The Washington herald., 1920-09-14
THE HIGHER ABDICATION
By o. HENRY.

seems to suit him. Hes been con-
demnea to death by the boys a
dozen times, but / told 'em maybe
you was savin' him for torture"
Rsnse took off his coat.
I've got a hard Job before me,
Buck, l reckon. but II has to be
done. I've get to make man
out Of that thing. That's what
I've come to camp for"
He went up TO Curly.
Brother" he said, don't you
think IL you had a bath II would
allow you to take seat in the
company OF your fellow man with
less injustice to the atmosphere"
Run away. farmer" said Curly.
sardonicslly. willie will send
for nuTsey when he feels like
having his tub
The eharco. or water hole. was
twelve yards away. Rsnse took
one OF Curly's ankles and dragged
him like a sack Of potatoes TO The
brink. Then with the strength
and sleight of a hammer. .thrower
he hurled the offending member
of society far into the lake.
Curly crawied out and up the
bank splutterinz like a porpoise.
Ranse met him with a piece OF
soap and a coarse towel in his
hands.
Go 70 the other end of the lake
and use this" he said. Buck
will give you some dry clothes at
the wagon"
The tramp obeyed without pro-
test. BY the time supper was
ready he had returned TO camp.
He was hardly to be recognized
in his new blue shirt and brown
duck clothes. Ranse observed him
out of the corner OF his eye.
"Lordy, l hope he amt a COW
ard" he was saying to himself.
Il hope he won't turn out to be a
coward"
His doubts were soon aIlayed.
Curly walked straight to where
he stood. His light-biue eyes were
b,azinE.
Now I'm clean" he said mean
inEly. maybe you'll talk to me.
Think you've got a picnic here. 10
you? You clodhoppers think you
can run over a man because you
know he can't get away. All right.
Now. what do you think of that"
Curly planted singing slap
against Rnnse's left cheek. The
print of his hand stood out a duh
red aEainst the tan.
RAnse smiled happily.
The cowpunchcrs talk to this
day OF the battle that followed.
Somewhere in his restless 'oIr
of the cities Curly had ar4uir"d
the art Of self-dsfcnsa The ranch
man was equipped only with the
splendid strength and equilibrium
Of perfect health and the cndur-
ance conferred by decent living.
The two attributes nearly
matched. There were no formal
rounds At last the fiber Of tho
clean liver, prevailed. The last
time Curly went down from one
Of the ranChman's awkward int
powerful blows he remained on
the grass. but looking up with m
Un0uenchad eye.
Ransa went to tho water har-al
and washed the rcd from, cut on
his chin in the stream from 'he
faucet.
on his face was a grin Of satis-
faction.
Much benefit might accrue 70
educators and mor7 lists II they
could know the details Of the cur
riculum of reclamation through
which Ranse put his vail during
the month that he spent in the
san Gabriel camn. The ranChmun
had no fine theories to work out
-perhsrs his whole stock OF neda-
Eog'- embraced only a knowledge
Of horse breaking and a belief in
hsrAdity.
The cowrunchcrs saw that their
boss was trying 10 make man
out OF the strange animal that he
had sent among them: and thev
taCitIy organized themselves into
faculty of assistants. But their
system was their own
CurIys first Lesson stuck IIo
became on friendly and then on
intimete terms with soar and
water. And the thing that pleased
Fanse most was that his sub
ject" held his ground at each sue
Ccssive higher step. But the steps
were sometimes far apart
Once he got at the quart bottle
Of whisky kept sacredIy in the
grub tent for rattlesnaka bites
and spent sixteen hours on the
grass. maEnlfcentIy drunk. But
when he staggered to his feet his
first move was to find his soap
and towel and start for the charco.
And once. when a trept came from
the ran.h in tire form of a basket
e fresh tomatoes md vou0~
onions. Curly devOured' the emit >
consignment before the punchrrs
reached the camp at supper time.
And then the pUnChcrs punished
him in their own way. For three