The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-03-02
JUST A CHICKENFOOT
BY IDA SPEED.

(Copyright.)
1t was the romance belt of the
Southwest which that tendere-t OF
tenderfoots, Click Saunders, struck.
Farther Vet is the land of the
outlaw and de peradJ; back East com
mercialism makes EN- eat folks alive,
and up on the North plains the cold
grips a msa's soul and makes him
kinder brutal
But we tai things easy here and
jog along, every body 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 bowed into F1oret-
ia on a west-bound passenger one
bleak November day, which havin'
only Rteen 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 ONCE, 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 q mile north, painted In bold let
ters, Chick saw Bar G Ranch" and
ne h~otfooted it thereto, inquired timid-
like 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
Crozter, 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 man 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 1t, 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 whf.nperin'
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 vas 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 EN- 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 w~ind-swept plains we
amt spectin' to see ever 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 foSlishness off of us cow
punchers if she was the queen there
of.
She was one of those outdoor girls,
though she helped her ma faithful
around the house and kitchen.
In summer she wore them sailor
collar, polka-dotted affairs that look
80 we'll 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
o 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, him bein' of a
different temperament from us other
buttons, and his word bein' about all
the law there was around Foretta
way.
After eight months Chick begun to
look different. He got him a full
cow-puncher outfit, q 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' 1t was the rest of us that
couldn't lay up a cent.
It seemed like he just couldn't lose,
whether he was shootin' craps or
matchin' money, playin' 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
to e If his hoodoo wouldn't fall out
Of his pockets.
It was at the Fourth of July celebra-
ton at Floretta that Chick Saunders
come out in his complete costume, by
wearin' a big white Stetson hat and
replacin' his woreout shoes and
leather CATERS with a pair of shop
made boots which shore become the
looks Of his underpinnin', for his legs
was long and thin and his feet was
too big to look pretty.
He rode up to a bunch of us stand
in around the grand stand, which had
been put up temporary for the ladies
to set In and watch the ropin' and
bronze ridin', and it bein' covered with
tow sacks was shore cool and shady.
Look at the boots!" says Mexico
loud. 1T costs Chick as much to buy
'em as it does a cat to get life In
surance. Both bein' nine times what
they ought to be-"
Everybody laughs and Chick rides
off bashful toward the Hotel Dalhart,
and / see Mexico's eyes narrow to
two dark Sits when Elsie bounds out
on the gallery with of them polka
dot effects on, and gives Willie the
glad hand.
Even this far off you a tell she's
braggin' on his clothes the way she
stands back and looks at him, her
head on one side and her hands
clasped In front of her.
And all day Chick stayed by her.
Not engagin' in the cigar race and
contests Of various kinds, he Just
stayed by Elsie's side, and took her
from stand to stand buyin' her every
thine AZ cf1h%