THE GENTLEMAN EMIGRANT

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3055, 13 February 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE GENTLEMAN EMIGRANT

Txirke months ago the Hon. Horace Greenfield went out to America to seek his fortune. He has just returned—and without the fortune. Being the younger son of a peer of limited means, the Hon. Horace had been brought up with a view to the family living; but when, just as his university career was drawing to a

close, his aunt died and left him a couple of thousand pounds, he relinquished the idea of taking orders, and determined to go out to the Far West in search of adventures and wealth, and he persuaded two of his father's servants —a groom and a gardner—'to accompany him. So with nearly £2000 in his pocket, an outfit that would last a lifetime— most of it could never be utilised where he was going—two servants and three dogs, he embarked for the United States. After a quick ' passage he arrived in New York, and here he met his first disappointment. The very next morning, a few minutes before starting on his journey westwards, his greom notified him that their relations of master and servant had ceased.

" How is that ?" asked Horace. " Well, you see, sir," said the servant, who was an Irishman, " I have an uncle in this city who is a great politician. I went to see him last night, and he says if I'll stay here he'll make me a p'liceman in ten days. He says as a berth on the p'lice force is worth a salary of £20 per month, and a lot of outside money to a smart chap as ain't too partickler."

So the Hon. Horace was compelled to go on his way without ':he groom, although it had cost him

about £30 to tit him out and pay his passage. He had already been in negotiation for a small ranch near Helena, Texas, and it was thither that he was going. On arriving at Austin he found that there was no train for twenty-four hours, and accordingly he put up at the Shooters' Hotel. Here he came in contact for the first time with a ' genuine Texan," who greeted him with the modest stereotyped formula —"Marning, stranger ! Hain't seen you hereabout afore. Glad to get 'quainted wi' you, Come to settle 1 What's your biz? Corue and take something." Young Greenfield met a number of these gentry during the day, and being a frank unsuspecting young fellow, he readily opened his heart to theni and told them of his prospects, his hopes, and his intentions. They treated him kindly, always inviting him to drink, but generally leaving him to settle the bill. In the morning his remaining servant came and begged to be released from his service, stating that a nursery garden in the town had been offered to him, and that, as he had saved sufficient money to enable him to invest in it, he thought that his chances would be better in an independent vocation than in service.

" Are you prepared to reimburse me for my expenses in bringing you here ?' asked Horace. " I can't afford that, sir," was the reply.

"Very well," said Greenfield; " I can't prevent you going. The only creatures that are faithful to me are my dogs. It cost me £60 to equip and bring you two men out, and you desert me at the first opportunity. You can go." Attended by his three dogs, the young man continued on his journey to Helena, and the next day went to view the ranch which he contemplated purchasing. Things there were not exactly as he had been led to expect, but they were not so bad as to cause him to change his mind. The handsome two-storey dwelling —a photograph of which had been shown to him in London—turned out to be a combination of stable and cattle shed, with a loft which had been used by the last owner as his habitation. The soil was fairly fertile, and the pasture good ; but the broad deep river which he expected to find flowing in front of the building was in reality only a gully a few feet wide, down which water did slowly trickle in the winter, but which was perfectly dry during the summer months. However, he was not discouraged, and having obtained a concession in the price, he paid the first instalment of the purchase money. ! Then he brought out his three dogs and all his portmanteaus, and took possession of the loft over the j stable. Two days later he became I the possessor of a horse and a mule, paying a price for them that made his neighbours smile when they heard of it. Every man in the locality now called and offered to sell to him " cheap " many implements and animals which they did not need, but without which, they said, he could not possibly get along. One individual, whom he had previously met in A.u.*tin, came from a distant ranch, and begged him to go and see some cattle he hacl to sell. Now cattle were what Horace wai.ted; and, believing himself to be a fair judge of them, he mounted his horse and rode away with his new acquaintance. After a ride of about twenty miles they reached an enclosed tract of land, upon v/hich over a hundred head of stock were grazing, unattended by cowboys. "I tell you, stranger," said the Texan, reining in his horse and looking over the fence, " thar be the finest beasts in this State, and they're to be sold as cheap as dirt— thirty dollars per head all round."

Horace could see at a glance that there was no deception here ; they were really fine animals, and in fairly good condition. " How many are there?" he asked.

"One hundred and fifty," replied the ranchman. "In six months from now, with the pasture you've got, they'll have put on three hundred pounds of flesh apiece; and you know what money that means."

The two men tied their horses to the fence, climbed over it, and ! walked among the animals. It was much the best herd that Horace had seen in Texas: and as it appeared to him that in u few months he could make a handsome profit out of the transaction, he announced his intention of buying the lot. " Done with you, stranger!" cried the Texan, shaking hands energetically with young Greenfield; and now we'll jist trot into Austin and drink to yoursuccess. Ido the treating."

They rode into Austin, and, going to the hotel at which Horece had stopped a few days before, drank to the young Englishman's success in two quarts of champagne, for which the generous Texan paid lOdol a bottle. When the wine was consumed, the ranchman said: " The sun' 11 be getting low, young man, before yer git them cattle home. You'd better start. Whar'a your money I—in bank, I think you said." Horace nodded.

" Go and git it," the Texan continued ; " and when you've parsed it over you can take the cattle. One hundred and fifty time thirty is forty-five hundred ; that's what you want, and a trifle to pay some boys to help you drive the cattle home." Horace went to the bank (he had deposited his money here when last in A ustin, there being no such institution as a bank in Helena), drew out the necessary amount, and, returning to the hotel, paid the purchase-money and took a receipt. Then the Texan told him to go and hire two cowboys to help him to drive the cattle home and to bring them out to the ranch ;to which he himself would at once ride on and order his lads to get the animals together, so that no time need be wasted.

Horace had no difficulty in finding two mounted men willing to help him to drive his purchases to his ranch, and attended by them he trotted off in hopes of overtaking his new friend. But he arrived at the fields where the cattle were grazing without doing so, and, furthermore, on his arrival, could peroeive no sign of the Texan. He waited a few minutes, then said to one of the cowboys : " Its odd that Mr Philpott isn't here. How can we get them out ?"

" Can't do it," was the laconic reply. " Rope's too plentiful hereabouts to be driving away cattle without the owner's consent. 1 know old Philpott; he ain't to be trifled with. What have you got to show you bought 'em 1" Horace held out his receipt; and each of the cowboys looked at it. " That's right enough," said one of them; "he'll be here soon, 1 guess."

But they waited half nn hour, and he did not come ; so Horace, thoroughly angry and impatient, smashed the lock on the gate, and rode into the enclosure, followed by his two attendants. He had, he said, paid for the stock, and he was going to take them.

Then the three cantered off in different directions to bring the animals together. But while they were so employed the report of a rifle caused them to scan the country, and they perceived three men galloping towards them. " Them's Philpott's boys," said one of Horace's new employes; " we'll wait for 'em."

And they sat still upon their horses until three men, each holding a revolver in his right hand, rode up and asked, in no very polite language, what they were doing with the cattle.

" I'm going to take them to my ranch," said Greenfield. " I've bought and paid for them." " Guess you ain't bought these animals, stranger," was the reply. " They belong to our old man ; and when he hears you've bin trying to drive 'em off he'll be in favour of showing you how we treat cattle thieves out here. But you don't look like a thief, nohow ! "

" He ain't no thief," said another, " he's a green furrinur." " Did the»e cattle belong to Ezekiel Philpott?" asked Horace. "They did and they do," was the reply. " I have his receipt for the purchase money," continued Greenfield, offering them the paper. The three cowboys read it; then the one who appeared to be leader said: "Stranger you'll have to come and see the old man. His name's Ezekiel Philphott; but he never signed the receipt, for a bullet happened into his elbow two weeks ago, and he's bin in bed ever since. He couldn't hold a pen to save his life."

With vague feelings of uneasiness the Hon- Horace allowed himself to be conducted to the residence of Ezekiel Philpott, which was about three miles away. Arrived here, he was left in charge of the others while the leader went and explained the situation to his master. In a few miuules the young Englishman was summoned to the presence of Mr Philpott, whom ho found lying in bed. After saluting Horace with a savage glare, ho said:

'• Perhaps, young man you can explain why you tried to drive off my cattle? Sam says you bought 'em from some one."

" And so I did," Horace replied, and at once gave a full account ol the transaction.

" Waal, stranger," said the wounded ranchman, " that beats anything I ever heerd ! That man as you paid that money to ain't got no more to do with them cattle than the Emperor of China has. Now, look here, my lad. I'm nigh on to sixty years old, and I've bin out here thirty, and what I don't know about these parts ain't worth knowing. Take my advice. Go home and stay thar. This ain't no country for you, and ef you stay you'll only come to grief. A man as will give five thousand dollars to a stranger in exchange for a scrap of paper ain't going to git on hereabouts. You shall sleep here tonight, stranger, and I'll treat you hospitably ; but, take my advice, set out for home to-morrow."

And when that night Horace lay on the hard bed in the old Texan's house, the rectory on his father's estate appeared in a more desirable light than it ever had before, and he came to the conclusion that a country parson's life was better than a ranchman's. He has returned home without the anticipated fortune and minus his aunt's legacy.— ' St. James's Gazette.'