Nebraska Newspapers

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CHAFFEE
ROARING HORSE
BY ERNE8T HAYCOX
- . . — - - ■ —-*
Chaffe drew a long breath
of smoke, his eyes narrowing. [
"Something’s goin’ to happen
around here pretty soon.
(There’s that corporation. A
mystery. Why should anybody
.want to go around buyin’ land
to doggone devious? Same ap
f)Iles to whoever bought my
lttle piece. Now there’s this
bail dude Woolfridge. Tryin’
.’to buy Satterlee out of the
Country.”
f "Shucks, I didn’t know
that?” interposed Mack Moran
In surprise.
■ "I just discovered it. But
[that ain’t half the kernel in
the peanut. Notice the sky
limit on the poker game last
flight? That lily-fingered fel
low kept boastin’ Satterlee till
the cowbells rang. Took con
siderable money away from
the old gent at that. Maybe
jwill take some more to-night.
gatterlee’s hard to beat, too,
1 a level game. Mack, that
tlly-flngered dude Is bent in
cveral places.”
‘ ’Uh?”
"Crooked. I’m goin’ to
jvatch a little closer to-night.
iAnd here’s Theodorik Perrine
fr. town, howlin' like a dyin’
wolf. He’s come to fight me,
Ws usual. But what’s his gang
noin’ here with him? This
jtown never did tolerate the
presence of Sleepy Slade be
fore. He’s outlawed. But here
fie is. big as life. And the
sheriff ain’t doin’ anythin’
pbout it. Any time before this
Bleepy and most of the rest
pf Theodorik’s assassins would
be in the clink, writin poetry
pn the walls. Consider that in
wour wheat papers.” He leaned
forward, growling tremen
dously earnest. "Mack, things
Wre linin’ up around here. Un
beknownst to us. And there’ll
be one roarin' time when the
«ld’s ^pulled off. I’m feelin’ it
n my bones. I know it.”
"I wouldn’t mind a little
Excitement,” said Mack
Moran; and his white teeth
flashed. „
"You’ll get it," was cnarree’s
#jrlm answer. "Time to ease
Into the field." He rose and
walkedaround the corrals,
casting one sharp glance at a
solid buckskin horse crowded
against the bars. "I got a lot
of respect for you, Mister Fire
ball."
^ The stands were filled, the
buckers coming out. This
afternoon the riders were
fewer, for the morning’s buck
ing trad eliminated the un
skilled. Within the hour \the
second rides would be over
and the choice narrowed down
to the three best men. And In
the third rides would emerge
that Individual who had
proved himself entitled to
first place. Roaring Horse ran
Its rodeo somewhat differently
than other cattle towns. There
was no stagecoach marathon,
no fancy display of lariat
work. One free for all pony
race opened the day, and a
short bit of steer roping filled
Jn an interval; the rest was
bucking.
i Dust rolled afresh along the
ground and the roar of the
crowd beat acrews to where
Jim Chaffee stood. A man was
down, the lists narrowed by
one, A great yell sailed high
up and far out; and the an
nouncer’s voice struggled
against the washing currents
of sound. “Perrine at the left
end—up on Vesuvius. Watch
outl” Chaffee didn’t watch
Thyodorik Perrine; it was his
habit never to watch another
mail on these afternoon
rounds. But he knew from the
crowd's reaction that Perrine
had done well. Perrine always,
did well. He moved out to the
center, hearing his own name.
Ajad as he went through the
routine of inspecting cinches
and hackamore, and of rub
bing his hands dry of the
sweat that always cropped out
1
on his palms the moment be
fore swinging up, he threw a
short look toward the grand
stand. The girl wasn’t in her
seat. After that and for some
fifteen seconds he forgot hev
as well as all other things not
connected with Mixup. He rode
and dropped off, shaking his
head to clear away the fog.
The announcer kept on with
the interminable droning,
from rider to rider as tire
afternoon crept forward and
the shadows began to cut
patterns along the arena's
side. Jim lea red against the
fence, nerves slowly tighten
ing. It always happened thus
before the final ride; a man
fought the worst part of the
battle before he touched the
stirrups. Hell was due to pop
some of these days in Roaring
Horse. Things were lining up
secretly, somehow throwing a
premonitory shadow across the
face of the land. And Fireball
was a tough horse. There must
be no cocksureness, never an
instant’s relaxing; Fireball
never gave a rider a chance
once that rider was so much
as a hair’s breadth off balance.
The brute had uncanny per
ceptions. Jim heard the an
nouncer.
“Jim Chaffee at the right on
Fireball. Ladees and gents,
watch and pray!”
CHAPTER IV
The Storm Breaks
Chaffee turned and walked
to the far side of the arena;
and, though he glanced
toward the grandstand to find
the girl, his vision became
clouded and the crowd was to
him but a vast blur of faces.
Something was happening
inside of him; all his vital
forces were mustering at one
point, shutting off unneces
sary drains of energy. But he
did see Theodorik Perrine
crouched by a track post, black
face turned toward this scene;
and from that he knew the
man had made the third ride.
This was the last duel, the
deciding fight, the end of a
long day. Fireball was in
front of him, stepping around
the anchor horse. The brute’s
long jaw hauled against the
rope and his muscles rippled
uneasily across his haunches;
when Jim Chaffee’s hand
touched him he stopped mov
ing on the instant and froze,
all four feet spread into the
soft earth and ready to make
that first terrific lurch and
lunge that was a part of his
history.
The rodeo hand muttered:
“Rig suit yuh, Jim?” and
Chaffee nodded. The pickup
men were drawn in. watching
wary eyed. Chaffee ran a hand
under the cinch, studied the
stirrups and hackamore. The
bright sun slanted across Fire
ball’s magnificent withers.
Jim rubbed his hands along
his shirt front, swept by a cold
current. He stepped softly into
the saddle and let.his weight
come easily down; he took the
reins, running his hands along
them time after time from a
purely nervous reflex, and he
kicked his heels lightly against
the stirrups until he felt them
take a sure and certain seat;
nor did he ever know, as he
raised his free arm in signal
and lifted his chest, how cold
and tight an expression he
carried on his lean face. But
Gay Thatcher, returned to the j
grandstand railing, saw it and
marveled. “All right,” mut
tered Jim.'Rope and blindfold
were whipped away; the
anchor horse vanished. Fire
ball’s ears swooped toward the
ground, and Jim Chaffee rose
high to the bright sky.
The crowd marked each
move of Fireball’s frenzied
battle, but Jim Chaffee didn’t
consciously follow the move- j
ments of the bucker. With
him everything was instinct,
everything was feeling. I
Tnrougn trie* years Jim Cnaf
fee had trained himself for a
duel like this, hardening him
self to the punishment, dis
ciplining his nerves find senses
to work along a set pattern
without deliberate bidding, i
There was little time to think; |
thinking was too slow. All that I
he had learned was called in j
now to be unconsciously ap- \
plied. His sense of rhythm and
balance had to serve him while
his mind grew black with the
riot of blood; a hundred
previous lessons had to prompt
his muscles to do the proper
thing. Shock after shock ran
along his body; his neck was
being pounded by great
sledges. He tasted his own
blood; he felt his vitals strain
at their moorings as Fireball
sought to tear him apart and
leave him on the ground, roll
ing in agony; and two dim
flashes of knowledge found a
path into the congested cells
of his brain—he was raking
the brute as per regulations— |
it wasn't goo.’ for a man to
take very much of this kind*
of punishment. His stomach
was afire. There was a point
beyond which he couldn’t go. i
no norse naa ever nuri nim
like this one. Then, after what
seemed an age, he heard the
gun; wind rushed full into his
face and his thighs were being
crowded by pickup men. Fire- 1
ball’s head was up, the horse
was running away. “Somebody
shouted, “Crawl off, Jim!
Yuh’ve had aplenty!” He
vaulted over the back of that
man’s horse and struck the
ground with both feet. And
he stood quite still until the
curtain of black rose from his
face and the fine fresh day
light came into his eyes.
His hat was on the ground
twenty feet away. He went
over and got it. Perrine still
crouched by the post, the
Judges were riding abreast
toward the grandstand rail
ing, conferring together; once
more all things were distinct,
and Jim Chaffee saw Gay
Thatcher sitting in her place. '
She had seen that ride. He
grinned and built himself a
cigaret. The sun went wester
ing, and it was a wonderful
world to be in, to feel the clear
air in his lungs and to see the
carved beauty of the late
shadows creeping around the
arena. The crowd had ceased
Its murmuring; the judges
were ranked together by the
stands.
“Chaffee — Perrine — Mc
Iver—front an’ center.”
The three contestants
marched tqward the mounted
judges. Dad Satterlee looked
somberly at them and let the
moments build up a suspense.
Finally he ducked Ills chin
toward Jim Chaffee. “It’s
yours. Perrine second money.
Mclver third honors.”
Chaffee looked beyond the
judges and directly at Gay
Thatcher. No more than six
yards separated them; across
this narrow interval these two
people, absolute strangers to
each other, exchanged glances.
Not casual glances, but the
deep and Intent measuring of
worth. The girl had seen him
three or four times in the last'
twenty-four hours, yet at
none of those times had he ap- !
peared as he was now. The
marks of the recent punish- '
ment still cramped his face. <
and his eyes were a profound, j
inky blue. She had known ;
other men whose eyes changed
color like that in stress of
anger or trouble.
Chaffee nodded to the
judges. “Thanks.”
Theodorik Perrine wrenched
his overwhelming bulk around
so that he half faced the
judges and half confronted
Chaffee. Wrath blazed from
his features and worked his
great jowls. “Thanks be
damned! This rodeo was
framed! The result was signed
an’ sealed afore Chaffee
stepped on a horse! King
Solomon couldn’t win a ride
in Roarin’ Horse if Chaffee
was buckin’ against him! I’m
gettin’ tired o’ this favorite
son business! You dudes are
blind in one eye and don’t see
well from the other!”
“I will observe,” replied Sat
teric*e with an extraordinary
and frigid politeness,, “though
it ain’t incumbent on me to do
so. that the decision was un
animous. The charge of
favoritism is the squawk cf a
tinhorn sport. The judges de
cided to spike it aforehand and
gave Chaffee the worst horses
to ride.”
“Yeah?” roared Perrine
"Well, why didn’t yuh give me
one o’ them horres, so’s I could
make a showin'? All I get is a
bunch o’ distempered brood
mares!” He raised a fist at
Satterlee, dividing the threat
of it equally between that
rancher and French Melotte.
Jim Chaffee, abiding by the
range etiquette which told him
to mind his own business, ob
served that Theodorik Per
rine entirely disregarded
Wiliiam Wells Woolfridge.
And he filed that fact away
in his mind. “Yuh have been
runnin’ this country too long.
It stinks!”
“You lie,” said Satterlee
“Open yore mouth again in
front of me and you’ll never
ride in another rodeo here
abouts.”
Perrine stepped back a pace,
his rage condensing to a far
more dangerous stage. “Let me
tell you somethin’, Satterlee.
Yore days o' rule are about
done. They’s a time cornin’
when yuh won’t have no high
horse to perch on. And when
that time comes I’ll settle my
grudges, along with a lot of
others. Remember it.”
“Get off the field.”
“You’ll eat that remark
soon enough,” said Theodorik
Perrine with a swift snapping
of his heavy lips. He threw
a hard glance at Jim Chaffee.
“Yore days of glory are about
done, likewise. I’m sayin’ it.”
“Any time,” drawled Chaf
fee.
Theodorik strode across the
dirt, knocking a field hand out
of his path with a swoop oi
his arm. Chaffee turned to
ward the gate. Gay Thatcher
watched him go, holding her
seat while the rest of the
crowd milled around her.
He walks straight,” she
murmured to herself. “No,
there isn’t an ounce of display
or false spirit about him. But
he walks as if he was the equal
of any man on earth. All un
consciously. And he is. 1
wonder if he will try to meet
me again?”
William Wells Woolfridge
dismounted and gave his horse
to a puncher; he climbed over
the railing and bowed to the
girl. “It was a good show,
wasn’t it?”
“Splendid.”
He took her arm and led her
through the crowd.
(TO B» CONTINUED)
Aggie Dean
■ .. 1 1 »
C. L. CHRISTENSEN
After serving as executive secre
tary of the Federal Farm Board
since its organization in 1929, Chris
Lauriths Christensen, above, has
resigned to take up duties as dean
of the University of Wisconsin's
college of agriculture, at Madison.
--+ »
Q. What form of government
has Liechtenstein? R. D.
A. Liechtenstein is an independ
ent principality. From 1866 it was
practically a dependency of Aus- '
tria, but on November 7, 1918, the
Diet declared its complete independ
ence. By treaty with Switzerland in
1921 that country administers its
posts and telegraphs and is includ
ed in the Swiss Customs Union. The
ruler is Prince Francis I, who suc
ceeded February 11, 1929, on the
death of his brother. He is now 77
years ot rge. _
Crowd Didn’t See All
Of Hunter’s Game Bag
Whlmar, Minn.-(UP>-Two large
deer aqcl a black bear were tied over
the fenders and bumper of an au
tomobile parked before the court
Jhouse here.
t Soon a large crowd gathered to
Wlmlre the size of the animals and
•»ee the triumphant huntsmen,
presently the owner of the car
emerged. One or me bystanders
•poke'to him: „
“You had pretty good luck, I see.
•poking at the speaker, the man
shook his head and replied, “No I
wouldn't say I did; the body of my
brother lies in the back seat of the
car”
— .- ♦ •
Foreign Students.
From New York Times.
For more than 50 years America
has welcomed the foreign student.
Today America is veritably a world
schoolmaster. The 10,000 students
from overseas, representing a diver
1 sity of customs, traditions, dress and
history, form the greatest migration
in student history.
Time has metamorphosed the
average foreign student. He is more
matured than hU Dredecess^- «•’ •
decade or so ago. Foreign educators
now believe there is no advantage
in sending students here for under
graduate work. The result is that
an increasing number of foreign
students come to pursue a particu
lar line of research or do graduate
work.
Foreign students nowadays are in
tent on mastering the scientific
achievements of America’s civiliza
tion. Not satisfied with classroom
knowledge, they extend their re
searches to the shof^, factores and
offices. American business, with an
| eye toward markets abroad, has
I found it desirable to co-ooerate with
these potential leaders wnerever
possible.
British colonies and dominions,
which formerly looked exclusively
to Oxford and Cambridge for higher
education. are sending students to
the United States to study scientific
and business methods. In the last
five years, students from Ceylon,
Australia and the West Indies have
doubled. More than 1,000 Canadian
students cross the border to Ameri
can classrooms each year.
--— .
A crocodile lives 100 years—an
elephant 150 to 200 years—a tor
toise over 100—the eagle and swan
also 100 rears.
FINGERPRINTS
REPLACE CURL
New Sheriff of Snohomish
County Formerly Operat
ed Beauty Shop
Seattle—*UP)—It's a long jump
from beauty parlor operator to sher
iff, and Walter E. Faulkner, sher
iff of Snohomish county, needed
some practice in the art of trail
ing thieves, murderers and boot
leggers.
He came to Seattle and enrolled
in a “sheriff's instruction course,”
arranged impromptu by Sheriff
Claude Q Bannick of King county,
to prepate for his new duties.
Fauikner and his wife operate a
beauty shop in Everett. Mrs. Faulk
ner was a beauty parlor operator
in New York before their marriage,
and establishment of their Everett
business was effected after their
honeymoon. Business was good for
several years, then competition cut
in on the profits. Faulkner looked
for other opportunities. The sher
iff’s office interested him, and he
filed on the democratic ticket last
fall, despite the fact that Snoho
mish county hadn’t had a demo
cratic sheriff in 34 years.
He won the nomination by eight
votes, then defeated the republican
incumbent by 2,000 votes.
DIVERSIFIED PHILOSOPHY.
The Eskimos pick beauty queen.
A cynic now demurs.
E'en Ziegfeld couldn’t do it there,
Where girls dress all in furs.
If money talks, as people claim.
Then talkers must have some;
From which I easily deduce
That I'm entirely dumb.
He's out of work and now he has
An awful case of blues,
For fear his next boss, too, will wear
Those rubber bottomed shoes.
“Ode to a Radio,” is verse
I recently have read;
What’s owed that worries most of
us,
Is on the things instead.
The reason that some older folk
Are quieter, no doubt,
Is that they find they’ve now more
things
They should be still about.
A Scotchman now has gone insane,
A matter very shocking;
He tried to teach a silk worm to
Mend runs in wifie’s stocking.
—Sam Page.
-» »..
Group Buying by Independents.
A. Gehly Schwartz, of Englewood,
N. J., vice-president of the United
Independent Stores, New York, and
the Retailers Service Bureau, Min
neapolis, speaking on “Group Buy
ing-Success or Failure,” said that
group buying or collective buying
was a forward step in the evolu
tion of scientific merchandising. Its
nothing more than “growing pains
that will soon be relieved” and
made the prediction that group
buying instead of declining, will
greatly increase and that ultimate
ly, through the proper cooperation
of the manufacturer and the group
buyer, will prove a successful fac
tor for all parties concerned.
“The whole trend in industry and
commerce just as in everything
else, is toward collective and co
ordinated effort,” Mr. Schwartz
said. “The merchant, today, is face
to face with economic factors in
the conduct of his business which
the storekeeper of even ten years
ago—not to >peak of a generation
or so ago-^ever dreamed would
come. Increased lines of merchan
dise available and required; chain
store and mail-order competition
availability of supply; the old
time traveling salesman, as well aa
the gradual elimination of the job
ber and his emergency stocks in
many lines, has forced upon the re
tailer the adoption of new methods
to meet the situation, if he is te
stay in business.
“As spokesman for over 3500 in
dependent retail stores located
principally In the smaller cities and
larger towns of the United States
as represented by the United Inde
pendent Stores, the question ol
group buying is a very vital one
And it concerns the consumer just
as much as the retailer, because
whatever economy can be effected
by the retailer is usually reflected
in the ultimate price to the con
sumer.” Mr Schwart* nriripH
Mr. Schwartz said, in part:
"After a two year survey, we
found that group buying was being
successfully used by the large
metropolitan stores of the chain
systems, and therefore we plan tc
give these independently owned
stores the same advantages that are
to be had through group buying
We contend that group buying it
fundamentally and economicallj
sound to both the manufacturei
and the group buyer, for, it is
generally conceded that volume
production is bound to result in
better merchandise for the same
price, or the same merchandise at
a lesser price. And this does not
necessarily mean driving down the
price of the manufacturer, expect-,
ing him to sell his merchandise
without profit or even at less thau
cost of production.”
FIFTY AIR LINES
Washington—Fifty scheduled in
terstate passenger air transport
lines are now being operated under
authority of the Aeronautics branch
of the United States department ol
commerce. Sixty applications have
been received for permission to op
erate additional lines, the depart
ment says.
-**
20-FOOT AIR PHOTO
El Paso—One of the largest pic
tures ever taken is an aerial photo
shot along the Rio Grande in the
neighborhood of this city. It was
mapped for the American section
of the international boundary com
mission and pictures 150 square
miles of land along the river. It 1>
20 feet long.
Squelched.
From Tit-Bits.
Heckler: Tell them all you know
It won't take long.
Street Comer Orator: I'll tell
them all we both know. I* won't take
> &uv longer!
i'.ni ICVJir*EE
Children noscJ not sic^l
your health
There should be no health penalty
attached to motherhood. There isn't
among t rally healthy women. Ex
pectant mothers who think of the
baby’s health aa well os their ov.n,
should take a good vegetable tonic to
protect the two lives—Cr. Pierce’s
Favorite Prescription. All dealers.
Every package cf it contains a
Symptom Blank. Fill it out and mail
it to Dr. Pierce's Clinic, Eaf.uio,if. Y„
for FREE medical advice.
“Capping” Oil Well
It Is possible to cup an <.il well arid
stop the flow of oil a given period
■>{ time without injury to the well's
producing capacities. There are ap
pt iximately ill’b.'JOO producing oil
wells in the United States.
Muscular Pains Frequently
Due to Congestion
When you have Rheumatic or Min>
..ular Pams in the back, chest or limbs
try this simple treatment. Congestion
(lack of blood flow) is the usual cause
of pains in the muscular tissues. Hoffs’
Liniment, a powerful stimulant brings a
juick flow of blood to the painful area,
relieving congestion and resulting pain.
Get a botcle of Hoffs’ Liniment and
apply it with brisk rubbing. Then apply
a cloth saturated with the liniment to
the painful area and in a few minutes
you \. ill feel the warming and stimulat
ing effect of this powerful liniment.
If you do not get relief in 30 minutes
your druggist will refund the purchase
price. Large 6 ounce bottles cost only
50 cents. If your druggist cannot supply
■ ou, just send 60 cents to th» Goodrich
Gamble Company, Saint Paul, Minne
sota, and it will be sent postpaid by
return mail.
Faint Heart
“I'il marry Gertrude but f >r <»u$
filing.” tfj
“Afraid to pop the qu ‘stion?”
“Xo, afraid to question pop.”—
Cupper’s Weekly.
Garfield Tea
Was Your
Grandmother’s Remedy
I' or every stom
ach and intestinal
iii. This good old
fash ioned herb
home remedy for
Ic on st i pa tion,
Dstomach ills and
other derange
uiriiia ui me sya
fcm so prevalent these days Is in
dvcn greater favor as a family med
icine than in your grandmother's
da/.
I’m Encouraged
‘ Scribbler is a genius, isn't Ik ?’
‘‘I guess so. His wife told me yea
feiday that he didn’t know how to
build (he furnace tire.”—Exchange.
Boschee’s Syrup soothes instantly ends
irritation quickly! GUARANTEED.
•#/ Never be without
IV'ft/l Boschee’s! For young
* * and old.
Boschee’s
druggists Syrup
Loto*» Young Dream
Is there any thrill in Hie world liku
•!|e thrill of discovering that u beau
tifi I young woman cares alout golf
Hie way you care? Collier's Weekly
The spots on a man’s reputation
lee’i about ten times larger to oibers
'hau himself.
f Help Your ^
] Kidneys
I p ***%
Den! Promptly Willi Kidney ]
Irregiilarilic.'!.
When bladder irritations,
getting up at night and con
stant backache keep you miser
, able, don’t take chances! Hein
your kidneys at the first sifrn
of disorder. Use Doan's Pills. |
Successful for more than SO
years. Endorsed by hundreds
of thouV.nds of grateful users,
’’old by dealers everywhere.
4 D/UPSTH,