, 1921-02-03
THE VANISHING
COWBOY
By r. w.
(Copyright.)

~ h.S't
gicians , was goin' through their
tricks; but when 1t comes to maxim
your eyes bulge, ] never yet see q
man that could ouch a young Teller
that struck the Alta Vista six years
ago this summer"
Charley Bangs, foreman of the big
Alta Vista range, was IA man whose
twenty years of life as u cow-punch-
err had led him into many n strange
experience.
He was sure Il wonder" Charley
went on. "He was straight from the
Bowery, and tougher than any bad
cowman west of the Rockies. Curly,
we called him. Well. he'd been thar
about a week when the boys learned
that he was amazin' quick with his
fingers. He was always dom. little
tricks.
1.-THE boys got to be so Interested
in his antics that they'd stay home
from the saloon on Sundays to watch
him do ard tricks.
"Well, when Christmas come on,
the Colonel was kind o. worried fer
fear the boys would go up to town an
get So Idh " luhSiNipoN hhoN NHSJ "a
forget to come back. That happens
regular every ear So the Colonel
he calls me into his office one mornin'
an says:
"'Charley, I've been figgerin' ON
how to avoid the annual celebration this
year, and ii seems to me that you
ought to be able to rig up IL little
home-talent show. DO you think you
can do it?'
"Of course | thinks of Curly first
OF, him bein' IL leadin' light. as the
papers say.
81 tell you what, Colonel l says,
you know that New York boy that's
workln' in the stables? Well. he's been
a amachoor Professional actor, an l
bet he could rig up a specially enter
tainment that would beat the min
strels l seen in the big opery-house
last year up at Denver.
I'm make him stage-foreman an
general manager, an let him boss the
whole show
"Just then Curly hove in sight in
the garden out behind the house. 1
opened the door an give him a shout,
an when he come into the office 1
told him the game we was figgerin'
on. He endorses it hearty.
"'Sure, Mike he says The
Colonel's safe was open. and inside
was a big roll o. bills an a pile o.
double-eagles all stacked up neat, and
ready fer payday.
"'I1l woik up a show datn make
Weber an Fields look like a choich
%sociable,' says he.
$50 Curly and me get to work an
rugged up a stage in one end of the
big room upstairs in the hay-barn.
christmas Eve every man on the
ranch was thar, even the colonel an
Hop Lung; an thar was several in
vited guests from round about the
country.
AN I tell you the show was a
good one.
Jake, he played till his breath give
out, an English sang like a thousand
dollar tenor.
"Then Curly come on fer the wind,
up. an everybody sat up an got ready
fer a spell o. h~air-raisin' wonder.
First off he went through a lot O.
tricks with cards an coins. Then he
ome up to the front o. the stage an
made a little speech about how he
was goin' TO show us II trick hat he'd
learned straight from a Hindoo ma
gician that was the special performer
to the Emperor of India. and that he'd
paid big money to learn.
"He said thai want nobody in this
country that knew how the trick was
worked but him.
ITS called mental telegraphy,' -
says Curly, an by the power Of a
secret charm which this Hindoo Gull
give me l will woik a miracle. To
show how de mind kin operate from
a distance. l will take dis little iron
box which locks wit dis key. will
now ask one o. youse gents to take
de box an lock it,
HE give me the box. which looked
like a toy bank. an l locked It. He
told me to try to open 1t again with
u unlockin' 1t. l tried 1t. an the
door wouldn't bulge; 1t was fastened
as tight as a drum.
HE says a lot o. quee words an
tells me to try again. This time the
door opened. an the lock was turned
back.
Then Curly sets down the box an
tells us this was only a trial trip, to
see how the charm was workln.'
Colonel he asks. does any guy
but youse know de combination Of
yer safe wot's In de officer
The Colonel looks kind o. startled.
4 hope not he says no one I know
Of
"'Well, den. says Curly, I will ask
youse to write de combination on dis
slip o. poipe an seal IT up In dis
envilup. No one will see It err read IL.
az will den put de envilup agin me
head, wish de combination to woik,