Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 153: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

aymond S. Spears Author of ‘‘Taking Hold,” “Through Fire,” etc. R. ROLAND HAWTHORN, alias Tierail, despised sheep, tolerated cattle and worked, 7) when he was inspired, on some horse-ranch or other, Like some poets and artists, he needed real inspiration if he was moved to toil. But with the mood in its full glory, no man ever had much edge on Tierail. He rode horses the way a canoe rides white water rapids. He sat a saddle the way a rogue cougar sits a tree-trunk over a deer runway. By his touch and his low, compeling voice he soothed the maddest sunfisher, and had even quieted a nervous wreck of horse-flesh down wind from a big cinnamon bear. Mr. Roland Hawthorn—he was always listed that way on announcements of rodeos—had several faults of his own. They spoiled not only the high opinion with which people regarded him, but they hurt his own self-pride; unhappily, however, he felt powerless to overcome any of his bad habits. The list was so formidable that it did seem to a good many of the Red Desert inhabi- tants that he might have dispensed with some of his unforgivable evil ways. He had a quick, mean temper toward humans. He had killed three men—drag- ging one with a lasso. If he loved a horse that belonged to some other man, he would steal it if he couldn’t buy it. He would ride into town, and, having drunk too much strong liquor, would put his horse through performances that included taking it into the leading hotel,’ or to the railroad res- taurant, or—on one memorable occasion— going into the Tabernacle of Saints and Missions. He killed one interrupting town marshal, and would have been hanged but for the fact that his temporary employer was a power in public opinion, as well as in the raising of horse-flesh. ‘Tierail was just plumb careless. As if these disturbances of the peace were not sufficient, he put himself in the way of suspicion of pestering sheep-herders. In fact, one night he brought suspicion on him- self of having herded sheep at some time by coming into town with a hundred head of the woolies, which he sold. Now any- body who can drive sheep from horseback just has to know how. He needs experi- ence. When, afterward, it was discovered that Tierail had actually stolen those sheep—well, people rejoiced when he was jailed for six months on the charge. He could have stolen cattle, which he probably did, and horses, which he surely did, without falling so low in public opinion. Incidentily, he associated with trifling members of the old Hole-in-the-Wall hangers on—mean waysiders, trifling trash. But, come riding day, Mr. Roland Haw- thorn actually could walk out of jail, with- out even his word of honor, to take part in the proceedings. The sheep-men, the cattle- men, the horsemen, whatever their personal ideas about one another, joined in allowing Tierail to ride—for the joy of mankind. I51 Go DOOLK (C©@