The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-02-18


Quart bottle tof very poor whisky and
apaper bag OF, bread and cheese. Mr..
Ruggles. In his private car. was on
his trip south fol, the winter season.
For q week. that car was trundled
southwark. shifted. laid over and
manipulated after The, manner Of roll.
ing stock, but Chicken stuck to It.
leaving It only at; necessary times to
satisfy his hunger, and thirst. He
knew It must; go down to the cattle
country, and San Antonio. in the heart
OF It, was his goal. There the air
was saluhrious and mild; the people
indulgent and slong.sufferlng. The bar
tenders there would rot kick him. Il
he should eat too long or too often
at one place: they would swear at him
as y BY rote and without heat. They
swore 50 sdrawlIngly; and they rarely
paused short OF their: full vocabulary.
which was copious. 30 that Chicken
had often gulped a good meal during
the process Of the vituperative pro-
hibition. The season there was al
ways spr,nglike: the plazas were
pleasant. at night. with music and
gayety; exceut. during the slight and
infrequently cold snaps one 4 could
sleeep eoniof'aoiy Guy OF aooFs "a cass
tne lntefiors snou4u aese1op innospi'
tally. Z. =, 3 I.
At yTexarkana the car was. switched
70 tne q ~, ~. netirs...l s y ~.
ware II ltrailea uh.'i. =. ,ens.n.: y
cla"lea across tne oo.orauo g'.use
az Austln' ana iihea OUT Stsalsut 20
an arrow lor, the run 70 San Sah Az az
tonic M.
"nen inc 1Felsnt na'.ea q. thAt
Town Snleken was tast asleep. N yen
minutes 1t was on again. tor LAREDO .lss
me emu OF Inc roao. lhose empty
eattie cars we're lot distribution alons
the me az points, from whicn ing
ranches shipped tneir STOCK. se
When Chicken awoke bis car was
stationary. LOOKING out hetWeen the
siats ne saw II was a bright. moonl,t
night. Scramollne OUT ne saw MS
car win three DINERS apanaoned on
iittle sidlng IN aTW,id and lonesome
country. a cattle pen ana cnate
stood on one SIDE OF the track. Inc
raiiroaa pisecteo vast, aim ocean
o. PRAIRIE N me miost OF winch
chicken, with ms futile rolling stock,
was as. completely stranded as was
Robinson Crusoe with MS lland.loeked
boat a Il ~ Z, q, !, : "a
a white post stood near the rails
Going up to. II. chicken read the let
tiers at the top, s, A. 80 Laredo was
nearly assfar to the south. He was
almost hundred miles from any
town. Coyotes began TO yelp IN the
mysterious sea around him. Chicken
felt lonesome. He had lived In Bos.
ton without an education In Chicago
without nerve, In Philadelphia with.
out sleeping place. In New York
without, pull. and In Plttsburg sober,
and yet he had never felt SO lonely
as now a..
Suddenly through the intense 81.
lence. he heard the Wicker OF
horse. The sound came from the side
OF the track toward the east. and
Chicken began to, explore timorously
In that direction. He stepped high
along the mat Of curly mesquite grass.
for he was afraid OF everything there
might be in this wf1derness-snakes,. y,
rats. brlgands. centipedes. 1mirages,
cowboys. fandangoes. tarantuiss. ta.'
males-he had read OF them In the
story papers. Rounding a tlumpf of
prickly pear that reared high its fan.
tastic and menacing array Of rounded
heads, he was struck to shiverlng 'ar
ror by snort and thunderous
plunge. as the horse, himself startled.
bounded away some. fifty yards, and
then resumed his grazing. But here
was the'one thing in the desert that
Chicken did not fear. He had been
reared on farm: he had handled
horses. understood them. and could
ride, 81
Approaching slowly and speaking
soothingly. he followed the animal.
which, after its first flight. seemed
gentle enough. and secured the end
OF the twentyfoot lariat that dragged
after him In the grass. 1t required