The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-02-26
THEVANISHINC
COWBOY
BY r. w. HOFFLEJND
tCupyright

les, Sif. We Deem i'll many tfie-
ter where these card-sharps and ma
2iejans was goin' through their
tricks, but when it comes to maxim
your eyes bulge, | never yet see
man that could touch a young Teller
that struck the Alta Vista six years
ago this summer
Charley Bangs, foreman of the big
Alta Vista range, was a man whose
twenty years of life as a cow-punch-
er had led him into many a strange
experience.
''fie was sure a wonder. Charley
~ent on. HE was straight from the
Bsuery, and tougher than any bad
cewnan west of the Rockies. Curly,
ue called him. Well he'd been thar
about week when the boys learned
riiat he was amaZin' quick with his
fingers He was always dom little
tricks
The boys got TO be 50 interested
I'm his antics that they'd stay home
from this Saloon on Sundays TO watch
him do Gard tricks.
We'll, when Christmas come on
the Colonel was kind . worried fer
fear the boys would go up TO town an
get so full % tanglefoot that they d
forget TO Come back. That happens
regular ever year. SO the Colonel
he calls me into his Office one mornin.
an says:
"-C9isrley. I've been fggerin on
how to avoid the annual celebration this
year. and il seems 10 Inc that you
ought to be able to rig up a little
horne-faIent show. Do you think you
can do itT
"Of course l thinks of Curly first
of, him bein' our leadin' light, as the
papers say.
"T tell you what. Colonel l says,
you know that New York boy that's
werkin' i'm the stables? Well, he's been
a amachOor- Professional actor, an
bet he could rig up speciality enter
fainment that would beat the min
xfreIs 1 seen in the big Opery,house
last year up at Denver.
It'll make him stage-fOreman an
general manager, an let him boss the
whole show
~Jnst then Curly hove in, sight in
the garden out behind the house.
opened the door an give him shout
an when he come into the Office
told him the game I'VE was iggerin
on. He endorses 1t hearty.
".Sure, Mike he says. The
ColoneI's safe was open. and inside
was big roll o. bills an pile o
.double-eagIes all stacked up neat, and
ready fer payday.
~TTl Hoik up a show datll make
Weber an Fields look like choicf
n sociable,' says he.
$50 Curly and me get to work an
Eyed up a stage in one end OF the
iig room upstairs in the hay-barn.
christmas Eve every man on the
I ranch was thar, even the colonel an
I Hop Lung; an thar was several In
xifed guests from round about the
country.
AN I tell you the show was
good one
Jake, he played TIL his breath Civ
out. an English sang like thousand
dollar tenor.
Then Curly come on fer the wind
ua. an, everybody sat up an got read.
fer a spell o. hair-raisin' wonder.
~FIrst of he went through lot
tricks witt, cards an coins. Then IN
comes up to the front o. the stage an
made a little speech about how h
waS goin' TO show us trick that he'
learned straight from Hindoo ma
xician that was the special performe
to the Emperor Of India. and that me-
raid big money to learn.
He said thar want nobody la TIL
country that knew how the trick wa
worked but him.
IFS called mental biography,
says Curly, an by the power OF
serret charm which this HindOo cul
xive me 1 will woik miracle. L
show how de mind kin operate fror
4 distance, 1 will take dis little iro
box which locks wit dis key. | vii
now ask one O. youse gents to tax
lie COX an lock It.
HE give me the box, which locke
like 4 toy hank, an locked 1t. d
told me TO try 10 open " again WIS
out uniockin' It. | tried 1t, an tn
door wouldn't bulge; 1t was fastene
ms tight as a drum.
He says q lot O. queer words al
tails me to try again. This time I'll
sSslr opened. an the lock was turne
bxstx-
-Toen Curly sets down the box al
tells rs this was only trial trip,
see A0g the charm was wOrkin.'
'tsCO1onei' he asks, does any gu
but panse know de combination
yer safe wOt's in de Office?
The Colonel looks kind o. startle'
Il hope not. he says: no one ! kno
Of
Well. den.' says Curly, I will as
youse to write de combination on d
slip o. poipe an seal it up in d
enviiup. No one win see it er read
AZ will den put de envilup agin n
head. wish de combination to wof
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