head's guns,
and the ball hit the valise only about four
inches from where Lafe had hold Of the
handle.
"Leggo o. that. ye spawned coyote"
bswled our n-of-a-millionaire friend from
Chicago. This IL my game o. feet-ball"
And when I.afe dropped the bag. grinnine,
the Young man from the shore Of Lake
Michigan finished kicking the grip across
the dusty road and across the IIoard side
walk and right through the open door Of the
take care o. that, We white-livered
woodchuok" he shouted to old man Larkins
the proprietor OF the Eldorado. who was
standing behind the hotel desk and he gave
the glazed bag final kick hat sent IL crash.
ing against the desk
-Old man Larkins beamed approvingly
on the pink boy and he came around from,
behind the desk and picked up the grip.
Then he turned to 1afe ind some Of the OF her
hands who had strolled over from the sta
ton just to see what the new cowpuncher
in town was going TO do and remarked:
Looks like a right peart k-yoodle Of a
boy wen he ant got none o. that mis'able
Wyoming alfalfa juice under his belt hey
boys!' And the hands all agreed with old
man Larkins that the newcomer looked
like he was considerable on the right side.
"Yee-ow! I'm a son of a night -herdin'
grave-robber, an l on'y work wen it's
black dark. gol durn my nappy earsr sung
out the tow-head from Chicago, after he'd
seen his glazed bag duly deposited behind
the hotel desk by benign old Larkins Come
on, ye pasty-faced pill-swizzlers, an we'll
gulp somethin' raw an burnin'!
From canvas bag tucked underneath his
flannel shirt he pulled out wad OF yellow
bills pretty nigh as big rs small Blackfoot
pappoose.
''Nothin' but pizen liquid flame Ia a.goin'
{ make any kind Of a hit with ne. rot my
blasted eyeballsv and ne took the zg-zag
route for II and led the way up to the bar,
the boys all falling In behind.
III kind o like to see that boy in the
bunkhouse O. old G-52,' Lafe Muriock
remarked approvinsly to the other hands
Acts heap like he's got tn right kind O.
gizzards and trimmin's'
.'Oh. you lose all right, Jim,' said I.
Yep. sure lose, replied Jim. scratching