The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1903-01-23
THE BALL AT BIG SPRINGS.
b. JANIS GARDINER SLATER
OopyrlIA. IVA, BY Dany s,ory pus. coj

The boys from the X ranch had /
been busy for the falls roundup" |
at Ablllne for months They we're |
now about ready To depart for their /
winter home The cattle had been |
about herded In one bunch and were |
prepared for the long drive south. |
ward. whore the grass was green the |
year round. and the winds not too |
severe to bring them discomfort Tho |
yeRrlings, hoifers and steers were |
corralod two miles away from the |
little. town. Al night, unless a storm
seemed imminent, half OF the crew
would go into the railroad station and
/ dispOrt themselves by shooting out
| lights. riding horses into barrooms
and the like. All Of them ate at the
| Archer restaurant. not because the
food was any better or cheaper than
served by the Palace. but because
Estello Mcintosh clcar.eyed,
STRAIGHTFORWARD girl Of some twenty
summers, slung the hash and shot the
beans at her sun-tanned customers
She was OF beautiful mold; her
breast moved back and forth like
the undulating waves Of the sea; her
arms were round at the shoulders and
taperod down as gracefully as a SOUP
tors model Her eyes were blue. she
was Clipped. with complexion
like that OF the underdown OF a Geor'
gia peach. She could play the guitar,
do fancy work. and get along fairly
well with the third reader She could
call cows and ride any broncho that
ever paved the earth.
All the boys were In love with her
II she had any preference that could
be perceived. Il was for Calico JAKE,
whose tall figure was known to near.
~ every head OF cattle between he
Colorado and the Noucos He could
chew tobacco like Cuban negro.
cut the pigconwlng ride anything
from a horned toad To giraffe. and
he had no moro conjunction when II
became necessary 10 Kill a man than
a mustang would have for kicking at
the man who had hit him with qulrt
But Estollo. "stol. az the boys called
, her made no signs that she would
, be glad TO jump over the broomHtick
with him.
Two weeks before the contemplated
, departure OF the X y outnt. nearly all
, the boys were In Archers. The Doc
y was there also. He wore staked
and ridered shirt, tan shoes and toted
, a walking stick lie had but recently
A graduated from the medical school at
a III Paso. and settling at Abilene
= where the men wore oyeralls and the
women quite content with callcocs. he
i, imagined himself about $3.50 ahead OF
a National Bank. "Stell' had moi
a liked him from the FIRST. and she did
!, not attempt to conceal her feelings
As the Doc" started to so, he naive
= ly asked;
?, "s'poso you are going TO be the
! queen OF the BAN up to Big Springs
/. next woek7
. 81 don't know ef that's any OF YOU
business" she replied. somewhat
=, warmly. Course youll be there Al
=, king OF the doodlebugsw nj which
a the cowboys ha. ha, haed until th'
T, Doc" was out Of hearing.
a That night, while the stars looked
: down upon the boys who we're nov
!, again In camp, Calico said to Buck
!, eye; Say. Buck. i'm be a long tint
=, afore we got to ball where They'll
~ have one Of these here base william
> or wiollns. or whatever you call 'em
a sS'pose we run mp 10 Big Springs AM
shake our feet when the Bhindl
comes off7"
buckeye readily consented The
~ other boys we're awakened AM
W told OF the scheme, Lots were 10 b
D. drawn as TO who should remain 4
y camp while the others were away
n. That was satisfactory and the ide
ly q good one. But, spoke up Rec
n. Parker "whar the damnation Ia IN
IN money comm from"
That put the others TO thinking.
or The next morning Ave cowboy
h. we're seen riding swiftly toward Alb
Up lone. Calico went into the Arche
d. hotel and restaurant alone After
he few moments conversation wit
Is "stell" the boys galoped over IN
he hill. An hours ride took them to Par
he tsna, village composed OF iy
to saloons, general merchandise estal
N. llshment, a livery stable, nfty.hy
souls and 1882 prairie dogs
They stopped at the lrst place the