The herald., 1911-05-04
By CAROLINE A. TRIP

woody weSt-or what was formerly
the wild and woolly west-fOr the
silken mantle Of civilization IS fast
spreading over the whole laud-whcre
the dividing line between honesty and
dishonesty was not distinctly marked.
The privations were great, and many
Of the people found it difficult 70 make
n living. There was nc law 10 keep
the honest separated from the dishou-
est, and this alone tended TO obliterate
the dividing line.
One day two plainsmen went to
land office to enter some land While
there one Of them told the following
story:
Last week." ne said, "me and Josh
was movin toward the mouutiugs on
a prospecting trip. We had two good
ridin' bosses and a pack boss. one
day we found a fine campin ground
beside a stream whar The trout was
list jumpin' outen the water to be
ketched, and we concluded to rest thar
a couple O days. SO we pitched our
/ tent and got out our cookin' kit and
| calculated to spend the time like ma
1 hobs.
The next afternoon, when we was
| layin' off smokin' our pipes, we saw a
! couple o. men comm outen the timber
on the crick. Ketchin' sight of US, they
! turned at fust, but we hOllered TO 'em
20 come on, and they jined us. They
was youngish chaps, neither ov EN-
havin' yit growed beard. We Of
fered 'em the demijOhn, but they didn't
seem TO relish liquor much; mebby
they wasn't old enough to have
learned. We offered 'em pipes, but
they didn't seem inclined TO smoke
neither.
"They told us they was in camp In
q patch of timber a ways down the
crick, and after stayin' awhile with US
they went away.
"'What dye s'pose them kids is ado
In over yereT says Josh when they
was gone.
They're boss thieves i says.
"'Hoss thieves. They don't look
nuthin' like boss thieves
Like enough they belong to some
family as is mighty hard up, and the
only way for SIGH in this yere country
to make a haul is to run off bosses, sell
'em and stock up. Well picket the
stock strong tonight, fur it's my opin-
ion these young fellers IL try to stam-
pede EN-
1--WE made everything as fast as we
could. The moon was full, and the
country was lit up like day. Me and
Josh smoked till near 0 o'clock, 1t
must "a been. then turned in. We was
awakened by hearin' the stock rushin'
this way and that way tryin' to break
the ropes, and we heard whoops like
Indians, only they was more like
squaws and papooses than bucks.
Then come shots. The bosses was
nigh crazy with fright. but we had tied
, 'em so strong they couldn't get away.
, JOSH says, says l, them young
: fellers is dom what said they'd do.
/ Get your gun and let's go for EN-
az don't want to kill boy fur
hoss.' said Josh, especially IL he's
, starvin'.'
"'Well, we can't let 'em do what
, they like with our property. Come
: on
: 1--WE lit out 10 whar the sounds come
: from, and the first thing the kids
E knowed we was right on 'em. They
run, and we chased 'em. One Of EN-
3 tripped and fell. sat on him while
? Josh chased the other and after n
: hard run brought him in. We took
j 'em to camp and in order to frighten
: 'em told 'em we was goin' to hang 'em
to the limb of tree.
e "They knowed well enough that's
e what's done to boss thieves, and they
believed we was I'm earnest. What
d dye s'pose they did. They begun to
8 cry. This give us such contempt FUR
r 'em that l says to Josh, says /:
s "'Sich snivelin' younkers oughtn't to
3 be lowed to live. They'll never make
d men, and the women wouldn't have 'em
t, around Let's string 'em up shore
e "Then one of 'em said, wringin' his
e hands: We hain't men; were gals.
V Our folks is starvin' over thar, and
d we tried to git yer stock TO sell 'em
d and cit somepin fur the children
"Aie and Josh looked at each other.
't De uORHoutu, says l. IL NNNA 4 90 "
SIGH boss thieves before. What luck
IS we didn't shoot at EN-"
e. az told you,' says Josh, 1 wouldnt
like to kill one of EN-.
D. 1--WE give up the tent to 'em end the
blankets and made 'em as comfort
lg able as could, and Josh and | bull
NJ a fire and lay down by 1t for the rest
70 o. the night. Next mOrnin' we give
as 'em fine breakfast ov hard tack and
H. bacon washed down with coffee. Ther
we told 'em we'd go and see what We
Of could do fur their folks. We found
Id fist what the gals said we'd find. There
he wor three families in a mighty bad
way not only fur food, but othe
IS things.
Is "When the gals got on their owl
Is clothes they was good lookin', and
offered to marry one II JOsh'd MARI!
*: t'other and settle down and take car
of the hull crowd, seem there warn
ne no men among 'em, the men havir
to been killed off either by Indians or ~
hoes stealin'. Josh agreed, and
,Lnta