Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-09-11
SIMPSONS RANCH.

l.
II don't see no sense In Il, nOhow." II
was the older of two stalwart "oow. punch
ers' that delivered this oraoulsr statement
In private life he was once probably Mr..
Smith or Mr.. Jones, but this must have
been In days which we're prehistoric as far as
his fellows in the cattle country were con-
cerned. To them he was and had always
been ''Bronco Sam !" and old Bill Kensett,
up on the Divide, whose age was beyond
mortal ken, and who was a stalwArt man
when he trapped with RuXton and traded
with st. Vrain, was on record as saying that
he 'allowed that when thet thar youngster
come from the states he hadn't no other
name than Broncho Sam" That settled II.
"Thet thar youngster" was o relative, GER
tainly not a positive, Characterization for
Broncho Sam was veteran, and he looked 1t
as he sat on Q rude bench, outside the ruder
log cabin, and facing the west. To an East
ern eye his surroundings were the abomina-
tion of desolation. The cabin stood In q
narrow valley, near the bed, almost dry, OF
what might be q stream. To the gray banks
inclosing il few stunted and distorted ce-
dars were precaTiously clinging, and at dis
tance there were some patches Of sage-brush.
As unwise, indeed, we're no who should look
at these things to the exclusion Of distant
ones, as he who should curiously inspect the
squRlid streets Of Naples when by II fling his
eyes he could see across the beautiful bay TO
the grand silhouette Of Vesuvius, with Sor-
rentO and Capri in the distance. Here,
above the barren outlines Of grim cshons,
above the jagged outlying peaks, rose in its
simple majesty the great range. Across the
exquisite blue sky overhead drifted clouds as
white ae the driven snow and as light and
heecy as those under which once lay the Isles
of the Blest. II was near sunset after the
radiance Of an autumn day, and the air was
deliciously clear, cool, and braoiug.
Broncho Sam was not looking at the mount
aims or the sky, but at q gun which he was
cleaning. His companion q younger man
and evidently a disciple, had been watching
| his skilful manipulation, and listening to the
words of wisdom which fell from his lips,
for famed ranch manager was this same
Broncho Sam and fortunate we're the en-
ployers, far away in ''the states" whose in
forests we're intrusted TO his faithful care.
Then came q voice through the open door
"a fresh, youthful ringing voice:
"Just you wait q minute, Sam, and I'll
come out and argue the point with you. l
have not an idea what you are talking about,
but say there is some sense In 1t, and there
toaS some sense. and there toiu be some sense
| in II and what is II all about, anyway 2"
/ Sam ullcIbu hu uuluNohlklOlC Bhuhhs ~
could not have been one Of entire dissatisfac-
tion, for something like q smile showed it.
self on his rugged features, and was plainly
visible As he looked up and saw Jack Rey-
nOlds standing in the doorway. hand
some young fellow was he, and o general IA
vorite in all the region for fifty miles round.
| Ever since he came out from Chicago
whence the doctor sent him after long i'll.
ness he had added az steadily to his list OF
friends as TO the hardness of his muscles, the
color in his cheeks and the figure at which
he turned the scale.
Blame me If he don't jest lay over any
tenderfoot ever see" said Bronoho Sam
one day, as he stood in an admiring crowd a,
the bar OF the Arcade Saloon in Pueblo.
"Gimme a show, and allow I'll make him a
first-olass ranch hand in year or two"
HE amt no slouoh Of a-rsnchman now,
according to Hly idee," said rash new-com
or.
Sam looked at him with an undisguiseC
contempt, clearly shared by the by-standers.
perhaps he is, an perhaps he amt, sale
he. II allow you oughter know better'n l.
Yes, Jim, yer may gimme another one OF thu
same sort"
Jack, 1t may easily be believed, was thu
soul OF the ranch. He interested himself II
the operations, and made q oreditable fgur
at the first "round up" He could soon rid
the worst of the "bucking" horses, anG
throw lariat with many an older man. Ht
was bit Of dandy too, in his way, and did
not disdain a gilt cord with pendent tassel
.around the crown Of an expensive Mexical
sOm6rerO, gay neck-tie loosely knotted an,
lying snugly under the rolling collar of hi
gray flannel shirt, or q pair Of long riding
boots of exceptional make. All this hnery
! however, was reserved for other places thai
, the ranch, and other occasions than the day
passed there. The most cynical of ''old
timers" found nothing TO critioise In his dis
| play thereof when he rode into Pueblo for
t day Of combined business and pleasure and
In a way, they felt local pride In one VIII
I could hold q certificate of competency froI
r such Sir Hubert as Broncho Sam, and 9
5 the same time be, by the canons Of that loI
Q gitude, a very respectable "swell." MOI
0 than one young lady member Of some part
/, of personally conducted" tourists bad lool
ed admiringly at him from the window {
the Denver Pullman as he sat on his hors
b near the station platform and the landloT
of the Arcade saloon was understood 10 havI
in q rare interval Of sobriety, expressed II
opinion that such an exhibition was good Il
=, the interests Of the region. why" said b.
= ''thar amt no two ways about II. Whe
= them thar tenderfeet an fancy tourists se'
an outfit like that, they'll kind O. think rancl
, in is boss business an II II put 'em up
! ! comm out here an buyin' land, an starti
a boom In ranches, an helpin trade. Y
= see, they'll think all ranohmen is like hin
an they'll git mighty badly left but tn
n amt your funeral nor mine. Say, young Il
a Ter, what'll yer take Nothin'f Wa'al, 81
,, yerself."
ID Three miles above the ranch whore Jai
lived was another, of rather better charact
is as regarded its buildings, which stood olo
l. 10 the bed of the creek. II belonged to
ID man named Simpson. Most people hk
ID him few knew him well. There was
vague impression abroad that Simpson had
st history, and that his ownership OF Weste
ID ranch was but an episode in life far diff
nj ent from that to which most Of his neig
9, bors had been born but there was that abe
4 him which repelled inquisitiveness. His O.
H. tie were numerous and in good condition
n was active and efficient In the roundup, 1
Il his patronage of the Arcade saloon was
ha the scantest and he was somewhat ecoent
Nv in the making up Of what in another q
4 more formal state Of society would ha
- been a visiting. list Those, however, "
had enjoyed the hospitalities of Simpso
l.. ranch had much to sayof a wife who of
Wno W wore "stoTe Clothes" and Of a daugh
'" about nineteen, as pretty q girl, it was
"a ported, as ever had been seen from Dem
~ down 10 CuoharAs, and as bright as the 81
10 light on the plains. Not many had seen h'
~ fewer still knew her yet her fame had &c
10 abroad. She was graoiously idealized I
al was held 10 belong, in sense, TO the regio
=" and there was not a cowboy on the raI
who would not have broken a lance Cor W
-, was far more practical, emptied his {
Cd shooter) as her champion.
a ia Among the visitors At simpsons RaI
eiL we may be sure that Jack Reynolds was NJ
or beTed. His first visit was made at nota
ity, time In its history. Two days before (st
sed ping TO return a horse which he had fo'
''o straying), he had made the acquaintance