The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-07-17

- ~ u5h5 Ncllic, duu lWO SlIIs lTOLu
back East who are visitin' her, to go
along, KNOWN they can stay with my
wife while there, and have dance
that night returnin the next day.
1t wasn't but IL miles, so they
come.
Now, on the way up to the Double
Two. Tip gifts to hlrrahin' Bud about
them bein' rivals
Let's just make her say which is
the best man before we git back to
Square Deal tomorrow" he suggests to
Bud, winkin' at the girls.
Course Bud, havin no self-conf-
dence. hates to see it come to a test
that-a-way, him bain' willin' to take
what treatment she gives him and
thank you, too.
But Tip insists on a showdown and
at last Nettie lays down the rules Of
the contest
What really like she says, lis
good ridin'. The best rider is the best
man with me"
I'm afraid that lets me out" says
Bud, duckin his head to one side
"Tip'll ride any outlaw you can put
up, and I'm afraid to set on the fence
and watch EN- pitch.
They got here just in time for din
ner and the chuck wagon was drawed
up by the side of the barn and sheds.
Tip was just goin' to pot for his
fourth helpn' of lrijoles, him havin' a
noble appetite, when he thinks Of his
rival
Where's Bud?" he asks. "Oh, there
he isl" he says, "settin on the grind
stone to sharpen his appetite. Eat
hearty Bud" he calls out, we've got
them stunts to pull off after while
Il aint hungry says Bud. I'm
just feelin' real common today
That makes Tip pretty near fall in
the campfire laughin', and he looks at
Nettie, and mods his head towards
Bud, then stomps his foot and laughs
some more, though she don't take no
notice of him at all
And of al the wild and reckless
stunts Tip does EN- that afternoon,
whilst Bud does all the work they're
both sent to do, cuttin old man Gresh-
ans stock out of the herd, and after
wards pennin EN- fer the night
About the time they had finished
brandn' the last calf in the bunch
we had sold, old Mankillcr come up to
the trough for water.
Those old horses 60 several days
without liquid refreshment in the win
ter because they're too blamed lazy
to walk the three or four miles TO
git It,
This horse must have been pretty
thirsty, for he's old wolf that's killed
two men and is so wild he won't usu-
ally come up where humans are.
The notion strikes TIP Taylor to
ride him and, in spite Of the outlaws
PAWN and bitin', Tip has roped him
and got a saddle on him In less time
done it.
He wasn't even satisfied with that,
for with all of us lookin' on, and the
women screamin' and beggin him to
git off, his daredevil spirit is aroused
right.
Along comes a wild hog out from
hn OH N
around for something more reckless to
do, and this here fool slams his rope
on the "javelina"
Well, If the thing had been excitin'
before, 1t was plumb perilous now!
That hog drove his tushes in the
ground, and ierked, and fought, and
old Mankiller begins to bite the rope
and right in the midst of 1t all the
horse gives a sudden turn SO the rope
which of course Is fastened to the sad
die horn, gifts stretched across Tips
leg and begins to cut down into the
flesh.
You could see the boy begin to 81,
white and sick, for that grass rope
was grindin' into his leg, and the hog
was holdin' 1t tight at one end whilst
, old Mankiller plunged and couldn't
, be turned
, About Is cow-punchers stood help
less while the women stopped
screamin' and everybody seemed to
hold their breath for an instant,
Then through the air flew a pair Of
frtnged leather leggin's and the mar
In 'em covered the space between us
and Tip In just exactly nothing,
We saw a pair of arms grapple with
that old man-eater's snarlin', bitin
, head and, when 1t was tucked between
his right arm and pressed tight to
his side, he goes In his pocket with
, his de't hand and rips out a knife
which he plens vita this teeth and
cuts the rope right at the saddle horn
: ju, ae We run up,
The nan was Pud Regan.
We are just in time TO ketch lip as
he topples out of the saddle in dead
faint ard We let old Mankiller go
saddle, bfidle ard all fer the time
hein'
Tho ladies' helm on horses, galloped