Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-12

the most part, men died in their boots
and were planted with much honor
and loyal libation There was often
far west many poor fellow lies us he
fell, wrapped in his own or his com
rade's blanket.
1t was the manager of the y l. COM
panys ranch that introduced Grape.
The occa sion was the funeral of one of
the ranch cowboys. killed by his bron-
co, but when the pallbearers and
mourners appeared with bands and
streamera of Grape this was voted by
the majority as too gay That cir
cumstance alone was sufficient to rem
der that funeral famous, but it was re-
membered. too. as having shocked the
prophecies in another and more serious
manner. No one would be so narrow
minded as to object to the custom of
the return procession falling into a
series of horse races of the widest de-
scription and ending up at Latour's i'll
a general riot. But to race with the
corpse was considered bad form. The
corpse driver" as he was called, could
hardly be blamed on this occasion.
His acknowledged place was at the
head Of the procession, and it was n
point Of honor that that place should
be retained. The fault lay clearly with
the driver Of the Y l. ranch sleigh,
containing the mourners IAN innova-
ton, by the way), who felt aggrieved
that Hi Tsendal, driving the Ashley
team with the pallbearers (another
innovation) should be given the place
of honor next the corpse.
The X j. driver wanted to know
what. in the name Of all that was black
and blue, the Ashley ranch had to do
with the funeral? Whose was that
corpse. anyway? Didn't 1t belong to the
X L ranch? Hi, on the other hand,
contended that the corpse was in
charge of the pailbearers. 1t was
their duty to see it right to the grave,
and II they were not on hand how was
it goin' to get there? They didn't ex-
pect that it would git up and get there
by itself, did they: Hi didn't want no
BANKED mourners foolin' round that
corp till 1T was properly planted; after
that they might git in their work.
But the X l. driver could not accept
this view, and at the first opportunity
slipped past Eli and his pallbearers
and took the place next the sleigh that
carried the coffin. 1t is possible that Hi
might have horne with this affront and
loss of position with even mind, but
the jeering remarks of the mourners as
they slid past triumphantly could not
be endured, and the next moment the
three teams we're abreast In q race as
for dear life. The corpse driver, hav-
ing the advantage Of the beaten track,
soon left the other two behind running
neck and neck for second place, which
was captured finally by Hi and main
tanned to the grave side in spite of
many attempts on the part of the X LIS.
The whole proceeding, however, was
considered quite improper. and at La
tours that night. after full and bibu-
corpse driver fairly distributed the
blame. For his part, he said, he knew
he hadn't ought to make no corp
git any such move on, but he wasn't
goin' to see that there corp take second
place at his own funeral. Not If he
could help it, And as for the others, he
thought that the pallbearers had
BANKED sight more to do with the
plantin' than them giddy mourners.
But when they gathered at the Mere
dith ranch to carry out the Pilot to his
grave 1t was felt that the foothill coun-
try was called to 4 new experience.
They were al. there-the men from
the Porcupine and from beyond the
Fort, the police with the inspector in
command, all the farmers for twenty
miles around, and of course all the
ranchers and cowboys of the Swan
Greek country. There was no effort at
repression. There was no need, for in
the cowboys for the first time in their
experience there was no heart for fun.
And as they rode up and hitched their
horses to the fence or drove their
sleighs into the yard and took of the
bells there was no loud voiced saluta-
ton, no guying nor chatting, but with
silent nod they took their places in the
crowd about the door or passed into
the kitchen.
The men from the Porcupine could
not quite understand the gloomy 81
lence. 1t was something unprecedent-
ed in country where men laughed all
care to scorn and saluted death with
nod. But they We're quick to read
signs, and, with characteristic courtesy,
they fell in with the mood they could
not understand. There is no man liv-
ing SO quick to feel your mood and so
ready to adapt himself to it as is the
true Nesterner.
This was the day of the cowboys
grief. To the re st OF the community
the Pilot was preacher; to them he was
comrade and friOnd. They had been
slow to admit him to their confidence,
but steadily he ha q won his place with
them till within the last few months
they had come to count him as of
Themselves He lad ridden the range
with them. he had slept in their shacks
and cooked his meals on their tin
stoves, and, besides, he was Bills
chum. That alone was enough to give
him right TO al they owned. He was
theirs. and they were only beginning to
take full pride in him when he passed
out from them, leaving an emptiness in
~ Int