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Show HIGH SCHOOL Pen Efforts JUST COWPUNCHERS The laughing,' joking cowboys came out of the big cook shack, one at a time, and each had a contented look on his face. Supper was just over and the boys were through for the day. That is, through with one day's work, but there was still an evening of stories, stor-ies, cards and yarns yet to be spent at the bunk house. As each one came into the bunk house he found a snug corner, cozy bunk or some favorite lounging place, got out his tobacco, rolled a cigarette and settled back amidst great curls of tobacco smoke. The usual conversation conversa-tion flowed throughout the crowd with its 'rich mirth. One by one the boys found their place around the table and a game of cards started. Small change and many trinckets changed hands several times during the game. No one seemed to be loser or winner. Finally cards hecame tiresome and the boys began to gather around Shorty McCarthy, a very small Irishman. Irish-man. Shorty was spinning some good yarns, but had a better one to tell when the whole group got around him. "You guys might not elieve this," Shorty began when all were listening, "but I can prove it, if I want to go to Rawhide to do it." He leaned his chair back against the wall and continued. con-tinued. "I was just nineteen and full of fun, had a good job on the Flying M Ranch and Rawhide was booming-. One night when we all had our pay check, we rode into town and headed straight for Joe Hogan's saloon. We had been there about an hour when 1 heard some hombre say something about the traveling side show that was over to the town hall. I rounded the boys up and over we went. "The hal Iwas sure loaded, so we had to do some elbowing to get to the front. Well, the first thing I saw was sure a thing, but was supposed to be a man about seven feet tall, weighing three hundred or more and all muscle. He was sitting there on a stool and a guy with a dress up suit was standing by, him. This guy in the dres up suit seeing how little I was said, two hundred you can't stick him to a standstill.' Well, I didn't know what he meant, so I asked him or details. 'All you do is ride him like a bronc only you can pull leather,' he says. "Well, I had got all primed for anything any-thing over to the saloon, so I took him up on it. He set me on a chair and gives me some spurs without any rowels in em, but they had some bristles instead, and he says, 'Put 'em on.' The big boy was stripped to the waist all but the riggin, so I thought I sure could tickle his ribs with these bristles. The hall was all cleared out, up about half way, and a canvas was spread out on the floor. I says to myself, 'Heres where I show 'em what a cowpuncher can do.' So I got up in the middle of him and hollered for 'em to open the gate. "The first jump I could see the crowd coming straight for me, then the other end of the hall, then the floor, then the ceiling and all the time I was sure tickling his ribs with those bristles. The next jump, I couldn't see much but sure heard my neck pop. The next jump, I could see people, floors, ceilings, windows, doors and big muscular backs. I was getting jolted so often I felt like a drum. Vie would go up heading one way, turn over about ten time in the air and come down heading the other way. After about a minute of this, I thought it must have been days, my boots was gone and my sox coming off, my tongue bit in a million place? and my necktie gone, because about an inch had been getting poked oft the end every jump. I was still on him but I didn't know why, and neither neith-er did he, I guess. "All of a sudden and, I can't hardly remember it, I took wings and sailed off into space. When my head quit I rattling and my eyes slipped back into in-to their sockets and I could see my situation, there I was fifteen feel above the crowd with my pants hooked hook-ed on the chandelier, and the broker rigfi'in in my hand. Well I'll be doq goned! Everyone of you asleep anci not even Istening to my story," and with this Shorty quit his narrative i and rolled in. Bob Kesler |