The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-11-03
CHAPTER VIII.

The sky Pilot.
WY ITH the waves OF immigration
which have rolled Westward
from the more populous East,
the minister of the gospel has always
been in the van. Often he combined
the functions of the school teacher with
the duties of the medical missionary.
Wherever a dozen families had settled
within a radius of a hundred miles. the
representative of a church was soon to
follow. He preached no creed. His
doctrines were as wide as the horizon.
Living In the open air. preaching to
congregations gathered from the ends
of the country, dealing with men more
unconventional than immoral, his SER
mons were concerned with the qua
deal rather than with dogma. His in,
fiuences We're incalculable. He made
ready the field for the reapers h
gathered the glory with the advance of
refinement. On the frontier he mar
ried the children, buried the dead, con-
soled the mourners, and rejoiced with
those upon whom fortune smiled. His
hardships were many and his rewards
nothing. OF all the fields of human
endeavor which built up the West, the
ministry Is the only one In which the
material returns have not been COM
mensurate with the labor expended. y
The Reverend Samuel Price was the
representative of the Christian army In
Pinal county, Arizona, at the time OF
our story. He was long and lank, Mars,
row in the chest. with sloping shoul-
ders. Even life on the plains could not
eradicate the scholarly droop. His
trousers were black, and they bagged
at the knees. When riding, his trous-
ers would work up about his calves,
showing a wide expanse Of white socks.
For comfort he wore an alpaca coat,
which hung loosely about him, and.
for the dignity of his profession. the
only boiled shirt In the county, with 9
frayed collar n white string tie.
The Rev. Mr.. Price wal liked by the
settlers. He never interfered with what
they considered their relaxations, and
he had the saving grace of humor.
The guests were performing a scalp.
dance about the table when he entered
the room. For a tom-tom, Pa~renthesisi
was beating a bucket with a gourd,
and emitting strange cries with each
thump. The noise and shouts confused
the minister. As he was laundering
among the dancers, they fell upon him
with war-whoops, shaping him on the
back and crushing his straw hat over.
his ears.
Slim was the first to recognize the
minister. He dashed into the group.
and, swinging several aside, cried to
the others to desist.
Pardon me, but do I intrude upon a
scalp-dance?" smilingly asked the par
son.
You sure have. Mr.. Price," laughed
Slim. 1--WE hain't got to the scalpin.--
part yet, but we're Akin to dance Off
Payson's scalp tonight"
Peering at him with near-sighted
eyes, Mr.. Price extended his hand, say
ing: "Ah, Mr.. Hoover, our sheriff. Is
it not?" Z
Slim wrung the parsons hand until
the preacher WINGED. Hiding his dis
comfort, he slowly Strengthened out
his fingers with a painful grin. Slim
had not noticed that he had hurt h
parson by the heartiness of his greet
ing. With a gesture he lined up thes
cowboys for Introduction.
Eyes, sir, the boys call me Slim be-
cause l amt" Pointing to the frst
one in the group, he exclaimed: This
is Parenthesis."
Mr.. Price looked at the awkwardly
bowling cowboy in amazement. The
name was a puzzle to him.. He could
not grasp the application. The editor
of the Kicker explained Slim. called
him that because OF his legs bein' built
that way" Mr.. Price was forced to
smile in spite of his efforts to be polite.
The editor had grasped the most strik-
ing feature of the puncher's physician
characteristics for a label.
Parenthesis beamed on the minister.
ST was born on horseback he replied
"That fellow there with a front tooth
Is show Low" began Slim, speaking
like a lecturer In a fr~eak-show. The.
one without a front tooth is Fresno, a
California product. This we're chap
with the water-dob hair is Sagebrush
Charley. 1t makes him sore when you
call him plain Charley"
'tCharley bein' a Chink name" sup
plemented it's owner.
Silence fell over the group, for they
did not know what was h proper
thing to do next. A minister was to
be respected, and not to be made one
of them. He must take the lead In
the conversation. Mr.. Price was at 2
loss how to begin. He had recovered
fully from the rOugnnesS VI MS WEE
come. so Slim took the lead again.
81 heard you preach once up to Flor
ence,'' he announced, to the profound
establishment of his hearers.
Indeed" politely responded MT.
Price, feeling the futility of making
any further observation. He feared TO
fall into some trap. The made
by the boys did not seem to Mt particu-
larly we'll with what he expected ana
was accustomed to. The parson couid
make out whether the boys were
joking with him, or whether their re-
plies were unconscious humor on tneir
part. ~
yep. I lost an election bet. ana had
to go to church." answered Slim. In an
The cowboys laughed, and Mr., Price
Aaniiaa ssOh xnz I aaA " --------