Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-09-17

A Story of Ranch Life
By T H

Not only boys read stories of deeds
81 beroism. Girls sometimes absorb
tbom and fall in love with the heroes.
when I was a girl I dotted on such
stories. Soldier boys were my favor
,tas. but l conceived a great admira-
tion for the western cowboy. Having
come from a refined family and lived
n the east. where l never saw a cow-
HOY. It is quite possible that had l met
one of them my illusion would have
disappeared like thin mist before the
suns rays.
The typical cowboy or cowpuncher,
as he is called, l was told later, muir
ders the kings English, the corners Of
his mouth are gummed with tobacco
mice. his every third word is an oath,
and he gets drunk whenever he finds
an opportunity. 1 don't mean to say
that there are not quiet, respectable
Young men among them, but the ma
iority don't pretend to be carpet
knights.
When l was nineteen years old my
brother, after graduating at college,
concluded to make a ranchman Of
himself and, going to the west, pur-
chased and stocked a ranch. He wrote
glowing letters about the life he led,
riding oyer his broad acres, watching
his herds increase, and seemed rather
nleased with the lawlessness of a coun-
try wherein every man was his own at
torney and his revolver his constable.
He sent home a photograph of himself
on horseback, a sombrero on his head,
a lariat at his saddlebow and a revolv-
er at his hip. 1t fred my imagination,
and / thought how fine it would be for
me to have a lover rugged out in the
same fashion.
A time came when he wrote me to
make him II visit. l was wild to go,
but my parents objected. However, l
was so persistent In my entreaties that
they at last consented. Having no es-
cort, l WIS obliged to travel most of
the way alone. My brother wrote IL
that he would send some one to es-
cort me over the last sixty miles since
the journey was through a rough coun-
~ uy anu AC III AAA1S lhQL a 6lOulQ
pass over it alone. This distance was
made up of fifty miles of railway and
ten of wagon travel. The man 1 was
to meet would wear a yellow ribbon in
his buttonhole. He would pass through
the train and I was to stop him when
he reached me and ask If he was John
Darlington.
Whom Mr. 90 r,iro +oo ~ SIor1v
walking down the aisle of the car l
saw that he fulfilled my ideas of the
man l would IKE to love and be loved
by. Though roughly dressed in flannel
shirt and trousers and a light coat, he
showed unmistakable signs of being to
the manner born. How many pistols
and knives he carried on his person I
did not know, but one huge revolver
was stuck in his belt in front.
In a ~buttonhole of his coat he ar
ried a yellow ribbon which l recognized
at once as having held together a bup-
die of cigars. This assured me that
he was the man l was to meet, and I
addressed him, asking him if he were
not MI. Darlington. His face broke
. AAeO OO&OlAIAi bIulIC, uC 111lC0 04
sombrero and took a seat beside me.
Mr.. Darlington told me that he had
a ranch near my brothers and that
they, being the only two gentlemen In
the neighborhood, had become fast
friends. My brother had mentioned my
coming. and Darlington had asked per-
mission to be my escort over the latter
"a mart nf fho arrrrAr ne ax,~ aAAI
lied that he would relish the care OF a
young girl, since he had probably not
seen one Of his own class for a long
while.
1 found Nh. Darlington a very agree
able conversationalist. l asked HIM
why he wore a. revolver in front In
stead of at the hip, where the heroes
l mad read about carried their weapons.
dis reply was not very satisfactory.
l learned afterward that the trains had
Deen often robbed, and he desired to
nave his gym" where he could grasp
1t in the shortest possible time. The
reason why he did not tell me this
was because he did not wish to fright
en- me. Nevertheless his being thus
armed naturally suggested danger to
me, and l felt how fine it would be TO
De protected by him.
we had passed over the principal
part OF the journey. The train was by
no means full, and my escort in order
70 give me more room turned over the
Dack of the seat in front and sat there
facing me. was looking out through
ene window when 1 heard the forward
uoor thrown open with a bang and The
words pronounced in a quick, sharp,
angry tone:
Hands up, allr'
a man entered the car, while another
immediately closed the door and stood
with his back against it, a carbine at
ns shoulder, pointed down the aisle.
me nrst mar had no arms in his hand
whatever. Only a few seconds elapsed