The Elbert County tribune., 1914-01-16

dog has to think about. more to re-
member. nothin' to wag. Two days
been there. and the peanuts Is getting
few. Little gray mother, dad, the
Happy Ship. just dead. that's all. dead.
! didn't hear the two horses come,
but there's young person behind me
sort of attracting attention. When he
moves there's tinkle of iron, creak-
ing leather, horsy smell. too. and pres
emily he sets down along of me. cross
legged | showed him the peanuts, but
he lit cigarette, offering me one
Though he wasn't, he just felt same
as seafaring man. SO l didn't mind
him being there.
He wanted to look at my sheath
knife. and when handed 1t he seen
the lettering -'Green River" on the
blade. He'd been along Green River
and there's no knives like that
Then I'd got to know about them
iron things on his heels-spurs. We
threw peanuts, my knife agin his
spurs, and he won easy. Queer how
all the time he's wanting to show him
self OF. He'd never seen salt water
before. So we went in swimming, and
afterward there's a lunch he'd got
with him-quart of picked onions.
and cigarettes.
This stranger begins to throw me
horse talk and COW stories. 1t seems
cow-punchers is sort of sailors Of the
plains. only It's different. Seafaring
men gets wet and cold, and wrecked,
but cowboys had adventures instead.
excitement, red streaks of life. Fol
lowing the sea. been missing life.
Why, this guy ain't no more'n two
years older'n me-say, seventeen, but
he's had five years ridin' for one man,
four years for another, six years In
Arizona. then three in Oregon, until
he's added up about half a century.
Says his names Bull Durham.
Well. his talk made me small and
mean as starved cat, but that was
nothing to the emotions at the other
end Of me when he got me on one of
them horses. l wanted to walk. Walk!
The most shameful things he knew
was walking and telling lies. II I
walked he'd have nothing more to do
with me. rode till we got to the
ferry.
You know in books how there's a
line Of stars acrost the page to show
the authors grief. got 'em bad by
the time we rode into Invicta City.
Draw the line right thar:
We're having supper at the Paila-
dunn. and I'm pretty nigh scared.
There's a menu to say what's coming,
In French 30 you don't know what
you're eating. and burned If can find
out whether to tackle an la mode
with fingers or spoon. Bull says it's
only French for puckeroo. sort of
four-legged burrowing bird which in
habits silver mines, but If don't like
that, the lady will fetch me a foe par.
Well. ] orders one, and by the lady's
face l see / done wrong, even before
she complains to the manager. I'm
surely miserable to think I've insulted
lady.
The managers suspicious Of me. but
Bull talks French SO rapid that even
froggy can't keep up, although he
smiles and shrugs, and gives US sang
fraws to drink
This sort of cocktail l had. was the
first liquor I'd tasted. It's powerful
as harbor tug. dropping me out of
the conversation, while the restaurant
turns slowly round with list to star
board. and Bull deals for basket In
the front window full of decorated
eggs. Says they're vintage eggs. all
verd-antique and bookay. For years
Il.
from the expense. My job when we
leaves is to carry the basket, cause
Bulls toting second-handed saddle.
/ dunno why Bull has to introduce
me to the gentleman who keeps the
peanut store down street-seeing I'd
dealt there before. Anyway. I'm intro