ain't my real name, which is 'Tennessee Al.'"

"How did you come to be named 'The Woofer'?"

"Well, it's jest a piece o' foolishness," said the cow-puncher, laughing
at the recollection of it.

"Tell us about it."

"Well, it was this away: About two year ago last Chrismus I wuz punchin'
cows over on Coburn's ranch. Chrismus Eve ther boys got some cagy, an'
we all decided ter go inter Cut Bank, ther tradin' town some ten mile
away, an' cellybrate. It wuz a bad night, with ther wind blowin' out o'
ther nor'west, an' ther promise o' a bliz.

"Wallace Coburn balks some at ther boys leavin' ther cattle, fer he sees
thet thar's some danger o' their driftin' in ther night. But yer don't
can up a lot o' cow-punchers Chrismus Eve when they wants ter go, so
finally he grunts out that we kin go, an' off we starts.

"'Fleshy' Wheeler, so called because he wa'n't no bigger round nor a
lemonade straw, kep' a saloon in Cut Bank, an' thar wuz ter be a day.
Well, we-all went ter ther dance, which progressed beautiful, when one
o' ther boys come in an' announces that a big herd o' cattle had drifted
through ther town while we wuz trippin' ther light fantastic toe, and
that one o' ther critters had fallen inter ther town well.

"Naturally, ther town people objected ter havin' range cow mixed in with
their drinkin' water, an' hinted strong that it wuz up ter us
cow-punchers ter git it out, at ther same time emphasizin' their
invitation with a lot o' shiny six-shooters.

"Well, we goes inter caucus, an' decided thet ther cow belongs ter ther
Coburn outfit, an' that we're too humane ter let a pore critter stay in
a well Chrismus Eve, when joy an' peace an' merriment is reignin'
everywhere.

"Now, as you-all knows, when a cow is hauled out o' a bog or a well she
don't feel no gratitood, she jest gits mad plumb through an' h'ists her
tail, an' runs fer ther fust thing she sees afoot, with her horns ready
fer immediate business.

"Before we goes out ter git ther cow outer ther well, we tells Fleshy
ter stand guard at the door, an' when ther cow charges, ter let us in,
then slam ther door in ther cow's face. He agrees.

"We ropes ther cow, an' altogether pulls her out an' puts her on terry
firmy. Then we hits it up fer ther house, with ther cow as mad as a
woman scorned, an' only two jumps behind me, what is ther last man ter
git under way.

"Ther boys hits ther house, an' Fleshy lets 'em in, but me, bein' some
feet behind, he doe