The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 25, 1906, Page 8

THE 1'e ! 4 Wid Life Among twel himself, nped me. I moved. I ve p's eighth, a fork of d sub stood erect for a while, like passes with his front by the way, are as for- le weapons &s & man would care e opposed to then, seeing no sporting blood in me, h and went away ptly imitated as far I departed bzd both lked and ad- His enormous etrength, xpected agility and o had of treating ite his own age, ared to me. When I poured my troubles to him, however, re- him for allowing such a savage beast to be at large, he caused my feel- ings to undergo a change. For, instead sympa fell to uproarious ter, elapped his leg and swore that he'd ever heard ed he'd been there to see it. e probably no worse teases the big boys who chase w on the Western prairies. They & horse on the kid,” and the poor - urse I pro I could carefully nd a bunch of grass in the expleining to the rest that be @ deer concealed there, 14 not be too careful when beasts like that around. e giggling rascals would pass d spot with infinite caution, P porheps breaking into & gallop, with frigntened ebricks of “The deer! The Geer!” while I tried to look es if X liked ove manfully to tification cheeks. let my f words, keep the from rolling emotions take the because I had wit to know that I could not put a barrier between myself end a e husky lads of and white hats. vearning to see the deer at his any one hurt tter em encou 1 did mot wish and was so confident of their physical one f inci- under- abil their , and, of all quarter approa his eld good Woo. boy It seems couple, and when the & his old pl down will my feet s well for St it m legs. When 1 the with the Steve's knees, e wet g as if in Mr. Buck’s flank w of a shock. d boy 1 was on my e noose over led him up v in the e riata and snubbed him to the r Steve got up and walked away to where he could be {11 with c fort., And he was good end sick When he felt ow he arose and opened his knife, ng that he would slit that c from ear to ear; but S who betore this had errived on scene, pleaded 0 hard for the life of his pet that Big eve relented, a: Mr lly Buck was saved from further m iief That afternoon two of us rode out and roped him. * him between us as we dragged hin ne. He fought every step of the way companion, & hot-headed Montana was foy killing him & half-dozen times. Howe~ ever, feeling that e deer had vindl- cated me, I had in him and kept him for a tir end. We turned him looss in a corral with a blooded bull calf, some milch cows, work- steers and other tame animals. “And I bet you he had 'em all chewing the rag inside of twenty-four hours,” sald my companion. That night Steve made ample amend for his former mirtli. Indeed, he pral ed my fleetness and promptness of ac- tion ®o highly that I was selzed by an aoccess of modesty as unexpected as it was disorganizing. The next day Sieve stood on the roof of the shed at t end of Billy Buck’s corral. Buddenl straightened up and waved his “Deer and bull fight!” he called. “Come a-running everybody!” We dropped our labors and sprinted for the corral, there to sit upon the ghed and waich the combat. Steve 414n’t know what began the trou- ble, but when I got there the young bull was facing the deer, his head down, blowing the dust in twin clouds before him, hooking the dirt over his back in reguler fighting bull fashion, and anon saying, “Bh-ur-ur-coor!”®in an adolescent basso-profundo, most ridicu- lously broken by strezks of soprano. When these shrill notcs occurred the little bull rolled his cyes around as much as to say “Who did and we, ewinging our legs on the shed roof, laughed gleefully and encouraged him to sall in. The bull, having gone through the preliminaries of his code, cocked his tail straight in the air and charged. The buck walted until he was within three feet: then he shot sideways, and shot back again, his antiers beating with a drumstick sound on the bull's ribs. “Baw-aw!” said the bull. Prob- ably that hurt Again bull faced buck. This time the bovine wore a look of troubled v while one could mark an evil grin beneath the twitching nose of agonist; and his bleat had nged to a tone which recalled the finger and unwritable “H'nh- misfortune in child- nent, pointe: ba!” that greets hood. “I told you so!” it said. The buil, however, is an animal not easily discouraged. Onece more he lowered his foolish head and braved forth like, 2 locomotive. t it would take too long to tell all the things Billy Buck did to that bull. He simply walked all over him and jabbed and raked and poked.'Away bull, his erstwhile proudly lewed sideways in token of sign of surrender. dis- his enemy, who thought giving of signals to cease fighting ative of his office. Away went ws and the work-steers and s, in a thundering circuit of struck color regarded by ., the horne ock bawling in te anad Billy Buck “boosting” every me of them impartially. Wg cheered I'm glad I didn’t slit his wind- aid “He's a corker!” - drove his circus parade around before bis proud soul Then he took the center hellowed a chant of voice than he had befo hile the other brutes, ed by the fence, looked at him efaction. Only once more did Billy Buck figure tory be left us for a larger field in town, and on this occasion, for the first and last time in his career, he 2ot the worst of it, A lone Injun came to the ranch—a very tall, grave man, clad in comic pic- Steve. ore he ture clothes. A battered high hat sur- mounted h block of midnight hair, and a cutaway coaf,_built for a man waller around the chest, held his in bondage. As it was warm on day he arrived, he had discarded his trodsers—a breech-clout was plenty leg-gear he ught. He bore a letter much of recommendation from a white friend. “Plenty good letter,” said he, as he handed the missive over. I read it aloud for the benefit of the assembled ranch. It ran: “This is Jimmy-hit-the-bottle, the worst specimen of a bad tribe. He will steal anything he can lift. If he knew there was such a thing as a cemetery he'd walk fifty miles to rob it. Any citizen wishing to do his country a service will kindly hit him on the head with an ax. “JACK FORSYTHE.” “Plenty good letter!” cried the Injun, his face beaming with pride. I coughed, and said 1t was indeed vig- orous; Steve and the boys fled the scene. Now, we knew that Jimmy was a good Injun, or he wouldn’t have had any let- ter at all; that great grave face, coup- ling the seriousness of childhood and of philosophy, simply offered an irre- sistible temptation to the writer of the letter. There was something pathetic in the way the gigantic savage folded up his treasure and replaced it in his coat. I_think Forsythe would have weakened had he seen it. Still, after we laughed, we felt all the better dis- posed toward Jimmy, so I don’t know but it was a good form of introduction after all. Jimmy was looking for work, a subject of research not general to the Injun, but by no means so rare es his detractors would make out. IYe got it. The job was to clean out Billy Buck’s corral. Steve found émploymeny, for the hands close to home for the day, that no one should miss the result. It is always business first on the ranch, and e practical joke takes precedence over other labors. Steve hung around the cofral, where he could peek through the chinks. Hoarse whispers inquiring “Anything up yet?” were for so long answered In the negative that it seemed the day had been In valn. At last the welcome shout rang out, “Injun and deer fight! Everybody run!” We flew, breathless with anticipatory chuckles. ‘We landed on top of the shed to witness an inspiring scene—one long-legged, six-foot-and-a-half Injun, suitably at- tired in a plug hat. cutaway coat, breech-clout and moccasins, grappling in mortal combat a large and very an- gry deer. Splendid was the exhibition of strength and agility we looked upon, but, alas! its postry was ripped up the back by the cutaway coat, the plug hat, and the unrelated effect of those long, bare red legs twinkling beneath. Indirectly it was the plug hat that ended the battle. At first, if Jimmy- hit-the-bottle felt any emotion, whether joy, resentment, terror or anything man can feel, his face did not show it. One of the strangest features of the show was that Immaculately calm face sud- denly appearing through the dust- clouds, unconscious of storm and stress. At last, however, a yank of the deer’s head—Jimmy had him by the horns— caused the plug hat to snap off, and the next second the deer’s sharp foot went through it. You will remember Achilles dld rot get excited until his helmet touched’the dust. Well, from what ths cold, pale light of fact shows of the size and prowess of those ancient swag- gerers Timmy-hit-the-bottle could SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. have. picked Achilles up by his vul- nerable heel and bumped his brains out against a trce, and this without strain; So when the pride of his life, hi¢ pre- cious plug hat, was thus maltreated, his rage was vast in proportion. His eyesishot streaks of black light- ing; he twisted the deer's head side- ways, and with a leap' landed on his back. Once there, he scized an ear between his strong teeth and shut down. We rose to our feet and yelled. t was wonderful, but chaotic. I would defy a moving-picture camera to re- solve that tornado into its elements of deer and Injun.- We were consclous of curious illusions, such as a deer with a dozen heads growing out of al! parts of a body as spherical as this, our earth, gnd an Injun with legs that vetoed all laws of gravitation and an- atomy. Poor Billy Buck! He outdid the bargain was concluded on the spot, Billy by this time had shed his horns and was all that could be wished for in the way of amiability. We tied his legs together and shipped him to town in a wagon. Steve did not trick Mr. D- - He told him plainly that the deer was a dangerous customer, and that to be careful was to retain a whole skin; but the hotel, proprietor, a little, fat pom- pous man with a big bass voice—the kind of a man who could have made wildest of our pitching horses for dj the world in three days and rested from half minute, but the two hundred and odd pounds he had on his back told— he couldn’t hold the gait. Jimmy wrap- ped those long legs around him—the deer’s tall in one hand, the horn in the other, and the ear between his teeth— and walted in grim determination. “Me- ah-a-aaa!” sald the deer, dropping to his knees. Jimmy got off him. ‘Billy picked him- self up and scampered to the other end of the corral, shaking his head. The Injun straightened himself .up, making an effort to draw a veil of modesty over the pride that shone in his eyes. “H-nh!” he said. “Fool deer tackle Tatonka-Sutah!” (“Tatonka-Sutah,” or Strong Bull, was the more postic title of Jimmy-hit-the-bottle among his own kind.) He then gravelfipunched his plug hat into some kind of shape and resumed his work. ‘We pitched in and bought Jimmy a shiny new plug hat which—will lead me far afield if T don’t drop the subject.. ‘Well, he was master of Mr. Billy Buock. When he entered the corral, the deer stepped rapidly up to the farther corner and stayed there Now came the broadening of Billy's career. A certain man in our nearest town kept a hotel near the rallroad depot. For the benefit of the passen- gers who had to stop there & half hour for meals and recreation, this man had a sort of menageris of the animals nat- ural to the country. There was a bear. a mountain lon, several coyotes| swifts, antelope, deer, and a big timber wolf, all in a wire net-inclosed park. It so happened that Steve met Mr. D——, the hotel proprietor, on one of his trips to town, and told him what a splendid deer he had out at the ranch. Mr. D—— became instantly possessed of a desire to own the marvel. and a the fourth to the seventh Inclusive, had it been necessary—thought he knew something of the deer character. ‘That *beautiful creature, with its mild eyes and humble mien, hurt any one? Nonsense!” & So he had a fine collar made for Billy, with his name on a silver plate, and then led him around town at the end of a chain, being a vain little man, who liked to attract attention by any availl- able means. All worked well until the next fall. Mr. D was lulled into false security by the docility of his pet, and allowed him the freedom of the city, regardless of protest. Then came the spectacular end of Billy’s easy life. It occurred on a warm autumn day. The passengers of the noon train from the East were assem- bled in the hotel dining-room, putting away supplies as fast as possible, the train being late. The room was crowd- ed; the darky walters rushing; Mr, D—— swelling with importance. Billy entered unnoticed in the general hurry. A negro waliter passed him, holding two loaded trays. Perhaps he brushed egainst Billy; perhaps Biliy didn’t even - need a provocation; at any rate, as the waliter started down the room Bllly smote him from behind, and dinner was served! When the two tray-loads of hot cof- fee, potatoes, soup, chicken and the rest of the bill of fare landed all over the nearest table of guests there was a commotion. Men leaped to thelr feet with-words that showed that they were no gentlemen, making frontic efforts to wipe eway the scalding liquids trick- ling over them. The ladies shrieked and were tearful over the ruin of their pretty gowns. Mr. D——, on the spot, instantly quieted his guests as best he could on the one hand. and berated the waiter for a clumsy, clubfooted baboon on the other. Explanation was difficult, if not impossible. ‘Arms flew, hard words flew; the male guests were not back- ward in adding their say. Then, even as I had been before, the colored man was vindicated. Suddenly two women and a man sprang on top of the table and yelled for help. Mr. D—— looked upon them open-mouthed. The three on top of the table clutched one another, and howled in unison. Mr. D——'s eye fell on Billy, crest up, warlike in demeanor, and also on a well-dressed man backing rapldly under the'table. A flash of understanding {llumined Mr. D—— The deer evidently felt a tittle playful; but it would never do, under the circumstances. “Come here, sir!” he commanded. Billy only lived to obey such a command, as I have shown. But this time Mr. D—— recog- nized a difference, and went about like a crack yacht. i He had intentions of reaching the door. Billy cut off re- treat. Mr. D—— thought of the well- dressed man, and dived under the table. Those who had stood uncertain, seeing this line of action taken by one who knew the customs of the country, promptly imitated him. The passengers | BEIZOWZED T CEENZT F 2P zrcrezzT of the Eastern express were ensconced under the tables with the exception a handful who had preferred getting on top of them. Outside three cow punchers who chanced to be riding by were perfectly astonished by the noises that came from that hotel. They dismounted vestigated. When they saw the feet projecting from beneath the cloths and the groups in statuesque poses above they concluded not to interfere, al- though strongly urged by the victims. “You are cowards!” cried the man with the two women. The punchers joytully acquiesced and said, “Sick 'em, boy!” to the deer. Meanwhile the express and the United States mall were walting. The con- ductor, watch in hand, strode up and down the platform. “What do you suppose they'rs doing over there?” he asked his brakeman. The brakeman shrugged his shoul- ders. “Ask them punchers,” he replied. The conductor lifted his voice “What's the matter?" he called. “Oh, come and see! Come and sald the punchers. It's too good to tell.” The conductor shut his watch with a snap. “Five minutes late,” he sald. “Pete, go and hustle them people over here. I start in three minutes by the watch.” “Sure,” sald Pete, and slouched across. Pete was surprised at the sight that met his gaze, but orders were orders. He walked up and kicked Billy, at the same time shouting “All aboard far the West! Git a wiggle on yer The man owed his life to the faoct that the deer could get no foothold on the slippery hardwood floor; otherwise he would have been gored to death. As it was, Billy tried to push, and his feet shot out; man and deer came to the floor together, the brakeman holding hard. The passengers bolled out of the hotel ' like a mountain torremt. Th punchers, thinking that the man was in danger, sprang through the w c and tled the deer. Petes gasped hl nks and hustled out to catch train. No one was left but Bil punchers, the darky walters and Mr. D “This your deer?” inquired the punch- ers of the latter. “It 1s,” said Mr. D—— “Take out and hang him—don’t shoot hang him!” “All right,” replied the punc They took Billy out and turned m lose in the deer pen. “Reckon the old man'll feel better about it to-morrow,” they said. And it came to pass that the old man did feel better, so Billy was spared. Perhaps 1f you have traveled to the West you have seen him—a noble rep- resentative of his kind. Well, this is his private history, which his looks belle. Copyright by S. S. McClure Co. HEE SEIZED FN EZZxX BEDTHEED LS STRONE T _FHND SHEHTE DO 46 99 ¢