Page:The Pacific Monthly volumes 1-3.djvu/97

 slowin' up, an' I looked roun' just in time ter see Jake fire, an' at each shot one of ther boys tumble to ther groun' 'cordin' ter instructions. Finally, there war but two left, an' they turned tail an' scampered off, leavin' Jake to cum back ter ther stage a conquerin' hero, while ther boys that war supposed to be shot were flounderin' around like chickens with their heads cut off, an' ther gal a-pityin' of them 'cause they war in ther death throes ; but I knowed blamed well they war just bustin' their sides with laugh at ther old Dutchman's heels in ther air.

"Arter Jake got back in ther stage, an' we made it penetrate ther old man's mind that Jake war not one of ther robbers, we got him right side up with care once more. He an' Gretchen put up a song of praise of Jake's bravery that kept him in a continooal blush, but it warn't all from pleasure, but a good deal of shame was runnin' over ther range of his feelin's. But ter ther gal he was a real hero, an' durin' ther rest of ther drive her purty blue eyes skasely ever left his face.

"A leetle after sund or ^i we pulled inter Cottonwod, an' after supper me an' Jake an' a lot of ther boys war standin' round in front of this ar saloon swappin' lies, when up cums ther old Dutchman. Takin' Jake by ther arm, he invited us all in ter take suthin'. When we-all uns had named our pizen, an' war about ter say 'Here's to you,' the old fellow says, 'Poys, I vish ter introduce to you der biggest hero of der centuary,' an' Jake nor I couldn't stop him till he'd told ther whole blamed story of ther hold-up. That was a part of ther shootin' match that we'd never considered, an' we'd both have given a slicker to never have held that hold-up. The town at that time, pard, war on ther boom, and we had a good many more women here than now, an' ther gal had rounded up all those fe- male critters an' given Jake a bigger send- off 'n ther old man had in ther Coyote saloon.

"To make a long story short, pard, noth- in' would do but the citzens of this camp must hire a substitute for Jake and give him a lay-off of a whole week, an' a blow- out, for they believed ther story all ther more, for ther had been a genuine hold-up forty miles north of D — — City ther week before.

"For about four days Jake an' ther gal owned ther town, an' enyone with half an eye could see that they were orful spooney on each other. Jake'd take her out walkin' every evenin' down to that lone cottonwood tree thar, an' there they'd sit an' eye each other like a couple of durned matin' burds. Happy? They war that, for a fact.

"The fall round-up was on south of here, an' Jake took Gretchen out ter see ther sight. My! How peart proud she was when Jake cut out a frisky 3-year-old out of a herd that a puncher had been tryin' to get for half an hour. This was the fourth day of Jake's lay-off, pard, an' while he was out at ther round-up a couple of ther Cross Bar boys came down to take a hand, and while in ther Coyote saloon, an' not knowin' they war doin' of Jake any harm, who they liked harder than a mule can kick, blatted out the true story of how ther blamed hold-up happened ter come off.

"Well, ther cat was outen ther bag, an' old Van Dorn, from bein' full of gratitood, had turned hotter against Jake than a cattleman ever was agin a tenderfoot that was homesteadin' in part of his range.

"When Jake an' Gretchen got back, rid- in' in ter town ez happy ez two bufflers in a waller, the folks seed 'em comin' an' ez ther two rode up commenced to guy Jake onmarcifully. 'Nough war said to let Gretchen catch on that ther hold-up was a hoax. Turnin' pale like, she says to Jake, with her sweet lips quiverin', 'Jacob, is this true?' Tears welled up in her purty blue eyes ez Jake replied, all choked like, 'Yes, Gretchen, I'm a bigger sneak than a cattle rustler.' Then she slid from her broncho an' with a simple 'Good-bye, Jake,' staggered inter her sister's house.

"Pardner, I've seen men strung up, shot full of holes an' cross over ther great divide by bein' trampled to death by herds of wild steers, but I never saw such pain an' agony in a human critter's face ez war in Jake's ez he watched her ter ther door. Then while ther crowd jeered he turned his broncho's head toward the Texas Panhandle on a wild, mad ride.

"I'd rid the line, pardner, too long with Jake an' knew him ter be all man, ter let him go off alone like that. Straddlin' my bronk I put spurs and quirt ter him an'