Gilpin observer., 1906-06-21
MiIkweed Moses Friend
BY KENNErr HARRIS.

fresh Goals on the lid. THE callous Is
an inch and a half thick on my soles
now.
II remember that full an complete"
he went on, seeing that he had the at
tention Of his auditors. Il was walk
ing along the Janeway trail, tryin' to
make the White river crossin', an
headed fer the Mess Box butte, un-
KNOWN in my tendrfoot simplicity.
My cayuse had up an died on me n
miles the other side O. Porcupine, an
wus hoof1n' it in high-heeled punch
er boots that had my heels skun q
plenty.
"Fin'ly I heard suthin' goin' pittity-
pat, pittity-pat behind me. turned
around an seen feller ridin' along
the trail at a pretty lively clip. He
ketched up with me jest as I got to
coulee where there was little bunch
O. jack pines
Hello' he says. 'Travelin', or jest
goin' somewheres?'
II told him where | wus bound fer
an he laffed. Keep right on he says;
you'll hit some place if you don't
strike White river. Where are you
from?'
Buchanan, Mizzoura.' l says.
Whats your name?' he asks.
"'Moso Pinckney,' says.
why, sufferin' snakes! he says.
You must be old man Pinckney's boy
old man Plnckney of Buchanan.
Well, shake!
"'You know my pap, them I says.
Know him!' he says. I know him
better'n-'
He broke off an looked at the dim
horryzon. shadin' his eyes with his
hand. Seemed to me l cd see little
dust right on the aidge OF it, too.
He wus the best friend I ever
had says the feller, sort O. hurried,
an hoppin' off his horse. See here.
You're tired. Take thisyer horse an
light out straight along the trail your
best licks.
But | says.
"'Ain't no but" about it, he saws,
frownin'. Don't tell you you're the
son of my best friend? l owe your
dear, kind pap a heap morn one
NANCY, 1ea-bitten roam. You're well
come to him as the flowers in May
II says, If you owed my pap as
much as a dollar an got out O. Bu-
chanan alive 'thout payin' him you're
a wonder
"'You amt got no time to talk
about it If you want to eat tonight
says my mysterus benefactor, as he
omitted a slicker that bulged a consid-
cradle il the middle with what looked
like airy pan an chuck. Git up in
that saddle an let's see you ride.
Don't you worry about me-
He slapped the horse with his i1and
and it gave jump that mighty nigh
threw me an then lit into a lope. AS
soon's got him started looked bacx,
| an see my fathers friend duck down
into the coulee.
After awhile took the notion to
look back an. sure enough, there wus
some folks peltin' along behind me
about mile an a half They was
what had been the dust. I didn't
think they could have gained on me
that much an it made me mad, be
cause I'd begun to take a pride in Old
Roany's performance. Well see about
this | says to myself, an l give him
touch of the quirt. He made jump
or two forward an then one side step
that landed me in a bunch of sage
brush.
II tried to ketch him, but he lest
walked away from me. holdin' his
head sideways so he wouldn't step on
the bride. If moved out of a walk
he done the same an he could out-trot
me. II I stopped he went to fee1in'
again. I'd got right interested trailin
about after him an jest nearly ketch-
in him 80 I didn't hardly notice any
thing until somebody hollered to me
to throw up my hands. looked
around an seen six good-sized b,si-
ness-like fellers with six extry-s'zed
Winchesters all p'intin' right straight
in my direction. Well. throwed Up
my hands an one feller with a crooked
nose rode up an dropped a rope over
me.
Gentlemen I says, 4 amt got but
$12 about me, but you're welcome tn
that II you'll jest take this yer rope off
me an give me my horse an let me
go.'
"They laffed at that. But one fe'l r
says: Where did you git your horso,
podner?' An then | told em about
the feller my father'd been good to.
II don't bslieve a word of it, savs
a man with black beard. but If it's
true I think we ought to hang Kim.
just the same. A young fool like him
is bound to be hung sooner or later
1.-TWO or three others took the same
view an then I gathered for the first
time th.t they'd done me the in.ls.ioe
of s'rnsfn' I'd stole the horse wa
a-ridin'. The man who owned him
thought so p'ticular. They argued |,
plenty about 1t until fn'ly one of tr..