Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-03-06

ILDbl WcIc llOuc 0I Au0
IKi lake beds. lie sat outside the
JEV cabin braiding q leather hat
band-eight strands and the re-
peat fgure-an art that l never could
master.
l sat inside with q one-pound pack
newspapers within reach, rolling the
days supply of cigarettes.
Reddy stopped his story long enough
to say, Don't use the Princess Slip
per- Kid-that paper burns my tongue
take the Granger: there's plenty Of
it."
Well, as 1 was saying, I'd met a lot
of the boys up In town this day and
they threw as many Us two drinks into
me; l know that for certain. because
when we took the parting dose had
glass Of whisky In both my right
hands and had just twice as many
friends as when l started.
When pulled out for home I felt
mighty good for myself-not exactly
looking for trouble, but not a-going to
dodge it any. either. was warbline
Idaho" for all was worth-you know
how pretty can sing? Cockeyed Pc
terson used to say 1t made him forget
all his troubles. Because" says he.
you don't notice trifles when q man
bats you over the head with q two BY
four"
Well, was enjoying everything In
sight, even a little drizzle Of rain that
was driving by in rags Of wetness
when a fatfaced swatty at Fort John
son halted me.
Now. it's n dreadful thing to be but
ted to death by nanny goat. but for
full sized cowpuncher to be held up
by a soldier Is worse yet.
To say that I was hot under the COZ
lar don't give you the right idea Of
the way felt.
"Why. you cross between the last
rose Of summer and a bobtailed
1ushw says I. what dyer meanf
What's got into you? Get out Of my
daylight you dog robber. or Ill walk
the little horse round your neck like
three ringed circus. Come. pull your
freight"
1t seems that this swatty had been
chucked out Of the third story Of
Frenchy's dance emporium by Brone
Thompson, which threw a great re-
spect for our profesh into him. Con-
sequently he wasn't fresh. like most
soldiers, but answers me as polite as q
tin horn gambler on pay day.
Says he: II just wanted to tell you
that old Frosthead and forty braves
are sOme'ers between here and your
outfit, with their war paint on and
blood in their eyes, cayoodling and
whoopin' fit to beat hell with the blow
err Oh. and II you get tangled up With
them l reckon they'll give you a hair
cut and shampoo, to say nothing Of
other trimmings. They say they're
after the Crows. but It's a ten dollar
bill against last years birds nest
that they'll take on any kind of trou-
BILE that comes along. Their hearts is
mighty bad, they state, and when an
Injun's heart gets spoiled the disease
is ID catching. You'd better stop
awhile"
"NOw, cuss old Frosthead and you.
toov says 1. III he comes crow hop
ping on my reservation I'll kick his
pantalets on top Of his scalp lock-"
"All right. pardner." says he. "Its
your own funeral. My orders was to
halt every one going through. But
amt a whole company, SO you can
have 1t your own way. Only If your
friends have to take you home In q
coal scuttle. don't blame mo. Pass
friendw
So went through the officers quar-.
tiers forty miles an hour. letting out a
string Of yells you might have heard
to the coast, just to show my respect
for the United States army.
Now this has always been my luck
Whenever made q band wagon play
somebody's sure to strike me for my
license, or else the team goes into the
ditch a mia farther on, and come out
about rs happy as a small yallee q
at a bobcats caucus.
Some fellerS can run In O rhinecaboc
that d make the hair stand up on q
buffeler robe and get away with II
just like a mice. but that amt me
If I sing little mite too high in the
cellar, down comes the roof atop OF
me. So 1t was this day. Old Johnny
Hardluck s0cked it to me, same as
usual.
Gosh almighty! The liquor died in
me after awhile. and / went sound
asleep in the saddle and woke up with
n jar to find myself right In the mid
die Of old Frosthead's gang. the drums
boom dipping and those forty odd
red tigers "hyah-hyahing" In a style
that made my skin get up and walh
all over me with cold feet
How In blazes I'd managed to sir
through those Injuns I don't know
'Twould have been a wonderful piece
of scouting II I'd meant Il. You can
most always do any darn thing you
don't want to do. Well. there l was,
and. oh. doctor, but wasn't I In a love
ly mess! That war song put a crimp
into me that Jack Frost himself
couldn't take out.
1t was as dark as dark by this time.
The moon just stuck one eye over the
edge Of the prairie. and the rest of the