Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-08-04


Say. YOU amt got no call to worry
about that part of it, There's where
my troubles begin returned Bud.
Now. you take these two bucks and
jab 'em In your jeans. Go on. now.
DO rs tell you or dashed If don't
lick you and make you take 'em.
What's the good Of money If it amt
to help friend out with? l don't
care who gets drunk on 1t just so long
as they have n good time.
boy, you'll be sailing up the track
regardless OF orders with your boiler
full of suds II you don't get out In the
scramble for awhile"
Lord, I'd like TO see railroad
train, Haven't heard whistle for
two years. How far Is 1t to the near
est station. BudT
"Plattsburg-ffty mile-due south"
"Christmas! Little far to walk"
"Say, you take this horse. Jim. Go
ahead l can walk just as well ,as
not. I'm getting too fat anyhow. Go
on. You take the horse and have
rlue 10 l'lattSDurr.
Eyes; take the shirt Off your back
and never mind II bit OF the skin
goes with 1t. I'll see you far away
first. Tell you what you could do for
me, Buddy. The herd Of burros Is
around now, If you'd round up one Of
them for me?
"Sure thing! You sit on the mall
sack till come back. There's heap
Of registered stuff in 1t this trip. Oh.
say, What do you think? I was held
up t'other side OF the Bulldog. Bang.
zip. says little pepper from the
bushes. I climbed for them bushes.
and out goes beggar like rabbit I
was after him Ike coyote. bet cher
life. Who do You suppose 1t was.
!im?"
"Hang II, how should know"
"That little down east cuss with the
crook I'm his back. He begged hard.
Poor devil. he was up against the
Sandpaper side. all right. He heard
from the postmaster that there was a
lot Of valuable mail going out. so he
thought he'd make try for It, Then
what do you think he had the cold.
cold nerve to do"
Pass it up-most anything. I reck-
on"
"Worse'n that. Struck me for fifty"
"And got It,"
Got 1t? No: not much ne didn't
sonny. lie drew just ten. and he was
lucky to get that. I've done IL favor
and to have him shoot at me made me
sore-although he missed me by sew
| eral locations. I'll say that for him
SO gave him the ten and told him I'd
kick the hump on his back so high VI
on his shoulders he could wear it for
a hat if he ever showed into my day.
light again. And you never in your
| life saw humpback make better time
than he did.
"Well. here's for your jackass
Which ways the herd?
Right up over the HILL
Jim sat patiently on the sack until
| Bud returned with the burro.
Here's your thoroughbred" hol-
lOed Bud. Get ap there Mary Look
at the knowing ears Of him. will you
You bet cher life you've got an AMI.
mile there that'll 20 when he gets
ready ard rs fast rs he pretty well
| dern pleases. Nail him.
Jim tied gunny sack on his noble
mount, and the two rode on together
to the fork In the trail Jim tried ia
thank his friend. who knocked his hat
over his eyes. and said: LAW. write II
down when you've got more time
! Never see II Teller in my life I cot
toned to mOre'n you. Jim First
thought you was too smooth for my
kind Of travelling. but later see /,
was only the grain OF the wood.
believe In my friends. l do. Here we
go hopping around this little world
| for small time. and then that's done
Spose you amt got any real friends
for the trip? Rotten. say You &c
ahead and rip Plattsburg up the back
Wisht l could be there with you
Don't you mind consequences. Sc
long, old man! Hike! You beggar!
the buckskin pony was Off with n
snort and splashing of gravel as the
irons touched his sides. and Bud van.
ished down the road without a look
behind him.
The next day Jim was In Platts.
burg. One does not know what an nj.
Turing quality. what a hazy enchant.
ment. can linger around even n small
town until an absence In n real will.
. derness has given mans work a new
flavor.
The people coming and going, the
traffic Of the stores. the dwellings
with small cultivated plots around
them. warmed Jim like n fire. He had
been very lonely without knowing It.
In the afternoon he went down to the
depot to see the eastern train come in,
Here again absence played n part
| and restored the locomotive to its
proper proportions of miracle.
AS the engine glided in. shaking the
ground beneath it. it seemed impossi-
bic to Jim that man really made It.
What. Bend those mighty rods of
steel to his will? Twist and shape
those others? Cast those great driv-
ers? And after to drive the monster
with n hand?
He drew back as the buZZing engine
passed him with something like awe.
Then the moving village came TO n
stop. and the passengers sailed forth
to test their legs. wearicd with long
sitting
There was humanity of all shades.
from the naughty aristocrat Of the
Pullman 10 the peasant Of the emf
grant car.
Jim had n sense Of pleasure in be-
holding well dressed folk again. yet
It was merely an aesthetic pleasure,
for he found when he began TO specu-
late on the possibilities Of the throng
before him that he was more inter-
ested In those whose all was staked
on the trip than in those to whom 1t
was only an excursion.
People OF widely differing nationali-