Show EPISODE I 1 in the early bummer summer of 18 I 1 left my native it state and turned my steps toward that goal 0 of all youthful aspirations the golden west or to be more explicit that part of the west embraced in the territory of Ia dakota kota at mandan a thriving young city on the northern pacific railroad I 1 hoped to find employment employ rn ent as the division offices of the road were located at that place aad I 1 bad worked the wires at a little wayside ct crossing ing in michigan for six years bad had served as bookkeeper also and even added the duties of target man mall to my other when baines bu ines was dull and word paused passed along the line that expenses most must be cut down but like all young fellows of roy my age I 1 wanted to see something of tha thet world and so I 1 started oue out with no certainty of bettering myself and without the prospect of a position fortune however favored me and a temporary vacancy in the telegraph department at mandan maddan afforded me employment until something better should offer itself I 1 wa was fast making myself at home in my new situation when one morning I 1 was called into the superintendents office and informed that a better position financially speaking was to be had a days lays journey up the broadi road but added the superintendent look looking ng me over critically it Is a rough wild place baxter and we must have a fellow of nerve what young mail man of twenty one would not have lumped jumped at an offer like that when hen refusal virtually meant acknowledged cowardice not 1 I at sit least and so eager was I 1 to be off that I 1 set about packing my traps at once and the next train up numbered mearn me among on its ss engers gazing idly from the window as we whirled along I 1 noted that after miles of trackless treeless prairie was crowed crossed the country changed and grew more broken the rolling hills finally merging into precipitous cip itous buttes cleft by deep canyons we had entered the bad lands and a dreary stretch of country it was As far as the eye cou could ld see huge masses of sandstone in fantastic shapes strewed the level floor of the alkali plain it seemed to be some vast deserted city so like to mans handiwork were the spires and domes walla walls and arches save by natures forces wild indeed I 1 thought and wondered if anything save coyotes and cacti grew up with that part of the country the conductor a pleasant young chap presently sat dow down n beside me tor for a chat goin to Mingus ville arc are you he remarked my aly run is this side gola goin to stay long 1 I have been sent to take charge of that station I 1 replied you dont bayl I 1 heard that the agent skipped out the other day with a bullet bole hole in his tits hat fiat sent you on to take h his is place I 1 11 what had the agent done I 1 inquired aghast wore a stiff hat bathe he was gnoon in the business you see one day a lotof drunken cowboys was buntin around cor sor a target and when he be showed up alws filled that hat plum full of holes them fellers just about run things up here he be continued cheerfully well heres luck to you my aly stop off I 1 so dougl and he left me to my reflections I 1 was w as in for it now and must make the best beat of it but daring during the rest of that ride I 1 thought of A certain small michigan office with regret it was far into the night when I 1 arrived at Mingus ville and standing on the platform I 1 gazed sleepily after the receding train until the glimmering rolof lights was no longer visible then feeling that 1 I had revered severed tho the last jink link with civilization I 1 turned and made my way into the dimly lighted office A young man but afew years my senior sat at the key and mid to my brief f tion returned us as briefly glad to see se e you hotel straight across good night it was not until the next morning that I 1 took r my ny beti rings the town consisted of tour four saloons cine store and a dozen houses besides the hotel and depot I 1 made this discovery in a hasty buty glance from front my room window as I 1 went below at the aum cummons mons of the breakfast bell the hotel a roughly garcoa structure was into dormitories where herds of men toned tolled them themselves aves in n blankets and ana slept siept on TUL tal fl flemr tha the e s fared betar and a narrow bunk in a aman waa given them entering the dining room which would have seated a regiment I 1 was ushered past the long tables and seated a kt a taba tah bet for four I 1 was v us early but w aca soon won joined by the eight night man maxwell who I 1 subsequently learned was on all afi as briefly to the point as upon our introduction soon the long tables began to fill up and I 1 forgot breakfast in watching the hurrying pushing crowd rough uncouth men the majority of them but not the dangerous c cut throats I 1 hod had pictured will you la have a sugar please I 1 gave a start aa th brisk voice broke in upon my musings mu aings and for fora a full minute did not answer so dum founded was I 1 at sight of the apparition that unperceived by me had glided to the head of the table and was smiling roguish ly at ma me over a coffee cup even the sedate maxwell smiled at my evident em barras but I 1 managed to pull myself together and to acknowledge the quietly spoken mollie brant your landlord landlords 0 daughter mr baxter she then turned her attention to the stout red armed swedish girl who was waiting on the tables this afforded roe a chance to ob berve that alsa mollies Moll lea profile was very reg regu IL lar her hair worn wom in two heavy brat braids dark and wavy and that her eyes matched the color of her hair I 1 knew from the glimpse I 1 had of them as hey they smiled at me across lb the e coffee cup although I 1 was not riot an authority on subject of feminine charms I 1 ventured to decide that the young lady was very nice looking and marveled much at bet pretty ways and correct speech amid such surroundings bew wew we were ere in the midst of an animated conversation when the booi opened and a youth in corduroy shooting jacket lounged into the room bestowing on his way to the fourth seat at our table a careless nod to maxwell and a beaming smile on miss molle llie A few terse words from maxwell informed roe me that I 1 wan was in the brej presence n of mr shaw who represented a stock buying firm arm in chicago and as its I 1 returned his bow I 1 felt that it would be a luxury to knock that man down not that he was an ill looking fellow by any means f for or he was something of a ladies man la in appearance pl but I 1 felt that we were antagonistic I 1 doubt if be gave me BO so much as a passing thought foche tor he devoted himself to miss brant who bent on wholesale conquest distributed her abright glanceau with vi iiii grea great impartiality during the month following my arrival business at the station waa was quiet the stock shipping season not yet having com commenced fenced A email small band of cowboys would soW sometimes times dash up to the station breakneck pace pac con on their wiry ponies and although their broad sombreros sombre ros clanking spurs and well filled cartridge belts ornamented with a gun and perhaps a knife or two gave them the a appearance ppe arance of bandits they seemed rather a 4 good natured act if a bit lawless now and theo then a copper hued face streaked with bright paint and 0 ed by a shock of straight blade black hair hab r would peer at me through the office window an and 1 it if I 1 gave a start of surprise it seemed to afford the noble red man a certain amount of amusement then after ft a prolonged he would grunland grunt grun and tand stalk Adly ly away the event even t odthe of alie day however bow ever wu was the arrival of the west bound train at night the entire population wa was on hand band bt itt this time and no matter how belated the train not riot a lounger left the platform until ae hun ripe thing 1 I 1 I 1 1 vm A L 1 1 4 1 A d i I 1 ft to s way across the prairie ike some U euge glistening was lost to view I 1 meanwhile I 1 had been milking making great strides in MW mollies good graces distancing shaw who was a zealous applicant for her favor the country around about had something of the of the bad lands although not BO so broken and at such times as I 1 was free from office duties miss alias mollie mounted on her nimble black pony and I 1 on her fathers gray scoured the bills hills and vales returning with appetites that caused the cook to eye us with scant favor in an exchange of confidences fi I 1 told her that I 1 was alone in the world with none but int distant relatives she had no one but her father her mother having died when mollie was it child 1 I wa was at school in helena when mamma died she said and came directly here with papa where we have since lived that explained the situation miss mollie had been given advantages evidently coming in from a longer ride than usual one evening we found the whole settlement men t in an uproar some twenty cowboys were reported camped within two miles of the place awaiting daybreak to bring into the she corral orr SW head of cattle we discussed the matter at the supper table and I 1 remarked that the genus cowboy so far aa as I 1 waa wu acquainted quain ted with him did not sustain his haul hard reputation wait until you see we him drunk brae maxwells maxwelll Max wells rejoinder I 1 all swagger mere braggadocio said shaw let them see that you are not afraid of them thern and leave you alone fast enough rascally beggars though the most of them maxwell smiled quietly and turning to me observed even the cowboy has his good traits if he lie damages a piece of property while drunk ten to one he will walk up and pay for it when he gets sober if it takes his last cent cerous Cu rous roux how respectful like they air tew chimed in brant aint never seen one alt too ton drunk tew few forgit his manners when folks was around I 1 reflect ct want morn a year ago I 1 reckon two on ou lern em got up a rumpus about euthin in this cry very room just afore dinner one on berti era had the drap on and there they stood like a couple of coyotes baitin ter fer a chance to spring when my little moll atoll here walked into the room loidl you should a seed reed lern em drap into their cheers like been shot after dinner they kirn over to this table and axed her pardon like real gents that goes to prove what I 1 said remarked shaw loftily it if I 1 had been around here miss mollie the fellows should have been kicked out miss mollie smiled her sweetest and I 1 felt A n wild desire to throttle some one for belt be it known she and I 1 had bad had a it little tiff that evening and she was driving me lo 10 the verge of de desperation with her vagaries while shaw appeared to be in heaven and anticipated the seven tit shaws in laba st remark was of cou course m taken for tor what it was worth but we were destined to remember that evening evenings conversation in the morning bright rend early the fun began the cam care ordered by telegraph were w ere waiting in long rows opposite ne the stock yards and away off in the dla tits tance just coming over the brow of the hill was a widespread brown mass that circled and eddied near neaz wand nearer until we finally make wake out bout the w wildly tossing heads and hear the lowing that was like the rumbling of distant thunder around and around the herd the cowboys swung their nimble e ever er aiming to keep the caule cattle ia in a compact bunch and at the same timo unie urging them forward the sun sunlight light shone on onabe the forest of gleaming horns and brightened the clouds of dust in their wake into golden mist now ond and then one of the tl animals would break away from the h herd and n dash s off closely followed by lasso in hand and ere the creature was secured and dragged back panting to the herd an exciting race was often w witnessed As thy neared the corral the cowboys fell to the rear and spurring the animals atilina ls forward with quirts ts or long lashed whips they were driven into a vast pen V shaped the entrance en being the mouth of the V this in turn opened to another large pen square and at the further side of the tle square were ranged six small pens once secured in the square pen it was no difficult matter to drive the cattle catt lento naco the smaller pens and thence up a chute to the cars cam right in among the trampling hoots and tossing toning horns the horses were spurred and the cruel cutting whips were laid on right and left driving the beasts into th the a small sm allin in closures w where here on high platforms platform stood other cowboys with long handled prods which they used effectively when ever a particularly unruly beast declined to fy go up the chute it was a novel and exciting scene to my eyes aad anderen even shaw admitted that it was quite a eight sight 11 after the arduous task of loading the cattle was done the cowboys vaulted into their modlea and disappeared in the direction f the saloons Ba loons therell be the deuce to pay par by night announced maxwell they lep kept clear of the fc during the day but when I 1 went over to the evening train the place swarmed with them they were brathw rather frisky and made a number of jokes at my expense but offered no demonstration thinking doubtless that a slight boy of my years worth scaring searing shaw ahad had declined to accompany us that evening and whether it was miss mollies smiles that held him captive or a sneaking fear of the boisterous crowd I 1 could not de determine terraine I 1 should have explained that this was shaws first venture into the remote west consequently he be like myself had bad never braved the cowboy in his lair the night train came thundering in on time 1 heres theres a new conductor on said maxwell in my ear the boys have winded it and therell be music sure enough scarcely had the conductor entered the office for orders when fingl mounded sounded a gun and out went tha the light what followed beat bedlam let loose loom popl pop popl went the guns band and in the interval we could hear bear the conductors doctors duc tors bowls howls for mercy As soon as possible I 1 maxwell struck a light and at the sight of that pallid trembling wretch a i shout went up dig out was the order and be he dug but before he reached the door ping went a gun and a neatly aimed ballet bullet clipped a piece oft off ills his boot heel pop and the other heel wag was winged the train pulled out in short order ider I 1 found next mo morning ming that the shota shots fired ared in the dark were blanks but how was the conductor to know that t I 1 in the course of df time I 1 became accas tomed to the antics antic s of these knights of tho the saddle the only testimonial of regard which I 1 received from them being a bullet bole hole through the crown of my derby I 1 was glad to get off with that and la in deference anceto to their well known prejudice I 1 speed lly exchanged the derby tor for an orthodox Bom brero I 1 daily became more and more interested ed in misa miss mollie and wo we got on capitally together eo so long as I 1 refrained from sentiment but any exhibition of ten decess on my part always resulted in snubs or bome w one yet in open encouragement of my rival as I 1 mentally this was very distracting ahw wb at fellow I 1 was beginning to haye serious thoughts 0 of bottling in life and devote my efforts to it as I 1 would I 1 saw no way of securing the ni owner ner of the black eyes for the party of 0 the second bart vart 11 in the forlorn hope of I 1 engaging her fathers influence I 1 took brant into my con confidence fidelice I 1 inight have hai a spared myel the trouble 40 jie lie was a stout comfortable comfort ablo sort of ti nym man with the air of one who had been wen managed all his life it w as plain to tha most casual observer that misa MISS mollie wai the apple of bis his eye at and nd that her word w ord |