The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-12-19
CR0ssBARp



and, although that fact tends material
ly TO increase his responsibility, it has
also been the cause Of much unhappi-
ness and misery TO him. This sounds
very strange, but is nevertheless very
true, for it was in the LEADER that
Crosshar read the recent controversy
over the branding OF calves and below
ing Of their msthers.
Now it ; happens that Crossbar has
a barn in his yard In which inc keeps
two or three cows and n dignifed and
strong-necked and p~erfumed William
goat. As i'll luck would have 1t, OF
Crossbaris cows had acalf that CHANGED
TO lie old enough last week To be sold to
the butcher. Mr.. Crossbar vas ON the
point Of selling this calf to the family
butcher when the aforesaid controversy
appeared in his fayOrite family paper.
Now Crossbar is a law abiding cIti-
zen and desires 10 do just what Is right.
He saw that as the stock laws stand his
family butcher would be liable 10 arrest
and prosecution II he should purchase a
calf that was unbranded. Hence he con-
c~ludedthat Us n matter OF duty he would
adopt a brand forthwith, brand the
calf at once and sell il. A happy idea
struck him In the selection Of a brand;
lac would simply adopt the symbol OF
his name, TO wit: Crossbar-one long
stroke downward and one stroke side
ways, and the brand was complete.
Besides. the expense Of a branding iron
would he saved, for he could utilize the
stove poker.
These preliminaries having been SET
tied, Crossbar notified his butcher TO
call early next morning and take away
the calf which would he duly branded
for him.
On the following morning while
breakfast was preparing in the kitchen,
Crossbar went out TO the back yard TO
round up his herd, consisting of two
cows, n calf and one goat, rs afore-
sahl. They all looked very innocent
and tractable, the calf especially look
ing exceedingly meek; while the young
bow ne seemed TO be 81 full Of goodness
that II would suffer one TO smitc il on
both checks at once, not TO speak Of
several additional thumps in the short
ribs. Reasoning in this wise Crossbar
concluded that IL would he entirely un-
necessary to throw tho calf ~preparato-
ry to branding. He would get the calf
into n corner Of the yard and rub the
red hot poker along its side and then
hurriedly make n sweep downward, and
the thing would be done.
Crossbar got the calf into the
corner nearest the kitchen and went for
the poker. lie soon appeared with the
iron Sizing hot. The calf saw II and
spread his ears; his eyes dilated, his
tail swung %neryously TO and fro, and
each particular hair on.his hide bristled
with anger. There was bad In the
eye of that calf, and the nearer Cross
bar approached with his red hot and
homely branding iron the bladder
that calf got. So that by the time
Crossbar came within reach the calf was
ready for any given amount Of mis-
chief. And yet Crossbar was cautious
withal. Like n prudent general he
left nm avenue OF escape. But he reck-
oned not with his host. lie made one
wild sweep with the poker Mt the calf.
The red-hot instrument had scarcely
touched the calf when he strucd out
his heels and kicked over the seven
year-old son Of Crossbar. lie then
whirled around and butted Crossbar
fairly amidships. Crossbar fell across
the domestic wheelbarrow and doubled
mp on the other side. The red hot po-
ker was still in his hand and by chance
1t got under the tail Of his coat where
1t burned into the seat Of his pants. In
the frenzy Of excitement Crossbar yelled
FIRE" probably because he didn't
know what else to yell, and the extra
ordinary occasion seemed TO call for
something vigorous.
But he tarried not. IIo got up i'm
mediately II not sooner, and made n
break for tho kitchen, but the enraged
calf barred the way and beloved in a
frightful manner-worse than IL he had
just lost his mother. Crossbar turned
about to escape, anywhere, when he
suddenly met the cnraged mother of
the calf, who, with head depressed and
giving forth terrible s%nortings, was
waiting for n victim. There Crossbar
stood, in the largest dilemma that ever
perplexed him in his life. Even the
goat caught the contagion of warfare
and was waltzing around on his hind
legs challenging Crossbar to mortal
combat.
The plot began to t~hicken-too
much so, indeed, for Crossbar to clear
ly see his way out. So he made one
wild break for liberty. He jumped over
the goat, but unfortunately his heels
struck the animal, while 1t attempted
to catch Crossbar on its horns, and the
beast became more enraged than ever.
Crossbar mounted an empty barrel In
order TO climb the fence, but a butt
from the goat upset him to the ground.
The cow and calf made dangerous lunges
at him, and, us n final means of safety. |