West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-02-21

NNheAN was A0CAA-u ukOIu
fali; air vital with the mingled pleas
ant u of frost and sun. like Ice
cream In hot coffee, and still as ST.
ience Itself. 1 had n good breakfast;
was In excellent health and spirits.
The boss could by no means approach
within a mile u~nperceived. and every
thing pointed TO n pleasant day. But,
alas, as the Copper Lined Kinelublrd OF
the Rockies sings. MANS hopes rise
with the celebrity and vigor OF the hind
leg OF the mule only TO descend with
d velocity OF n stout gentleman on
a banana peel"
On reaching the grove OF cottonwoods
i sat down for n smoke and n specu-
lntive view of things in general, having
learned Mt my then early age that
philosophy is OF more value than
when n should be doing something
else.
1 heard n noise behind me. n peculiar
noise, between n snort and n violent
bleat- Turning, 1 saw n buck deer
n from the cord and bell around
MS neck recognized him as N Billy.
the property OF Steve's eldest boy. He
wa spoken of as n pet.
Ihis was the touch needed TO COM
plete my Arcadia, the injection of
what at the time 1 considered to be
poetry into the excellent prose of open
air life. Who could see that grace.
Iul, pretty creature and remain un-
movedf Not ], at all events. 1 fan
cied myself as Il knight of old in the
royal forest, which gave a touch of the
archaic to my speech.
Come here, thou sweet eyed forest
child!' l cried. And here he came.
AT an estimate l should say that he
was four ak handles, or about twelve
rect, high as he appended himself.
brandished his antlers and Jumped me.
My AK was at a distance. L moved. 7
played knight to kings bishops eighth.
In this case represented by n fork OF
the nearest tree, a wise and subtle
piece of strategy, as 1t resulted In a
drawn game.
My friend stood erect for awhile.
making warlike passes with his front
feet which, by the way, are as for
midAble weapons as n man would care
10 have opposed to him; then. seeing
that there was no sporting blood In
me, he devoured my lunch and went
away, a course / promptly Initiated as
far as ] could. / departed.
Hitherto l had both liked and nd
mired Steve. His enormous strength.
coupled with an unexpected agility and
an agreeable way he had of treating
you as II you We're quite his own age,
endeared him to me. When L poured
out my troubles to him, however. re-
buking him for allowing such n savage
beast to be at large, he caused my feel.
ings to undergo n change, for instead
OF sympathizing be fell TO %uproarious
laughter, slapped his leg and swore
that 1t was the best thing ned ever
heard OF and wished he'd been there TO
see IL.
There are probably no worse leases
on earth than the big boys who chase
the COW on tie western prairies. They
had "a horse on the kid" and the poor
Kid felt nightmare ridden indeed. II I
We're out with them some one would
assume an anxious look and carefully
scout around a bunch OF grass I'm the
distance, explaining TO the rest that
AN AA5hN RN a. AfEA GhAltfdltu 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 deerr' while / tried to look as
II ] liked It and strove manfuIly to
keep the brine OF modification from
rolling down my cheeks.
! didn't let my emotions take the
form Of words, because / had wit
enough 70 know that I could not put a
better barrier between myself and a
real danger than those husky lads OF
the leather breaches and white hats.
For all that I had a yearnlng to see
one OF them encounter the deer Mt his
worst. / did not wish any n hurt
and was so confident OF their physical
ability that / did not think any one
would be, but I felt that such an Incl
dent would strengthen their under.
standing.
This thing came TO pass, and, Of all
people, on my arch enemy, Steve. II
I had had the arrangement Of details
I 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
10 chink UP the bull pen" or mems
quarters. with mud against the cold
OF approaching winter. Steve had tax.
en- bis eldest boy on a trip 20 pick out
some good wood.
Presently arrived the boy. hatless
running as fast as he could tear. the
breath whistling In his lungs. Com,
quickF wa The message.
Il seems the deer had followed the
couple. and when the boy fooled with
bis old playmate the deer knocked him
uown 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 or The head wa,
fastened on more firmly than steve
supposed The powerful nan thought
Il would be nm easy matter 20 throw
his antagonist What Doe did not az
OH take into account was that the
buck was both larger and stronger
than be. Though raised on n bottle
the deer had grow into q splendid
specimen u Sc kind re was by long
odds the largest deer ] ever saw.
Wei. Steve got The surprise o. bf.
ife. II didn't take him long 10 see
the battle was an against HIM that
he best De could hope 90 DO was 10
hold bis until help arrived. 30
he sent the boz on h0tfoot ALTHOUGH
hie power Tor "a short cxortlon was
great Steve was ln no kind of train
M having allowed himself % fattep
70 and being an lnordinate user Of 10.
tacco. Per contra The deer felt fresh.
ohed and i|nvlg0rated by oreriian
ihat q th4 deuce Of Sc So struggling