The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-15

master.
sat inside, with a one-pound package
of smoking tobacco beside me and news.
papers within reach, rolling the days
supply of cigarettes.
Reddy stopped his story long enough to
say: Don't use the Princess's Slipper"
Kid-that paper burns my tongue-take
the Granger there's plenty of it,
Well as l was saying, I'd met lot of
the boys up in town this day, and they
threw as many as two drinks into me- |
know that of certain. because when we
took the parting dose 1 had a glass of
whisky in both my right hands, and had
just twice as many friends as when l
started.
When l pulled out for home felt
mighty good for myself-not eactly look
ing for trouble, but not a-going to dodge
1T any, either. I was warbling idaho
for all 1 was worth-you know how pref
ty l can sing? Cock-eyed Peterson used
to say it made him forget all his troubles
Because" says he, 'you don't notice
trifles when man bats you over the head
with two-by-four.'
We'll l was enjoying everything in
sight even little drizzle of rain that
was driving by in rags of wetness, when
a fiat-faced swatty at Fort Johnson
halted me.
Now. it's a dreadful thing to be butted
to death by a nanny-goat, but for full
sized cowpuncher to be held up by a sol
der is worse yet.
To say that I was hot under the collar
don't give you the right idea Of the way
l felt.
why, you cross between the last rose
of summer and a bobtailed f1ushn' says l,
what dyer mean? What's got into you?
Get out of my daylight, you dog-robber,
or I'll walk the little horse around your
neck like three-ringed circus. Come.
pull your freight
ii seems that this swatty had been
chucked out of the third story of
Frenchy's dance emporium by Bronco
Thompson, which threw a great respect
for our profesh into him. Consequently
he wasn't fresh like most soldiers, but
answers me as polite as tin-horn
gambler on pay day.
Says he: 81 just wanted to tell you that
old Frosthead and forty braves are
someers between here and your outfit
their eyes, cayooodling and whoopin fit
to beat hell with the blower on, and if
you get tangled up with them 1 reckon
they'll give you a hair cut and shampoo,
to say nothing of other trimmings. They
say they're after the Crows, but it's a
ten dollar bill against last years birds
nest that they'll take on any kind of
trouble that comes along. Their hearts
;,1% Nol fhAHy fn+o n,oI xrhnn
Injun's heart gets spoiled the disease is
id catching You'd better stop awhile"
Nov, cuss old Frosthead and you,
too" says~I "'If he comes crow-hopping
on my reservation I'll kick his pantal-
cites on top of his scalplock."
"All right, pardner!" says he. It's
your own funeral. My orders was to
halt every one going through; but int
a whole company, so you can have your
own way. Only if your friends have to
take you home in coal scuttle don't
blame me- Pass, friend
So went through the officers quarters
forty miles and hour, letting out a string
of yells you might have heard to the
coast just to show my respect for the
United States army
Now this has always been my luck:
Whenever I made band-wagon play
somebody's sure to strike me for my IL
Z cense. Or else the team goes into the
ditch a mile further on and I come out
about as happy as a small yaller dog at
a bobcats caucus.
Some fellers can run in rhinecaboo
thatd make the hair stand up on a
bufferler robe and get away with it just
like a mice; but that amt me. If | sing
a little mite too high in the cellar, down
comes the roof atop of me. SO it was
this day. Old Johnny Hardluck socked
it to me, same as usual.
Gosh Almighty! The liquor died in me
after a while, and 1 went sound asleep in
the saddle. and woke up with jar-to
find myself right in the middle of old
Frostheads gang; the drums ''boom- blip-
ping" and those forty-odd red tigers
"hyah- hyahing" in a style that made my
skin get up and walk all over me with
cold feet.
How in blazes I'd managed to slip
through those Injuns l don't know.
'Twould have been a wonderful piece of
scouting if I'd meant it. You can NEST
always do any darn thing you don't want
to- Well, there l was, and, oh, Doctor.
but wasn't / in a lovely mess! That war
song put a crimp into me that Jack Frost
himself couldn't take out.
1t was as dark as dark by this time.
The moon just stuck one eye over the
edge of the prairie, and the rest of the
sky was covered with cloud. A little
light came from the Injun's campfire,
but not enough to ride by, and, besides,
/ didn't know which way | ought to 60
Says to myself. BILLY Sanders, you
are the champion all-around, old-fashion-
ed fool of the district. You are a Jackass
from the country where ears lessn three
feet long are curiosities. You sassed that
poor swatty that wanted to keep you out
of this. footing your bazoo like man
peddling soap; but now it's up to you
What are you going to do about it," And
/ didn't get any answer, neither.
Well it was no use asking myself con-
undrums out there in the dark when time
was so scarce. So 1 wraps my banker
cher around Laddy's nose to keep him
from talking horse to the Injun ponies
and prepared to sneak to where I'd rather
be-
Lady was the quickest thing on legs
~ he.