The Huntington argus. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1872-1905, 1873-10-24
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few more days OF lettering about shreve-
port, and long talks about Texas and the
great cattle-range, Adams wrote letter
to his old mother, telling her that she
must get along "ithout him Tor another
year or two, as lac was going to see il he
couldn make some money in Texas. -
OH Matt had sort o TUX TO the'youngster. %
a. he said, and they had agreed to 20
straight out on the Lampasas range and
try aud start a herd. 1t didn't take a
great deal OF money to handle stock with
IN Texas in Sixty five; and 30 these two
had but little difficulty in finding man
after they had got as far ss Aus lin. who
was willing to sell ou' his brand" Tor the
three hundred dollars which formed the
JOINT cash capital Of the firm.
Now the purchase of cattle brand NAV
seem to civilized people good deal like
bnyln a pig IN bag Cuder ordinary
circumstances it is a. commonplace a
transaction AS the purchase OF any other
vested title IN property. The laws OF
Texas provide for the right OF brand A a
title to stock, rs definite as they do for
title to real estate by warranty deed -
This man OF whom the firm OF Grigsbv a
Adams had purchased his brand. had been
forced 10y the war to neglect his stock
which he had left in sixty.three, and had
not been back to the range since to even
corral and brand the calves. Theu the
Camanches and Kiowas had been rustica
ting about there for two or three Summers.
quite at their ease and the presence of
Camanches and Kiowas always effect. the
value OF stock brands, precis. ly as an earth
quake causes real estate to hnctuate in
price and otherwise. And besides, his cat
tie were on the ontermOst range, and he
had family, and bachelors ALWAYS get
along better in Indian neighborhoods than
married men do; so that he was pIad
enough to sell his brand ont tor three hun.
cred dollars, hard cash, which he an.
doubtedly invested in Fixtures" and en-
tered into the great South Western indus.
try OF keeping a saloon. But FOR old Matt
the CamancheS had no terrors. II there
was anything, in fact, that he was afraid
OF, he had singularly failed to come upon
1t, though he had been hunting danger COR
well on to forty wears. And there was A
similar absence OF caution in the compost
ton OF young Adams, though it probably
was crowded out 10y his youthful reckless
ness, rather than shut out altogether hv
the hardihood OF his nature, IA was the
case with Lis mid-voiced, taciturn Old
partner. Thus these, Two made an adm
rable pair to 60 out on the verge Of the Ca
manche range to "pick up a neglected
brand. And they turned their horses
heals towards the Snked Plain, and Aus
tin saw them no more.
There is obviously "A poverty Of romance
aud lack OF chivalry in the business o,
herdin- stock. One would naturally ex-
pect that race ot men whose lives are
spent IN the mouotorous round OF twelve
hours "on and twelve hours 'oF. warcb-
ny herd OF grazing cattle. varied onl,
by AN occasional stampede, would be o,
all men the tame-t aud least interesting
May he they are but try one of them
with an insult or an indigui'y, aud You will
presently discover that Won have struck
the most wildly interesting customer YOU
ever met Taking the class Of Texas cat
ne men in the aggregate. it will be found
.