Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03

~ NE day rode up the trail until
I was within a mile or two Of
Bull Foot Ranch. I was
~ brought to stop by seeing a
rattleSnake crossing the trail:
I had galloped by and realized that l
wanted to see this snake very much
after had passed his location some
hundred feet or more. I dropped the
reins to the ground and dismourted.
leaving the pony hitched there. and
ran back to the snake to try my mark
nianship with my first siX-shooter.
must admit that excitement made
my hand shaky, SO that I missed all of
my shots until the chambers Of the
six-Shooter were empty. AS there was
not a stick of wood or a clod In sight. I
finally unanswered tho reptile into
striking, and while he was stretched
at full length quickly smashed his
head with the butt of my six-shooter.
While was engaged in this occupa-
ton, a large herd of Texas steers had
come upon me from down the trail"
Before knew it I realized I had been
caught in the worst situation possible
by being afoot with herd of wild
Texas longhornS swarming toward me.
The herd was evidently spread ont for
feeding.
AS stood there. a wild steer sud-
denly took notice Of me. I knew he
was not sure what kind Of an animal
was, for he tossed his head and
raised his tail as he trotted rapidly
toward me. He was curious az he came
forward, but suddenly seemed convinced
that this two-legged creature in front
of him must be removed from the land
scape. His trot changed to a gallon,
and with lowered head and bellows of
rage he dashed upon me as I stood
spellbound. In less than a second he
was within 10 feet of me with his
lowered head.
Before could receive the impact of
a blow that would have meant sudden
death to me, young cowboy dashed
up on his pony at full gallop. In the
fraction Of second that remained to
me of life, this horseman dashed be-
tween me and my fate and turned the
beast back into the herd.
do not believe that / then realized
the significance Of that quickly acted
incident. We had so many narrow
escapes on the ranges as we pursued
our daily lives that we rarely thought
anything of an escape, such as the one
OF their part in them. Neither one
would have thought of giving or receive
ing thanks.
I asked one of the men from the
store who rode up the trail soon after
ward who the young fellow was who
had saved me. He told me the name
was Charlie Siringo. (Forty-six years
later 1t seems to me that I should have
mentioned something-"Thanks, Char
lie.")
I mentally decided that would never
be anything else but cowboy
The cowboys knew little of the
world had come from in Iowa, and
seemed to speak of every portion of
the United States east of the Missouri
| River as back in the States" They
| seemed to have a contempt for anv
! knowledge of that foreign country.
X II x
7 SOON learned that a tenderfoot was
any one who did not know the cat
| tie business, and was curious critter. u
| It never dawned on the cowboy that
any one could think him curious,
Cattlemen and cowboys, tall and
! short. were all thin, why, muscular
specimens. Their compilations ranged
! through every shade and texture NJ
leather. Every time cowboys came into
the store or rode by, studied them and
found their characteristics to be about
as follows:
There was certain uniformity in
| their dress. All of them have the hest
hats that money could buy. These
were mostly gray in color. with a
leather band. A dark flannel shirt
! open at the collar was surmounted bv
the neckerchief. This was knotted
hard and had red for the predominant
ing color.
Jeans or trousers, buttoned tight
about the hips, were tucked into high
heeled boots OF the finest leather, with
thin solcs. and spurs fastened to the
heels Chaps we're worn over the
trousers and boots for protection from
brush while riding These were fast
ened loosely at the hips. Every man
wore cartridge belt with a holster and
gun" hanging. low on the right or
left side, according to training.
The guns we're AS, with e-inch
barrels of biUed steel tno,Intaa m