Show THE BALL AT BIG SPRINGS by JAMES GARDNER SLATER 1902 co the bos bols from the Y ranch had been busy for the falls round up at abaline for months they W were ere now about ready to depart tor for their winter home the cattle had been about herded in one bunch and were w ere prepared for the long drive south ward where we grass was mas green the year round and the winds not too severe to bring them discomfort the yearlings heifers and steers were corralee corr aled two miles away from the little town at night unless a storm s seemed e e ed imminent t h halt f of the h e cre crew w ald anene aier stat w would 0 u go into the r railroad oad station 1 n and n d disport themselves by shooting out lights riding horses into barrooms bar rooms and the like all of them ate at the archer restaurant not because the food was any better or cheaper than served by the palace but because estelle mcintosh a clear eyed straight limbed girl of some twenty summers slung the hash and shot the beans at her sun tanned customers she was mas of beautiful mold her breast moved back and forth like the undulating waves of the sea her arms were round at the shoulders and tapered down as gracefully as a tor s model her eyed were blue she was wide hipped with a complexion like that of the of a geor gla peach she could play the guitar do fancy work and get along fairly well with the third reader she could call cows and ride any broncho that ever pawed the earth all the boys were in love with her it if she had any preference that could be perceived it was mas tor for calico jake whose tall figure was known to near li ll every head of cattle between he colorado and the deuces he ile could chew tobacco like a cuban negro cut the pigeon wing ride anything from a horned toad 10 0 a giraffe and he had no more compunction when it became necessary to kill a man than a mustang m would have for kid ing at the man who had hit bit him with a quirt but estelle stell as the boys called her made no signs that she would be glad to jump over the broomstick with him two weeks before the contemplated departure of the X Y outfit nearly all the boys were in archer s the doc doe was mas there also he wore a staked and shirt tan shoes and toted a walking stick he ile had but recently graduated from the medical school at el paso and settling at abilene where the men wore overalls and the women quite content with calicoes he imagined aimse f about ahead of a national bank stell had not liked him from the first and she did not attempt to conceal her feelings As the doc doe started fo to go he naive iv asked S pose you are going to be the queen of the ball up to big springs next weeke I 1 don t know ef that s any of your business she replied Bome somewhat what warmly course you 11 be there as king of the at which the he cowboys ha ha faed until the doc doe was out of hearing that night while the stars looked down upon the boys who were now again in camp calico said to buck ee say buck duch it 11 be a long time afore we get to a ball where ti they ley 11 have one of these here base gillians vil lians or or whatever you call em S pose w m e run up to B g springs and shake oui out feet when the shindig omes comes offa buckeye read ly consented then t other boys were awakened and told of the scheme lots were mere to be drawn as to who should remain in camp while the others were away that was satisfactory and the idea a good one but spoke up red parker whar the damnation is the money comin from that put the others to thinking the next morning five cowboys were seen riding swiftly toward abi lene calico went into the archer hotel and restaurant alone after a few moments moment conversation with stell the boys galloped over the hill an hour hours s ride took them to pan t na a village composed of five saloons a general merchandise lish ment a livery stable fifty five souls and 18 prairie dogs the stopped at the first place they reached which was mas known as the 10 0 aa elm cico col jake list last 11 ance saloon I 1 it cst est of N ines ind laiq tors the bos alighted I 1 and went inside line ip fellens ani an 1 select loir pard neri what hat 11 it U be bea sa sad 1 I jal jai e a he be lai jai I 1 i i fin e 1 b 11 oi 01 the bunter hornets j lice ilce I 1 j lice ilce 11 ey yelled ot t in I 1 i osor and he fanned q i ck alo ato t it As the bar sli 11 kikla 4 keeper a recent importation from chicago having never seen men so I 1 loaded abed down domn with six shooters his hands bands trembled when he be sat the hot bot tie tle down when the glasses had been filled and emptied calico sud denly looked out ot of tl e door saw a prairie dog and find blazed am away ay at it so quickly that the barkeeper jumped three feet from the floor the others nahed to the door only to see tl e dog writhing in the dust of the public road men c came a rushing f from r 0 m other h e r establish t a h rne ne oot m ments e ts at the a sound 0 u n d of t the b e shots 0 t but t seeing that there was nothing ajo doing eq i ax f you cash in fer me when you gil to marlin something is to happen in about a week A in the way of a man fight returned to the doors meantime the bar keeper had counted out the proper change tor for calico 4 40 f come er ri anin boys and look 4 at this as he be pointed to the silver iri 1 front of him I 1 do reckon I 1 won der in thunder he thinks I 1 come from how much was it I 1 give him red 7 twenty no I 1 didn dian t have noth ing smal lern a fifty an that what I 1 handed him gasn t it buck why sure it was said buck well the skunk shall we kill him here or drag him over to lick skillet and let the dogs eat him up the barkeeper hastily went to his hi drawer really said he you dida t what s that t hey well well we 11 just show you a trick that you never heard of afore and with that he proceeded to draw his gun in an instant the barkeeper barkeepers s bands hands were above his head lie ile begged for gi veness it if he had made a mistake he certainly would rectify it then and there well V ell shell her out shell her out they all demanded at once and 49 40 were laid upon the wooden bar then the boys went down the little street relating their experience to al the other saloonkeepers who agreed with them that the chicago was a crook after having spent about the amount they straddled their ponies and were soon ii abilene again stell set out plea pies and coffee and her patrons ate raven ot only ily when they co took tae lae waitress mattress to one side and handed her a roll of bills now then said he me w e 11 go to big springs or bust up the X Y outfit the evening of the ball rolled around the train which left abilene at 7 0 clock would put them there in ample time at five calico began dress ing his boots had been shined his hair sprinkled copiously with florida water mater his mustache greased and his hi chin shaved his hat was cocked to one side nd a cigar tilted upwards when he called on stell she sur seyed him critically pears to me she said you d look sty lisher sher it if you d take that air red handkerchief from neck and off came the red ban dana lei stell was in a hurry she had not begun to dress and here it was close to 6 G 0 clock once upstairs she began squeezing herself into a corset two sizes too small for her but she got it fastened she frizzed her hair powdered her face put on a velvet colored dress tied a blue belt around her waist and then she was ready the ball was a great social success to her surprise the first man to ap her when milen she arrived was the doc doe but she turned him away there were six members of the X Y ranch that attended and after stell had danced m with ith each one for a set she gave her time wholly to calico there were few fights and the barrel 0 whisky lasted until daybreak at which time the abilene contingent lo 10 k the train for home calico and stell slept in the same seat during the ride in differ int ent to the eyes that were turned upon hem them As they were mere descending from he the train platform at abilene call co 0 o turned to B ichele icke e and said you caso in for me when you git to marlin im ghinter gw inter stay here some hing thing is to happen in about a week |