Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1909-02-26

cowboys for intro duct lon:
\ Yes, iii, the boys call me Slim be-
cause II amt Pointing 10 the first
one ID tha group. he acclaimed. 8sst rhfa$
$is Parent III,
Il 3 Mr.. Price lsoired at the awk waasdly
bowling cowboy In amazenent The
Sname was d p,zzEie 70 hams He could
not grasp the appitcat ton. che editor
#of the Kicker u xpiained Slim, He'd
him that beca usas Of his legs balm. #built
hat way. Mr. Price vas forced tcSs
smile ID spite of his etosts to, be pos
]: lite. The ed itor' had grasp the most
stirling feature 81 the pnncheI' phys
zeal characteristics for q he.
Il Parenthesis beamed on the minister
II was born on horseback 3. !" he replied SD
hat fellow there witt IA front tooth
rs Show Low began Slim, speaking
I like a lecturer In a. freak show. he
enc without a from tooth is. Fresno, ID
California product. This here chap
with the water dob hair Is Sagebrush
I Charley. It makes him sore when you &
ran him plain Charles. 'SS5s3S
Charley bein' Chink name. : sup,
plemented its owner li$ s Isl ~
{ Silence fell over the, group, for thes,
did not know What T.. was the proper
thing to do next. u a minister was to \
be respected and not to be made one y
Of them. He must take the lead In 1
the conversation. Mr.. Price was at
loss to begin. He had not recovered /.
fully from the, roughness OF his wei.
come, 90 Slim took the lead again. h Il
y T heard you preach once up to Flor;
ence,," he announced4 to. the, proHsund
astonishment of his. hearers. I!: II
Indeed, Z politely s% responded Mr.
Price, feeling the fntility Of making
any further observation. He feared to-
fall into some trap. The answers made
by the boys did not seem to fit par
ttcularly well with, what be expected
and was accustomed to. The parson
could not make: out whether the boys
were Joking with him or whether their
replies were unconscious humof on
their part. 81 jsG.$ S.5S
yep; I lost an election bet AM had
to go to church," answered Slim y al
seriousness. II n 5f $%$;. Il
h, The cowboys laughed, and Mr.. Price
lamely replied, Oh, yes, 4 see. %sS$&
1T was. a, good show, continued
Slim, doing his best to appear at ease.
The frantic corrections Of his comp
ions only made him founder about the
more. Excuse me. Z he apolog 1zed. ssI
mean that I enjoyed II. .'sts Il.
s''Do you recall the subject Of my
1 DISCOURSE = Inquired Mr.. Price, coming {
to his assists nee N $}4,s, Nj s5:z
ssYour what course y asked Slim.
'.1dy sermnn r, answered the parson.
't'Well, i siiraald say yes,'' replied the I
sheriff, great, relieved To- think that.
!, he was once more out Of deep water
Tt was about some Shorthorn that
jumped the nome corral to maverick
u around loose In The alfalfa with q
bunch Of wild ones. - AZ; .s RI
BE The explanation was too much for
( Mr.. Price. Great student Of the Bible
I that he had been, here was one lesson
which he had not studied. AS told by
, Slim, he could not recall any text Or
series of texts from which he might
i, have drawn similes fitted for his cow
boy congregation when he had one.
| "Really, Il he began. {;
| Slim, however, was not to be inter
! rupted II be stopped he never could
begin again, he felt Waving to the
/ preacher to be silent he continued his
I descript ion, q hen his wad was gone
/ the bunch threw him down; an he had
! to hike for the sagebrustl an feed with
the hogs on husks an sech like winter
fodder. s5ssS5
The minister caught the @ word
"husks." Slim was repeating his own
version Of the parable Of the prodigals
son. Il. ':
'.Husks7 Oh, the proaigal sony
1 smiled Price.
*'.aTha t'ss him, Z Slim sighed, with re-
lief, This here feed not bein' up to;
grade, Prod he lows he'd pun his;
freight back home, square himself
\ with the old man an START J new
deal %f=g
Sagebrush was deeply interested IN
the story. Its charm had attracted.
Il him, as At had scholars and outcasts
alike since first told z, 600 years ago on
4 the plains Of old Judea. $
Did he stand for 1t n be interrupted.
HE sure did, Z eloquently replied
4 Slim, who was surprised and delighted
with the great impre sston be was max
4 ing with his experience at church. .isOh.
4 be was q game old buck, be was. why,
1 the minute be sighted that there pro.
1 digtous son a-limpin' across the mesa
i he run right ont an, fell % hia neck
SA q 8 broke ~, 4 cried Fresno slapping
Sage brush with his hat Ia his delight
Il at getting All the climax Of the STORY
i before Slim reached Il. 3isi
The narrator cast I'd glance 81 SUI
preme disgust at the laughing puncher.
a mo /, be shouted; s'he Rugged him.
q Then he called In the neighbors bar.
d becued q yearlinf cali I'M give u barn
81 dance with reWorks iii tEe erenin'
D That's all right In books, " observed