Honoré Willsie

“ He traveled for the most part in the airplane, christened the Dinosaur and driven by Marten, the ex-ace. There was nothing obviously noteworthy in Hugh’s speeches. No one thought of Hugh as an orator or even as a speaker. Reported in the Cheyenne papers, his speeches were reflections of the talks he had given to the two committees of women in The Lariat, many months before. But no one who heard Hugh speak ever was to forget either the man or his vision.
Vision! That is the gift of the gods which makes one man lead while others may only follow. ”

“ Johnny smoked violently but in silence. After a moment Hugh went on:
“I have a straight business proposition to make you. You are one of the most prominent men in the cattle-raisers’ association of Wyoming. You dislike the dude end of ranching as much as I do, and the big end of the business on Bookie’s ranch always has been cattle. Let’s cut out dudes up there from now on Let’s make the ranch the headquarters, experiment station, object lesson, anything you want to call it, for men who are trying to keep Wyoming a cattle-raising state.” ”

“ Many men, and not only those who would be unaffected by the Thumb Butte decision, after listening to one of Hugh’s speeches, came out even more strongly than their women folks for this lean, melancholy-looking fossil hunter. ”

“ The American voter is a curiously illogical animal. No matter what his or her private life may be, that voter demands that the private life of its governors and its presidents shall be beyond reproach. This is particularly true of the woman voter. My dear boy, if you go into this, you will have to end the gossip about Miriam Page, and return to your wife.”
Hugh drew himself slowly to his feet. As he did so there was a sudden fusillade of gunshots in the street and Johnny Parnell, rifle in hand, burst into the door of The Lariat. ”

“ Hugh glanced appraisingly at Johnny’s brawny bulk. “I like you, Johnny; always did. Your father and Uncle Bookie were buddies in the old days. You and I've ridden the range many a week together.” He paused, then said abruptly: “The cattle-raisers must be made quietly to understand that I’m going to put through the Children’s Code.”
Johnny nodded and rose, his white teeth flashing in his old wide smile. “All right, Hughie! You can keep on riding herd in a book store. Me—I’ve got to start a round-up to vaccinate cattle-raisers. By the way! What are we going to do with Pink?” ”

“ Why, we might as well turn the government over to the women and the professors and be done with it.”
“Whitson,” asked Hugh, soberly, “Mrs. Ellis has Eli beaten on every point. She’s more honest, more intelligent, better educated, and a better politician. Wyoming should be grateful for her.”
“She’s a woman, ain’t she? So no matter how hard she is, she’s soft. The same way with professors. I don’t want ’em in office and,” raising his voice, “I’ll fight ’em as long as I live.”
“Of course, you will,” agreed Hugh, calmly. “Well, Whitson, I’m sorry I can’t dig up a book on cattle raising for you. ”

“ Better stay with your fossils.”
“I’d like to, but you see the decisions of the Governor and of the Public Utilities Commissioners threaten to take my fossils away from me. Whitson, I’m going to fix it so that the natural resources of this state are going to be saved to the future.”
“Babies coming under the head of natural resources, I suppose,” commented Whitson.
“Absolutely!” returned Hugh, shortly.
“I don’t like the look of it,” said the old politician, suddenly. “The way these school men and such are horning themselves into politics is awful bad for the country. ”

“ She’s intrinsically more virile and much cleverer than you are. She doesn’t care about you. She doesn’t want your help. Why don’t you drop out of her and my personal affairs? I think you’re acting like an intrusive kid. ”

“ What’s the trouble?” Hugh placed himself quickly between the panting cowman and the door.
“Caught him cursing Jessie, about me—about you. I tried to kill the blank, but I had to get my saddle gun. Leave me out of here, Hughie!”
Hugh did not move. “What’s the idea? To add murder to the rest of Jessie’s troubles?”
“What do you care? What is it of your business?” roared Johnny.
He made a sudden rush at Hugh. The two men clinched, swinging heavily against the cash register. Before Mrs. ”