Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-13

NMSS& BRAND along
A "Pero, senior, If ]
X ESgl am lame of the feet ]
A@EIM am not lame of the
S saddle. Try me and
see if I am not as good
there as any
They stepped outside the little stone
ranohhouse of the Box s ranch, on the
long eastern slope of the Zuni noun
tains. Santiago's wiry little Navajo
pony was standing patiently outside,
F~'hitched' by throwing the reins over
his head and letting them hang toward
the ground. Juvero was spirited enough T.,
but it was part of his education to require
no securer anchorage than tins. San
tiago could cave him hus in the middle
of the plain and be gone half a day, sure
that on his return he would find Juvero
in the self same spot.
Now, tossing back the reins, Santiago
sprang lightly into the saddle. A word
to Juvero, and off they went like the
wind. Awkward and stumbling enough
the ragged boy had seemed afoot, but
now he was fairly TRANSPORTED. 1.-the
and confident, he sat his saddle like a
Comanche, 10Y erect and movelesss as
If a very part of the horse, now swing
ing low to scoop up a handful of sand or
standing at full height as Juvero clat-
tered along the valley. Then, turning,
he gaIloped down coward "the old
man''-as the manager of a ranch is al
ways familiarly called by his men-and
refined Juvero back on his launches not
six feet away.
''There's noth'n n the matter 'th yo'r
ridin', Santiago. Hain't seen better
sence I struck the Territory. IF yo' can
ropes goods yo' ride l dom It want no
better boy. There comes Apse'n' Jim,
now, til three wild steers from Aqua
Frio. Get out yo'r lariat, m femme
see what yo' can do.'
Santiago united the thong Which held
his coiled RATA at the saddle-bow, ran
out the pleated rawhide through the
honda, and with the long moose trailing
behind rode out to meet the two big Tex
ans who were driving the steers. AS he
approached, one of the wild broadhOrns
lunged away to the right and galloped
down the vega. Juvero came around like
a top and was off after the steer like an
arrow. Now the long loop was circling
slowly above Santiago's head. The steer
doubled and veered as the pursuit grew
hot, and his pace was tremendous, Ju-
vero matched his every turn with won
GO14 u Ao4CA hOSSS - NAN AOPS
shot out horizontally, the broad moose
settled sQuarely over the spreading horns
and Juvero dropped to a rock-like halt,
all four feet braced firmly. The rope had
a double turn around the saddle-bow,
and the numbering steer, thus abruptly
'Fsnubbed - whirled a full somersault
and struck the and with a great thump.
Before he could kick twice Santiago was
off his pony with the loosened rope, with
which he deftly knotted the legs of his
captive together; and then, shambling
back to Juvero, rode TO ''the old man.
''Good's old wheat! Jes' two minutes
firm start to tiei Thet's jes' the kind o.
boy we want on the Box s. Hev yo'r
stuff here to. morrow, N yo' shall hev
a steady job"
"Graclas ,Senori Tomorrow I come,"
aud Santiago galloped away toward the
little adobe nut in San Rafael which he
called home.
A week later, the Box s outfit was
starting out on the roundup, which in
New Mexico generally begins with July.
The big, canvas-covered "chuck-
wagon'' was grumbling over the jagged
lava fragments that strewed the o
to Aqua Frio. On the high seat was
perched stOld jimmy Crane, the best
cook in a hundred miles, whose frying
pan bread and other roundup fare was
famous throughout the territory. Fas-
tened in the rear of the wagon was q
huge box, Jimmy's pantry; and in the
front were a dozen bundles of blankets,
each rolled in a canvas wagon-sheet
which served to keep the sleeper dry
above and below. Scattered along the
road for several miles before and behind
- ao-Lo-a Io-;no hr frnS md fhrooa
thirty men of them in all. AT
Aqua Frio, the first camp, they would
be Joined by nearly as many more
s'boysn who had come. some OF them
200 miles, to gather at the roundup and
drive home such of their cattle as had
strayed so far as the Box S range. A rough
looking set they were; mostly tall, Draw
Texans, ~long-haired, unshaven, with
Tapping sombreros on their heads clumsy
leathern chapparejos over their blue
overalls, boots with high, pointed heels,
and each a big ~six-shooter leering from
the scabbard on their oartridge-belt.
And yet, with all all their rough APP
appearance and rough speeeh-a queer
of Southwestern slang delivered
with the Southern utterance learned
from negro s'msmmies they had
many manly traits. Santiago found
treated with unsentimental but
practical kindness. He was the only
in the "outht, - and while Tex
ans are not overload of Mexicans, his
lameness and his really wonderful skill
with the horse and RATA won him all the
consideration he could ave desired.
1t vas a little before shutdown when
they campe6 at Aqua Frio. Santiago
thought he had never seen SO beautiful a
place. Away up near he top of the
Zuni mountains lay this tiny green valley
grass WIS already knee-deep. AT
the upper end rose 3 low, black