The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-02-19

the door of the chamber of representa-
tives at frequent times for many days
rould be found the breezy, robnst form
of Senator Kinney and be heard his
clarion voice reciting the past deeds of
Lucien Briscoe in connection with the
handiwork of his grandson. Senator
Mullens' work was more subdued in
sight and sound, but directed along
identical lines.
Then as the day for the introduction
Of the bill for appropriation ORA ws nigh
up from the San Saba country rides
Lonny Briscoe and a loyal lobby of
cowpunchers, broncho back. to boost
the cause of art and glorify the name
of friendship. for Lonny is one of
them. a knight of stirrup and chapar.
reras, as handy with the lariat and Al
as he is with brush and palette.
On a March afternoon the lobby
dashed. with a whoop. into town. The
cowpunchers had adjusted their garb
suitably from that prescribed for the
range to the more conventional require
ments of town. They had conceded
their leather chaparreras and. transfer
red their six shooters and belts from
their persons to the horns of their sad
dies. Among them rode Lonny. a youth
OF twenty-three. brown, solemn faced.
ingenious, bowlegged. reticent. be-
striding Hot Tamales, the most saga
cious COW pony west of the MiSsissip-
pi. Senator Mullens had informed him
of the bright prospects of the situa-
ton: had even mentioned-so great was
his confidence in the capable Kinney
the price that the state would, in all
likelihood, pay. 1t seemed to Lonny
that fame and fortune were in his
hands. Certainly a spark of the di-
vine fire was in the little brown cen
taur's breast. for he was counting the
$1,000 as but a means to future devel-
opment of his talent. Some day he
would paint a picture even greater
than this-one, say. II feet by 20, full
of scope and atmosphere and action.
During the three days that yet inter
vened before the coming of the date
fixed for the introduction of the bill
the centaur lobby did valiant service.
Coatless, spurred, weather tanned. full
of enthusiasm expressed in bizarre
terms they loafed in front of the paint
ing with tireless zeal. Reasoning not
unshrewdly, they estimated that their
comments upon its fidelity to nature
would be received as expert evidence.
Loudly they praised the skill of the
painter whenever there were ears near
to which such evidence might be profit
ably addressed. Lem Perry. the lead
er of the claque. had a somewhat set
speech. being u%ninyentive In the con-
struction of new phrases.
Look at the t~wo-year-old now" he
would say, waving a cinnamon brown
hand toward the salient point of the
picture. why, dang my hide. the
critters alive. l can jest hear him,
lumpety-lump,' a-cuttin' away from
the herd, pretendin' he's skeered. He's
a mean scamp. that there steer. Look
at his eyes a-wallin' and his tail AWAY
in. He's true and nat'ral to life. He's
jest hankerin' fur a COW pony to round
him up and send him scootin' back to
the bunch. Dang my hide. Jest look
at that tail of his'n a-wavin'. Never
knowed a steer to wave his tail any
other way. dang my hide eff l did"
Jud Shelby. while admitting the ex-
cellence of the steer. resolutely con-
fined himself to open admiration of
the landscape, to the end that the en-
tire picture received its need of praise.
THAT piece of range" he declared,
'is a dead ringer for Dead Hoss valley.
Same grass, same lay of the land. same
old Whipperwill creek s~kallyhootin' in