Sundown Slim

t which had stopped at the town of Antelope, and which was now rumbling and grumbling across the Arizona mesas. He was mildly irritated by a management that gave its passengers such negligent servic

exchange of compliments with an unseen rescuer, the door was pushed back and he leaped to the ground. He was a bit surprised to find, not the usual buc

ent. I couldn't see out

her up, so I took a chanct, seein' as I'm a

" said Sundown, estimating with experienced eye the possib

t in," commented the pu

t was," the tramp off

If the station door was open you could see clean through to New Mexico. They got about as

raightening his elongated frame,-he stood six-feet-four in

n you did," commented the p

om a hotel to a gradin'-camp. I cooked for high-collars and swalley-tails, and low-brows

pera

writ things nacheral; no high-fluted stuff like him. Why, say, pardner, I believe in writin' from the ground up, so folks can understand. Why, this country is sufferin' full of guys tryin' to pull all the G strings out of a harp to onct-when the

The Last Chance' and lubricate your works. I

m willin'

another?" queried the tramp. "I ain't all broke-

is on me. You're goin' to furnish the chaser

st, I guess I'll keep me change. I ain't a drinki

ould help defray his incidental expenses-indirectly, of course. Prospects were pretty thin just then. Two Mexican herders loafed at the other end of

id the puncher, wink

one lean shoulder as though defying th

a gent who

ied, the sa

s that?' the

hear it bef

with me,' he

stockyards

n' on the g

tired and

seen her st

om the cold,

hold-up ga

r pa laughe

no hold-up!'

side the fair

re gal of min

s call the s

ho onct had

s lid and l

maiden was

er's wink h

t word,' the

-bell, when yo

ng ceilingward, that the

trail over to Chola Charley's and prospect a tub of frijoles. The dinner-bell whe

w far is it to

' or g

oi

s, but there's nothin' do

the next rattler goin' west

Hearn tell that Jack Corliss wants a cook. Seems his ole stand-by Hi Wingle's gon

is place?" qu

es, straig

ared of each other in this here countr

Sundown on the back. "Come on,

the quantity of liquor consumed. After a given quantity has been consumed-varying

in a frog-waller," as one cowboy put it. "Which ain't insinooatin' that our hind legs is good to eat, either," remarked another. "He keeps right on smilin'," asserted the first speaker. "And takin' his smile," said the other. "Wonder what's his game? He sure is the lonesomest-lookin' cuss this side of that dead pine on Bald Butte, that I ev

tel. The rest of the happy and irresponsible punchers gravitated to the far end of the bar and proposed that they "have a little fun with the tall guy." One of them drew his gun a

who had released him from the box-car stated that he must be going, and amid protests and several challenges to have as many "one-mor

ps, held it poised, examined it with the eye of a connoisseur-of cattle-and remarked slowly: "Now, why didn't I think of it? Wonder

ce the speaker. "I was lookin' for a job, meself

hat's right queer. I know where a cook is need

om a hotel to a gradin'-ca

on' know. It'll take a pretty g

e job?" quer

and Sundown, eager to be f

continued the cowboy. "But say

xpressed disappointment. "I eat my own cookin' wh

l," stated the puncher, gazing at the end of

't," they

he good chuck to hold t

d Sundown. "In

m swell joints out in the desert. Kind o' what

!" volleyed

-like," continu

!" they

at the job pays

there'll be no trouble about the pay. And you'll ha

t!" concurre

efully at their hard, keen faces. They all seemed interested, even eager that he should find work. "Well, if it

the hill you'll see a ranch, 'way on. Keep right on fannin' it and you'll come to a sign that reads 'American Hotel.' That's her. Good water, fine

it was select-like

hand. "It's this way, pardner. That there hotel is run on the American style; if you got the price, you can have anything in the house

ck East," interr

ey're always stickin' their irons on some other

e. "It makes a guy feel happy when a bunch of strangers does him a good turn. You see I ain't got the chanct to get a job, like you fellas, me bein' a Bo. I had a pal onct-but He crossed over. He was the

the faces. "You ain't goin' t

n' any old time, and nights ain't bad-believe me. It's migh

wn the trail. You can't miss it," s

job and any of you boys come out to

he passed through the doorway. A cowb

lightnin'-rod back," sug

y miles to the water-hole ranch. When he gets a look at how far it is to-morrow mornin' he'll su