Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-31

Effls&aD Steve. urged me to take an
ak, 60 forth and chop little wo'd,
which did
The weather was ideal--a Dakota
fall; air vital with the mingled pleas
ant touch Of frost and sun, like Ice
cream in hot coffee, and still as 81
lence itself. I had good breakfast;
was in excellent health and spirits.
The boss could by no means approach
within mile unperceived, and every
thing pointed to a pleasant day. But,
alas, as the Copper Lined Killelubird of
the Rockies sings. MANS hopes rise
with the celebrity and vigor Of the hind
leg Of the mule only to descend with
the velocity of a stout gentleman on
banana PEEL
On reaching the grove of cottonwoods
I sat down for a smoke and specu-
lative view of things In general, having
learned at my then early age that
philosophy is never Of more value than
when one should be doing something
else
heard noise behind me, peculiar
noise, between a snort and violent
bleat. Turning, l saw buck deer
and from the cord and bell around
his neck recognized him as one Billy,
the property Of Steve's eldest boy. He
was spoken Of as a pet.
This was the touch needed to COM
plete my Arcadia, the injection Of
what at the time considered to be
poetry into the excellent prose Of open
air life. Who could see that grace
full, pretty creature and remain un-
moved? Not /, at all events. l fan
cied myself as a knight of old in the
royal forest, which gave touch of the
archaic to my speech.
Come here, thou sweet eyed forest
child" l cried. And here he came.
AT an estimate should say that he
was four AK handles, or about twelve
feet, high as he appended himself,
brandished his antlers and jumped me.
My AK was ut distance. l moved.
played knight to kings bishops eighth,
In this case represented by fork of
the nearest tree wise and subtle
piece of strategy, as it resulted in q
drawn game.
My friend stood erect for awhile.
making warlike passes with his front
feet, which, by the way, IRE as for
midable weapons as man would care
to have opposed to him; then, seeing
that there was no sporting blood in
ME, he devoured my lunch and went
away, course promptly initiated as
far as could. departed.
Hitherto / had both liked and adj
mired Steve. His enormous strength,
coupled with an unexpected agility and
an agreeable way he had of treating
you as IL you were quite his own age,
endeared him to me- When poured
out my troubles to him, however, re-
buking him for allowing such savage
beast to be at large, he caused my feel
ings to undergo change, for instead
of sympathizing he fell to uproarious
laughter, slapped his leg and swore
that it was the best thing he'd ever
heard of and wished he'd been there to
see it.
There are probably no worse leases
on earth than the big boys who chase
the COW ON the western prairies. They
had "a horse OH the kid" and the poor
kid felt nightmare ridden indeed. If !
were out with them some one would
assume an anxious look and carefully
scout around bunch of grass in the
distance, explaining to the rest that
there might be deer concealed there,
and one could not be too careful when
there were wild beasts like that
around. Then the giggling rascals
would pass the suspected spot with In
finite caution, perhaps breaking into a
gallop, with frightened shrieks of "The
deer, the deery' while tried to look as
IL I liked it and stroye manfully. to
keep the brine of modification from
rolling down my cheeks.
l didn't let my emotions take the
form of words, because l had wit
enough to know that i could not put a
better barrier between myself and a
real danger than those husky lads OF
the leather breeches and white hats.
For all that / had a yearning to see
one OF them encounter the, deer at his
worst. I did not wish any one hut
and was so confident Of their physical
ability that I did not think any one
would be, but felt that such an incir
dent would strengthen their under
standing.
This thing came to pass, and, Of al
people, on my arch enemy, Steve II
l had had the arrangement Of details
could not have planned it better.
Because of my tender years the light
chores of the ranch fell to my share.
One day every one was of, leaving me
to chink up the "bull pen," or mems
quarters, with mud against the cold
Of approaching winter. Steve had tax
en- his eldest boy on trip to pick out
some good wood.
Presently arrived the boy, hatless,
running as fast as he could tear, the
breath whistling in his lungs. "Come
quickp' was the message.
1t seems the deer had followed the
couple, and when the boy fooled with
his old playmate the deer knocked him
down and would have hurt him badly
but that his father instantly jumped
into the fray and grabbed the animal
by the horns with the intention Of
twisting his head off. The head was
fastened on more firmly than Steve
supposed. The powerful man thought