The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1922-12-14
"Ah! Where IS ne, Laddyy'
Hes In there asleep"
rs he--nice, Laddy"

Hes In there asleep"
rs he--nice, Laddy?"
"Shore."
what Is he like?"
well, I'm not long acquainted.
never saw him by day, but I was some
tolerable took with him. An Jim
here, Jim says the young man can
have his gun an his hoss."
wonderful! Laddy, what on
earth did this stranger do to win you
cowboys in Just one night"
'I'll shore have to tell you. Me an
Jim was watchln' game Of cards In
the Del Sol saloon In Casita. That's
across the line. We had acQuaint'
ances-four fellows from the Cross
Bar outfit, where we worked q while
back This Del Sol Is a billiard hail.,
saloon, restaurant, an the like. An
It was full Of Greasers. Some Of
Campo's rebels were there drinkin' an
playin' games. Then pretty soon 10
come Rojas with some Of his outfit.
They were packin' guns an kept to
themselves off to one side.
"A little while afterward l seen
fellow standin' in the restaurant
door. He was a young American
dressed In corduroys an boots, like q
prospector. He looked round the sa-
loon, an when he spotted Rojas he
sOrta jerked up. Then he pulled his
SLOUGH hat lopsided an began to stag
ger down, down the steps. First Off l
made shore he was drunk. But I re-
membered he didn't seem drunk be.
fore. 1t was some queer. So 1
watched that young man.
HE reeled around the room like a
fellow who was drunkern a lord.
Nobody but me seemed to notice him.
Then he began to stumble over pool.
players an get his feet tangled up IN
chairs an bump against tables. He
got some pretty hard looks. He came
round our way, an all Of sudden ne
Geen US cowboys. He gave another
start, like the one when he first seen
Rojas, then he made for US. tipped
Jim off that somethin' was dom.
Then this queer young man shot some
cool, polite words at me an Jim.
"He was only bluffln' at bein' drunk
he meant to rush ROjas, to start a
rough house. The bandit vas after a
girl. This girl was in the hotel. an
she was the sweetheart Of soldier,
the young fellows friend. The hotel
was watched by Rojas' guards. an the
plan was to make fuss an ges the
girl away in the excitement. Well,
Jim an me got a hint Of our bein'
Americans-that cowboys generally
had a name for loyalty to women.
Then this amazln' chap-you can't
imagine how scornful-said for roe
an Jim to watch him.
Before I could catch my breath an
figger out what he meant by rush an
rough house he had knocked over a
table an crowded some Greaser half
off the map. Then, Quicker'n l can
tell you the young man dove at Ro-
JAS Like a mad steer on the ram
page he charged Rojas an his men.
The whole outfit went dowD-smash!
| figgered then what rush meant.
The young fellow came up out Of the
pile with Rojas, an Just like I'd sling
an empty sack along the floor he sent
the bandit. But swift as that went
he was on top of Rojas before the
chairs an tables had stopped rollin'.
Il woke up then, an made for the
center of the room, Jim with me. I
began to shoot out the lamps. Jim
throwed his guns on the crazy rebels,
an l was afraid there'd be blood
spilled before I could get the room
dark. Bein' shore busy, l lost sight
of the young fellow for a second or
so, an when got an eye free for him
seen a Greaser about to knife him.
Think | was considerate of the
Greaser by only shOotin' his arm off.
Then l cracked the last lamp, an In
the hullabaloo me an Jim yamoosed.
1--WE made tracks for our bosses an