The Red Cloud chief., 1908-04-03

terS forty miles an hour. letting out a
string W wells 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 n band wagou play
somebody's sure To- strike me for my
license. or else the team goes into the
ditch Il mile farther on, and I come out
about as happy as a small yaller dog
at Il bobcats caucus.
Some fcilCrs can run in II rhinccaboo
that ii make the hair stand up on a
buifclcr role and get away with it
Just like Il mice, but that amt me.
If | sing II little mite too high In the
cellar, down comes the roof atop of
me-. SO il was this day. Old johnny
IIardluck socked 1t To me, same rs
usual.
Gosh almighty! The liquor died In
me after awhile, and | went sound
asleep in the saddle and woke UP with
n jar 10 find myself right in the mid
die Of old Froslhcnd's gang, the drums
boom %blipping" and those forty odd
red tigers "hyaIi nyanIng In n sr'To
that made my skin get up aud walk
all over me with cold feet.
How In blaZcs I'd managed to slim
through those lnjuns | don't know. /
"Twould have been Il wonderful piece
of scouting If Id meant 1t. You can
most always do any darn thing You
don't want 10 do. Well, there | was,
and, oh. doctor, but wasn't | in a love-
ly mess! That war song put Il crimp
Into me that Jack Frost himself
couldn't take out.
II 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
sky was covered with cloud. A little
light came from The I~njuns' campfire,
but not enough to ride by, and, be.
sides. ! didn't know which way I
ought to go.
Says I 10 myself, BILLY Saunders, you
are the champion all around. old fash.
Toned fool Of the district. You are a
jnckass from the country where ears
lcss'n three foot long are curlosities. |
You sassed that poor swatty thai want
cd TO keep YOU out Of this, footing your
bazoo like a man peddling soap, but
now It's up TO you, What are you go.
ing to do about itT' md I didn't get
any answer neither.
Well, II was no use asking myself
conundrumS ont there in the dark
when time was so scarce. So ! wraps
my hankercher around Laddy'S nose
10 keep him from talking horse TO the |
lniun ; MES aud prepared TO sneak IL
where I'd rather be.
Inddy was the quickest thing on legs
In that part of the country-out of Il
mighty spry little Pinto marc by our
thoroughbred Kentucky horse aud |
knew If | could get to the opcn them
lnjuns wouldn't have much Of Il chance
to take out my stopper ana examine
my works-not much. \ half mil,
start, and I could show the whole
Sioux nation how I wore my hair.
| cut for the place where the Injuns
seemed t%hinncst, lifting myself up till
| didn't weigh fifteen pound and
breathing only when necessary. We
got along first rate until we reached |
the edge OF EN-. and then Laddy had |
to stick his foot in n gopher hole and
walloped around there ike a whale |
trying To climb a tree.
Some darn cuss OF an Injun threw a
handful OF hay OIL the fire, inc as II
blazed up the whole gang spotted me.
l unlimbered my gun, sent the irons
into Laddy, aud we began to walk.
didn't like to make for the ranch, as
I knew the boys were short handed, SO
pointed north. praying TO the good
Lord that I'd hit some kind Of settle |
ment before l struck the north pole.
Well, we left those Injuns SO far be. |
hind that there wasn't any fun In II.
Stacked up, patting myself on the
back. and as the trouble seemed all
over I was just about 10 turn for the
ranch when l heard horses %galloping.
and as the moon came ~ n little !
saw a whole raft Of redskins a-b0iling
mp n draw not half a mile away, That
knocked me slabsided. 1t looked Ike
| got the wrong ticket every time the
wheel turned.
whooped It up again. swearing
wouldn't stop this deal short Of q dead
sure thing. We few through space,
I.addy pushing u hole in the air Ike
Il scared coyote making for home and
mother,
Always down the valley | spotted Il
little shack sitting all alone by itself
out In the moonlight. I headed for II,
hOllering murder.
A man came 10 the door In his I'M
terrigging.
iii, there What's eating you?" he
wells.
"~injuns coming, pardner. The cOun.