Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-11-04

AIoi NioW w llitl uU you
Haven't you seen lier?"
'Yeh! But she amt like nothin'."
Bill was quite decided upon this
point.
tried again.
well, what sort Of hair has she got?
She's got hair, suppose?"
slayer! Well, few!" said Bill,
with some choice combinations of pro-
family in reputation Of my sugges-
ton. yards Of 1t! Red!"
cit out" contradicted Eli. RED!
'Tain't no more red than miner
Bill regarded His hair critically.
what color do you put on to your
old brush?" he asked cautiously.
"Tain't no difference 'Tain't red,
anyhow"
RED! Well, not quite exactly" and
Bill went off into n low, long, choking
chuckle, calculating now and then:
"Red! Jee-mi-ny Ann! Red"
mo, HI" he went on, recovering him
self with the same abruptness as The
used with his bronco, and looking at
his friend with n face even more than
usually solemn, 'your hayer amt red,
hi; don't let any of your relatives
persuade you to that. 'Tain't red!"
and he threatened to go off again, but
pulled himself up with dangerous sud
denness. ut may be blue, cerulyum
blue or even purple, but rcd He
paused violently, looking at his friend
as If he found him a new and interest
ing object Of study upon which he
could not trust himself to speak. Nor
could he be induced to proceed with
the description he had begun.
But HI, paying no attention to Bills
Grafton, took up the subject with en-
thusiasm.
"She kin ride-she's regular buster
to ride; amt she, Billy' Bill nodded.
"She kin bunch cattle an cut out an
yank steer up to any cowboy on the
range
why, how big is sheY"
big? Why, she's just a kid! 'Tain't
the bigness Of her; it's the nerve. She's
got the coolest kind Of nerve you ever
seen; hain't she. Bill?" And again Bill
nodded.
Member the day she dropped that
steer, BtllY went on HI.
"What was thatr' asked, eager for
yarn.
"Oh, nuthin'," said Bill.
"NuthinH' retorted Hi. "Pretty big
nuthin'p
what was it?'' urged.
"Oh, Bill here did some funny work
ut old Merediths round up, but he
don't speak of 1t. He's shy, you see,"
and Hi grinned
well, there amt no occasion for
your proceedin' on to that tact" said
Bill disgustedly, and Hi loyalty re-
Trained, SO have never yet got the
rights of the story. But from what
did hear l gathered that Bill, at the
risk Of his life, had pulled the Duke
from under the hoOfs Of a mad steer,
aud that little Gwen had in the cool
est possible manner SAILED In on her
bronco" and, by putting two bullets in
to the steers head. had saved them
both from great danger, perhaps from
death. for the rest of the cattle were
crowding near OF course Bill could
never be persuaded to- speak of the in
cident A true western man will never
hesitate to tell you what he can do,
but of what he has done he does not
readily speak.
The only other item that Hi con-
tributed to the sketch Of Gwen was
that her temper could blaze If the occa-
sion demanded.
Member young Hill. BtlI?"
Bill "membered"
"Didn't she cut into him sudden?
Starved him right top"
what did she dot"
"Cut him across the face with her
uuirt In good STYLE"
what forT'
"Knockin' about her Indian Joe"
Joe was, as came to learn, Ponka's
son and Owens most devoted slave.
"Oh, she amt no refrigerator"
YES" assented Bill "Sha's leetle
swift"
Then, rs If fearing he had been apol-
ogizing for her, he added. with the air
Of one settling the question: @But
she's good stock! She suits me!'
The Duke helped me to another side
Of her character.
''She is a remarkable child" he said
one day; wild and shy as coyote,
but fearless, quite. and with heart
full Of passions. Meredith-the Old
Timer. you know-has kept her up
there among the hills She sees no one
but himself and Ponka's Blackfoot re-
lations, who treat her like goddess
and help to spoil her utterly. She
knows their lingo and their ways-goes
of with them for a week at a time"
what! With the BlackfeetY
"Ponka and Joe, Of course, go along,
but even without them she is rs safe
US If surrounded by the Coldstream
guards. But she has given them up
for some time now
And at homer" ! asked ''Has she
any education2 Can she read or
writer"
"Not she. She can make her own
dresses. moccasins and leggings. She
can cook and wash that is, when she
feels in the mood. And she knows all
about the birds and beasts and flowers
and that sort Of thing. but-education!
Why, she is hardly civllized!'
What shamep' said. How old
is she?"
"Oh, mere child-fourteen or If
teen, imagine. but woman in many
| things"
"And what does her father say to
NIL this? Can he control her7'
"Control.' said the Duke In utter
establishment. why, bless your soul,
nothing in heaven or earth could con-
troll her. Wait till you see her stand
with her proud little head thrown
back. giving orders to Joe, and you
Will never again connect the idea of
control with Gwen. She might be q
princess for the pride of her. I've
seen some, too, In my day. but none
to touch her for sheer, Imperial pride,
little Lucifer that she Is"
"And how does her father stand her
nonsensew I asked, for confess I
i