The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-03-18

III HER Ii {
|HOODOO||
By HAROLD KINSABBY 4
Copyright. by Shortstory Pub. Coz

was liCIC NhdL met utE, ana II WAS
there, by the way, that l became con-
WINGED that when a man with a lame
lung undertakes to hunt ozone in the
wilds of the Rocky mountains he ought
to provide himself with guide.
went alone, and that's why l got lost
For two days l had tramped, half
starved, toward the rising sun, with
the hope Of reaching some cattle ranch
near Denver. On the morning of the
third day, as l was trudging through a
thick underground, | was suddenly
startled by woman's voice:
You didn't happen TO spy a little
speckled heifer back yonder, did you
Stranger"
1t is said that upon the approach of
a human being the first impulse of
man who has been lost in the woods
Is that Biblically ascribed to the
wicked, namely, ito flee when no man
pursueth.' But at this time | was too
far gone with hunger and WEAKNESS to
flee from anything.
l simply leaned against tree trunk
and awaited the appearance of the
voices owner She came riding
broncho across the crest of a hillock.
She was slight and wiry, and she wore
her huge sombrero and mans canvas
shooting-coat with an air that at first
suggested the cowboy. A later glimpse
OF feminine drapery, however. pro.
claimed her something infinitely more
interestingly real Rocky mountain
cowgirl in all her glory.
No. | answered weakly to her re-
peated question as to the heifer's
whereabouts. mo, I've seen neither
hSof nor hide of your heifer, which is
lucky for you, as l should probably
have eaten it if | had"
You do look hungry" said the
strange horsewoman; and as she spoke
the bold lines of her aquiline face re,
Taxed into an expression of womanIy
solicitude
Here, take this" she added in
businesslike tone, producing from
bag that lay, meal sack fashion. across
her saddle, can of pressed beef and
q square foot or so of corn bread.
NO, as | tried to speak, never mind
explanations. Have some lunch with
me and talk afterwards; that is. if you
amt afraid to eat with a cowgirl.
You see" she continued when we
were comfortably seated on a moss
grown log that served as a whole set
of dining room furniture, Il know my
self what it is to get lost and nearly
starve to death. Having experienced
misfortune myself, | know how to pity
Others"
l choked over morsel of corn
bread and stared at my companion
with Inbred establishment. A cowgirl
who quoted Virgil, even in a transla
ton, was something not dreamed of in
my philosophy
Yes, | don't wonder that YOU look
surprised said my hostess good
naturally. II suppose l don't look as
though | was up in the classics. but
the fact is I'm a graduate of Iowa
Wesleyan university, and I've studied
Latin. Shakespeare. geometry. and all
the rest.
Yes" musingly, "once I expected to
pursue literary career. Indeed. nv
professors all told me that might he
come the George Eliot or Mrs. Brown
ing of America. But that sneckled
heifer was asking you about Just now
Knocked all my plans into a cooked
hat"
How was that?" I asked.
We'll, it was like this" said the
cowgirl college graduate, as she pushed
aside her corn bread untasted and
planting her elbows upon her knee
propped her chin upon her palms. man
fashion. In the spring of 1885. sew
eral years after | had graduated nv
father died, and mother and | came TO
Colorado and bought a ranch at Plum
Creek, some 23 miles south Of Denver
You see, my father had been an in.
valid, and ever since | can remember
we'd been chasing round from pillar
to post, trying to find a climate that
agreed with him. so this was really
what you might call the first chance |
had to go to work in earnest If was
lovely quiet spot, an ideal place
thought, for communing with nature
and pursuing literary career. But II
was not so 10 be. Like-what's his
name with tender heel?"
Achilles? | suggested.
yes, like Achilles, had one weak
spot that was going to be my ruin. u
was crazy about pets. Why, If il hadn't
been for that weak spot | might he
wearing literary laurel instead of las.
soing cattle-but this is neither here
nor there. What was going TO say
was that before I'd been settled on
that ranch three days some men came
our way driving a herd Of Texas cat
tie to Denver, and, as late snow
storm came up just then. they decided
to camp on good feed in the hills in
front of my ranch. That afternoon
they came over to our house to buy
bread, and while they were there they
mentioned to me that they had a nice
COW that had just calved, and offered
II would buy the COW to throw in III,
calf. az they were just going to kill Il
Well, here was where my weak spot