News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-05-23
OLD REDDY'S CALF
BY S. D. BARNES.


'sSome work for You to-day, Bruce, -
said Mr. Webster to his twelve year old
son, at the breakfast table, one lovely
morning in October, 1871. Zone of the
valves is missing; strayed off down the
creek, l guess, and You will have to
look it up"
"All right, " replied Bruce, replenish-
ing his plate from the platter of ante
lope steak.
81 was thinking of taking q hunt to-
day anyway, so l will take the shotgun
along and try to kill duck or two. ]
see that there are few dropping in
from the North. expect it is that foo
Tom that's gone again. He is always
making us troubled"
''You are right in regard to it being
Tom, but he is by no means foolish fol
wandering off in search of better
grass, for the range about here is get
ting poor. In fact. l have about deci-
ded to turn all the milk stock out for
the present. They Will be much better
off in the hills until the fall rains start
new coat of grass.
Better let Tom go then, suggested
Mrs. Webster. Turn out the rest OF
the cattle and I'll warrant that old
Reddy will find him."
''Just what would do if the ea,f was
branded; but as it is, we will have to
get him up again. / can't afford to run
any risk of losing Tom; he is about all
the fine stock that We own.
'Il have him corralled by noon, as
serted Bruce, stoutly. "It's a pity 1
haven't got him broken to ride, so !
could bring in my game on him. ."
First kill your game" replied his
father. cit Is Just possible that YOU
will fail to return upon this occasion
with either Tom or the ducks. And, by
the wayl keep an eye open for strangers.
CaddO Bill, the Indian, who was con-
fined at Fort Griffin, awaiting trial for
murder, escaped the other day, and he
may drift through here ON his way west
ward, although the chances are that he
has been recaptured before this.
"I'H be ready for him, - was the con-
fdent remark of the frontier lad. as he
stood on tiptoes to reach the gun lying
IN ITS rack over the fireplace. ''I've got
one barrel IOadSd with big shot, and if
see anything that looks Iniuny-"
You II break yoIIr neck 1ulnning,'' -
FIERCE and courageous my little boy is
at times: but it seems to me that he IS
the most inclined to recklessness after
the danger is over, or before it comes.
But never mind, Bruce, an ounce of dis
cretion is worth ton of foohardness,
any day. and am really glad that You
have too much sen e to rush needlessly
into danger.
- 4
Webster. "Bruce has got lots of good
sense and Judgment for boy of his age,
and he is no coward either Why, L
would bet on that boy capturing that
fellow, if he found him, as quick as L
would, and not run half the risk of get
ting killed. But, pshaw there's not
one chance in ten thousand of Caddo
Bill passing through this section, for
all the soldiers from Griffin are after
him, and half the county besides.
swell, at all events, / will bring in
Tom all right, if Caddo Bill hasn't eat
en- him." asserted Bruce, as he left
the room. "Have my dinner ready at
twelve sharp, mother; you know that
hunting always gives me an appetite
like a wolf. "
1t is rare thing for Texas boys to at
tempt much of a pedestrian trip, for
from early childhood much of their time
is spent on horseback, and they grow,
in time, to consider mustang an in
dispensable companion. Bruce Web
ster, however, was an Illinois lad, who,
ever since his sixth year, had been ac-
customed to daily walk of a couple of
miles to the neighboring schoolhouse,
and although he was fast becoming a
proficient in the wild and reckless
horsemanship of the Southwest, he still
preferred to enjoy his short hunting
trips unincumbered with any trouble
some equine.
Therefore, he left, on this particular
occasion, the door of the little log stable
wide open, so that the sleek sided, buck
skin pony might be free to crop, at will,
the short grass ad AGENT to the corrals,
confident that his welcoming neigh
would be the first sound to greet him on
his return.
Bruce Webster confidently hoped tc
find the missing calf within a quarter of
O mile of the ranch This was by no
means the first time that the truani
Tom had wandered away from his little
herd of youthful companions, for il
would seem that he simply detested the
confinement to which he was subjected
during the day, and endeavored, to the
extent of his limited ability, to manage
his own particular affairs III way more
to his liking. Bruce had always de-
clared that Toms aristocratic notions
regarding the superiority of blue blood,
was the cause of his preferring solitude
70 the society of the common herd OF
Texan long-horns, which suppositiOn
was based on the fact that old Reddy
Toms mother, WAS a full-blooded Here
ford, that the Websters had brough
with them all the way from their ole
home III the North.
1t was. really, rather strange that thi
highly-prized scion of IN ancient family
should have been so prone to make his
owners trouble; since, for the first Sly
months of his life, he had been petteC
by his owner, and allowed to wander a
viii about the door yard, SO that he
might enjoy perfect immunity from the
,sauIts OF wandering wolf or Mexican
lion; but although hc 'till remembered
some of the numerous accomplishments
taught him by Bruce in leisure moments
one of which was to charge blindly a
the tantalizing wave of red handker
chief, he was III other respects rs wild
rs any other young cattle.
AS he had expected, Bruce found the
calf's tracks without difficulty, plainly
showing il the dusty path that led dOwT
to the valley of the little creek; but bt
was somewhat surprised to find thai
Tom had logged steadily along, swervins
neither to the right nor left, for nearly
q mile, fnally leaving the trail at
point wnere he rocky nature of the sol
and drrse underbrush rendered futil,
all attcmp.si,Gt further trailings, anC
the r1oss persuasive and persistent call
ing failed to elicit any responsive blea
from the little runaway.
For a mile farther, Bruce wandere,
down the little valley, shooting, nov
and then, green-crested duck, or on
of the numerous gray squirrels tina
barked and chattered at him from th
limbs above his head but, search as b