The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-12
JUST 4 cHIckENfOOT
sy IDA SPEED.

outlaw and desperado; back East COM
mercialism makes EN- eat folks alive,
and up on the North plains the cold
grips . mans soul and makes him
kinder brutal.
But We take things easy here and
jog along. everybody friendly amongst
themselves, savin' all the joshin' and
raw remarks for the fellow from back |
East that busts in on our peace and
goodwill
Chick Saunders blowed into Floret-
u on . west-bound passenger one
bleak November day, which havin'
only fifteen cents in his pocket he
couldn't have rode but five miles fur
Their anyhow.
Az that would have set him down
in the middle Of the prairie. he alights
at F1oretta. which Is only redeemed
from bein' In said middle by . half
dozen cottages. q general store and
post ONCE. a twostory frame hotel, Q
lumber yard minus the lumber. and
/, just such a school buildin' as you'd
have to come to Texas to see.
All this was south Of the railroad
track.
On the roof of big barn quarter
Of a mile north. painted In bold let.
tiers, Chick saw Bar C Ranch" and
he hotfooted II thereto. inquired timid-
like II old man Cranch was in, got
the laugh from a bunch OF cowboys
that was standin' around the door, it
II hntx,t oh x,ollnA In onA
got Job.
II That job was to cut wood. Old man
Crozier. the owner. had just looked
out the window and observed that
here was winter comm on, regular
blizzard of a norther BLOWN and no
wood cut.
Chick was the man Of the hour.
Il The boys name on the pay roll was
set down as Willie Saunders, but
we're too uncertain out here about
whether a fellow gives his right name
or not, to put ourselves out to call him
by it. so him bein' such a rank chick
enfoot, we just christen him Chicl
from the start.
He'd crawl on any horse you told
him to, but he'd almost be whimperin
from fear.
We thought he'd leave when HI
went down some day to git drink OF
the train. as quick as he got paid of
but no, he was here to stay If it ktlle'
every animal in the pasture. includin
of hisself.
Every spare minute he had, h
hung around the Hotel Dalhart, 70
| little Elsie Delhart and her mothe
showed him all the humane treatmen
he found, and 1t turned out he toll
them about his folks and read letter
to 'em that he got from home, an
let hisself be known to them In
way us fellows knew nothing Of
And Elsie. You put wild rof
amongst bouquet Of American Bea,
ties in some dollhouse, and ! guess
wouldn't be noticed much; but o,
amt spcctin' to see even a wild on
and they look awful good to US.
III And, by the way. the thorns WASH
missin' neither. Elsie was the prit
Of this country, but she wouldr
stand for no foolishness off Of US CO.
- punchers If she was the queen Their
of.
She was one OF those outdoor gir
= though she helped her ma faithf
7 around the house and kitchen.
! In summer she wore them sailt
Z collar, polka-dotted affairs that lo
i SO we'll where they roll back from
z soft, girlish throat. And any time
! year there was golden curl or t.
z that bobbed around her face, and t
d eyes that kinder peeped out at y
& from beneath the long lashes ma
3 you want to dig your spurs in t
z bronze you was ridin' and wish
: the kingdom come he'd pitch and r
Y SO you could show how aood you col
i ride. We all felt that away, but
z was Mexico Charles girl.
= At least he said so, and folks did
I dispute Mexico's word, him bein' o.
different temperament from us OIL
! buttons, and his word bein' about
I the law there was around Flore
! way.
After eight months Chick begun
Z look different. He got him a
z cow-puncher outfit, swell Califor
saddle, a Navajo of gorgeous reds
Z greens, big rattlin' spurs, and 30 I
4 of rope.
Z He had to accumulate them thil
as he got hold of money, and
X was slow at first. But after he
Z to gamblin' 1t was the rest OF us t
Z couldn't lay up a cent.
4 It seemed like he just couldn't Il
whether he was shootin craps
I matchin' money, playin' cards or
Z plain bettin' on how much a 81
z would weigh.
!. This was powerful aggravatin'
/. g Mexico, and he made us assist
I quent in standin' Chick on his b
Z to see II his hoodoo wouldn't fall
! of his pockets.
II was at the Fourth Of July cele
J. ton at Floretta that Chick Saun'
come out in his complete costume
wearin' a big white S.etson hat
replacin' his woreout shoes
4 leather CATERS with pair OF s
made boots which shore becom-
Z looks Of his underpinnin', for his
z was long and thin and his feet
..@ too big to look pretty.
He rode up to bunch of US st
.- in around the grand stand, which
been put up temporary for the la
to set in and watch the ropin
bronze ridin', and it bein' covered