A visit from Elwood

I was mendin fence down on the low west meadow yesterday when I heard the awfulest commotion commin thru the brush down close to the river I ever heard. It sounded like a four up pullin a stage. I never heard so much blowin and snortin carrin on in my life. I started for my rifle but they was no time. I just dove behind a big log close by and covered my head. What ever it was stopped right where I had been workin but it was still blowin an snortin an stampin it feet. I couldn't move a muscle!
"Elmo!" came a shout from the creature. "Hey Elmo, whurd you go?" I'd know that voice anywhur. It was my own brother Elwood! "Elwood Sackett!" I hollered. "What in tarnation are you doin up here and whur did you get that horse? You couldn't sneak up on a bufalo stampede."
After we said our howdys and got us a cup of coffee, Elwood explained to me how he had won the horse in a poker game from Blue Minor down at Boles an that he didn't thank much of him at first but had come to get sort of attached to him. I got to say he was a fine horse to look at but was still the noisiest one horse I had ever seen.
Ole Badger had eased back from whur he run off to when he heard Elwood a commin an he was tryin to get a better look at what had caused all the commotion. "What's that horse's name anyway Elwood?" I queried. "Don't know what Blue called him, he never said. I been a callin him Harley."
Elwood was a man of few words an that's all I got out of him as he swung up and lit a shuck with even more wild-crazy-blowin-snortin-commotion than when he rode up....

Company in Japton

Me an Walter had company yesterday. Orvil Self an Luther Bailey rode by on their way up to Joplin to pick up some cows Orvil had bought. They had planned to har a couple of boys up there to help drive em back to Scott County an wondered if me an Walter might want to come along. I tole em ever since I taken that job with the telegraph that I hadn't had time to spit. Luther shook his head an said he knowed about that cause he helped run the first lines to Fort Smith for the Army there. We had a good visit. Orvil tole about when he would get all gussied up on Saturday an go into town. He bein a cattle buyer would muck around the feed lots all week but when he come to town he wore his town shoes with white socks. First place he would go after he had his breakfast at the Rock Cafe was to Herman Atchley's barber shop to get his shoes shinned. I was the shine boy there an I could shine a pair of boots to where they would hurt your eyes. When Orvil walked in with them black town shoes an white socks...wul I just come from together. They was no way I could get them shoes black an leave them socks white. We all had a good laugh specially Orvil. I thank he did that a purpose. I wrapped em up some biscuits an mustard for the trail an tole em to stop back by on the way back an tole em where to hole up their cows close by. It was sure good to see them boys...