The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-07-20

An why should / take his word for it2"
Hereupon the strayman took up the
cudgels, but It was noticeable that he APP
preached his subject in a scientific manner.
Instead Of debating the broad field Of niracu-
lous happenings, he confined bis complaint to
the miracle Of the whale. Now this was
manifestly fable, an allegorical tale, or
grossly exaggerated, argued the strayman,
because his father, who had been mariner
before he took to cooking for ranch, had
informed him that the construction Of a
whales throat precIuded the possibility Of the
passage Of mans body Moreover, having
once seen some Indians cleaning dead whale
on the shore Of Puget Sound, his father was
reasonably certain that any protracted resi-
dence in the interior Of one of the tribe Of
Mutilates would be wholly beyond the capa-
bilities Of any man, ancient or modern. That,
in substance, was the strayman's argument;
and when he had done, the cook regarded
him with awe. II the little rascal hadn't
knocked the preacher hatter than a flap jack!
Ho, indeed the parsons voice was
filed with a high pity all I've got to say TO
wha. your ol' man done told you is that it's
all here in the Book So UNJUST be true.
What's your name, sir?"
"Waggoner; I'm straynan for tie Gourd.D
"Straymanl reckon it's a good name
for you No oiiense, Mr.. Waggoner. But
you catch strays for your ranch, don't your
An take 'em back ?"
laThat,c what pn, here for - ~
San gather in strays to the Masters fold
You shore oughtn't for TO be agn me, Mister
Waggoney. We do the same work, me an
you. You go after cattle, go after souls"
" | reckon you don't hogtie." 1t was the
unregenerate Dick.
Upon the cooks invitation, he having
thought over some laundering arguments
during an afternoon spent in concocting
stew, the parson remained for the night. Be
fore he crawled in under Dawes tarp after
hours Of oratory and debate, the gaunt vaga-
bond barred his head, and sinking to his knees,
with his face upturned to the sky, prayed
there under the stars. Some there were Of the
outfit who would have laughed, perhaps one
or two were hardened enough to mock, but
the cook silenced them with sharp hiss as he
reared his head from out the bedding; and
stranger still the strayman stared wrathfully
across the blaze from where he crouched by
the fire, SO that the Lazy L men heard
prayer at last.
80 Lord, pluck this brand from the
burnin'. Save this young man
ere II he too late MAKE him
strayman on your own range, for to gather in
souls. An all that we ask. :"
He was praying for Waggoner, the gam
bling Waggoner OF the Gourd. In dire con-
fusion the strayman went to his bed, but when
the parson rode away next morning, he
nodded to him in friendly fashion and even
shook the hand so difddently extended.
"Adios! wish you luck, !" he called.
Late in the afternoon they broke camp and
headed for Big Spring, half Of the outfit fol-
lowing the chuckwagon, for the days brand
ing was over AS they dogtrotted in couples,
Uncle Henry studied the weather. There
was rain coming at last, and il Uncle Henry
knew anything about signs, it would be a
snorter Away over the rim Of hills to west
ward black clouds we're massing, and once a
spurt Of flame shot from them silently. As
he watched, vast, dark veil dropped down
ward and hung between earth and sky: it
swayed like curtain, and it was densest al
the top where it joined the clouds.
i B q