58 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



February 



%lae same. ' 



" 'Ob, I don't know!' remarks Doc 

 Peets, sorter gettin in on what's a gen- 

 eral play. 'I've been all tbrougb the 

 herrl, an I must say I deems women easy 

 people every time. They're a heap finer 

 folks than men an faitbfuler. ' 



" 'Which I don't deny females is fine 

 folks,' says Texas, 'but what I'm allow- 

 in is they're fitful. They don't stay 

 noue. You can both hobble an side line 

 'em at nighc, an the first thing that 

 strikes you v.heu you rolls out in the 

 moruiu is thoy're gone.' 



" 'What do you all think, Nell,' says 

 Doc Peets to Faro Nell, who's perched 

 up on her st>jol by Cherokee's shoulder, 

 'what do you all think of Texas, yere, 

 B-malignin of your sex? Why don't you 

 p'iut him to the example of Dave Tutt 

 en Benson Annie? They all gets married, 

 an thar they be, caperin along as peace- 

 ful as two six shooters on the same belt. ' 



" 'Oh, I don't mind what Texas says 

 none,' replies Faro Nell. 'Texas is all 

 right an on tljesquare. I shouldn't won- 

 der if this ytreMrs. Thompson does saw 

 it off on him some shabby gettin that 

 eep'ration, an I don't marvel at his re- 

 marks. But as long as Cherokee yere 

 thinks I'm right I don't let nobody's 

 Views about other women pester me a 

 little bit; so thar!' 



" 'It's whiit I says awhile back,' in- 

 lerrupts Enright. 'Texas Thompson's 

 wife's motives, mighty likely, ain't in 

 Viduous none. It's a heap probable, if 

 the truth is kuown, that she ain't aimiu 

 nothiu at Texas — she only changes hei 

 luJnd. 



" 'Now, about the earliest thing I re- 

 members,' goes on Enright, 'is concern- 

 in a woman who changes her min(i 

 This yere incident is about the firait 

 chicken on the roost of my recollections. 



" 'It's yenrs an years ago, when I'm a 

 yearlin. Ou: company ismakin a roiH.:; 

 np at a cam' called Pine Knot, in Ten- 

 nessee, orga; izin to embark in the Mex- 

 ican war a whole lot an thin out the 

 greasers. 



" 'No one ever docs know why I, per- 

 Bonal, declares myse'f in on this yero 

 embroglio. I ain't bigger'n a charge of 

 powder at the time, an am that limited 

 as to statoo I has to climb on to a log to 

 get ou to my pouy. 



" 'But, as I'm tellin, we all comes 



together at Pine Knot to make the start. 

 I reckon now thar's 500 people thar, as 

 the occasion an the interest the public 

 took in the business jest combs the re- 

 gion of folks for miles around. 



" 'Thar's a heap of haudshakiu an 

 well wishin goin on. Mothers an sisters 

 an sweethearts is kissiu us goodby, an 

 while thar's-- some hilarity thar's more 

 sobs. It's, after all, as I looks back'ard, 

 rather a damp than a gay affair. 



" 'While all this yere love an tears is 

 flowin thar's a gent — he's oar captain 

 — who's settin off alone in his saddle an 

 ain't takin no hand. Thar's no sweet- 

 heart, no mother, no sister, for him. 



" 'No one about Pine Knot knows 

 this party much, more'u his name is 

 Bent; that he's captain, with the gov'n- 

 or's commission, an comes from way 

 ofif yander some'crs. An so he sets thar, 

 grim an solid in his saddle, lookin 

 vaguelike off at where the trees meets 

 the sky, while the rest of us is goin 

 about permiscus fiuishiu up our kissin. 



" ' "Ain't he got no sweetheart to 

 wish goodby to him?" asks a girl of 

 me. "Ain't thar no one to kiss him 

 for good luck as he rides away?" 



" 'This yere maiden's name is San- 

 ders, an it's a shore fr.ct she's the pret- 

 tiest young female whoever makes a 

 moccasin track in west Tennessee. I'd 

 a-kilk'd my pony an gone a foot to bring 

 such a look of soft concern in her eyes 

 as shines thar oninvited for this yere 

 lonesome gent. I looks over where he's 

 silent an solitary on his boss. 



" ' "No," I replies, "he's an orphan, 

 I reckon. He's plumb abandoned that 

 away, an so thar's nobody yere to kiss 

 him or shake his hand." 



" 'This yere pretty Sanders girl — an 

 I'm pausin agin to state thar's uothin of 

 the long horn about her, pure cornfed 

 she was — this Sanders beauty I'm sayin 

 looks at this party by himse'f for a mo- 

 ment, an then the big tears begin to 

 take p'session of her blue eyes. Next 

 she blushes like a flower an walks over 

 to this lone gent. 



" ' "Mister Captain, " she says, raisin 

 her face to him like arose, "I'm shore 

 sorry you ain't got no sweetheart to say 

 goodby, an because you're lonesome that 

 away I'll kiss you an say adios myse'f. " 



" ' "Will you, my little lady?" says 

 the lonesome gent as he swings from his 

 saddle to the ground by her side, an 



