The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-02-13
lust A CwHICKENFOOT
BY IDA SPEED.
Copyright

teaderfoots, Chick Saunders, struck.
Farther West is the land of the
outlaw and desperate: back East com.
mercialism makes EN- eat folks alive,
and up on the North plains the cold
grips a 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-
ia off a 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.
AS that would have set him down
in the middle of the prairie, he alights
at Floretta, which is only redeemed
from bein' in said middle by a half
dozen cottages, a General store and
post Office. a two-story frame hotel, a
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 a big barn a quarter
of a mile north, painted in bold let
tiers, Chick saw Bar c. Ranch" and
he hotfooted it thereto, inquired timid-
Ike if old man Cranch was in, got
the laugh from a bunch of cowboys
that was standin' around the door, it
bein' chuck time, then walked in and
got a job.
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, a regular
blizzard of a norther BLOWN and no
wood cut.
Chick was the mar of the hour.
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 Chick
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 he
went down some day to git a drink on
the train. as quick as he got paid off
but no. he was here to stay If it killed
every animal in the pasture. includin'
of hisself.
Every spare minute he had, he
hung around the Hotel Dalhart, for
little Elsie Delhart and her mother
showed him all the humane treatment
he found, and it turned out he told
them about his folks and read letters
to 'em that he got from home, and
let hisself be known to them in a
way us fellows knew nothing of.
And Elsie! You put a wild rose
amongst a bouquet of American Beau
ties in some dollhouse, and | guess it
wouldn't be noticed much; but out
here on these wind-swept plains we
amt spectin' to see even a wild one.
and they look awful good to US.
And, by the way, the thorns wasn't
missin' neither. Elsie was the pride
of this country, but she wouldn't
stand for no foolishness off of us cow
punchers if she was the queen there
of.
She was n of those outdoor girls.
though she helped her ma faithful
around the house and kitchen.
In summer she wore them sailor
collar, pelka-dotted affairs that look
so well where they roll back from a
soft, girlish throat. And any time of
year there was a golden curl or two
that bobbed around her face, and the
eyes that kinder peeped out at you
from beneath the long lashes made
you want to dig your spurs in the
bronze you was ridin' and wish to
the kingdom come he'd pitch and run
SO you could show how good you could
ride. We all felt that away. but she
was Mexico Charles girl.
At least he said so, and folks didn't
dispute Mexico's word, hiA bein' Of a
different temperament from us other
buttons, and his word bein' about all
the law there was around Floretta
way.
After eight months Chick begun to
look different. He got him a full
cow-puncher outfit, a swell California
saddle, a Navajo of gorgeous reds and
green's, big rattlin' spurs, and 80 foot
OF rope.
He had to accumulate them things
as he got hold of money, and this
was slow at first. But after he got
to gamblin' it was the rest of us that
couldn't lay up a cent,
II seemed like he just couldn't lose,
whether he was shootin' craps or
matchin' money, playfn' cards or just
plain bettin' on how much a steer
would weigh.
This was powerful aggravatin' to
Mexico, and he made us assist fire.
quent in standin' Chick on his head