The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-05-22

UHLMtl HEA AH
VTIYyllIsWMSN steers back to the river
HsMSfl lE@AN bank. "Whoop! Get
GSsegss2gsS1 back there, you four
Jagged hens!"
%An' he amt far from right, neither"
growled Lefty Allen, drive foreman for the
O-Bar-O, ave did our twelve to fifteen
miles day right along an nothing hap
pened. Now we go an lose four days try
ing to push 'em over one-hoss river, an
they're only half over now. An us only
three days from tn end of tn drive at thatl
What's that2" he shouted in reply to hail
from across the stream. "Why don't 7Ue
hsryynN Why, you-" his choice and use
of personal adjectives bespoke man thor
oughly familiar with the art of bold retort
Tex lie Blanc stretched his grin to the point
approaching catastrophe, but it disappeared
quickly at the drive foreman's next words:
"Since yore so ALFRED wise in tn matter of
moving horned jackasses what have all tn
spryness of well-fed feas, you amble right
over here an shoot yore fireworks" Lefty or
dered with much satisfaction: "Come on! I
call, you pigeon-toed Algernonl" he finished,
as his friend across the stream seemed reluc-
tant to obey.
lCuCI "udt din III WOik duuS
knows how better'n tn teller what is" Of
fered Ball, returning He Oh, tn
dewitt There they 60 again!"
"Hey, Text" cried the foreman, "let that
herd take care of itself an bring tn boys all
over here. We can tend to it later"
"All right" and Tex, wheeling in mid
stream, went back for his companions. An
hour later, helped by sudden mad desire of
the refractory cattle to join their fellows, they
drove the last COW out of the water on the far
side of the river and heaved signs of relief
81 told you" began Tex. trying to be
modest in his ef-praise.
"Listen, fellers: here it comes" grunted
Ball in interruption. "Now, Tex, throw
yore boquets-we're all listening. Do it
good" tr
cav, go to tn. DEVIL" retorted Tex, grin
ming. "But, all tn same, I went over there,
an now they're all over here"
"Yore language would a moved most any,
thing" rejoined Kid Morris. "I'm some
curious to hear you cuss when yore pizen
mad"
"Well, don't you worry none" Tex re-
torted.
"Grub pilel" yelled the cook, and got re-
suits.
Ball weighed biscuit refectively: "Wish
you fellers could taste my wife's cooking
he remarked, proudly. "These here amt
biscuits, nohow."
"Yore lucky cuss, all right" observed
Tex, ignoring the cooks outburst, and gazing
at the livid, vitrifed pellets. "Any man in
this country that's got wife is lucky
eyes: an their husbands won't die for a
long time, neither" solloquized the Kid, re-
gretfully, 81 know-they're all too healthy"
When the meal was over Ball leaned back
to enjoy short smoke. "This drive can't end
any too soon for me-" he remarked "Jane
won't stop worrying till turns up again: An
! left Joe purity big contract on his hands.
We've got close to six hundred head on them
hills, an it amt no one-man job to hold 'em.
Joe's all right, he is; l was lucky when 1
made him my pardner."
Tex stole a glance at Lefty, who stead
lastly regarded the bowl of his pipe, and no
one commented on Balls last sentence, it
being plainly none of their business how he
felt about his partner; but they had their own
private opinions of Joe Parker, opinions
which were the results of many opportunities
to Judge the man and of much thought Not
one puncher of any of the ranches near Balls
hill range would trust his partner with a cent,
or take his word for anything. When Joe
Parker joined their circles, which he had the
tact to do but rarely, he induced cold atmos-
phere and the restraint became marked. He
was tolerated and spared only because he was
wise enough not to provoke them to action.
No one had anything but good to say of
Ball, who had worked for all of the adjoining
ranches when in need of ready cash. His
straightforward manliness, courage, truthful
ness and good fellowship had made him firm
friends wherever he had gone. The outfits
of the O-Bar-O, Bar-2o, Csc, Double Arrow
and Ha welcomed him as one of themselves,
for he was man according to their primal
standards. Only one man was his master
with the heavy Colt used on the range, and
that was Hopalong Cassidy, and Hopalong
swore by him. Red Connors recognized in
him his only dangerous rival for rife honors,
and loved him in his own rough way. He was
a man who would throw his life in the balance
to save friend, jolly, free and easy COW
puncher, and good one.
Waf1es, foreman OF the O-Bar-O, stopped
when half way to the bunk house and waited