Evening star., 1934-10-28

ate with him frequently. And the
cattle stayed on the four mile limit.
STAND up for your rights, Mike.
They'll like you better for it, Roose-
welt says"
Which calls to Mixes recollection
the oft-told affair Roosevelt had with
a drunken cowboy in a barroom at
Medora. Mike O'Donnell was there at
the time, and can give the accurate
version.
Fight With Cowboy.
"We'd 60 up to Medora now and
then and stretch a little. This time
the bar room was full of cowboys-De
Mores cowboys, mostly. Roosevelt or
dered a beer and sat over in corner,
quietly slipping 1t and watching the
cow hands carrying on.
Suddenly one of 'em, big. tall,
rawbone, calls all hands up to drink.
boy goes over.
"T said come on up to drink, Four
Eyes he says.
"I don't care to drink Roosevelt
answers.
THE cowboy makes a pass, and
Roosevelt springs at him. Gives him
shove that knocks him down. Just
as Rawbones comes to his feet, Roose-
velt grabs him under the arms, rushes
him to the door and shoves him out.
Just that quick.
Next Roosevelt shows how quick he
can think Suppose Rawbones comes
back in? Will the crowd be with
him or with Roosevelt? Teddy walks
right over to the bar, waves his arms
and says:
"'Now. boys. all have one on mel
| That won EN-"
The first shipping of cattle from
the Roosevelt ranch failed to bring
| the money the young rancher hoped
for, From Medora the trains took
the bawling steers to Chicago and
Minneapolis. Roosevelt began his sec
ond season, but with the ranch well
organized he gave more time to hunt
| ing.
Read Many Books.
Buffalo were plentiful and bear
were by no means scarce. Mike &C
| companied Roosevelt and Dick Little
on one of their bear hunts, and saw
Roosevelt dispatch at close range a
bear wounded by Little's gun as 1t
charged into Roosevelt's accurate aim.
Roosevelt spent much time reading
in the cold weather." Mike relates.
Had to have his Tribune paper and
stack of books around. Had TO
keep up with the tenderfoot world.
When he'd read everything he started
asking me questions. He liked to hear
my yarns about the days when bull
whacked six yoke of oxen.
Mike! How do you make that
sour-dough bread?'
Il showed him how to take flour,
vinegar and molasses to make the
sponge and how to mix the soda to
make it rise.
"'Goodr he says. I may need that
some day!'"
His interest in the Indians never
Jagged, Mike says. He made excur-
sions to the reservations to study
their habits and the problems of their
control.
He missed the trees and birds they
had back east. Practically no birds
out here then, and only few cedar,
pine and ash trees along the gullles.
"The last year he rode a great deal,
riding around to see the big cattle
men, such as Mr.. Conrad, over In
western Montana. Whatever else he
learned in the West, he learned to
ride, and no mistake. He could wear
a mustang out. His chest filled out
and his legs and arms grew strong.
We stopped calling him tenderfoot
one day when he reminded us ne nao
never been thrown from q horse"
During early 1886 Roosevelt became
restless and somewhat moody. Mike
asserts. He studied the papers more
closely and went for longer visits to
the ranches of the big cattlemen. He
may have known that the cattle busi-
ness was hazardous, Mike thinks, and
that one big, hard freeze might wipe
him out. Anyhow
AN election was coming on back
East, and while Roosevelt never talked
about it much, he was worried. That's
no fit frame of mind for cattleman
to be in. He sold out-came out
about even on his investment-and
went back East. reckon it was best
that he did!"