Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-02-10
By ERIC THANE

0IOucIlO CIldTlle N4lllcI- 6IOuCu(
Charlie" the last of the Pony Express
riders, who in 1881, at the age Of 81
rode on horseback from New York City
to San FranciSco-waS famous horse
breaker in his earlier days. In 1873 he
was breaking near Pony, in the present
Madison county, when a herd of 10000
longhorn Texas steers belonging to
Varney g. Farrell came through. Var
ney & Farrell had a ranch in the Texas
panhandle and another in the Gallatin
valley of Montana, with around 10000
herd on each place.
The trail herd bedded down near
Pony, and the foreman, man named
Reilly, came into town for a drink. He
drank too much An agent in Pony for
Varney 81 Farrell approached Broncho
Charlie and asked him If he would
take the foreman's job. Broncho
Charlie consented.
Better get out to the herd pronto, .
the agent suggested, because there
20 COW hands from Texas out there
and they need a foreman to keep
things straight"
In Broncho Charles own words:
Il went over to the Gold Nugget
where Reilly was drinkin' and had a
look at him. And he was sure drinkin'
like it was a business with him. He
was a squat ugly sort Of fellow, about
40 years old he looked to be, and he
was talkin' loud and tellin' everybody
thatd listen as how any hombre from
Texas could lick anybody from Mon
tana with his hands tied behind him
and his trigger finger brokel I didn't
like the looks of him, SO went IN and
had me drink, and then got on my
horse and went out to where the herd
was. like I'd been told
Broncho Charlie rode out to the out
fit and introduced himself as the new
boss. He found band of men who
we're more or less Indifferent as to
loyalty to a boss but good cowhands,
especially a young Texan known sim
ply as Leslie" and his brother.
Broncho Charlie, before getting down
to work, told them few stories about
horse breaking. He was in the midst
of one when man rode up.
Whats the matter?" Charlie asked,
noting that the others horse had been
hard ridden.
Charlie, you'd better keep your eyes
open. Reilly's found out that you've
got his place, and there's the devil to
payl He Swears he's top hand and
that he amt goin' out with the herd
under nobody's orders, least of all any
Shorthorn broncho buster!"
Charlie was disturbed and turned to
the men. Are you boys with me or
Reilly?" he asked.
With Cattle, Not Reilly
One lean Texan named Slim spat
out his tobacco and said:
1--WE all was hyahed by Varney 81
Farrell to take the herd through to the
Gallatin up heah in Montana. We was
hyahed to ride with the cattle, not
with Rely. So I reckon that's Jest
what we aims to dol"
And as Broncto tells the story:
"Well, Just then these Leslie boys starts
dishin' up the grub, but before they
could sing out, Come and get it, in
gallopS Reilly and friend of his Fell
low I knew, too. A miner he was, and
just plain ornery.
REILLY gets off his horse and pays
no more attention to me than If I was
dirt that hadn't panned out well. He
SwaggerS with q sort Of drunken hitch
up to the two young Leslie uns at the
campfire. They didn't pay no attention
to him at all, they was busy with their
cooSin'
"Reilly reaches out and grabs the
him around.
"Why don't you say How to your
boSsT he snarls. "A bodyd think you
waxnt glad to see met And he laughs,
mean like, and slaps the boy across the
face.
Leslie jest drew back, ana he looks
straight at Reilly.
al already ben a-tallxin' to the
boss he says. That's him, over there.
Name of Broncho Charlie
with that, this Reilly hauls back
his foot and kicks the kid In the belly,
and knocks him across the campfire
The kid was hurt bad, and one Of the
fellows runs to haul him out of the
flames. Reilly yells,
Amy honabre that wants to say I'm
not boss Of this outfit will get worse
than thatl'
"The older Leslie boy, his face as
gray as ashes, runs toward the chuck
wagon for his gun, and Reilly draws
his, and shoots the boy down before |
he'd gone two yards. Then Reilly, his |
little eyes red, spins around on me.
Betsy Rises TO Occasion
There was only one thing to DO, /
and I done It. had my Betsy out be-