The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-08-16
THE MISSING CALF.
1t Appears Upon the Scene Ex-
actly on Time

Some 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.
'One OF the calves is missing; strayed
OF down the creek, 1 guess, and you
will have to look it up
':All right" replied Bruce, replen-
ishing his plate from the platter of
antelope steak.
81 was thinking of taking a huntto-
day any way, so l will take the shot
gun along and try to kin duck or
two i see that there are a few drop
ping in from the North expect it is
that fool Tom that's gone again He
Is always making US troubler'
You are right in regard to II being
Tom, but he Is by no means foolish for
wandering of in search of better grass.
Tor the range about here is getting
poor In TACT / have about decided
TO turn all the milk stock out for the
present They will be much better of
In the hills until the fall rains start "a
new coat Of grass"
Better let Tom go, then" suggest
ed Mrs Webster. Turn out the rest
Of the cattle and TIL warrant that old
Reddy will find him"
just what / would do IL the calf
was branded; but as il is, we will
have 70 get him up again can't af-
ford 70 run any risk Of losing Tom; he
Is about all the tine stcsx zaEa1 we
own"
-Fll have him corralIed by noon
asserted Bruce, stoutly. Its a pity |
haven I got him broken to ride, so l
could bring in my game on him
FIRST kill your game" replied his
father. ut is just possible that you
viii fail TO return on this oocasion with
either Tom or the ducks And. by the
way, keep an eye open for strangers.
Caddo Bill, the Indian who was con-
fined al Fort Griffin awaiting srial for
murder, escaped the other day. and he
may drift through here on his way
westward. although the chances are
that he has been recaptured before
this"
.'Iu be ready for him." wss the
con ident 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 loaded with big
shot, and if / see any thing tha. looks
Iniuny-n
~ QUIZ break your neck running
interrupted his mother. ..Iknow how
fierce and courageous my little boy Is.
at times but 81 seems to me that ke is
the most inclined TO reckIessness after
the danger is over, or before IL comes
But never mind. Bruce. an ounce of
discretion Is worth n ton OF fooIhardi-
ness, any day, and am really glad
That you have too much sense TO rush
nzsedles-ly into danger"
That's so. Molly" remarked Mr..
Webster. Bruce has got lots of good
sense and Judgment for boy of his
age. and he is no coward either. Why.
would bet on that boy capturing that
fellow, il he found him. as quick "a
would and not run half the risks of
getting killed. But. pshawI there's
not one chance in ten thousand of
Cadde Bill passing through this sec
tion- for all the soldiers from Griffin
are after him, and half the county be-
sides"
Well at all events, I will bring In
Tom all right, il Caddo Bill hasn't
eaten hia. 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 bows to
attempt much OF a pedestrian trip. for
from early childhood much of their
time Is spent on horseback, and they
grow, In time, to consider a mustang
an indispensable companion. Bruce
Webster. however, was an Illinois lad.
Sho' ever since his sixth year, had
been accustomed TO a daily walk of n
couple of miles to the neighborinp
'ehool-house. and although he was
last becoming a proficient in the wild
and reckless hOrsemanship of the
Northwest, he still preferred to enioy
his short hunting trips. unencumbered
With any troublesome equine.
Therefore, he left, on this particu-
ar occasion, the door of the little log
table wide open. so that the sleek
lded, buckskin pony might be free To
'rop at VIII the short grass adjacent |
% the corrals. confident that his well
coming neigh would be the first sound |
o greet him on his return.
Bruce Webster confidently hoped to
Ind the missing calf within quarter
4 mile OF the ranch. This was by
10 means the first time the truant Tom
lad wandered away from his little
-eEd Of youthful companions, for it