The Washington herald., 1912-09-08
OKLAHOMA'S SOMBRERO
SET HIM BACK 81, 100
White Felt, with Hump, Acquired by Calling Mexi
cans Bluff Story Comes from Kansas City

better than his volcanic master. First
shot out of the box he puts his foot into !;
the trailing moose Of the lariat- Just
then the steer comes out. gets a look at
the enemy. elevates his nose. snorts IN
Mexican. shakes his attenuated horns.
and beats IT. for the grand stand
Joe nurses the pony and the lariat
along for some little space He says IL
was a million miles across the arena.
and that pesky Mexican broncho keeps
his foot tangled up in $500 worth Of that
rope all the way. He's got his foot In
that first loop. and II he doesn't get Il
out Joe will have to borrow 3 cents from
Wicked Bill to wire for funds.
"a few ages elapsed. during which
time the steer works himself Into
pocket in front OF the grandstand. the
pony waltzes up and Joe looks at the
steer and the steer looks at Joe A Few
Americans in the grandstand are snout-
ing encouragement and bad advice A
few thousand Mexicans In the bieachers
are repeating. solo and ensemble, the
ramarks about tamales. chill con carne
and underdone fri1oles-
Then Something Happens.
"AIl OF a sudden something happens.
Joe just seems to spread himself out
all over that cussed cow pony. Stimuli
taneously he let's out a war whoop that
he had inherited from his Delaware
forefathers and there is a panic among
the rosewood crown , in the bleachers.
One hand grips that broncho by the ear.
and the other by the tail. Joe just
naturally lifts that cayuse OF the
eround-or al least Wicked BIZ says
he did-and the rope comes free. The
steer bolts for the open and Joe with
an elaborate swing OF the rope. catches
him by all four legs and drops him
helpless in front Of the grandstand- Say.
believe me, that was some exhibition.
and Joe's $500 was $500 right then He
climbs right on that pony, grabs the
coin and hoists himself right into the
grandstand and shakes the four bushels
Of Mexican currency in the face OF
Wicked BILL And all this time the
crowd is SO busy whooping 1t up for
Joe that II can't find time to notice the
vaquero who is having forty fits to the
second and is only waiting for encour-
agement to throw the clutch over into
the high speed.
".Biil.' saws Joe. it's all your fault.
Here's half the winnings and may you
drink yourself to death" which is just
what Wicked Bill started out to do.
Joe meets Bill by appointment that
night in FL Paso in order 10 see MIN
safe back in Oklahoma. Joe is wearing
that big lid over there-it cost BIZ seven
ty-five bucks. Mexican. Bill conhdes 20
Joe that he has gotten rid Of couple
OF hundred. but has won a few hundred
more from a certain Spaniard who Keeps
den Of chance on the corner.
I'm Just feeling right. joe says Bill.
an you haven't got IT in your heart to
drag me back to Oklahoma when my
luck is tearin' things up Ike chain
lishtnin'. / want to go ner there an
clean out Don Juan's game so thorough
that the bats will root on his roulette
wheel
Everybody Was Patriotic.
That was along about the time of the
Spanish-American war and Just then
everybody was feeling patriotic.
"'AIl right says Joe, you go over
there and clean i'm out. and we'll Just
naturally take that roulette wheel back
TO Oklahoma with US Also. III buy that
imitation COW pony and hat band lariat
and we'll present the whole outfit to the
town fathers of Dewey.
Joe settles himself on the hotel YER
anda and prepares to take 1t easy while
Bill cleans up. He has just finished his
first cigar when a messenger comes. say
ing Bill needs SEQ American-not MeN!-
can He gets 1t. Twenty minutes later
he wants 500 more. He'd made old Don
! Juan quit scratching his left ear. the
messenger said. and was going to clean
up this time. The scnO went back by
messenger, as requested
1T lasted fifteen minutes. and Bill
wanted another one He begged that Joe
would remember the Maine. All business
| in the house. except the roulette wheel.
was at a standstill, and the pikers were
standing six deep around the black and
red and the honor of the flag was at
stake Joe couldn't resist the appeal But
when Bill sent another appeal for funds
! Joe invaded the den of vice and dragged
the reluctant champion of American hon
or from its portals.
bill he said. well nave to coma
| back after that wheel another time. Also
that imitation cow pony will continue to
associate with his degenerate master.
You and I are going to take the
o'clock train for Kansas City. I figured
that since I've given you $500 of the win
nings. staked you to 500 bucks by way
of revenge upon this unprincipled Cas-
titan, and stand TO spend hundred
more on you before We get home. this
bonnet of mine cost me just LOO bones.
And say. Bill honestly. don't you think
! that's enough"