Produced by Annie R. McGuire. This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Internet Archive. [Illustration: Book Cover] Cowboy Life on The Sidetrack * * * * * Being an Extremely Humorous and Sarcastic Story of the Trials and Tribulations Endured by a Party of Stockmen Making a Shipment from the West to the East. * * * * * By FRANK BENTON, CHEYENNE, WYO. * * * * * ILLUSTRATED BY E. A. FILLEAU, KANSAS CITY, MO. * * * * * DENVER, COLO.: THE WESTERN STORIES SYNDICATE. Copyright, 1903, By FRANK BENTON. * * * * * Press of Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Company Kansas City, Mo. DEDICATION. * * * * * For justice no shipper e'er asked in vain From George H. Crosby or C. J. Lane. We go to them, as to our dad, When on their road our run is bad, And when we think the freight too large Ask them to rebate the overcharge. No matter which road you give your freight, To both these friends, this book I dedicate. F. B. [Illustration: _The Author Waiting for the Train to Start._] CONTENTS. PAGE Chapter I.--The Start 11 Chapter II.--Chuckwagon's Dream 21 Chapter III.--Grazing the Sheep 29 Chapter IV.--Letters from Home Brought by Immigrants 33 Chapter V.--Eatumup Jake's Life Story 39 Chapter VI.--The Schoolmarm's Saddle Horse 42 Chapter VII.--Selling Cattle on the Range 48 Chapter VIII.--True Snake Stories 56 Chapter IX.--Chuckwagon's Death 61 Chapter X.--Disappearance of the Sheepmen 67 Chapter XI.--Our Arrival in Cheyenne 77 Chapter XII.--The Post-Hole Digger's Ghost 83 Chapter XIII.--Grafting 89 Chapter XIV.--The File 95 Chapter XV.--The Cattle Stampede 99 Chapter XVI.--Catching a Maverick 109 Chapter XVII.--Stealing Crazy Head's War Ponies 121 Chapter XVIII.--The Cattle Queen's Ghost 136 Chapter XIX.--Packsaddle Jack's Death 150 Chapter XX.--A Cowboy Enoch Arden 164 Chapter XXI.--Grand Island 170 Chapter XXII.--"Sarer" 176