Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-27
NOVEMBER 27, 1910.

arranged his atoms in the cosmogony
of creation as the grandson Of Lucien
Briscoe.
The original Briscoe had been a pio-
neer both as to territorial occupation
and in certain acts prompted by
great and simple heart. He had been
one of the first settlers and crusaders
against the wild forces of nature, the
savage and the shallow politician. His
name and memory were revered equal
ly with any upon the list comprising
Houston, Boone, Crockett, Clark and
Green. He had lived simply, independ-
emily and unvexed by ambition, and
died likewise. Even a less shrewd
man than Senator Kinney could have
prophesied that his state would hasten
to honor and reward his grandson,
come out of the chaparral at even so
late a d9y.
And so, before the great picture by
the door of the chamber of representa-
tives, at frequent times for many days
could be found the breezy, robust form
of Senator Kinney and be heard his
clarion voice reciting the past deeds
of Lucien Briscoe in connection with
the handiwork of his grandson. Sem
ator Mullens' work was more subdued
In sight and sound, but directed along
identical lines.
Then, as the day for the introduction
of the bill for appropriations draws
nigh, up from the San Saba country
rides Lonny Briscoe and a loyal lobby
of cowpunchers, bronco back to boost
the cause of art and glorify the name
of friendship, for Lonny is one of them.
a knight of stirrup and chaparreras,
as handy with the lariat and As as he
is with brush and palette.
On March afternoon the lobby DASH
ed, with q whoop into town. The COW
punchers had adjusted their garb suit
ably from that prescribed for the range
to the more conventional requirements
of town. They had concealed their
leather chaparreras and transferred
their six-shooters and belts from their
persons to the horns of their saddles.
Among them rode Lonny, a youth of
twenty-three, brown, solemn-faced, in
genuous, bowlegged, reticent, bestriding
Hot Tamales, the most sagacious COW
pony west of the Mississippi. Senator
Mullens had informed him of the
bright prospects of the situation; had
even mentioned-so great was his con-
fidence in the capable Kinney-the
price that the state would, in all like
lihood, pay. 1t seemed to Lonny that
fame and fortune were in his hands.
Certainly, a spark of the divine fire
was in the little brown centaur's
breast, for he was counting the two
thousand dollars as but a means to
future development of his talent. Some
day he would paint a picture even
greater than this one-say, twelve
feet by twenty, full of scope and at
mosphere and action.
During the three days that yet in
tervened before the coming of the
date fixed for the introduction of the
bill, the centaur lobby did valiant serv-
ice. Coatless, spurred, weather-tanned,
full of enthusiasm expressed in bizarre
terms, they loafed in front of the
painting with tireless zeal. Reasoning
not unshrewdly, they estimated that
their comments upon its fidelity to ma
ture would be received as expert evil
dence. Loudly they praised the skill of
the painter whenever there were ears
near to which such evidence might be
profitably addressed. Lem Perry, the
leader of the claque. had a somewhat
set speech, being uninventive in the
construction of new phrases.
Look at that two-year-old now"
he would say, waving a cinnamon
brown hand toward the salient point
of the picture. "Why, dang my hide
the critters alive. can jest hear him,
1umpety lump, a cuttin' away from
the herd, pretendin' he's skeered. He's
a mean scamp, that ther steer. Look
at his eyes a-wallin' and his tail
a-wavin'. He's true and nat-ral to
life He's jest hankerin' fur a COW
pony to round him up and send him
scootin' back to the bunch. Dang my
hide! Just look at that tail of his'n
a-wavin'. Never knowed a steer to
wave his tail any other way, dang my
hide If did"
Jud Shelby, while admitting the ex-
cellenee of the steer, resolutely con-