The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-12-15
OATS
CATASTROPHE
BY BILL BROGAN

wv DING to the dance Sure My
III head was already half-suBk in a
fsa OF water. II was the second time
Rad washed that day; We only wash
a1ee a day at the lower shauty, bar
rag accidents or a dance, Oats was
shaving before a looking glass in a
aDruer of the shanty Say that glass
gas plum locoed. Sometimes It made
f0ur face twice too wide with eyes like
a "Cnink' and a tHrncd-up nose. Then
EaCn yun looked again your face was
as long as a sky pilots on Domingo,
shiCh same is Sunday In Mexicano,
ynur eyes stuck out like a scared steer
and your mouth and ears-it was sure
had medicine That glass could sort OF
chill a puUcher TN he roped the fact
that II WaE all according to the way
your face and the ligat happened 10 be
Beaded. Some puncher had brought
shat glass to the lower ohanty from
frisco before | came and-wcll, Il was
good enough for Oats and II was good
ssNugh for ne, We could sec our
HhIskers all O. X, which was the
ssaih thing about a looking glass in
a cos camp, anyhow.
Oats had been to MiraG" that week
and when he dragged a pair of bran
rev Gordunys from CEder his bunk, 1t
%idH't surprise me much, He put EN-
@H and squIrmed around trying to see
sow they a. behind. He did look some
EgCli. Those trousers tit him like a
glove, without a wrinkle anywhere.
add creased down the front like ten
srTfo0t sarb from the east They
smnlled new, too. which Is something
thoy put in clothes to keep out the
moths. The smell Is half the good "
soaring new clothes, then anybody can
all they're new.
Huen he fastened that garb with 2
side belt Of red leather and a big sill.
yer buckle that he'd stole from a greas
m somewhere. he did look proper
sAatS AWAY was big on style. Then he
aacerked q couple Of new kerchicfs
from . bundle and handed me one, the
same to knot around my neck She
Eas a h-au'. Bright red and yellow
Sith little black lines crjnkling around
saruugh her. Solid silk. Oats was
The same, except gtcen crinkly lines.
We had two clean shirts, washed
,hcln the day before. We pulled on
cur boots, slicked them down with ba-
ann rInd and shut The shanty door.
Nd been an hour dressing, and 1t
Fus shutdown already. with Is miles to
ride. VIC roped a couple Of mounts
from the corral. saddled and Hoped
away. hasty like. There's nothing
slakr5 a mar feel 50 good that way.
bkc starting for a dance, with a shave.
4 wash and good clothes. ! felt like |
%Wnai the old outht aud was working
toE mggelf. The mesa air was cool and
shcrc was a fresh smell to the land
aeapC about like after q rain back east,
The stars had begun TO wink around
egcrhcad az we struck the trail and
ffcadcd for the Silver outfit. We'd
pretty ncar arrived as the moon
6rawIed up out OF the hills and the
coyotes began to sing. | vas feeling
sO0d. and whisllcd a quadrille, surrep-
titiously like. Oats was singing a two
,ned gospel hymn, the same being all
Inc InnsEc he knows.
Nov, the worst thing about those
range bred ponies. Is that you cant
tel what they're thinking about, nor
just when they're going to think the
same. I was watching my mount
pretty close, but | wasn't much sur.
srlsed when Oats sombrero slapped
we In the face, | grabbed II before
4 hit the sand, and looked around for
Oats. He was there all right. all right,
bat not where he should have been,
Ills cayuse was clear of the trail,
jumping around stift legged in the mes
quite and brcking proper. Oats dug
w the spurs and his knees gripped the
saddle. For ten minutes that pony
sept the sand flying, then stopped as
sudden as he began and "Stuppety
stupped" off like he never bucked.
Oats kicked him with the spurs and
wrapped a quirt round his ears with.
0ut starting a second fight. Then he
took the sombrero, His face was red,
and his hair had stampeded all over
his head. | handed him a little tin
comb | always carry to a dance. He
stuck the somhrero on the saddle horn.
Srippod tho lines with one hand and
ronnded up his hair while we Hoped,
We could zoe the rancho buildings
ahead t~0 ','ntlcs ard a bunk room.