South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-06-05


but under more expeditions circum-
stances we might have been
Forget the sheep temporarily, /
beg. SAYS ogden. and cut for deal
About four days afterward. while
my mUttons was incoming on the wa
ter-hole and I deep in the interstices
OF making a pot OF coffee. up rides
softly on the grass a mysterious per
son in the garb OF the being he
wished 20 represent. He was dress
ed somewhere between a Kansas City
detective. Buffalo Bill. and the town
dog-catcher Of Baton Rouge. His
chin and eve wasn't nodded on fight
ing lines. so I knew he was only
scout.
Herdin' Sheep ne asks me.
" Well. says I. TO a man OF your
evident gumptional endowments, I
wouldn't have the nerve 10 state that
I am engaged in decorating Old
bronzes or oiling bicycle sprockets-'
You don't talk or look like a
sheep-herder 10 me says he.
And then he asks me who I was
working for. and / shows him
Rancho Chiquito. two miles away, in
the shadow OF a low hill. and he
tells me he's a deputy sheriff.
There's a train-robber called
Black Bill supposed TO be somewhere
in these parts says the scout. He's
been traced as far as San Antonio.
and maybe father. Have you seen
or heard OF any strangers around
here during the past month";
I have not says l. except a re-
port OF one over at the Mexican
quarters Of LOOMS ranch. on the
Frio'
What do you know about him p
asks the deputy.
He's thvee days old. says l.
What kind or a looking man is
the man you work for?' ne asks.
Does old George Rainey own this
place yet? He's run sheep here for
the last 10 years. but never had no
success.
THE old man has sold out and
gone west I tells him. Another
sheep bought him out about
| a month ago.
What kind of a looking man is
hep asks the deputy again.
"'Oh.' says !. a big. fat kind Of a
Dutchman with long whiskers and
blue specs ] don't think he knows a
sheep from a ground-squirrel. I
guess old George soaked him pretty
well ON the deal says !.
After INDUCING himself in a lot
| more communicative informa-
/ ton ana two-thirds OF my dinner,
| the deputy rides away.
That night I mentions the matter
to ogden
" They're drawing the tendrils of
the octupus around Black Bill says
H. And then / told him about the
/ deputy sheriff. and how I'd described
| him 10 the deputy. and what the
/ deputy said about the matter.
q" on. Well says ogden. let's dou't
borrow any OF Black Bills troubles.
/ We've a few Of our own. Get the
! Bourbon out OF the cupboard and
Wen drink to his health-unless,
says he, with his little cackling
laugh. you're prejudiced against
train robbers
"IU drink says /. TO any man
who's a friend OF a friend. And 1
/ believe that Black Bill I goes on.
would be that. So here's 10 Black
Bill, and may he have good luck
And both of US drank.
About two weeks later comes
shearing time. The sheep had 70 be
driven up TO the ranch, and lot OF
| frowzyheaded MeXicans would snip
| FL, r.,,. 81, o. - 4to,,, ,,-s4L Io,l- octfo,,
scissors. So the afternoon before
! the BARRIERS were to come l hustled
my underdone muttons over the hill,
across the dell, down by the wind
ing brook. and upto the ranch-house,
where 1 penned EN- in corral and
I babe EN- my nightly adieus.
I Il went from there to the ranch
/ house L find n. ogden, Esquire, ly-
ing asleep on his little cot bed ]
guess he had been overcome by anti
insomnia or diswakefulness or some
Of the diseases peculiar 20 the sheer
business. His month and vest were
open. and he breathed like a sec
ond-hand bicycle pump. l looked al
him and gave vent 10 just a few
musings. Imperial Caesar says
asleep i'm such a way. might shut
his mouth and keep the wind away.
"A man asleep is certainly a sigh
20 make the angels weep. What good
is all his brain, muscle. backing
nerve. influence, and family connec'
tons? He's at the mercy of his en-
emies. and more so OF his friends
And he's about as beautiful as Z
cab-horse leaning against the Metro
politan opera house at 1890 a. m.
dreaming Of the plains Of Arabia
Now. "a woman asleep YOU regard a.
different. No matter how she looks
YOU know it's better for all hands fol-
her 10 be that way.
Well l took a drink OF Bourbon
and one or ogden. and started in
10 be comfortable while he was TAX
ms his nap He had some books OF
his table on indigenous subjects
such as Japan and drainage anC
physical culture-and some tobacco
which seemed more TO the point.
After Id smoked a few and lis
tened TO the sartorial breathing o.
In. o., 1 happened 10 look out OF th'
window toward the shearing- pens
where there was kind Of road com
ing up from a kind OF creek farther
away.
Il saw five men riding up TO tbs
| house. All of 'em carried gun.
/ across their saddles, and among ZEN
was the deputy that had talked Il
me at my camp.
They rode Up careful. in oper
formation. with their guns ready.
set apart with my eye the one
opinionated 20 be the boss muck
Iraker OF this -and-order cavalry
'Good-evening. gents says I
.Wnn-f Won ,liCht and tie VOW