White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-01-18
The Dude
w rangler
Caroline Lockhart
Copyright. Doubleday. Page s. Co.
TENTH INSTALLMENT
CONTINUED from previous issue)

TENTH INSTALLMENT
CONTINUED from previous issue)
The sun set and the colors faded.
yet Wallie with logged tenacity he
had not known was in him trudged
back and forth, around and around,
In pursuit of the runaways, buoyed up
chiefly by the hope that if he could
catch them he might soon be wealthy
enough to afford to kill them.
1t was nearly dusk, and night in
the open seemed before him when the
pair stopped and commenced feeding
toward him. Whether they had be-
come hungry or the sport had palled
on them were questions Wallie could
not answer. 1t was enough that they
waited like two lambs for him to walk
up and catch them.
He was so tired that when he got
himself in the saddle with the COW
ambling along meekly at his stirrup.
he found himself feeling grateful to
them instead of vindictive. The To-
coed horses he decided to leave until
morning.
By the time he had reached his
homestead and fallen out of the sad
die. he had forgotten that THE had
sworn to tie them up and whale"
them. On the contrary, he was won
dering il milking were difficult pro-
cess and If he could accomplish it, for
he could not find 1t in his heart to let
a dumb brute suffer. He remembered
hearing that cows should be MIXED
regularly, and while his Jersey had
goaded him to blasphemy he knew
that he would not be able to sleep If
gence.
Picketing the horse as Pinkey had
taught him, he put the COW on rope
also. Then he set about the perform
ance which had looked so simple
when he had seen others engage in it.
Among his accoutrements was a
nashlight, and with this and lard
can Wallle stood for moment specu-
lating as to whether the COW had any
preference as to the side she was
MIXED on. He could not see that 1t
made any material difference, SO he
sat down on his heel on the side near
est and turned his flashlight on the
spot where he wished to operate
Placing his lard can on the ground
where he could throw stream into
1t conveniently, he used his free hand
for that purpose.
To his surprise, nothing happened
except that the cow stopped chewing
her cud and looked at him inquiring-
ly. He persisted, but usciessly. Was
anything wrong with his system, he
wondered? He thought not, since he
was milking exactly as he had seen
the hired man milk on farm where
he had once spent a month in his
childhood.
He varied his method making gen
minutes the lard can was still empty
and the cow was growing restless
For that he could not blame her. His
hand ached and his foot seemed about
to break off at the ankle from sitting
on 1t.
Wallie felt chagrined when he re
Elected that although he was gradu
ate of Haverford College and was
bringing all his intelligence to bear
upon it he was still unable to dc
what any hired man with an inch OF
forehead could accomplish with no ap
parent effort.
Perhaps there was some trick about
it-perhaps it did make a difference
which side COW was MIXED on. Wal
lie walked around and turned the
spotlight on the other side Of his Jer.
sey.
The outlook, he fancied, seemed
more promising.
He sat down on his heel and start.
ed in theoretically.
It did make a difference which side
one MIXED on-there was no doubt
about 1t. The instant he touched her
she lifted her foot and with an aim
which was not only deadly and un-
erring but remarkable, considering
that she could not see her target
planted 1t in the pit of Wallie's stom.
ach with such force that the muffled
thud of 1t sounded like someone beat.
ing a carpet. The kick knocked the
breath out Of him, and as he lay on
his back on clump of cactus he was
sure that he was bleeding internally
and probably dying.
Wallie finally got to his feet pain,
fully and with both hands on his stom-
ach looked at the COW, who was again
chewing TRANQUILITY. There was muir.
der In Wallie's eyes as he yelled at
her:
Course you! 1 could cut your heart
out"
Then he crept up the path to his
tent and dropped down on his pneu
matte mattress, doubling If he ever
would rise from it. AS he lay there,
supperless, with his clothes on, every
muscle in his body aching. to say
nothing Of the sensation in his stom-
ach, 1t seemed incredible that he
could be the same person who had
started off so blithely in the morning
The series of misfortunes which had
befallen him overwhelmed him. He
had purchased COW which not only
gave no milk but had vicious dispo-
aition. He had paid two prices for