, 1905-04-01
"REMINISCENCES
OF A TENDERF00T

M AHC
=" Kill your replied Duchy; Nav.
Veil fix him all right
"Duchy produced a coal-oil can.
dropped a couple Of drops of oil on the
tick, screwed it AROUND a couple OF
times and out it came, but still the
young man had many misgivings as
to whether its head was out or not and
was still of the opinion that his life
was not entirely out of danger.
In the morning l asked Duchy IT
we could not nave a team to make the
remainder OF the distance with, as our
horses were jaded. He very cordially
consented to giving us a vehicle and
told of his men to round up a GER
tain bunch of horses. After q few MIN
utes we beheld perhaps twenty bron-
chos coming toward the ranch like a
whirlwind. After much trouble they
were corralled and Their the cowboys
tried to lasso a team but before this
could be accomplished the entire
bunch went over the fence and again
scattered.
Haven't you got some work
horses l asked Duchy.
'Yaw, but | fought you wanted a
quick
Give us the work horses today
| replied, and it was fortunate indeed
that we got them, for we had not pro-
ceeded two miles before n of the
singletrees broke and We were COM
PEELED to stop and fix it. If we had
had a team of those wild bronchos 1t
would have been all over with us
all over the prairie at least. On a lit
tie father, the other single tree gave
out and then at a later hour we weut
into a chuck-hole and the doubletree
was broken sQuarely in two. Here
we waited for the approach of a cow
boy seen in the distance. We borrow
ed his lariat, promising to leave it for
him at a certain ranch where we would
stop later in the day.
Our driver, one of .Duchy's IN
ployes, did not appear to know the
country very well and was in doubt
about the road across a flat plain
upon which we were just entering. The
cowboy described it as best he could,
but l was not satisfied and told him
that if he would pilot US across and
put us right on the road over the
benchland | would give him q dollar.
To this he agreed at once. Crossing
the plain the alkali mud was sc bad
that we were compelled to get out and
walk in order that the load might be
lighter for the team. The cowboy no
ticed that l walked with a limp and
asked me to ride his horse while he
walked by my side. He saw that 1
was a tenderfoot and preceded to take
advantage of the opportunity.
" See that benchland ove there.
That is the worst place ever saw for
lightning and / fear we are to have
a thunderstorm this afternoon. Don't
like those heavy clouds in the west.
More than thirty head of cattle have
been killed up there to my certain
knowledge. Lots Of horses and sheep
too. Four cowboys have been hustled
of by the lightning route. Mighty
dangerous up there, pard.'
When we reached the foot of the
hill leading up to the b~enchland,
asked Mr.. Cowboy to accompany us
over, but he baked, saying he did moi
care to take any chances up there that
day. While we were climbing the hill
l told the rest of my small party what
had learned Of the %hghtning's freaks
on this famous and deadly mesa, lend
ing such embellishment to the story
as my ability would permit When
about the middle Of this bench the
storm broke In all its fury. 1t rain
ed in torrents and th~underbolts Hash
ed here and there almost incessantly
Every time a fash came all Of us
would dodge and q good deal of credit
was given to the yarn of the cowboy
About the middle Of the afternoon We
came to a ranch and made inquiries
about the road the distance to Pied
mont and other things. Incidentally
1 remarked to the ranchman that thu
benchland we had just crossed was I
very dangerous place.
" Since when?' he rejoined.
Thirty head Of cattle have beer
killed up there l said, many horse'
and sheep and no less than four men
!, When did all this take place!
/ "'Oh 1 don't happen to be In posses
sion of exact dates, names. ETC., but I
reliable party told me-
"'Who?'
"'Buckskin Sam, = cowboy we me
on the road back there.
Thought about as much. He II
the most internal liar in Wyoming
"a tribe late In the evening. the sta
ton house at Piedmont came into view
} and it was = welcome sight, I can tel
you. l lost NO time In getting into thu
station and asktns the agent when thu
next train would be along.
Don't know responded the agent
Cant you ind out Tor mer ]
asked.
"No.,-was the reply.