The Tupelo journal., 1910-01-28

move on, to other free grass. Pertains thew
looked MIN over a bit more carefully then. and
noticed the popularity of his nose and his
eyes and the handy and casual way be had of
picking off the heads Of rattlesnakes and such
things with a six-shooter while he talked In
a neighborhood where cattle thieves were be.
ginning to be troublesome a man like that
would be handy to have around. They were
TO have an example presently Of his willing
ness and ability to defend the rights of owner
ship-a small example, but convincing.
1t was no easy matter to keep a herd intact
In those days. The outlaw pure and simple
was bad enough, but to the newcomer with a
small bunch of COWS" ~(cattle, regardless of
gender) the vast, roaming herd guarded by a
veritable army of punchers, whose respect for
any law was small enough, was an even
greater menace. Mcdonald knew of these
conditions and when, soon after his arrival
some of his cattle strayed away he set out to
inspect the surrounding herds. After riding
some distance he came upon a large drove,
evidently on its way to market. 1t was about
noon and the men were "rounding-in" for din
ner. Mcdonald started to address a herder
when the man turned abruptly and started off.
Mcdonald Immediately began looking through
the cattle, when the herder wheeled and
roughly asked him what he wanted.
Il was looking for hobbled horses" was the
easy reply, whereupon the puncher made some
surly comment and rode away.
Mcdonald, presently satisfied that his stray
cattle were not with that portion of the drove.
continued his search further along and came
up with the "chuck wagon" where dinner was
being prepared. Cow-men are hospitable and
the foreman invited him to dismount and join
them. He did so and a little later the surly
puncher came in, giving the camp guest any
thing but a friendly look. In the course of
the meal the visitor was asked where he was
from.
"Mineola," he said, Wood county"
The surly herder spoke up.
These id sand lappers least Texans)
are getting too thick out here"
Mcdonald set down his coffee.
1.-THE id skunks and prairie dogs are al
ready too thick" he said.
An instant later the puncher had out his
pistol, but the sand-lapper was still quicker.
The puncher was covered before he could
bring his weapon to bear. Mcdonald said:
Turn it loose! Drop it,"
The herder still clutched the weapon which
he was afraid to raise.
The sand lapper stepped nearer to him and
with a sudden movement raped him smartly
on the head with the heavy barrel of his six
shooter. 1t was a thing that as a deputy he
had done often and 1t was always effective.
The puncher dropped his gun. One of his
comrades sprang to his assistance. but was
covered and disarmed with amazing sudden
ness. The foreman interfered now, and the
beginner of the disturbance was led away to
a brook to have his head bathed and ban
daged. whereupon the sand lapper quietly fin
ished his dinner, thanked his host, continued
the search for his missing stock and when he
found them set out for home. Meeting a
group of punchers among which was his surly
friend with a now bandaged head. he expect
ed further trouble. Nothing happened. The
sand lapper and his missing cows had the
right of way.
Commercial Venture and Adventure.
The inclination to commercial enterprise
still survived. At the end of a year Mcdonald
sold his cattle and invested in the lumber
business at Wichita Falls.
There was a merchant in Baylor county,
Texas. to whom Lumberman Mcdonald sold
a good bill, on time. The account ran along
until one day the county judge Of Baylor, one
Melvin, dropped in and stated that he had
called to settle the amount for his n%eighbor.
He gave his own check for it and Mcdonald
supposed the matter had ended. A few days
later the bank returned Melvin's check as
worthless. Evidently the quiet, unobtrusive
life which Bill Jess had been living as a lum-
Der merchant had given the impression that
he was an inoffensive person. who would
pocket a loss rather than make trouble, espe-
cialIy with a county judge, who added to his
official prestige the reputation OF being a BAD