Newbrassky

[Delmonico]

Delmonico hopes Slim can 'splain fast, he needs help with the brandin".   Sides that he's kinda fond of his Tigerstripe maple rollin' pin.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Slim, the misses, and the kids come out of the tent. Slim gives Delmonico the rolling pin back. The misses and kids put there things in the wagon. Slim gives each kid a hug and kiss as they climb into the wagon. He helps the misses into the wagon seat, gives her a kiss, and says his goodbyes. The misses heads the wagon northeast. "I'll see ya Thursday night."

"Delmonico, let's get some grub so we can start branding some beeves."

[Delmonico]

As Slim was in the tent, Little Joe (the Wrangler, not Cartwright) comes ridin' up in a hurry.   
He comes up and tells Delmonico somethin' and points North.

Delmonico hollers, "Slim we got problems up north of here.  Quick connect to this link and have a look."

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/displayPhoto.pl?path=/award/nbhips/lca/122&topImages=12299r.jpg&topLinks=12299v.jpg&displayProfile=0&title=%22Settlers%20taking%20the%20law%20in%20their%20own%20hands--cutting%20fence%20on%20old%20Brighton%20Ranch.%22&m856s=$dnbhips$f12299&dir=ammem&itemLink=D?psbib:1:./temp/~ammem_uXQj::

[Silver Creek Slim]

"Don't think we have much to worry about. They can't cut much wire with wood scissors." 

[Delmonico]

Mutterin' to himself Delmonico goes off tha cook supper.  "Durn Slim's more clever than I thought, but bet he don't know why they used wooden wire cutters in the picture!" 

"And I bet Mr. Google won't tell him."

[Silver Creek Slim]

I would think they would have gotten arrested for having wire cutters on someone else's fence.

[Delmonico]

Just like a runnin' irun, just possesin' them were a felony, if the law got ya first.

Other wise telagraph poles could be used instead of trees.  

[Silver Creek Slim]

"Well, boys, it is time to roundup some of the beeves and get a fire started outside of camp, cuz Delmonico don't wanna share his cookin' fire with us.  It's branding time!  "

[Delmonico]

Mutterin' under his breath Delmoico wonders why Slim would even think 'bout draggin a cow inta the cook camp, 'less he wanted cow poop in his supper.

[Silver Creek Slim]

"I love the smell of burnt hide in the mornin.'" 

[Silver Creek Slim]

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And, he brands cattle. 

[Silver Creek Slim]

Slim and the hands head out early to continue branding the beeves.

[Delmonico]

As Slim was headin' out Delmonico hollors to him, "Ya there was a Santa Claus and he did used ta brand cattle, but I hate ta have ya break the news ta yer 18 kids, Santa Claus was eaten by grasshoppers.  Newbrassky is a rough place."


http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/displayPhoto.pl?path=/award/nbhips/lca/126&topImages=12600r.jpg&topLinks=12600v.jpg&displayProfile=0&title=Ephriam%20Swain%20Finch%20demonstrating%20how%20he%20attempted%20to%20kill%20grasshoppers%20in%201876..&m856s=$dnbhips$f12600&dir=ammem&itemLink=D?psbib:1:./temp/~ammem_n5K5::

[Silver Creek Slim]

 

[Delmonico]

Be careful Slim, there was a roundup boss dissapeared last year down on the South Loup.  Him and the whole crew dissapeared.  Even the remuda.  All they found was a bunch a grasshoppers hangin' round camp, they was usin' brandin' iruns fer stakes and playin' horse shoes.  But that wasn't the really sacary part.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Alright, what was the real scary part?

Slim

[Delmonico]

They t'we're pickin thar teeth with'n horseshoe nails and a braidin' horse hair ropes.

[Silver Creek Slim]

  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I'm alright, now.

  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Delmonico]

"Just keep a smokey fire goin' and ya shouldn't have any trouble with grasshoppers, till ya get in yer bedroll and have grasshopper dreams."

[Silver Creek Slim]

"Bring another beef o'er here. This iron ain't smokin' enough to keep the locusts away." 

[Delmonico]

Since Delmonico knows he's got Slim a bit skeered of the grasshoppers which are really Rocky Mountian Locusts he gives him one more thin' ta worry bout.  "Slim don't worry 'bout the grasshoppers, they sleep at night.  But the crickets come out at night, the ate a whole fencin' crew up on the North Loup 2 years ago."

[Silver Creek Slim]

  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I'm alright, now.

  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Silver Creek Slim]

One of the Bohunks yells at Slim in his Czech accent, "You better drop that iron, with all that running around, you might brand yourself."
Slim stops yelling, and running to and fro. He says, "That is a good ider". He puts the iron back in the fire. He starts running to and fro, again.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Delmonico]

Runnin' a round like a chicken with it's head cut off, (yes folks they really run with their heads cut off) Slim trips over a large cow flop. (Ta those who don't know what cow flop is, it ain't nothin' but cow poop that ain't dried enough ta be prairie coal.  A 3.5 inch floppy comes from a small cow. )

Fourtunatly Slim don't break no bones when he falls in the soft sand.  Unfourtunatly he falls in a large patch of sand burrs which is a common member of the grass family that grow through out the sandhills in large patches.  The seed of this plant as the name sand burr implies has a lot of stickers on it and hurts really bad when one falls in a large patch.

Before Slim finds out how well the fence crew likes him by helpin' him pull these nast things out maybe he will  maybe Google us up a picture of this grass of the genus Cenchrus.  (Delmonico don't Google this stuff up. He's got somethin' better'n Google for normal houshold use. )

[Silver Creek Slim]

My wife and 18 (or is it 19) kids live in Wash-a-sand county, WI. We get nice crops o' these. I hate it when I step on one with me bare feet. One of the kids, when she was too young to walk, was in the playpen. She started crying. The misses couldn't figger why she was crying. It turns about one o' these nasty critters jumped into the playpen and into her mouth. Ouch!