The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-05-20
Cherub
WhitlOck
He Went to the Wild
West a Rosy Checked
Boy -
By
EDWARD T.

WQe0 J1uDule "ultlOCh NOhC Vut
yere to start a ranch we all larfed at
him. He was nothin' but a kid. Two
cheeks the color of "a new red wagon
and no sign of a beard On his face
made him look like a gal not more'n
sixteen years old. His figure was slight
and small. and he wore his hair long
and cut squar aroun' his neck.
whar he got the money from to buy
a ranch and stock it nobody knew. blu
It was understood that he was the son
of a rich cotton planter in Georgia. and
for him. Anyway, he bought a lot o
land and a lot O sheep and built a fust
rate ranch house.
Since he hired a good man for over
seer we thought he mought do well
enough ranchin', but we didn't think
he would be suffered to stay in these
parts very long. There was a good
deal O. gun play about here in them
days. and it was reckoned that he
would soon be skeered away. He was
mighty fresh. and we allowed that
purity soon he would run mp agin some
Teller that wouldn't stand his imper
ance. but we didn't think any one
would hurt him any more'n if he had
been a real gal.
And Jim didn't seem to realize where
he was. He talked about things jist
as if he had been in II o them towns
where people wore clawhammer jack
cts with garrote collars and the rest o
the outfit to match. He seemed rather
pleased with the idee O. goin' round
armed. and as Dol as he got yere. in
stead o wearin' II gun under his
coat. where it wouldn't be noticed, he
wore two. one on each hip. He could
not "a done anything better calc'lated
to git him into trouble.
Hes been readin' dime novels" said
his overSeer, about the wild and wool
ly west. He'll git over that after
awhile. He's harmless. .Jist you let
him alone.'
Mebbe Jimmie would "a got through
without any trouble if he hadn't taken
a fancy to Josh Gilson's gal. Josh
was interested in the Spangler ranch
and above the ordinary cowpuncher,
but he was Il fighter through and
through. When we seen that little
baby faced kid buckin' up agin him
and his sweetheart we all thought o
Mary's little lamb walkin' into the
sleepin' quarters of a grizzly. l thought
it a pity that such a purity little fel
Ter should stand in the way of a man
like ellison. and | says to him;
Jimmie. if ! was you | wouldn't
go monkeyin' around Josh Gilson's gal
what he's eXpectin' to marry in the
spring: it's dangerous"
rs it, he says. lookin' interested.
Yes, Jimmie" says |. Its mighty
dangerous"
You don't mean he says. that if
Mamie Walker likes me better n him
he'd blame me?"
He'd put his heel on you and grind
you into the earth like a worm
Jim didn't say anything to this for
awhile: he seemed to be thinkin'. Then
he said:
"Supposin' | got the drop on him"
i ldIltu. III liCC " JliiiIiliS puNhiii
up at all agin Josh ellison was funny.
but that he should dream O. gittin' the
drop on Il man whose gun was used to
goin' off almost before it left the
holster and the ball plum through the
other Teller was enough to make ii
mule larf right out.
Jimmie" says l, sOlemn-like. you're
a nice boy and | wouldn't like TO see
you git hurt. much less carried to the
buryin' ground up on the hill. Take
my advice and let Mamie alone"
Much obliged for your advice. Mr.
Cook" says Jimmie. land I'll remem
Der it. And IN leave you somepin in
my will
You won't have no occasion TO men
ton me in .N>nr will. Jimmie" ! says.
unless you do some fool trick thatll
git Yourself killed.
Fact is. Jimmie seemed not to real
ize things | was afeared his readin
of dime novels about the west would
lead him to sly in the face o Provi
dence. or. rather. Josh Gibson. and
afore he understood what he was dom
he'd git a hole in him | shook my
head and looked solemn. walkin away
slow. like an actor in the theater after
he has warned somebody agin Somepin
awful.
One day soon after this warnin' Jim
mic come TO me. and he says. says he:
MIR. Cook. YOU was right about what
YOU said about my 'sociatin' with Ma
mic Walker"
How SOP" says !.
Josh met me on the o this morn
in. and he says TO me: You mis- b
kid. what dye mean by buttin' in al
ole man Walkers: Don't you go there
no more And | asks him why he
didn't tell Mamie TO stop my goin
there. And he says that was none o
my business: eff | 20 there again he'll
let daylight through me-"