The Washington herald., 1915-10-24
lASTERLY STORIES OF AMERICAN RANCH LIFE


point; there was so much she-ness to
| Susie. The other women were the
best kind of pards. but weren't that
fascinating other-side-of-the-wsy to
'em.
] sat out till Waters finished bis
noontime grub and pulled for his
claim. I stalked him out of sight of
J the shack and hailed him.
/ He looked weary and dispirited.
well. Red!" says he. What kick
you got coming"
This opened things.
Bob" ! says, you got to put your
house in order"
He shueked his coat and hung il
on a bush. 1--WE reached the point,
says he, where I'd rather fight than
talk"
Now, Bob" says /, eff you and
me come to blows, l siD't denying
that you'll do something, but amt il
drawing it long to call it fighting?
/ Where you been boarding lately, 70
raise the nerve of talking about fight
ing me-"
We'll" says ne, 'let that 90 as a
slip of the tongue. What / mean is.
I'd rather take beating than any
more CAB. And I dunno" says he,
his eyes beginning to glitter, but
what, If you bring my wife's name
into the conversation, I'll come so
near making fight Of it you'll be a
busy little boy sorting out the diff
ference. | amt going to stand no
more talk about my wife, nor hear a
word against herr"
was smoking a cigareet at the
time, and, properly handled, a Gig
areet is one of the best helps TO on
truthful conversation. You can al
ways have lungful of smoke, or be
just taking a puff when you need a
minute to think, and if you are put
ting out something too raw, you can
blow a cloud before your face to hide
your eyes. So took long suck and
whoofed it out and then said:
What's eating you, Bob? Say any
thing against your wife, Why, man.
was just thinking amt ever seen
anything prettier in my life than her
setting on the doorstep Why, she's
the quickest, brightest, snappiest lit
tie lady in the whole of Dakotal No.
no, Bob! Don't get your ideas tan
gledl Ne say anything against your
wife? You're dreaming"
"Ohl" says he, and puts on his coat.
"No. mol" l said. putting the hand
OF friendly advice on his shoulder
What I'm talking about is this: once
! owned a little sorrel mare. The
slickest. fastest critter on prairie sod.
| bought her cheap. because the folks
~. -,.e.I L ,,-.-f. e..
They didn't understand her. and so
she wasn't any use to anybody. You
could trace her any time by bits of
spokes and buggy-wheels. rags and
tags OF harness, and odds and ends of
skin wore of the would-be drivers as
she dragged EN- through the mud.
Twas a shame. the way the pretty
thing was mishandled. ! hadn't own
ed her a month, Bob, before she'd
come to my whistle like a dog. l
never had to touch whip nor rein to
her She had intelligence, as we'll as
hrc. and once sh< understood who was
really running things, would make
you cry to see how hard she tried to
please. II l told her to stand. there
she'd stand, her legs a-tremble, snort
ing a bit and tossing her head, but
there she'd stand. Bob. though he'll
blew its lid off. Most OF the time she
had more sense than me, at that. And
when | was loaded, she took care OF
the game-brought me home safe and
sound, no matter the road ! Travelled.
All in the world she asked of me was
10 be her lord and naster-that's what
she wanted from the time she was
foaled: something to look up to as
any high-spirited person does-and
that's a thing any gentleman ought TO
be willing to do for lady"
whats that" says Bob. Il catch
your parable, all right, but say 1t
again"
Il saw this: When it's plain that a
woman is just craving and hungering
for a man to be the boss, he amt hall
a man less he lays all else to the side
and makes her dream come true He
owes it to her"
"Cm-nl." says Bob. "If you had to
listen to the string OF talk l get, you'd
gas a lot about lady wanting a lord
and master, Jeehosaphst! All | hear
is what a bully am; how | don't
want nothing but my own way; how
what I'd like is to make perfect
slave OF a woman; the one thing ! en-
joy is to jump in the air and land on
EN- with both feet"
Why. Bob." says l, how simple
YOU are" and | drags in a double
lungful OF smoke, while Bob gazes at
me surprised.
Meaning how" says Bob.
Like this" says l. Whats mos
quitoes for. Bob"
"I1l be damned if know" says he;
nor YOU, neither"
"Oh YES. do" l says. That's
easy. Mosquitoes live in swamps.
Mans 50 lazy he'd never clean up a
swamp in a million years if he want
prodded to it. Long comes Mister
Mosquito and gives h;n, jab. Go
and dig. you lazy bruter says he
liability. jibbity. jab! Dig, you SON
of-a-mule. digr So the man, being
tormented to it, digs"
Hum says Waters. Il wind your
smoke"
"Surest thing you know" says l.
Susie can't say. Come, boss me
around can she? So she's got to tor
ment you into il"
Bob scratched his head. You got
a mighty persuasive way OF putting
it." says he. 81 kinder wonder If you
amt right" &c.,
"Sure!" says I. "The little girh and
the mosquito are doing the same thing
-prodding you into acting the man.
He grinned. That story could have