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Show u Western GhivJry 1 ii It was dinner tlmo when dumbo Sam rode up to tho Hat Six ranch. Hospitality Hospi-tality Is tho first law of tho cattle country, and Jumbo Snm, who had eaten breakfast seven hours boforo, was In no mood to transgress It. His saddlo croaked us It was relieved of his 200 pounds, nnd tho Jaded cow-pony cow-pony shook himself with satisfaction. "Dinner Is now ready In tho dlnln' car," sang out tho cook. "Como an' git It whllo It's hot." In response to tho welcome call tho crowd of cow punchers filed Into tho dining room. "Como on, Jumbo." said rtufo Thompson, foreman of tho lint Six. "Botter hit tho grub trail right now, If you don't want tho cook to work overtime. over-time. Them cow hands Is llablo to clean off thnt table as quick ns a beaver workln' In u patch o' fresh willows. wil-lows. They ain't got no moro manners than ono o' er bears when It sets down to nn antelope carcass." Jumbo Sam was a bear hunter by occupation, and the simile wns not lost on him. Ho mado a hasty pretense pre-tense of scrubbing his bearded face in tho water trough nt the sldo of tho kitchen, and followed Thompson into the dining room. "Set yoro, Jumbo, right acrost from Peg Simmons. You know Peg. At least If you don't you'd orter." Other than an Involuntary start, Jumbo Sam gavo no sign that ho recognized rec-ognized Simmons. He took tho seat, however, and bent his head so low over his plato that Jack Fulmcr, his nearest table companion, said afterward after-ward that he thought tho hunter was about to ask a blessing. This expectation wns not realized, for 'Jumbo Sam. with head still low ered, swept the. tablo with sidelong glances and helped himself liberally to beefsteak, biscuits and potatoes as the food was passed to hltn. As he had n reputation for conversation of that personal variety known ns braggadocio, brag-gadocio, his silence was noticeable. His close attention to the business In hand, however, seemed to rcmovo nny mystorlous cause for this lack of loquacity. lo-quacity. Not onco did ho refuse to help himself to the contents of tho meat platter or pan of biscuits. Had It not been for his peculiar manner during tho meal his rotlconco might havo beon passed by without comment. com-ment. Not onco did ho raise his eyes to Peg Simmons. Tho strnngo twist of his thick neck suggested rheumatism, rheuma-tism, spinal trouble, earache, almost any HI, In fact, which could be contracted con-tracted by n man who sometimes tracked a grizzly In fresh snow for two or threo days with stopping until ho found his game. Peg Simmons on tho other hand seldom looked at his plate. His small blue oyes rested almost constantly on tho bowed head ncross tho table Ho -m3!U " ii P ifiil "Heerd you been shootln' off yr yawp about Nell," he says, was a llttlo man hardly flvo feet eight, and his, slight framo contrasted sharply with Jumbo Sam's bulky figure. fig-ure. Moreover, ho was a cripple. Ono day whllo trying to head a refractory Btcer In gopher ground IiIh pony had stepped in a prnlrlo dog nolo and thrown him. Simmons' left leg was broken so badly that It had to be amputated. Tho surgeon did tho Job In such bungling fashion that the operation op-eration had to bo repeated. When Simmons recovorcd ho camo to tho Hat Six ranch, whero ho formorly had been omployed. Tho proprietor gavo him money to buy a woodon log, and In a fow weeks Simmons hnd won tho ntcknnmo of "Peg," nnd tho icputatlon of being ono of tho best cow punchers In tho Big Horn basin In spite of his misfortune. No man in the outfit wns hlj superior In roiling n steer, nor according to common report In handling hand-ling a six-shooter. Jumbo Snm was one o; tho first to leave tho tablo. Disregarding Itufo Thompson's invitation to stay at tho ranch a few days, ha mounted his pony, and rodo off townrd tho foothills. foot-hills. Peg Simmons gave n grim chucklo ns tho big hunter disappeared behind u clump of quaking asp trees near "Say somethln derned quick, you ornery hoss thief I" hollers Sam. tho creek and started off toward tho corral. "Say, Peg," cried Thompson, "whatever "what-ever mado Jumbo net so queer at dinner? din-ner? Kept his nock bowed llko ho'd swallered a dog's hind leg." "Not knowln' I hain't Bay," ropllcd Peg, with a mysterious twlnklo In his hluo eyes, and he went out to the corral. "I can tell you about It, Itufo," sold Jack Fulmcr. "You knowed when Peg wns hurt? Yes? Well, thoy took him down to Hock Creek and the doe whnt worked on him must hnvo been a green hnnd from n Tonguo Klvcr sawmill, saw-mill, for ho had to do tho Job over. Peg ho wa'an't afore that como mighty nigh goln' over tho range Ho would, I guess. If It hadn't been for that gnl down to the Mansion IIouso, Cross-Eyed Nell, that waited on tnblo. "Nell, she heord Sim was nbout to croak, nn' sho glvo up bcr Job at tho hotel to miss him. Sho tended him night an' dny un' Sim pulls through. When she Foen ho was out of danger shu goes back to tho hotel. Jumbo comes Into Itock Creek ono day with a couplo o' bear pelts, an' nfter ho soils 'cm goes over to tho Last Chanco saloon an' begins to throw In colllu paint good un' plenty. Tho bnrkocp, Jost to bo n-chlnnln', spenkB about how Nell missed Sim. Jumbo Is foolln' poorty In ash, and ho ups an' lows that Noll ain't no bcttor'n sho'd orter be, an' reckons as how sho don't dosorvo no heap o' credit. "Alter Jumbo's gono tho barkeep he ups an' tolls Sim, who by this tlmo Is stumpln' around on a saw-log fastoned to his knee. Sim, ho didn't gay noth-In, noth-In, but tho boys wns flxln' for a fu-nora.1, fu-nora.1, for thoy knowed Sim wa'an't In tho habit o' layln' down his hand as long ns ho had u whlto chip, "When Jumbo comes to town Sim meets him In tho Last Chance. "'Heord you beon shootln'' off yor yawp about Nell,' ho says. 'Seemed to think It wns a brace gamo sho worked while sho was nusslii' mo, did you?' '"What If I did?' says Jumbo, all brUtlln' up llko a turkey gobblor In a barnyard. ." 'Jest this,' says Sim, yankln' out his six. 'You'ro goln' to git down on yor marrer bones an' beg her pardon. I'll learn you how to savvy a real lady when you bco her. March, an' don't make no false motions or I'll turn you over to tho coroner,' "It was worth a month's pay to seo 'em. Jumbo Is as rncok as a pinto pony that's been through tho fall rcund-up, an' he tramps oft toward tho Mansion House. Llttlo bam toilers on behind, Bturup-stump-stump with that peg leg, all tho time holdln' his gun on bYI mi BBBBJ Jumbo. When they gits to tho Uottt 1 they finds Cross-Eyed Noll. H " 'Git down on yor Knees,' says Sim. jH "Jumbo don't crook his legs fast enough, nn' Sim give him n wallop wltliHho butt of his gun thnt lays him JHfl on tho floor Then ho gits on hla jJ knees fast enough. v waVH " 'Now beg her pardon,' says Sim. il " 'I don't l.now what to say,' whines ll " 'Say somethln' itemed quick, yntt if ornery hoss thief,' hollers Sim, 'If you don't I'll ropo you 1111' hog tic you 'i so tight thnt or blood won't clrMlate f2Bll for 11 Vf "Then Jumbo tnumblc3 out that he's 'lH sorry he every said nny thing an' won't 'Al nuvcr say anything no more. Then H Sim lets him H " 'Now,' says Sim, 'you've settled lH with her, hut you hain't with 1110. You il git out o' town. If you ever speak to 'ftH me. If I over ketch yu lookln' nt mo jJ out o' tho corner o' yor oyes, you'll dl take six pills so quirk you won't know IbYI you swallered 'cm.' i'SWI "That's why Jumbo didn't look nt IbYI Sim to dny. lie knowed he hadn't bet- ll tor, for Sim nllers keeps his word. 'mTbV, C. T. Hevrro In New York Press. 'jl |