INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES 



The cowboy, of whom I had heard so much, I 

 learned to recognize as generally a very quiet, 

 civil person, never going out of his way to do 

 extraordinary things nor to make himself con- 

 spicuous. A man of few words and not in- 

 clined to familiarity, he is essentially a man 

 of action, and prefers to take a short cut 

 to accomplish his purpose. If one should 

 conclude that his reserve and his reticence 

 were the result of mental torpor, he would 

 make a great mistake. Apparently taking 

 little interest in a new acquaintance, and seem- 

 ing to lack ordinary curiosity, I find that he 

 is, notwithstanding, a very close observer and 

 has a quiet way of extracting information 

 without appearing eager to do so. 



My guide engaged to meet me at Buford, 

 Colo. Being unacquainted with the locality, 

 I wrote to obtain information concerning the 

 railroad station nearest my destination, and 

 learned that it was Rifle. When I arrived at 

 Rifle, I inquired about the best way to get 



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