Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-01-15
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Lasso Tournament.
lOriginal.l


that. When we drove on l. being seated
on the box by the driver. asked him
about her. remarking that she was OF
the melancholy rather than the viva
cious type.
she was gay enough onct,'' replied
the driver
''Ah, When was that
1T was when this here country was
the principal cattle range i'll the hull
middle west. It's given over to big
grain CROWN now. Then it was all cat
tie. Olive Ross was the purtiest gal in
the hull range. Her father was in
charge of Il ranch owned by an eastern
company. and Olive was the belle of
the range. The young men used TO flock
around her like flies on to Il mOIasSes
barrel. Most any night you could see
ten or Il dozen horses hitched to the
fence in front o the house, but they all
had to light out ut 10 O'Clock. You See,
Olive was in them days only about six
teen years old. and her pa wouldn't
have no late hours. Besides it KEEP her
from marryin' too young, cause none
of 'em had a chance TO do any private
courtin'
LAS time went on the field of Olive
Ross lovers dwindled down to two.
That was because everybody knew that
one of these two was a-gOin' to git the
prize. Penn Sackett was one o the
principal men on the ranch her father
had charge of. Consequence was he
had "A better chance than the others.
But jist as everybody supposed he'd
10 n1n1 Olive lpnar hia1- ('nrayr
the head man of another big ranch and
for time drives Sackett to the wall.
Then when the fust edge had wore
off'n Corey things settled down to an
off ana on between the two. one sea
son Sackett would seem To have the in
side track. the next Corey would best
him. and so it went. the two men gittin'
TO hate each other worse and worse
every day. AS 10 the gal, she seemed to
like il. Fact is she didn't realize that
she was a-stirrin' up Il hornets nest.
"One day when she'd been urged by
both her lovers to come to Il decision
the idea popped into her head that it
would be Il fine thing to git up laSsO
contest between EN-. So she told 'em
she'd marry the one that could laSsO
the other. You see. there was no dan
ger of their hurtin' each other with IL
coil q rope. If there had been Olive
would a-sOOner died than set 'em TO
dOin' ii. She only wanted little sport.
She was one o them gals that likes to
be fit over without anybody'S gittin'
hurt
Il was at the big lasso contest be
tween Penn Sackett and Dick Corey.
They was both fine lookin' fellers
though Sackett was the favorite. Fact
is nobody seemed 10 know why the gal
Worried him with Corey. who had
kind of Il swagger about him. But I've
always noticed that swaggcr goes with
wimmin. Most on us felt that if Dick
Corey got worSted he'd make it hot for
Sackett. but Olive she jist didn't dream
of there bein' any trouble comm from
such an innocent amusement and jist
tilted along through the thing as if she
was dancin TO inSpirin' music
The men. mounted on the best horses
TO be found on two ranches rode out on
10 the rope ring staked out for 'em and
begun to throw. They was considered
the best thrOwers anywheres about and
threw true every time. But they was
as SOOO iOdStIS DIS lLIONt IS, anu every
time one of 'em saw the rope comm
he'd be out o the way before it got to
him. L was standin' near Olive. and it
didn't take me long TO see which man
she was hOpin' would best the other
Every time Corey ID throw at Sackett
she'd hold her breath till the rope fell
and once when it looked as if Sackett
was rOped | thought she'd a-fainted
Fact is she'd begun To realize that she'd
have to take the winner, and she hadn't
done much thinkin' about this part o.
the show.
1t wasn't one u them performances
where it's all over too soon. Fact is
it was plain from the fust it would be
a case q tire out For an hour both
men were under a big strain with
watchin' and THROWN the rope and
turnin' their horses this away and
that away Corey made the best throws
cause he was excitin' hisself most. but |
that sort o thing was wearin'. Sack |
EFT seemed more collected and didn't |
get tired 50 soon l always believed |
he knew the gal would be his'n any
way. At any rate, he waited till Co |
rey's arm worked pretty slow and his |
tufnS was lang ld-lIke; then he makes |
half Il dozen losses, the last one catch |
in right around COrey's body and pin !
iOnin' his left arm. | saw Olive look |
up : if thankin' God. and there was Il |
cheer I was still IOokin' at the gal |
when heerd a shot and. turnin'. saw !
Corey had drawn and fired ut Sackett. |
Corey got two shots in before Sackett /
could git out his gun Then the two |
had il till their guns was emptied and |
both Of 'em was layin' limp on the |
ground
Il never see such a changed express
sion on a woman's face as come over |
Olives durin' the shoOtin'. 1t was one |
a horror. No other word comes near /
hittin' ii. and that's not much good |
When IL was over. she made Il bee line |
for Sackett. raised his head and shrek
ed.