The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-11-10
CAPTURED BY CATTLE THIEVES.

pears extremely fascinating, and espe-
cially 50 to boys of an adventurous
disposition. But this is one of the
instances where distance lends n
chantment."
Once | had the highest conception OF
cowboy" life, and when at the age Of
fourteen l was informed that l should
go west and join my elder brother on
his ranch l felt that | had suddenly
reached the contamination of all
earthly desire. [ was to be a Cow
boy" and race over the broad sunny
plains on the back of a sleek, spirited
pony, wearing jlngIing spurs, a wide
brimmed hat and frlnged leather leg
gings. [ felt that L could ask for
nothing more, and 1t was with i'm
patience that [ counted the hours that
elapsed before I reached my brothers
ranch.
For a short time l found my new
occupation all | could desire, but when
l grew more used to it, and the novelty
began to wear off, | discovered that it
was far from what l had conceived. l
found that there was plenty of hard
work attached to it, and that the duties
were manifold and often quite dis
agreeable. The long days spent alone
out on the great prairie became sadly
monotonous, and many of the sunny
days of my fancy gave place to stormy
ones. frequently l came IN at night
thoroughly drenched from head to foot
or shivering with cold.
Before l had been a month on the
range l began to think lovingly of my
home in the east and to have y~earnings
for the vilIege life which I had once
thought entirely too tame. l was be-
coming discouraged and homesick.
But hard work, loneliness and ex-
posture were not the only disagreeable
features Of a herder's existence, as I
soon discovered. There were dangers
attending the occupation of which l
had never dreamed, and an account of
an experience [ underwent will give
some idea of what l suffered in that
way.
One morning at breakfast my brother
announced his intention of going to
town for thepurpose of securing some
supplies. The town was thirty miles
distant and that meant he would not
return before late at night. Theranch
was not an extensive one, and the herd
was not so large but that l could man
age it easily enough alone. In fact l
had done so to a large extent of late.
You had better take the cattle to
the lower range today" my brother
remarked, for there is a scarcity of
water on the upper range. Keep them
down there until neal night and then
work them back this way, SO as to get
them cOrralled by night"
"AIl right" I replied ch~eerfully.
You'll get back tonight, won't you?"
Eyes, sometime tonight. I'll try to
get back before dark, but it's a long
ride and I'll have my trading to do.
and altogether I'll have a busy day of
it. But I'll get here as early as [ can,
and if I'm not here before dark I will
be soon after. Just hold the cattle
well together and don't let any of
them stray from the herd and you'll
get along all right.
oh l can man age the cattle" l said
"You needn't have no fears for them"
"AIl right then, " Jim replied. "Now
you fetch my pony while I make pre-
para5ions to 60"
[ arose from the table and went to
get Jim's pony, saying nothing more.
I felt r~estlessness and u~neasiness that
was far from pleasant. | had never
been to the lower range, but l knew it
was a secluded spot and I was dis
pleased with the idea of going there
alone. 1t was a long way from the
ranch and far removed from any other
herd, I resolved, however, to keep my
feelings a secret and in my own breast,
and not let Jim know what | thought.
Within a few minutes Jim rode
away, and after watching him out of
sight I saddled my pony and turning
the cattle out headed them to the
south. In due time I brought into a
narrow strip of bottom prairie which
lay wedged in between two skirts of
timber. The land was low and rather
swampy, and the grazing was excel
lent. Some n had evidently at
tempted to preempt a claim" there
in time past, for down by the timber
to the west was an old tumble down
adobe house, and near it was a hole,
which, no doubt, had been dug for a