How Jack Rainey Quit.
"Customary, we has our social round-ups in the
Red Light," observed the Old Cattleman; "which I mentions once it
does us for a club. We're all garnered into said fold that time when
Dave Tutt tells us how this yere Jack Rainey quits out. "'Rainey
gets downed,' says Tutt, 'mainly because his system's obscoore, an'
it chances that a stranger who finds himse'f unmeshed tharin takes
it plumb ombrageous; an' pendin' explanations, gets tangled up with
a pard of Rainey's, goes to a gun play, an' all accidental an'
casooal Rainey wings his way to them regions of the blest. "'Now I
allers holds,' goes on Tutt, 'an' still swings an' rattles with that
decision, that it's manners to ask strangers to drink; an' that no
gent, onless he's a sky-pilot or possesses scrooples otherwise, has
a right to refoose. Much less has a gent, bein' thus s'licited to
licker, any license to take it hostile an' allow he's insulted, an'
lay for his entertainers with weepons.' "'Well, I don't know,
neither,' says Texas Thompson, who's a heap dispootatious an' allers
spraddlin' in on every chance for an argyment. 'Thar's a party, now
deceased a whole lot--the Stranblers over in Socorro sort o'
chaperones this yere gent to a cottonwood an' excloodes the air from
his lungs with a lariat for mebby it's an hour-an' this party I'm
alloodin' at, which his name is Fowler, is plumb murderous. Now,
it's frequent with him when he's selected a victim that a-way, an'
while he's bickerin' with him up to the killin' p'int, to invite
said sacrifice to take a drink. When they're ag'inst the bar, this
yere Fowler we-all strangles would pour out a glass of whiskey an'
chuck it in the eyes of that onfortunate he's out to down. Of
course, while this party's blind with the nose-paint, he's easy; an'
Fowler tharupon e'llects his skelp in manner, form an' time to suit
his tastes. Now I takes it that manners don't insist none on no gent
frontin' up to a bar on the invite of sech felons as Fowler, when a
drink that a-way means a speshul short-cut to the tomb.' "'All this
yere may be troo,' replies Tutt, 'but it's a exception. What I
insists is, Texas, that speakin' wide an' free an' not allowin' none
for sports of the Fowler brand, it's manners to ask strangers to
stand in on what beverages is goin'; that it's likewise manners for
said strangers to accept; an' it shows that both sides concerned
tharin is well brought up by their folks. Sech p'liteness is
manners, goin' an' comin', which brings me with graceful swoops back
to how Jack Rainey gets shot up.' "'But, after all,' breaks in Texas
ag'in, for he feels wranglesome, 'manners is frequent a question of
where you be. What's manners in St. Looey may be bad jedgment in
Texas; same as some commoonities plays straights in poker, while
thar's regions where straights is barred.'
"'Texas is dead right about his State that a-way,' says Jack Moore,
who's heedin' of the talk. 'Manners is a heap more inex'rable in
Texas than other places. I recalls how I'm galivantin' 'round in the
Panhandle country--it's years ago when I'm young an' recent--an' as
I'm ridin' along south of the Canadian one day, I discerns a pony
an' a gent an' a fire', an' what looks like a yearlin' calf tied
down. I knows the pony for Lem Woodruff's cayouse, an' heads over to
say "Howdy" to Lem. He's about half a mile away; when of a sudden he
stands up--he's been bendin' over the yearlin' with a runnin' iron
in his hand--an' gives a whoop an' makes some copious references
towards me with his hands. I wonders what for a game he's puttin'
up, an' whatever is all this yere sign-language likely to mean; but
I keeps ridin' for'ard. It's then this Woodruff steps over to his
pony, an' takin' his Winchester off the saddle, cuts down with it in
my direction, an' onhooks her--"Bang!" The bullet raises the dust
over about fifty yards to the right. Nacherally I pulls up my pony
to consider this conduct. While I'm settin' thar tryin' to figger
out Woodruff's system, thar goes that Winchester ag'in, an' a streak
of dust lifts up, say, fifty yards to the left. I then sees Lem
objects to me. I don't like no gent to go carpin' an' criticisin' at
me with a gun; but havin' a Winchester that a-way, this yere
Woodruff can overplay me with only a six-shooter, so I quits him an'
rides contemptuous away. As I withdraws, he hangs his rifle on his
saddle ag'in, picks up his runnin' iron all' goes back content an'
all serene to his maverick.'" "What is a maverick?" I asked,
interrupting my friend in the flow of his narration. "Why, I
s'posed," he remarked, a bit testily at being halted, "as how even
shorthorns an' tenderfeet knows what mavericks is. Mavericks, son,
is calves which gets sep'rated from the old cows, their mothers, an'
ain't been branded none yet. They're bets which the round-ups
overlooks, an' don't get marked. Of course, when they drifts from
their mothers, each calf for himse'f, an' no brands nor y'ear marks,
no one can tell whose calves they be. They ain't branded, au' the
old cows ain't thar to identify au' endorse 'em, an' thar you stands
in ignorance. Them's mavericks. "It all comes," he continued in
further elucidation of mavericks, "when cattle brands is first
invented in Texas. The owners, whose cattle is all mixed up on the
ranges, calls a meetin' to decide on brands, so each gent'll know
his own when he crosses up with it, an' won't get to burnin' powder
with his neighbors over a steer which breeds an' fosters doubts.
After every party announces what his brand an' y'ear mark will be,
all' the same is put down in the book, a old longhorn named Maverick
addresses the meetin', an' puts it up if so be thar's no objection,
now they all has brands but him, he'll let his cattle lope without
markin', an' every gent'll savey said Maverick's cattle because they
won't have no brand. Cattle without brands, that a-way, is to belong
to Maverick, that's the scheme, an' as no one sees no reason why
not, they lets old Maverick's proposal go as it lays.
"An' to cut her short, for obv'ous reasons, it ain't no time before
Maverick, claimin' all the onbranded cattle, has herds on herds of
'em; whereas thar's good authority which states that when he makes
his bluff about not havin' no brand that time, all the cattle old
Maverick has is a triflin' bunch of Mexican steers an' no semblances
of cows in his outfit. From which onpromisin', not to say barren,
beginnin', Maverick owns thousands of cattle at the end of ten
years. It all provokes a heap of merriment an' scorn. An' ever since
that day, onmarked an' onbranded cattle is called 'mavericks.' But
to go back ag'in to what Jack Moore is remarkin' about this yere
outlaw, Woodruff, who's been bustin' away towards Jack with his
Winchester.
"'It's a week later,' goes on Jack Moore, 'when I encounters this
sport Woodruff in Howard's store over in Tascosa. I stands him up
an' asks whatever he's shootin' me up for that day near the Serrita
la Cruz.
"'" Which I never sees you nohow," replies this yere Woodruff.
laughin'. "I never cuts down on you with no Winchester, for if I
did, I'd got you a whole lot. You bein' yere all petulant an'
irritated is mighty good proof I never is shootin' none at you, But
bein' you're new to the Canadian country an' to Texas, let me give
you a few p'inters on cow ettyquette an' range manners. Whenever you
notes a gent afar off with a fire goin' an' a yearlin' throwed an'
hawg-tied ready to mark up a heap with his own private
hieroglyphics, don't you-all go pesterin' 'round him. He ain't good
company, sech a gent ain't. Don't go near him. It's ag'in the law in
Texas to brand calves lonely an' forlorn that a-way, without
stoppin' to herd 'em over to some well-known corral, an' the
punishment it threatens, bein' several years in Huntsville, makes a
gent when he's violatin' it a heap misanthropic, an' he don't hunger
none for folks to come ridin' up to see about whatever he reckons
he's at. Mebby later them visitors gets roped up before a co't, or
jury, to tell whatever they may know. So, as I says, an' merely
statin' a great trooth in Texas ettyquette, yereafter on beholdin' a
fellow-bein' with a calf laid out to mark, don't go near him a
little bit. It's manners to turn your back onto him an' ignore him
plumb severe. He's a crim'nal, an' any se'f-respectin' gent is
jestified in refoosin' to affiliate with him. Wherefore, you ride
away from every outcast you tracks up ag'inst who is engaged like
you says this onknown party is the day he fetches loose his
Winchester at you over by the Serrita la Cruz."
"That's what this Woodruff says," concloodes Jack, windin' up his
interruption, "about what's manners in Texas; an' when it's made
explicit that away, I sees the force of his p'sition. Woodruff an'
me buys nose-paint for each other, shakes hearty, an' drops the
discussion. But it shorely comes to this: manners, as Texas
declar's, is sometimes born of geography, an' what goes for polish
an' the p'lite play in St. Looey may not do none for Texas.'
"'Mighty likely,' says Old Man Enright, 'what Texas Thompson an'
Jack Moore interjecks yere is dead c'rrect; but after all this
question about what's manners is 'way to one side of the main trail.
I tharfore su'gests at this crisis that Black Jack do his best with
a bottle, an' when every gent has got his p'ison, Dave Tutt proceeds
for'ard with the killin' of this Jack Rainey.' "'Goin' on as to said
Rainey,' observes Tutt, followin' them remarks of Enright, 'as I
explains when Texas an' Moore runs me down with them interestin'
outbreaks, Rainey gets ag'inst it over in a jimcrow camp called
Lido; an' this yere is a long spell ago. "'Rainey turns in an'
charters every bar in Lido, an' gets his brand onto all the nose-
paint. He's out to give the camp an orgy, an' not a gent can spend a
splinter or lose a chip to any bar for a week. Them's Jack Rainey's
commands. A sport orders his forty drops, an' the barkeep pricks it
onto a tab; at the end of a week Jack Rainey settles all along the
line, an' the "saturnalia," as historians calls 'em, is over. I
might add that Jack Rainey gives way to these yere charities once a
year, an the camp of Lido is plumb used tharto an' approves tharof.
"'On this sad o'casion when Jack Rainey gets killed, this yore
excellent custom he invents is in full swing. Thar's notices printed
plenty big, an' posted up in every drink-shop from the dance hall to
the Sunflower saloon; which they reads as follows RUIN! RUIN! RUIN!
CUT LOOSE!
JACK RAINEY MAKES GOOD
ALL DRINKS
FOR
ONE WEEK. NAME YOUR POISON!
"'At this yere time, it's about half through Jack Rainey's week,
an' the pop'lace of Lido, in consequence, is plumb happy an'
content. They're holdin' co't at the time; the same bein' the first
jestice, legal, which is dealt out in Lido.'
"'An' do you--all know,' puts in Dan Boggs, who's listenin' to Tutt,
'I'm mighty distrustful of co'ts. You go to holdin' of 'em, an' it
looks like everybody gets wrought up to frenzy ontil life where them
forums is held ain't safe for a second. I shall shorely deplore the
day when a co't goes to openin' its game in Wolfville. It's "adios"
to liberty an' peace an' safety from that time.'
"'You can go a yellow stack,' remarks Texas Thompson, who sets than
plumb loquacious an' locoed to get in a speech, 'that Boggs sizes up
right about them triboonals. They'rc a disturbin' element in any
commoonity. I knowed a town in Texas which is that peaceful it's
pastoral--that's what it is, it's like a sheep-fold, it's so mcck
an' easy--ontil one day they ups an' plays a co't an' jedge an' jury
on that camp; rings in a herd of law sharps, an' a passel of rangers
with Winchesters to back the deal. The town's that fretted tharat it
gets full of nose-paint to the brim, an' then hops into the street
for gen'ral practice with its guns. In the mornin' the round-up
shows two dead an' five wounded, an' all for openin' co't on an
outfit which is too frail to stand the strain of so much justice to
stand onexpected.' "'As I'm engaged in remarkin',' says Tutt, after
Boggs an' Texas is redooced to quiet ag'in--Tutt bein' married most
likely is used to interruptions, an' is shore patient that a-way--
'as I states, they're holdin' co't, an' this day they emancipates
from prison a party named Caribou Sam. They tries to prove this
Caribou Sam is a hoss-thief, but couldn't fill on the draw, an' so
Caribou works free of 'em an' is what they calls "'quitted."
"'As soon as ever the marshal takes the hobbles off this Caribou
Sam--he's been held a captif off some'ers an' is packed into Lido
onder gyard to be tried a lot--this yore malefactor comes bulgin'
into the Sunflower an' declar's for fire-water. The barkeep deals to
him, an' Caribou Sam is assuaged.
"'When he goes to pay, a gent who's standin' near shoves back his
dust, an' says: "This is Jack Rainey's week--it's the great annyooal
festival of Jack Rainey, an' your money's no good."
"'"But I aims to drink some more poco tiempo," says this Caribou
Sam, who is new to Lido, an' never yet hears of Jack Rainey an' his
little game, "an' before I permits a gent to subsidize my thirst,
an' go stackin' in for my base appetites, you can gamble I want to
meet him an' make his acquaintance. Where is this yere sport Jack
Rainey, an' whatever is he doin' this on?"
"'The party who shoves Caribou's dinero off the bar, tells him he
can't pay, an' explains the play, an' exhorts him to drink free an'
frequent an' keep his chips in his war-bags.
"'"As I tells you," says this party to Caribou, "my friend Jack
Rainey has treed the camp, an' no money goes yere but his till his
further commands is known. Fill your hide, but don't flourish no
funds, or go enlargin' on any weakness you has for buyin' your own
licker. As for seein' Jack Rainey, it's plumb impossible. He's got
too full to visit folks or be visited by 'em; but he's upsta'rs on
some blankets, an' if his reason is restored by tomorry, you sends
up your kyard an' pays him your regyards--pendin' of which social
function, take another drink. Barkeep, pump another dose into this
stranger, an' charge the same to Jack."
"'"This yere sounds good," says Caribou Sam, "but it don't win over
me. Ontil I sees this person Rainey, I shall shorely decline all
bottles which is presented in his name. I've had a close call about
a bronco I stole to-day, an' when the jury makes a verdict that
they're sorry to say the evidence ain't enough to convict, the jedge
warns me to be a heap careful of the company I maintains. He exhorts
me to live down my past, or failin' which he'll hang me yet. With
this bluff from the bench ringin' in my years, I shall refoose
drinks with all onknown sots, ontil I sees for myse'f they's proper
characters for me to be sociable with. Tharfore, barkeep, I renoo my
determination to pay for them drinks; at the same tune, I orders
another round. Do you turn for me or no?" "'"Not none you don't,"
says the friend of Jack Rainey. "You can drink, but you can't pay--
leastwise, you-all can't pay without gettin' all sort o' action on
your money. This Rainey you're worried about is as good a gent as
me, an' not at all likely to shake the standin' of a common hoss-
thief by merely buyin' his nose-paint."
"'"Mine is shorely a difficult p'sition," says Caribou Sam. "What
you imparts is scarce encouragin.' If this yere Rainey ain't no
improvement onto you, I absolootely weakens on him an' turns aside
from all relations of his proposin'. I'm in mighty bad report as the
game stands, an' I tharfore insists ag'in on payin' for my own war
medicine, as bein' a move necessary to protect my attitoodes before
the public."
With thesc yere observations, Caribou Sam makes a bluff at the
barkeep with a handful of money. In remonstratin', Jack Rainey's
pard nacherally pulls a gun, as likewise does Caribou Sam. Thar's
the customary quantity of shootin', an' while neither Caribou nor
his foe gets drilled, a bullet goes through the ceilin' an' sort o'
sa'nters in a careless, indifferent way into pore Jack Rainey, where
he's bedded down an' snorin' up above.
"'Shore, he's dead, Rainey is,' concloodes Dave, 'an' his ontimely
takin' off makes Lido quit loser for three days of licker free as
air. He's a splendid, gen'rous soul, Jack Rainey is; an' as I says
at the beginnin', he falls a sacrifice to his love for others, an'
in tryin' at his own expense to promote the happiness an' lift them
burdens of his fellow-men.'
"'This yere miscreant, Caribou,' says Texas Thompson, 'is a mighty
sight too punctilious about them drinks; which thar's no doubt of
it. Do they lynch him?'
"'No,' says Tutt; 'from the calibre of the gun which fires the lead
that snatches Rainey from us, it is cl'ar that it's the gent who's
contendin' with Caribou who does it, Still public opinion is some
sour over losin' them three days, an' so Caribou goes lopin' out of
Lido surreptitious that same evenin', an' don't wait none on
Rainey's obsequies. Caribou merely sends regrets by the barkeep of
the Sunflower, reiterates the right to pay for them drink, an' Lido
sees him no more.'"