Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-02-19
Two Brothers
A Story Of the Western Plains
Of Former Times
By TIMOTHY WENTWORTH

fhnt every ifbiS NtAfG tsa~A W Az Il
scarcely know 1t. Where there was
,rail there's now macadamized road
where there was few log houses
there's a town lighted by electricity
and runnin trolleys. Where there was
iewsharps or perhaps fiddle there
are now pianos. Where there was
three card monte sharks. now there's
the gentlemanly swindler. And the
nunishments is all changed too. If a
man shot another I'm them days no
body took much notice of the fact, but
they hung a boss thief. Now, If a man
shoots another. there's murder case
draggin' through the courts for years.
and II thief gets away with a team
Ike enough the police Is in cahoots
with him. and the owner is glad
enough to pay for gittin' the boss back
and no questions asked"
singular" | remarked to the old
man, how different conditions re-
ouire different treatment"
so they do" he rambled on. ''The
nearer you git down to nature the
simpler the forms of law. But 1t isn't
always so cold blooded down near the
bottom as you'd suppose. I've known
the most hardened villain to give his
life for a woman or, a child. There
was lots o. misery In them days. just
as there Is now. Families would come
out yere from the east, not KNOWN
what they was comm to. git stranded
and II il hadn't been for the help of
some gambler or road agent would
starve TO death"
"Did you ever have any such ex-
periencesT" / asked.
"Waal, yes; 80 did. had one that
turned out mighty important to me.
Fact is, | hain't got over the effects Of
It yit When these yere plains was
covered with herds o. wild buffalo me
and Jack Cundiff followed the business.
huntin' em for their skins. In them
days buffalo robes was used instead OF
the finer furs they use now and was
staple article In the market. That's
what killed 'em of so fast. We that
was huntin' 'em used to list slaughter
'em for the money there was in 'em.
What | was goin' to tell you about
happened near the foothills OF the Rock
les west o. where Cheyenne now
stands. 1t stood there then. but 1t was
the terminus of the Union Pacific rail
road, and a tough place 1t was. too.
with its gamblin' and dance houses and
other SIGH shebangs. Jack and l was In
camp one day. as was tellin' you, near
the base of the mountains. Buffaioes
were getting scarce, and we allowed
we'd turn to prospectin' for gold. We
didn't have anything with us that was
wo'th anything except our bosses. so
when we went TO sleep nights we Jist
turned In without worryin' onless at
the loss OF the animals. Since man
couldn't git over the ground without
one of 'em they was mighty valuable.
Fact is, they was the most valuable
thing to be had. And that's why we
strung up the boss thieves and didn't
string up the men shooters. There was
plenty OF men. but only so many
bosses. and each hoss- would bring a
good price at any time or anywhere.
Jack Cundiff and was smokin' our
pipes after our noon meal Of hog TAT
and crackers, talkin' over whether we'd
better give up the buffalo skin business
and try our luck at prospectin', when
along comes two young fellers on foot
and, seem our camp. stopped and looks
ed at u.s. They said somep'n to each
other, then was goin' on, when l hailed
'em and asked IL they didn't want any
thing. They came to where we was an
we had powwow. =.
They said they was brothers. The
older one was middle height, but the
younger was small. They was both so
young that their boards hadn't sprout
ed yit. and they looked hungry. Iasked
'em what they was doin' without
bosses. and they said they didn't own
any bosses. We questioned 'em where
they'd come from and where they was
goin', but they didn't seem to have
home. and l couldn't learn from 'em
mat they was goin' anywhere. Fact Is,
they was down on their luck.
We offered 'em somep'n TO eat, and
they chawed 1t up mighty fast Then
poured out a cupful of whisky and
handed 1t to the oldest one Of the two.
de tried to drink it, but / could see
plain enough 1t was hnrnin' out his
throat. There wasn't any use. givin' 1t
10 his brother. II the oldest couldn't
drink the stuff the other shore couldn't.
thort the biggest one looked big
enough to drink whisky. but Was
not surprised at the little Teller not
wantin' it.
They looked SO tired that Jack and
asked 'em if they didn't want to stay
with us awhile and rest. They said
eney'd like to git some sleep. so we laid
our buffalo skin for 'em, and they
nay down beside each other, and fust
.hing we knowed they was fast asleep,
ehe younger boys arm throwed around
me Older ones neck. Jack and looked
uown at 'em. and we felt so sorry for
en that wq alloxvad xua,d do Sornan'u