Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-21

he was able to get around again, and he
loves me worse than ever. 1t caynt be
helped
so these robbers know that you-that
you're a grip
They found me out last year Yes It's
al the back of their haids that I'm their Ill
sister, and they're allowed to be brothers
to me, Jim. Now don't you snort like
hawss, cause they're all the brothers I've
got
You're not afraid of them?'
You cayn't think what nice boys they
are. OF course, being robbers, they claims
to have been Matched savage, and brung
up dangerous, pore things. Father tells
EN- that they has no occasion for vain
glorious pride, cause their vocation is
mean"
He's dead right, and I'm glad he shoots
them
Generally in the laigs. He says he
reckons that a tender inducement to being
good is better than a bullet through the eye
OF co'se, thar has 10 be some discipline TO
chasten they'r hearts, or they'd get acting
bumptious-'
''HumphI'
but you don't savvy Father has to
press his views on the boys, but they'd be
much worse If it wasn't for him. He says
he's heaps indulgent parent TO EN-, and I
reckon he shOrely is. Fathers the best man
in the whole world. Do you know he only
kills when he has to- and not for his own
honor and glory? Why, he won't rob man
a bad man. but that's long while ago. be-
fore | remember"
Were you always raised as boy?"
"AiluS. He made me learn to ride, and
rope, and shoot, from-ever since 1 was
Weaned. When l got old enough he learned
me scouting, cooking, packing hawss,
tending wounds, sunting-all sorts of things
| been well educated shore enough, more
than most boys"
ITS all beastly rot calling him good-Mc-
Calmont goodt'
"A hawss or a dawg, or III child will
run from a bad man. but they love my
father. Oh, but you don't know how good
he isl
We'll. let it go at that You wanted to
be robber?"
'.Shorely, yes but he never would let me-
II aint true what that sign-paper says up
in the city yonder, that l robbed train
wasn't there at all. You see, father picked
up on the home trail with a starving man,
and helped him. That mean, Urinary cuss
went and told Joe Beef the sheriff, that
was in the gang which held up the train
That's why I'm due to be hunted and roped
or shot at by any citizen who wants two
| thousand dollars. OF co'se, it's nacheral
there should be bounty offered on wolf
haids, but I'd like to have nice wolf-time
before I'm killed. l never had a chance to
got my teeth in 'cept only once. Yes we
stole six hundred head of cattle from the
Navajos and you should just have seen the
eager way they put out after us. They was
plenty enthusiastic, and they came mighty
near collecting our wigs"
1T makes me sick to think of you with
gang of thieves"
Father says that the worst crimes l.,
cowardice, meanness and cheating The
next worse things is banks, railroad COM
| panies lawyers; and that young Ryan
specially Ryan--he says that us robbers is
angels compared with trash like that"
That's no excuse"
Father says that robbery is a sign that
the law is rotten, and proof that the gov
| ernments too pore and weak to cast a
| proper shadow. He allows we're a curse to
| the country, and 1t serves the people right -
IT'S bad-you know it's badr'
Shore thing it's bad. 10 you know what
made us bad? All of our tribe was cow
/ boys and stockmen once; not saints but
! trying to act honest. and only stealing cows
| quite moderate, like ole Chalkeye. Then
| rich men came stealing our water holes
fereing in our grass. driving our cattle
away"
why didn't you get lawyer-wasn't
there any law?'
| There shorely was, My fathers farm
was way back in Kansas. His neighbor
was a big cattle company. which hadn't
| any use for farms or settlers. They turn
4 ed their cattle into his crops, they shot my
brother Bill, they wounded father. Then
| father went to law. and the lawyers skinned
| him alive. and the Judge was Shareholder
| In the Thomas Cattle Company--he done
| gave judgment that we-all was in the
| wrong Then father appealed to the big
| Court at Washington, which says he had
| the right to his land and home. So the