Image provided by: Rogue River Valley Irrigation District; Medford, OR
About Central Point herald and Southern Oregon news. (Central Point, Or.) 1917-19?? | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1917)
THE SKY LOVE SIGN A Story of Central Oregon Sy Jlrr JFranhlitt CHAPTER 1 (Continued from last week) " T R O U B L E was brewing for two days, but Billie did not realize the full e x ten t A o f their jealousy, so was ta ken unaw are. It all happened on Thursday afternoon. The " s e p a r a to r ” broke down ju s t before noon. They had to send to town, fourteen miles away, for a new part, which meant th a t the crew would be laid off for the rest of the day. The chance the men had been wanting was now offered. In a small pasture adjoining the barn was a bunch of horses ju s t rounded up on the fall ride. The boss wanted some of them broke to ride, anyway, so why not persuade the Southerner to try his limited skill as a “ broncho b u ste r” on one o f these wild b ru te s" While Billie was peacefully resting an a pile of sacked wheat new from the ihresher, the crew was secretly plotting against the only man in the crowd th a t was making any progress towards winning the teacher. They laid their plans well amid sneers and subdued, but sarcastic, laughter. When all was done the plotters were content to sit in the shade of the barn and wait for th e time for th eir intended victim to appear again, but the Southerner slept on innocent of the fate th a t awaited him. His lithe, slender body lay in the attitu de of peace ful repose. A faint smile w reathed his much tanned face, as though he were dream ing a sweet dream. Was he dreaming of the “ home” for which he had hoped and worked these long four years on the spot he had learned to love— “ Dixie R anch” ? But there was the girl—the idol of his thoughts ! And he well understood th a t it took more than a ranch and horses and cattle to make a “ hom e.” So he may have been d r e a m in g - p ro b a b ly was—of a winsome girl with a bloom on her soft cheeks th a t made him think of the roses he used to see in the Southland, and lips th a t reminded him of the red rosebuds in May. And because of her the jealous crew had plotted against the Southerner. Tiring of waiting longer for him, they decided to arouse the Southerner. One of the men w ent into the barn and caught the slumberer by the feet, d ra g ging him to the edge of the pile of sacked wheat. The Tennesseean took this in good humor and joined the crowd for another smoke. Presently one of the men remarked, “ This gs a slow b u nch .” “ Well, l e t’s have a little excitem ent or sport of some kind,” put in another. Then several together, “ T h a t’s w h at I say ! W h a t’ll we do !” “ L e t ’s have a bucking c o n te s t! ” shouted an innocent looking fellow. All but the S outherner enthusiastically shout'-d a hearty approval. W hat a happy suggestion ! But who would ride first? Several looked towards Billie, who was now standing erect in the mi.1st of the pressing plotters. He was coolly tw isting his carefully trained mustache to a needle point at the ends. He wore sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a big, bright-blue silk scarf loosely arranged about his neck. He looked the men s tra ig h t in the eye, as if he read their vicious intent, but his mien was th a t of reckless abandon. “ S u re ! Billie’s the man to ride first! H e ’s a ‘buckaroo’ !H e’ll ride” ! they shouted in a chorus. Thus they began, but of course the Southerner saw into the game at once. One m ight have thought the jealous harvest hands were Lilliputians to see his annoying indifference; but the pent-up resentm ent of the plotters knew no bounds on this hot October afternoon. They coaxed and flattered him; they teased and taunted him with patient determination. Now, the Southerner had been through the initiation period th a t the tend er foot usually has to pass through before he learns th a t the wild horses of E a st ern Oregon are not like o th er horses. He had learned his lesson from pretty d ear experience four y ears before. He had found from th a t dear experience th a t all his past knowledge of riding well-trained horses, even the spirited, hot blooded Blue Grass horses, th a t he had attained in the South, availed him little when it came to breaking a “ bunch-grass” horse. He knew, too, th a t he had come West too late in life to learn to take the punishment and master the fasci nating a r t (as it is) of broncho-busting. So he had been content to allow the younger men to make the a rt a specialty and win the championships. However, he had ridden enough to have the reputation of having nerve, though he was still in the beginners’ class. But on the one essential point of “ n erve” he was a m aster horseman. Of this he was conscious himself, and he was sensitive to any hint th a t indicated doubt on this point. There was another point about which the Southerner had some very firmly fixed opinions—fair play. When the th resher hands were trying to persuade him to ride—and merely for revenge—they found him obstinate. But they finally ran a big, clumsy marc of the d rau g h t type into the corral, thinking to g e t Billie to try this awkward animal as a beginning. H alf of them agreed to ride next if he would only try riding this clumsy mare. This began to sound like fair play, so the Southerner got out his “ riggin. ” They furnished him with a pair of sp urs—something he had found quite unnecessary with the will ing, nervy range ho rses—and he prepared for the ride while they saddled the mare. When all was ready Billie climbed aboard, put the spurs to the frightened animal and “ fan n ed ” her with his big hat; but the best he could g e t out of her was a few "sh eep jumps. ” A fter g ettin g the mare wet with sw eat he dis mounted. He h a d n 't more than hit the ground till the bunch began to taunt him and coax him to try another, saying, “ T h a t ’s g e ttin g off too ea sy ” . But the Southerner paid little attention to this. He walked over to the faucet a t the w atering trough and quenched his thirst. He then deliberately pulled off the spurs and chaps and stretched out comfortably in the shade of the barn to rest. The bunch Icept tantalizing him, however. A fter awhile they ran a young gelding into the corral. Then they began to flatter the Southerner on his "fine riding” and solemnly swore he could easily ride this one " i f he rides him as well as he did the m a r e .” Seeing th a t there was only one way to end this nagging, he finally agreed to ride on the specific condition th a t it would be the last time they would ask him to ride. To this the crowd readily agreed, too readily in fa c t to impress him th a t they were sincere, but there was no backing down now. The slender Southerner once more donned his chaps and adjusted the big, aw kward spurs to his boots. The gelding was a trim, active looking animal. Billie knew it m eant a hard ride for him. Indeed, the horse proved so hard to saddle th a t they finally had to g e t their rawhides and throw him. I t took a number of trials to bring the wily animal down. When the saddle was adjusted and the stirrups ready Billie coolly seated himself on the p ro s trate horse. At the word “ Ready!” they took off the blind and released the scared horse. The rider went up with th e horse amid shouts from the spectators. This was beginning to suit them . For about tw enty minutes Billie dug the long rowels into the horse’s sides, determined to m ake the anim al do his worst and have it over. The crowd continued to laugh and yell and crack jokes a t the om estead er’s expense for "pulling le a th e r,” though they had given him this special privilege. And they were determined, also, to make the horse do his worst. Those on the top of the corral were yelling and waving th eir hats; those inside were throwing hats a t the bucking horse or lariats across in front of or behind the rider as the frightened horse circled and turned. Though he didn’t do any fancy riding, and had to “ pull le a th e r" more than once, the rider was not unseated. The crowd had evidently enjoyed this ride, but the Southerner was puzzled and not a little annoyed to plainly read an expression of disappointment in all faces. He hesitated to dismount. He did not yet realize the full e x te n t of their animosity. A f te r giving the horse a chance to get his wind, the torm entors once more sta rte d the nervy animal around the corral. They laughed and shouted again, and threw hats and lariats a t the tired horse. Billie saw th eir detei mination, and dug the long rowels into the horse’s bleeding sides, against his own con science, but to make the weary animal buck some more, if possible, to satisfy the jealous men; but only a few jumps was th eir rew ard for this added pun ishment. The Southerner had conquered his mount. Again he dismounted, pulled off the big spurs and chaps, and w ent over to the faucet to moisten his parched mouth and quench his craving for w ater. He then stretched out in the shade of the barn to cool off and re s t his now very tired legs; but this time he had the satisfaction of knowing th a t he had not only done ve~y well for a man of his experience, but th .t he had also defeated the ill design of his rivals. The nagging would surely stop now, but he noticed th a t nothing was being done or said fu rth er about doing any riding themselves. He felt th a t this was an ill omen, but he was altogether too hot and tired to care much. 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