The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-15
Tom Jones, Cowboy
By c. B. LEWIS

days Dutch Pete broke loose on one of
his quarterly jamborees. Dutch Pete
kept the doggery at Dead Mans Corners,
and when he started out to clean up the
state he kept his two guns red hot. Tom
inquired that it would be on the bills for
Pete to bear Miss Griscomb away into the
mountains, and he lowered along the
Fort Wlngate road as her protecting
angel. His figures turned out to be way
on. Miss tSriscomb and Dutch Pete met
one morning at the crossing of Lame
Wolf creek, and when the cowboy came
up the terror had his hands raised, and
the girl had a gun on a line with his eye.
She thanked Mr.. Jones very kindly for
the interest he had exhibited, but she
really couldn't think of putting him to
any particular trouble.
Then Tom Jones prayed for a cloud
burst. Lame Wolf creek had it's rise up
in the mountains. At o'clock of a sum-
mer morning it might be a mere rivulet
crossing the stage road. An hour later a.
flood wave six feet high might be BOOM
ing down as the result of cloudburst up
among the peaks. The burst came as
prayed for. Miss Griscomb was on the
west side of the creek when caught by
the flood, and all escape seemed cut off
when the cowboy came tearing around
Bull bend to rescue her. Three minutes
later the girl was, rescuing him. His
bronco got tangled up with a mass of
driftwood and was drowned, and poor Tom
had to grab the tail of the girls horse and
take tow to the bank.
"You had better go home and change
your clothes, and hope you will be more
careful in future" was all the thanks lie
got as the heress rode away and left him
to hang himself up to dry.
Tom Jones felt that he had made a fail
ure Of it thus far, obut he hoped for 4
stampede to change things. In one of the
stories he had read a cowboy had saved
an heiress from a stampede and won her
undying love in ten minutes. There were
5000 steers covering the plain between
Taylor's ranch and Lame Wolf creek. If
they would only get move on them at
the right time, he would be there to do
the hero's part. The steers were cheerful
ly willing. One morning soon after the
heiress had passed down the road they
lowered their heads, threw up their tails
and stampeded. The move was not ex
pected by the cowboy, but by great good
luck he was on hand to mix in. 1t seems
the easiest thing in the world for q hero
to cut across the front Of stampeding
herd of steers and snatch an heiress from
her saddle and bear her away to safety
and win her eternal gratitude, but Tom
Jones didn't find it SO in practice. AS a
matter of fact, he was rolled in the dust
and walked on in a shameful manner,
while the heiress saved herself and when
the herd had passed she helpde him to
find the remains Of his hat and advised
him to go home and keep quiet for a few
days to avoid nervous fever.
There was only one more hope for the
cowboy hero. If he could rescue Miss
Griscomb from prairie fire. ALL might
yet be we'll A drunken Indian brought
things about as he wished. 1t wasn't an
overgrown, spectacular display as far as
flames went, but there was a heap OF
smoke and grand opportunity for yell
ing, and in due time Tom Jones started
in on his work Of rescue. While he was
dashing through the pillows of smoke and
frantically calling upon the heiress to be
saved she had already saved herself, and
| it cut him to the quick to have her re-
mark as he finally rode up to her that
she didn't like the smell Of singed hair.
The cowboy had played his last card, and.
weary and hopeless, he sought out the
Diogenes of the flock and stated his case.
| my son." said the Old man when he
had heard the story, did you ever hear the
saying of up to date?'"
"Of course. I'm there myself
"And there lies the cause of your fall
ure Miss Griscomb is more up to date
as a girl than you are as a man. You had
! better stop making a fool of yourself and
hustle those steers around