Okolona messenger., 1906-08-15
The Disgrace
of Jack Tetlow.
BY cLARENcE HoLCoMB.

bunch grass country from Moo York, I"
said the judge
"Tenderfoot?"
"Say, he's that green that when he
climbs down off the box OF the stage
he looks up an down the street afore
he gets off. 'Fraid he's goin to step
in front of trolley car.
Sure he's green, but he's good stuff,
an next mornin' he's out lookin' fur
a job The boss of the Wrench outfit
Is in town, an Joe strikes him first.
" Can you rider" asks the boss.
81 don't know, says JOe turnin'
red, an lookin at the ground.
"Um, says the boss. Can you
cook?
81 never have says Joe, lookin up
hopeful, but I'll try.
"'Ycu needn't mind, says the boss,
plenty sarcastic.
Every place he tries it's the same,
an he's purity well discouraged when
final he gets to me- I'm runnin' a
bunch of control cattle on Stinkin' Wa
ter mountain that summer, an l gives
him a job. Shure it looks like maxim
him present of them wages, but he's
such a decent sort a chap | amt got
the heart to turn him away. | hears
about him every month in Tompson's
report.
First month he says: Put new man
to helpin' the cook. Couldn't ride a
rockin horse, an If he ever runs across
a muley COW, the chances are he'll take
a shot at it thinkin' it's coyote
Second month"; New man can ride
q little. Falls off a good deal, but gets
right back on. Gritty as emery
wheel
Third month"; 'Conroy's got all the
old cows comm in every evenin' to be
Iassed. Kind a got to be habit with
them. l thought when you sent him
out here you must be losin' your mind
but l guess you knew wot you was
doin'. He's a fine chap, an hard
worker
1T amt long after this till the first
snow falls on the mountain, an the
cattle has to be got in on the home
ranch.
IT'S hard work this, fur strange
camps don't appeal to the cowbrute
none, Sc after it's all over l gives the
boys week in town
Thompson goes after his first an only
tove-faro. All summer long he's been
Workin on a system, an final he gets
n down to such fine point he cant
lose. When he gets back on the ranch,
be has his system left. He don't lose
that.
Barney Earle an Jed Clemmins, be-
iieves in gettin something fur their
money, an frequently after weeks
carnival, they seems to have about
Everything, includin' a high-class me-
hagerie, with a side line attraction of
wild an untamable reptiles. That's the
way my vaqueros spend their time, but
As l never had money enough to en-
Joy them sports myself, hangs around
the toardin' house principle, an Joe
keeps me company. The house was
run at that time by little widow by
the meme of Cummin's.
Right off notices she takes likin'
to Joe. Mind you, ] don't mean she
becomes enamored of him none, but
he's such neat little chap, it's strange
II he amt big casino with the fem
mines.
1T seems a fellow named Black
Jack Persons was playin' all suits both
ways from the middle tryin' to win
the widow, but she don't enthuse.
Final, when Joe arrives on the scene
she passes him up like he's white
chip, which makes him imagine Joe's
alienatin' them affections. Natural,
this makes him plenty furious, an he
figures it's only matter of time, till
retribution is bound to overtake the
tenderfoot. And 80 things run along
until the night before we leaves fur
the ranch.
Harry, Jed an Barney is all down
TO the saloon, an before we turns in,
Joe an / lights our pipes an strolls
down town. AS we pass the saloon
the bcys is in takes it into my head
to drop in an try to get them to come
to bed. an Joe follows.
1--WE amt no more than entered,
when g slab-sided kid called Google
Eye George, sticks. his foot between
Joe's legs an trips him up. This Cog
gle Eye Georges eyes stick out like Q
shrimp's, but when Joe gets up, he
ehure puts one of them back normal.
Just one lick, an Google Eye amt got
no more fght in him than sheep, but
he don't need to do his own fghtin',
FUR right hyer Black Jack takes his
hand an plays it fur him,
''Gettin' up from the table, where
hes been dealin' stud poker he walks
up to Joe.
"'Wot do you mean?' he snarled, q
hittin' Of my particular friend?'
Joe didn't say anything, just stood
his ground.
"'Well, I'll make you talk" shouts
Black Jack, haulin OF an knockin' Joe
over a couple Of chairs.
"Seein' as I've lived in this country
all my life, hopes knows the ediket
Of the plains, the same bein' that
every man skelps his own coyote, but
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