The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-10-26


ers begin to follow that :wether,. an
they so right over the cliff, like. the
pore fools they are The herder. fred
and tried to drive 'em back, they tell
me, an he an the dawg were shot at
from the. clump Of willows by some
one else who was there Three hun
dred sheep had gone over the cliff
before Jim knew what was happening.
He rode like mad right through the
herd to try and head 'em off, but you
know what sheep is like-they're like
lost souls headin' for damnation. Moth
ing can stop 'em when they're once
started, and Jim lost every head.
Started for the shearing pens a rich
man-rich for Jim-an' seen every
thing he had swept away before his
eyes, his wife an children made pau
pers. ...,..< 49,. :-,.,....-, II
! my son come up and found him.
He said that Jim was sittin' huddled
up in heap his knees drawed up I'M
der his chin starin' straight up into
the monday sky, same as If he was
askin' God how he could be so cruel.
His dead dawg, that they had shot,
was by the side of him. The herder
that was with Jim had taken the one
that was shot into Watson's, so when
my son found Jim he was alone, sittin'
on the edge Of the cliff with his dead
dawg, an the sky about was black
with buzzards, an Jim he just sat an
stared up at 'em, an when my son
spoke, to him he never answered any
more than a dead man. He shuck him
by the arm, but Jim just sat there,
Watchin' the sun, the buzZards an the
dead Sheep VI 49,,
'Was nothing done to this man Simp-
son?' s..'E.....7
"The cattle outfit that he done the
dirty work for swore an alibi for him.
Jim has been in hard luck ever since
He's been rustlin' cattle right along.
But, Lord, who can blame him? He
got into some trouble down to Raw
lins-shot man he thought was with
Simpson,, but who wasn't-and he's
been in Jail ever since. Course, now
that he's out, Simpsons bound to get
peppered. Glad it didn't happen here,
though. 'Twould be a kind Of I'M
pleasant thing to have connected with
eatin' house. Don't you think 500"
she inquired, with the grim philosophy
Of the country. .''. -.s'i. go
The eating house patrons had gone
their several ways, and the quiet Of
the dining room was oppressive by con-
trast with it's late boisterousness. Mrs.
Clark, her hands imprisoned in bread
dough, begged Mary to look over the
screen door and see If anything was
happening. 'I'm always suspicious
when it's quiet. know they're in
deviltry Of some Sort s~ -,
Mary tiptoed to the door and peeped
over, but the room was deserted save
for Simpson huddled in a corner bit
ing his finger nails. "The nasty thingw
exploded Mrs. Clark when she had re-
ceived the bulletin. I'D turn him out
If 1t wasn't for the notoriety he might
bring my place in gettin' killed in front
Of it, ..>..,.
II dare say I'd better go and see
after my trunk - It's still on the station
platform" Mary wondered what her
prim aunts would think Of her for
sitting in Mrs. Clark's kitchen, but it
had seemed so much more of a refuge
than the sordid streets Of the hideous
little town, with it's droves of men and
never glimpse Of woman, that she
had only been too glad to avail her.
self Of the invitation of the proprietress
to make herself at home till the stage
left" -,
"Well, good luck to you," said Mrs.
Clark, wiping her hand only partially
free from dough and presenting it to
Miss Carmichael. She had not in
quired where the girl was going nor
even limited to discover where she
came from, but she gave her the god
speed that the west knows how to
give, and the girl felt better for it.
At the station, where Mary shortly
presented herself in the interest of that
old man Of the sea Of all travellers, lug
gage, she learned that the stage did
not leave town for some three-quarters
of an hour yet. The time at her dis
posal before the stage would embark
on that unknown sea of prairies she
spent in the delectable pastime Of shop
ping. The financial and social interests
of the town seemed to converge in
Hugous & Co.'s trading store" where
Miss Carmichael invested in an extra
package of needles for the mere ex-
element Of being one of the shoppers,
though her Aunt Adelaide had stocked
the little plaid silk workbag to reple-
ton with every variety of needle
known to woman. She pricked up her
ears meanwhile at some of the Dur
chases made by the cowboys for their
camp larders- deviled ham, sardines
and canned tomatoes heading the list as
prime favorites. Did these strapping
border lads live by the fruit Of the tin
alone? Apparently yes, with the So
phisticated accompaniment of soda
biscuit, to judge by the quantity of
baking powder they invested init
orally pounds Of it. Men in any other
condition Of life would have died of
slow poisoning as the result Of it.