A CHRISTMAS EVE WITH THE COWBOYS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2444, 10 March 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

A CHRISTMAS EVE WITH THE COWBOYS.

After a series of adventures during years of wandering in various parts of Mexico, I found myself, in tho spring of '85, witlv many others in the mining district of Sierra Carmel, with a fortune at our feet, for we had struck a claim that promised to be our El Dorado. But, alas for human wishes! 150 miles from tho nearest railway, and costing §60 to tho ton to transport the ore by pack mules and waggons, gave to tho proceedings a tone that could hardly be called encouraging,. The veins looked very well on top, and were of good width, but they invariably diminished as we ivonfc down on them, and at a depth of thirty to forty feet wo always "Mowed tho bottom out of her" as the minor's vernacular hath it, and struck the original limestone.

At tho end of uino months we were were what might have been termed a " busted community," and I can safely say that if ever I do another stroke of work on a mining claim, or do another day's prospecting, I hope—however, I ought not to growl, for I was, at the end, only §50 to r.he bad, whureas some of the fellows dropped into thousands.

With throe companions I left tbe mines, resolved on a shooting trip, and after three or four weeks spent in killing a few boars, panthers, wildcats, a great many deer and antelope, and any amount of wild turkey, ducks, and quail, I left the camp, which was about thirty miles from the nearest spot of civilisation, for tho purpose of getting an inkling into the state of tho outside world, and to raiso some stores; for, having had nothing but meat in namp for a week, our constitutions were getting , into a state of open revolt.

I arrived safely at a place called originally Eagle's Nest, but re-christened Langtry, in honour of the Jersey Lily. The city consisted of two houses and a railway station (a structure composed of one room containing a map of America). One of tho said houses was a saloon, nnd the other an establishment where flour, coffee, bacon, and other necessaries of life are exchanged for an abnormallv lurge (in proportion) quantity of tho lesral tender of the Great republic, over which the Biildhoaded E-itrle "lives, moves, and oars his beans," as the countryman said.

£ After laying in as much as I could carry on my horse, I was sboufc to sail out again, when to mysurprNol found it was Christmas Eve; so, changing my mind, I determined to eat my Christmas dinner with the man who keeps tho saloon—an original yclept " Roy Bean," who is also (as a legend displayed over the door informs the public) " Justiss of the Pees and Nofcra Publink, Procink No. OS, Pecos Co."

Within twenty miles of Langtry are two ranches, both belonging to large cattle companies, and, this being Christmas eve. all the cowboys that could get leave from their boss (also the majority of those that could not) rode into town for the purpose of having a spree and setting full of the very bad whisky sold on the frontier, the smell of which is enough to kill any ordinary mortal. It goes by various names, such as " pizen," " rough on rats." " frontier bug juice," " legal fc'.-nder," and mnnv others.

There happened to be hero two unlucky oimmnreuil travellers on their way from New Orleans to S! in Francisco, who had got. ofF.the train for some reason or othor, and had managed to ant left, behind, and of ci)ijr<f! hid to wail; for the next day's train. They were woll dressed, nndasa result were immediately sot down (is "divlos" (iiny man weurinsr good clnthe-i down hero so styled). Now, deep down iu the cowboy's broa-it is a feeling , of hitter antipathy aifninst all kindsand conditions of dudes. When the first batch of cowboys rode in, the dudes were standing in front of the saloon smoking their cheroots and iiski-ifj mo questions (in >i manner in which affibility and condescension were mixed in an amusing degree) about the risks and dangers of living and travelling in such a country.

I was filling tliem as full as I could, when suddenly I heard a yell, and a wild rush of horses, and the next moment , the " dudes" were writhing in the toils of six or seven lariats. The cowboys had no sooner caught sight of the hard-boiled hate and good clothes of the unfortunates, than they had swooped down on us in a headlong charge, like hawks on their prey. Of course the more the dudes kicked and struggled, the more wound up and entangled they got in the ropes, and, at last exhausted, they rolled over in the dust, mixed up with sand and horses' hoofs , whereupon their persecutors picked them up, and after distangling them, they were kindly invited into the saloon and set upon a table, and given there to understand that a song and dance would be immediately required of tliem. In vain the poor dudes protested that they were no singers and could not dance, at least nothing in the shape of a hornpipe. Then said their captors. " One of you can dance a kordrille, whilst the other toots for him." They protested that it took more than one man to dance a quadrille, and it rerinired appropriate music and a larger floor than the top of the table. One of the cowboys thun produced a watoli that looked as if it had not gone for many a day, and said that " if that kerdrille were not a movin' in a swingin , canter within thirty seconds, he would see how full of holes he could fill the top o' that table without a hittin' o' their feet." Another poked the muzzle of his pistol close to immaculate moustache of one of them and said, "Now, jest you turn yerself loose, aud tuue up with the orkstrer right away, or you won't need to use no raw toniorrer to shave with. Toot! He started to toot " When other lips and other hearts" in a very weak and piping voice. The other fellow engaged his feet in a.species of donble slmffie, though not until one hole had been bored in the table. It was one of the most ridiculous sights I ever witnessed. They kept up this kind of thing with more or less variation all the evening, and got as drunk as boiled owls, dudes and all. Those who were not stretched out on the floor wound up the entertainment at last by shooting out the lights, during which performance two of them got winged, both in the left arm—one above and one below the elbow —but one was too far gone to find it out until next morning. One of the bullets also strayed into a barrel of whisky, which all ran out on the floor. All hands then sat It into a peaceful and deep slumber, and soon afterwards the landlord sneaked around and relieved some of them or their arms. The next morning the same individual, in his capacity of " Jnstiss of the Pees." had them all arranged before him on a charge of disorderly conduct, and behaviour unbecoming a cowboy and a gentleman. He found them all guilty, and imposed a somewhat novel fine. Each one was compelled (1 to setup the drib for the crowd" (which means, to treat all hands.) As there were about twenty of us, the judge made a pretty good time of it. The keg of whiskey had also to be paid for.

The cowboys then started a subscription to get the dudes new clothes, thoso they had on boing ruined ; but they indignantly refused to take t saying that it was the merriest Christmas they had ever spent.