The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-04-11

= ~ y some months ago, my a,
9 @ tentiOn was attracted OH
morning by a sound o
NON lively greeting OIL TIL
piazza just below IN!
chamber window. The next mOmen
Be:sie Leveret's face cleaned in upol
me AS she eagerly exclaimed:
Come down, please do. He's here
and there'll be such exciting talk
Descending, found my three youn:
cousins gathered about the queerest
jolliest-lOOking man it has ever beer
my good fortune to behold. A glance
showed me that he was the famous
Rocky Mountaineer, whose praises had
been rung into my ears ever since MY
arrival at the beautiful city which
guarded the entrance to the eternal
hills.
Cousin" Bessie said. with charm
ing dignity. "allow me 10 Introduce to
you our particular friend, Deerskin
Rill."
depressing 6 smile at the Geferential
manner with which Bessie uttered the
suggestive title, advanced! and bowed
to the distinguished lnouEtaiueer.
Doffing his fur cap with awkward
courtesy, Deerskin Bill responded:
Sarvice, ma'am. hopes the snow
storm up in the mountains hes not dis
commoded We in Ecrtic'lar wise. Do
We mind the pec0oliar glistenin' white
ness tibet lays down around old Bald?
Fl Their hain't fell five foot O. snow
up Their since Yesterday morn Iii never
shoot a mountain sheep ag'in."
We turned our eyes toward the
snowy range, stretching white AMI
grand above the misty blue enshr0ud.
ing the lower hills. The soft Septem-
Der sunshine sifted through the clear,
thin air about us. suggesting scarcely a
hint Of the eternal winter ,eigniEs Just
above. In the distance Pixies Peak,
the highest summit of the rocky noun
tains. touched the sky in lonely |
grandeur.
Five years ago saw the sunrise |
up Their ON Pixies Peak on New Years
morn, and twas with rememberin'.
I was huntin' black-tai!ed deer ND
ther. but when the sun riz forgot the
deer, and bless me eff I've remembered
him to this day
This speech was greeted by burst of
laughter from the children.
well, jack" Dick Leveret said.
''let's see if You can remember what
happened to You one time while you
we're driving stage to Pixies Peak ever
80 many years ago"
Happened ?-there was so MANY
things tibet I must stop and think"
Deerskin Bill. fOrgetfuily.
DO We mean when the avalanche slid
Town on me. or the hosses hrOke loose
md percipitated the stage into The
yulch, or the big bar planted himself
across the road in front O. me, or the
Rocky Mountain ghost came down the
NO. no." interrupted Dick. with
like contempt. ''all those
will do for commonplace adventures,
Dut we want cousin to hear the real
Indian story-how they
burned you and Willie ~ the stake,
vOu know"
Inc children had heard the story
many times before, but ali expression
y rcsolute endurance closely re-
'emDilng torture creDt into their young
aces as they prepared TO listen a gain
Q Deerskin Ellis adventure with the
Indians.
Ae see twas years before the Kan
as Pacific Railroad stretched through
he Golden Belt which means the
lnest wheat country in the world
Western Kansas was how!in' wilder
ess. and Denver was nothin' but a |
radin' post when used to come and
1t pervisiOns and SIGH. and I'm sorry
. say, whisky, which the miners round ,
likes Peak he'd ordered. aud 1t seemed
be my d0Oty to transport. I ssed to
rive four mules and four hosses. and ,
hen the road was dangerous the
Jules went ahead and picked the way.
ut when twas even ground ana l
'anteG to make quick time, l gin the