Show r t 4 I 1 LITHE TOT AND IE ak 1 I 1 I 1 r A Ran handier citer and ills his precious Proc lons ri companion 4 I 1 O 0 HIS MOTJIE KLESS BABY BOT bong lonely slie rides preferable far for the child to a lonelier home A teaching story chicago o 0 tribune ono one day when v hen we were ere between t the be I 1 north river and the laramie f mountains and somo some miles west of fort atterman Fett I ermano wyo while I 1 WAS I 1 riding along the dry bed ct ef a little I 1 creek looking for water I 1 saw A stockman coming across the ridge a quarter I 1 of 0 a mile away the pony on which lie was mounted came along on a swinging ewi nging gallop and as he be drew nearer I 1 saw raw the man had a little child a bolmot boy not much otera years eare old in in front of him on the saddle lie ile canao came up and stopped and we engaged in in some commonplace conversation about the distance to various ranches ran chea our destination c tho the boy in the meantime had turned around and got up on his feet in in the saddle and put one n earm arm around the mareneck man mans neck eneck and I 1 looked at ino shyly aa as if it he be waa WAS not much accustomed accustomed to scein seeing 9 strangers agers the man was tall p perhaps r ilal a more kindly loo looking king than ha hand ud colne and might bave have been SO ZO years of ape age I 1 suggested that the boy ap to bo be fond of riding for such a egares little ittle one vi alien lien the man said yea yes tot 1 I alays call him totis tot is a breit t rider lie ile can ride f fifty mile a are day f if I 1 carry himin him in my arme arms part 0 we the time and he lie looked at the baby proudly with just a touch of sadness 1 aa as ho lie gave him a littia little hug lie get tired 7 yes a little when we go so fur but ho he can stand thirty five or forty milo mile an bo be jes ca as chipper as you please when we ne got get back to the ranch I 1 doea does he go out on the range with you ou every day every day I 1 do you seethe aeo there re aint nobody to leave him with at the ranch tot an me lues lives all alone I 1 got a little ranch 0 my own down here with a couple 01 0 hundred head 0 stock dpn down tho the creek an when I 1 go out to look after them or anything I 1 tave hav 0 to take him along when hen I 1 I 1 fast fust begun to tal take e him along with w ith me bout a year v ear ago I 1 thought ho be w stand it but I 1 was careful not to go fur not moren fifteen or tv t enty or webby twenty five mile in a day da an would you a believe it ho he jes es got fat on it bebby you 11 think st rangen ca I 1 orter pit git him a 0 better home somewhere but I 1 tried it an it work excuse me I 1 reckon if I 1 talk about abou tit it I 1 dont fee anybody very oren an sometimes it kinder makes mo me feel better to talk a little you pee ece we vie were mere living down where here I 1 do now train to git a start an make mako a kin kind d of a homo home an a year ear ao ago tots mother died well ell els she was sick quite a while and istook care of lier her the best I 1 could I 1 reckon ehe she have bave as good care assile as slie should 0 had but I 1 onorie done jes the best be t I 1 knowel know cd how had the poet post surgeon come out as often as ho lie would an by I 1 n I 1 by be said shed got to die an abe did die rt stranger ranger it was pretty dark for me an id a gone away it I 1 I 1 done bothin us if it been for tot when hen I 1 thought bout him I 1 felt most as bad as I 1 did when I 1 thought bout ins ilia mother but I 1 had to do something for liim him t had bad some friends at the fort nn art they offered to give him a home so I 1 took him down to them I 1 told him goodby good by an they k kep him in a back TOO boorn so he lie w n t see ino me go away an I 1 went out an got on my hose hos an jabbed tho the spurs inter ill him eos t to ride off fast but bull I 1 went awen twenty t y bards tarda when I 1 heard beard tot callin papa let tot dow too an there he be was out the door an adaway away from froia em an comin comin after me thinkie he lie could catch hia his little fatless fat legs I 1 pulled up an rode back an reached ut down own an took the little teller fetter up in my arms an says I 1 tot tote I 1 pana a wont never leave you ablin 11 rhe rhan Ir I 1 turns to my friends an sa SI s I 1 thank you ou fer cr bem bein go willin to Z take ce him but tot goes goe with me mea an I 1 j jes eb rode right off aitho without ut whitin to get his hat I 1 was mot most ashamed to let them thern eee see how it made roe me feel an lie aint never left me neither since hav have e you on tot 7 godby god by ive iv e got to bo be gotta back fore ni night lit if you shout should jettin d git down as fur as my place como an stay all night with me |