The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1919-05-08

to be In the last stnges Of consumption.
I told the old fellow to cut out his
argument and leave the other fellow
alone. Upon hearing this he squirted
q well-directed stream Of tobacco Juice
through his front teeth, which landed
on my shoe. I inwardly admired and
respected his accuracy. I saw my an
thority waning and knew that I would
have to answer this insult quickly. l
took two or three quick steps forward
and swung on his Jaw with my fist.
His head went up ngnlnsv the iron
bunk with q sickenlng sound and he
crumpled up and fell on the deck, the
blood pouring from the cut Ia his head.
I felt sick and faint thinking that he
had been killed, but 1t would not do
to show these signs Of weakness on
my part, so without even moving to-
ward him I ordered one of the men to
look him over and see II he was all
right. He soon came around. From
that time IN he was the most faithful
man In the section and greatly respect
cd me. The rest of the men growled
and mumbled and I thought I was In
for a terrible beating. Lying close ut
hand was IN iron spike about eighteen
inches long. Grnsping this, I turned to
the rest, trying to be rs tough rs I
possibly could:
"If any of the rest Of you buns
think they are boss around here, start
something, and I will sink this into
his head" Although I was quailing
underneath. still I got away with 1t,
and from that time IN / was boss OF
my section.
Now every man was smoking or
chewing tobacco. Pretty o the hold
became thick with smoke. and l was
gnsping for breath, when the voice of
the foreman came down the compan-
ionway:
Turn out on deck and give q hand
loading the horses. Look alive or I'll
come down there and rouse you out
pretty -- quick"
l have been In n cavalry regiment
when hurry-up orders were received to
entraln for the Mexican border and
helped to load eleven hundred horses
on trains. The confusion on that dock
was indescribable. The horses were
loaded by three runways. My gang
and I were detailed on the after run
way. The foreman was leaning over
the rail, glarlng down upon us and
now and then giving instructions mixed
with horrible oaths. He had a huge
marllnsplke In his hand. On the dock
was the second foreman, In his large
sombrero, a red neckerchief around
his neck, wearing a blue shirt with the
sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and
In his right hand a coiled lAriat. II
did ones heart good to see h:m rope
the horses which broke loose. Upon
Watching his first performance I knew
l was correct when I figured him as
having Mexican blood In his veins.
A bleary-eyed drunk was trying to
lead a horse by the halter up our run.
He was looking back at the horse, at
the same time Juggling and jerking on
the halter. You could see the white
In the horses eyes, and | knew right
away, from my experience with horses,
that this was a bad one, or, as we
would term him in the cavalry, an
"outlaw." The drunk was cursing and
swearing and kicking up at the horses
head. The foreman saw this and d.
rected his barrage at TIE offender.
"How In HI do you expect TO lead
a horse while looking ut him? Turn
your back to him, you lousy bum. You
arc blocking the whole run. Turn
POUR back to him, I say. You can't
lead him that way. II I come down
there to you, I'll 500 show you how
to get him aboard"
The bleary-eycd one became bewil-
dered and in his excitement lost his
footing on the slippery runway and fell
underneath the horse, at the same time
looscning his hold on the halter chain.
The horse jerked his head loose, reared
up, turned around and made n break
for the deck. The man on the gangway
tried to scramble out Of the way. The
horse, In wheeling, let fly with both
heels and caught him below the right
ear with his near hind foot. With n
piercing shrek the drunk clasped both