La Junta tribune., 1910-07-09


hard floor. and | rolled and tossed
all night did not know my bones
were so sharp and so rugged before
for my body was red with bruises
and 1t felt like my bones had worn
through my flesh and skin. they
were so sharp have slep, many
times on the ground, with but sin
gle blanket since. and my ted vas
as soft as feathers and | slept as
soundly as ] now do on the nuesl
mattress The worst of our luck a8s
We had to walk all the way tack
to Big Springs told the surveyor
| was going to ride horseback Through
Texas and across the Indian Terr..
tory to Kansas He only venturrd
to say. You will last about Two
days %
returned to Abilene and bought
pony, a second hand saddle. bri la.
stake rope. hobble aud cantaan. /
put up a little grub" in a -four
sack. little ground coffee and
little sugar in shot sacks. canned
beef. canned ham, bread. toma'
corn. etc. got tomato can and
melted the cut edges off to BOIL
my coffee In set out about che
tenth Of July for Fort Coucho. The
first days riding made me very
tired and sore. Fort Coucho was
ninety miles distant, and this vas
the nearest railroad point About
an hour by the sun. the first dav I
rode TO where couple OF FIRE ht-
ers had struck camp. They were
frrighruE with oxen and tra I'd
va CONS. that is. one wagon vas f1s-
tened tghiud another There aars
four yoke Of oxen In each team and
each team hauled two wagons. They
had a fire. supper hal ieen got and
they had bc-uu 10 eat just a.
came upon them another man aHF.
Ing a small bunch OF horses rod. aT
and prepared 10 make camp a. lr
same place Inquired how o. Do.
was 90 a stag, stand was ibid
10 vas about ten miles inqu
how far 90 vas 10 the nearest rae.
was told it vas several mile, and
~ the ROAD some distance. -a-
boo ID p.rploNiy was awful lr.l
was too modest to ask TO camp
there as they were nrst on r0.
zrp1ud finally yeuturtd / hal
notion not 10 go any further. Ta.
man sith the horses replied. 40
right, there's Lot, OF room a1r
OFF my horse. took of my saddi, ali
hObbird my horse aud turned him
loose 10 eat grass. ! then go 1ur
ms cold lunch and sat down short
distance away from the n ;ht,rs
and began TO eat The old u "a. the
frrighters were father and a1.came
over 10 where was and iu cd me
10 com. and eat supper with them.
modesily declined He then asked
me TO come aud gct cup n hot
coffee This. too. was Ton bash.
.ul to accept. This was mF frs
night on the trip. | had gothing
but the blanket under my -addle
With me. and this vas my ID on
the entire trip. | did uu. sleep
much my first uight for aas too
tired and the ground va tDr hard
became acquainted With uF neigh.
tors during the evening and found
them the open hearted. generous. hos
pitable men of the Mild Urst !
told them ! was trndcrfuHI, just
out Of college, from Illinois. nd this
was my first trip In this r1untry.
and that | felt misht BE- Imposing
upon them II I ate their bread and
meat and drank their coffee They
laughed at my ignorance aud limo
ccnce. The old man said. When .
you com. Ia sight Of anything TO
eat or drink. In this country. jus,
go and help yourself You don't need
TO say nothiu' to nobody Ersrybody
b sslcom. In this country and w.
always divide" ate breakfast with
them the next morning and thus im.
bihed the spirit Of the west Tn.
next camp | rode up TO j1kinsly
called out. Have YOU Eot auything
to "at7 I'm hungry and wan,
something To stop my gnawinE.- and
got down and fell To. and I did
this thousands of times. II vas the
custom OF ranchins We never lock.
ID the door Of our ranch and always
l.f, plenty Of provisions Ia tn.
grub box. and everybody was vel.
come to help himself Hut on. thing
was expected and that vas to shut