Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1911-03-24

And because the courthouse was al
most deserted at that hour, and be-
cause Buck would sometimes relate
to me things that were out of print,
1 followed him into talk through
knowledge of a weakness he had.
For cigarettes rolled with sweet corn
husk were as honey to Bucks palate;
and though he could finger the trigger
of forty-five with skill and sudden
ness, he never could learn to roll q
cigarette.
1t was through no fault Of mine
(for rolled the cigarettes tight and
smoothly, but the upshot of some whim
of his own, that instead of to an
Odyssey Of the chaparral. listened to
"a dissertation upon matrimony!
This from Buck Caperton! But /
maintain that the cigarettes we're Inn
peccable; and crave dissolution for
myself.
We Just brought in Jim and Bud
Cranberry" said Buck Train rob
bling, you know Held up the Aran-
sas Pass last month. We caught 'em
in the Twenty Mile pear fiat. south
of the Neuces."
Have much trouble corraling
them?" l asked, for here was the
meat that my hunger for epics
craved.
Some" said Buck; and then, dur
ing little pause, his thoughts STAN
peded off the trail. Its kind of
queer about women" he went on;
and the place they're supposed to
occupy in botany. If was asked to
classify them I'd say they was a hui
man loco weed. Ever see bronc that
had been chewing loco? Ride him up
to q puddle of water two feet wide,
and he'll give snort and fall back
on you 1t looks as big as the Mis-
sissippi river to him. Next trip he'd
walk into a canyon thousand feet
deep thinking 1t was prairie dog
hole. Same way with married man.
81 was thinking of Perry Rountree,
that used to be my sidekicker before
he committed matrimony. In them
days me and Perry hated indisturb-
ances of any kind. We roamed around
considerable, stirring up the echoes
and making 'em attend to business.
Why, when me and Perry wanted to
have some fun in town it was a
picnic for the census takers. They
Just counted the marshal's posse that
It took to subdue US, and there was
your population. But then there
came along this Mariana Goodnight
girl and looked at Perry sideways.
and he was all bridle-wise and saddle.
broke before you could skin year
ling.
81 wasn't even asked to the we'd
ding. reckon the bride had my
pedigree and the front elevation of my
habits all mapped out, and she de
cided that Perry would trot better In
double harness without any uncon
verified mustang like Buck Caperton
whickering around on the matrimonial
range So it was six months before
/ saw Perry again.
"One day | was passing on the
edge of town. and l see something
like a man in little yard by little
house with a sprinkling pot squirting
water on a rose bush. Seemed to ms
I'd seen something like 1t before. ana
stopped at the gate. trying to figure
out its brands. Twas not PERI.
Rountree, but twas the kind of
curdIed jeIlyflsh matrimony had mad,
out of him.
Homicide was what that Marian,
had perpetrated. He was looking wei
enough, but he had on white cola
and shoes, and you could tell in min
ute that he'd speak polite and pa
taxes and stick his little finger GU
while drinking, just like sheep maj
or a citizen. Great skyrockets! but
hated to see Perry all corrupted an
Willieized like that.
"He came out to the gate, and shoe
hands; and | says. with scorn. an
speaking like paroquet with the pip
beg pardon-Mr. Rountree, l believ,
seems to me sagatiated in your Al
sociati0ns once. IL l am not misti
ken
"toh, go to the devil. Buck say
Perry. polite, as / was afraid he'd b.
"'Well, them says /. you poor. col
taminated adjunct of sprinkling pr
and degraded household pet. what di
YOU go and do 1t for? Look at you. a
decent and unriotous, and only fit
sit on juries and mend the woodhoui
door. You was q man once. l hav
hostility for all such acts. Why don
you go in the house and count II
tides OF set the clock, and not stan
out here in the atmosphere? A JAG
rabbit might come along and BIZ
you
"'Now Buck says Perry, speakiT
mild. and some sorrowful. you doh
understand married man has q
to be different. He feels differel
from a tough oil eloudburst like 20
It's sinful to waste time pulling
towns Just to look at their roots. al
playing faro and looking upon n
liquor. and such restless policies
them
"'There was a time I says. and
expect / sighed when mentioned
when a certain domesticated lit
Mary's lamb / could name was son
instructed himself In the line OF peri
cious sprightliness. never expecte
Perry. to see you reduced down fro
a full-grown pestilence to such
frivolous fraction Of man. VIII