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The Count and tho Cowboys
By 5. N. Rye
afVUELS," said the old foreman,
\J reflectively, "was never a flourishing institution in these here parts. The pervailin' custom bein' to draw ahead of the other feller. As for waitin' till the next day, and meetin' by arrangement, it always seemed a sinful waste of time, besides takin' the edge off whatever satisfaction you got out o' perforatin' the other
man. However "; he cleared his
throat and then told a tale.
Sometime back in the days before this "New West" was thought of, while the punchers still packed their artillery, and some time after dislikin' a man's face was no longer considered justification for homicide, a bunch of us sets on the gallery of Mac's Palace Saloon to light down there and irrigate, punctuatin' our drinks with news from the outside.
Residin' in what book-writers calls a "Picturesque Locality," we're some used to all kinds of freaks in the way of sightseers, but what climbs from the stage to-day sure takes our breath.
As he gets down, he seems to consist mostly of legs, but as he further unwinds himself, we realizes that he's the longest thing that ever landed here. On top of this six feet of queerness is a hat 'bout a foot high, but the face on this jasper
Say, he has a mustache and some whiskers, somethin' like the Colonel's, but trimmed shorter, and in one eye is stuck a little round window, with a string to it.
Before we gets over our surprise long enough to laugh at him the stage pulls out, and we realize that It's goin' to remain here. Whereupon we escorts him into the bar, and turns
him over to Mac, meanwhile debatin' among ourselves what he is.
Stump Carney held out that he's some kind of a greaser, but he looks too clean, and we gives up in despair, waitin' for Mac to set our minds at rest. The unknown produces a letter, which Mac reads, and then begins to tell how this is a friend of an old friend of his, a Frencher named Jack Dupont, and that this is the Count Catelene, which has come to look over minin' properties. Mac interjuces the gent to us, him eyein' us and our guns with some apprehension.
I happens to be the first to be presented to the Count, and when he sticks his hand up in the air for me to grab at, I thinks that he's tryin' to escape shakin' with me. But after I notes that he looks right affable, I reaches up and captures his paw. He disengages it after a minute, throws his arms around my neck, and durnd if he don't kiss me, first on one side of the face ; and then on the other ! He sure did!
I thinks that he's sure loco, but he does the same to the other boys windin' up with Mac. It's plumb scandalous, but he does it. The boys are some sore, thinkin' that this pilgrim is makin' fun of 'em, and Mac takes him upstairs quick, and out of harms way, while we discusses what oughter be done to a man what kisses a healthy and respectable cowman.
Stump Carney is for immediate execution, him bein' sore because the Count ain't no Greaser, which Stump took him for at first, but we knows that Stump ain't responsible, and vetos his motion.
In the meantime, the Count comes
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