The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-06-08

: his brother; an When he mentions names
1 discovers that his brother Is the cot'oh-
wood cowboy an that It's the range ooSS
with the wounded arm he's layin' for. l
don,t for my.e't. let on none I've met up
with these two gents-his brother an thtl
range boss. It's a good system TO let every
sport rope, saddle an ride his own cayouse'
/ don't aim to go about ausmentiH 1eu.s
by vain details about what 1 KNOWS inns
Bill. however. talks so much on this yere
one partic'lar evenln' coneernin' his rela-
| tIye's takin' off an the smoky Things ne
reckons he'll do by way Of retaliation, that
TO be p'lite 1 asks a trivial question or SO
test TO let on I'm interested.
:. Tt amt 50 much that my brother gets
done" says this Bill, as he converses along
in response TO them sundry queries l lets
| fly. but it's the fashion wherein they turns
| the trick on him. II this range boss per-
son had gone to a show down with the Dee-
con-this Bill alters alloodes to his brother
as "the Deacon cause he's religious a
whole lot an long ago jines the church-an'
simply shoots It out with him, face to face
an gent to gent, 1 wouldn't now be piroot-
in about thinkin' Of vengeance an amin
at skelpS While I might deplore the Dea-
| cons takin' off, I'd realize that it's accord
in to roole an dismiss It from my mind.
But this yere Is not the tale; the Deacon's
| strung up to a cottonwood limb like a COM
mon hoss thief. Thar's no Justification for
that! it's OMAR an dishonorable, an this
| range boss party who f~oor-manases the
outrage has done got to explain 1t away to
my gun. What I resents is the hangfn OF
the Deacon an not the fact of his death.
! Besides. my mother over in Hillsboro allows
she won't rest easy none while this range
boss party lasts. The Deacon's the old
lady's pet, an hangin' him up in a cotton
wood that away has got her all wrought
up"
NO, I don't demonstrate ag'in the re-
,o-x,F, rnhar,a7 ~ thya Dill A. Pm
speshul silent when I hears how his mother
sort O. set her heart on the obliteration OF
the range boss. Old ladies gets my SYM
pathy right along an 1 alters agrees in
the most onquestionin' fashion to whatever
they demands.
When this Bills enterprise of vengeance
gets down to the turn l never beholds a,
racket which, while plumb courteous an
on the level, gets pulled off so common
place. We're camped one evenin'-the mules
an me an this Bili-by a water hole, an
the ranch, over which this yere offendin'
range boss prevails, lays of a hours ride
to one side. At this Bits request, 1 rides
over an explains things to the range boss.
This Bill puts it up that he don't want to
see the place nor the cottonwood where the
deacon gets swung OF. for fear he'll lose
his temper an conduct himself onbecomin'
a gent an a COW puncher. Wherefore l
rides over to the ranch, like 1 states, a de-
pootation of one. to confer with the range
boss, notify him of this Bits mission, an
organize details. so, no matter what hap
pens, it's goin' to be a credit.
Il must say I'm mighty ~gratified with the
range boss an the attitoode he assoomcs.
'You-all can tell this yere Wilson gent he
says, that 1 regrets tho lynchin' OF the
deacon as much as himself. The boys gets
impulsive after he plugs me an ropes up
the deacon in a sperit of onthinkin' zeal;
I'd have stopped EN- If I could. They
oughter have left it for me an the deacon
to settle at our leisure. But they don't;
an now that can't be hoped none. All I
can say is that I'm free to make arrange
ments Agreeable to this brother Bill Wilson.
an that 1 applauds his mission in these
parts. To tell the trooth, I've been lookin'