The Bourbon news., 1913-09-05
ALMOST "CUT 1T OUT"
BY A. r. BONNEY.

! With elbows wide spread on the top |
rail of the yard fence, hands under |
clean-shaven chin, he smoked lazily on |
his paper pipe.' His big spurs hung |
idle on the high heels of his boots, the |
empty pistol scabbard clung to his |
1.-THE hip. The scabbard was decorated |
| for the owner of it had artistic taste |
| and talent, while he lacked the lam |
| guage to express the idea in such |
| words; he had lust fixed it up to look |
| nice," he said.
| 1t had been a lazy day for him, one |
! of the few which had come into his |
life, and he reflected morosely on the
| extreme comfort of life of toilless |
| ease. From the fine elevation of a |
man of leisure he surveyed those of |
his own craft as they worried the sui |
len cattle past the place, their explos- |
| i've English toned down in Difference to |
| the divinity that ruled there, and the
| company" For once he was aloof |
| from his own kind, a guest of the |
boss
There was consideration which |
added to the habitual scowl on his |
brow, the inevitable return to the sad |
| die; the weary night guard, the fren- |
zied chase after the stamping herd. |
The retribution for few days of ease |
he saw looming in the tomorrow, a |
whole perspective of tomorrows, in !
fact, and unconsciously the smoke of |
his cigarette oozing from lips and nos
trils was mixed and blended with his |
Ona nprSiStpnt cOliJoouu.
"Aw, cut it out!'
His savage glance now took in for |
the first time the girl, who was watch
ing him with amused interest 1t gave /
him queer, not unpleasant sensation !
and conscious Of height, weight and a |
certain savage beauty of head, he /
| drew himself up, taking pull at his
neglected smoke.
The most of the herd was now past |
the house, and the girl and the own
ers son went out through the rude
gate to the corall near by, where some |
calves were being branded. AS they
passed the taciturn one the owners |
son said, pleasantly:
This is all very novel and interest
ing to us, while constant repetition
has, presume, made it monotonous to
you."
After deep thought the man deftly
rolled another smoke, and started to {
answer, when his eyes met those of
the girl, deep, blue eyes, which
laughed out from a pink and white !
face framed in tangle of golden !
curls, the bewildering combination
shaded by flower-bedecked summer
hat His heart struck, his throat, and
setting his teeth in his inoffensive
cigarette he growled:
"Aw, cut it out!"
And then there came a distant yell.
mingled with the sound of pounding
hoofs, and turning to look he saw a +
maddened steer charging down on the
two, the bright crimson Of the girls
sash focus for his murderous efforts
The sullen-eyed man spat out the
roll Of paper his teeth held and, sweep
ing his big hat from his head, sprang
for the fence, which he cleared at a
bound, feeling for his gun as he landed
on the other side, to give vent to an
untranslatable snarl of rage as his
hand groped over the empty scabbard.
The steer was within few feet of the
glaring red thing now, never pausing
at the sight of so common a thing as
cowboy, until with savage cav, cut
it out!" the man hurled himself on the
animals head, grasping the nose with
one hand and a horn with the other.
AS the muZzle of the brute was driven
into the sand there came the cracking
OF pistol shot; but the bullets, spent
from long flight, only angered the
brute the more.
Then: Jaw, cut" and merciful OBJ
livion cut 1t out for him.
He lay for long time dimly con-
scious of life, not remembering and
not caring, only wondering a little re-
garding his surroundings Something
very like his mothers hand was
smoothing his brow, while his nostrils
took in a perfume new to the desert.
He was not breathing easily, while
there was strange roaring in his
ears, through which he heard words OF
lavish praise he could not understand
nor apply, then, all in a flash, his
mind cleared and he opened his eyes,
his lips moving silently with: Jaw,
cut 1t out!"
The ranch owner stood over him,
twisting his hands together.
my boy!" he cried, 'you saved
their lives. You did, by Jove! And
I'll"
The injured man stirred uneasily.
looking him squarely in the face from
under sullen brows
cav, cut it out!" he snarled.
Copyright. by Daily Story Pub. Coz