This is one of four watercolors that Russell first exhibited at the Silver Dollar Saloon in Great Falls, Montana in January 1898. The saloon was owned by one of the artist’s closest friends, William Rance. The watercolors became very well known to Russell’s many cowboy friends as the “sunshine series,” because their bawdy subjects were all too familiar. The local newspaper, the Great Falls Tribune, saw fit at the time to describe the subject of each of the watercolors in precise detail. Apparently, the cowboys made a game of trying to guess who Russell meant to skewer with his wry humor. Walt Coburn, the western writer whose brother was a close friend of the artist, recalled many bunkhouse and roundup camp discussions about the identity of the cowpuncher Russell had in mind. The brands on the horses in the watercolors were well known to most people in the area, and some of the cowboys even claimed to know the identity of the woman. The newspaper, however, simply referred to the lady in general terms as one who could “comfort” the errant cowboy. Unfortunately, as Russell tells us in the watercolors, such “comfort” could often lead to painful consequences. It is amusing to note the horse in the final watercolor, which looks on with a measure of perplexity as the hapless cowboy is forced to treat himself. Not surprisingly, Russell’s wife strongly disapproved of such works, and she made efforts to have some of them destroyed during her lifetime.