Connecticut western news., 1893-12-14
BOB AND MAY.
Bob and May were sweethearts.

str1pl1ng Of 20, had come out from Ten nessee to the Texas Panhandle with the family.
 In those days May was bright hair cd, high strung little girl of IA whom Bob never called nor thought of as "red- headed"
 Bob was strong, good humored boy, not bit afraid of work, and he had a way with him that gave him command of men and creatures. He rose rapidly in old man Love's employ from simple COW puncher to wagon boss, then fore man, and when he was only s25 went, with the approval and good will of his employer, to take the position of ranch manager for Boston company.
 All the world loves lover. Bob was such a whole hearted one, his state of mind was so patent, he took such de- light in it, wore his chains with such open pride and enthusiasm, that all the Panhandle felt with and for him.
 And old man Love was pleased enough with the match and greatly given to bragging of Bob as coming adjunct to the Love greatness, until the tragedy of the one horned brindle COW, which tore things all up generally, threatened to sever two loving hearts and darken forever Bob's and Mays happy horizon.
 This old cow-worth perhaps $7- bobbed up at one of the roundups sport ing, in addition to the B N of the Bos- ton National, which was facetiously known as the "Bean" brand, old man Love's 0H). -
 Though very uncommon, such acci- dents may occur in the haste and con- fusion of branding without necessarily implying dishonesty on some one's part. While they do sometimes result in fights and killings they are easily enough adjusted between reasonable people, since any clever cattleman can readily tell which brand is of the long or standing.
 have told you that while old man Love was square enough himself he was Q crazy crank about the sacredness of his brand. His long suit was to jump up and down and swear that it never yet was on anything that wasn't his own. He invariably claimed an animal that bore it in addition to another brand (as did this old cow) however plainly it showed as the newer of the two, though as a matter of fact his branding irons were. handled by just as many careless cowboys as any others.
 If Bob had known what that aged and damaged brindle COW was going to cost him, he might perhaps have blink cd his obvious duty and let old man Love have her-in the face of right and reason.
 But he was not the man to be backed down by any one, and he dared the worst-and got itl
 He held the COW for his company, aft CT fierce contest, and old man Love went home raging, to give his distorted version of the affair, issue orders that no member of his family was to speak to or of Bob from that time forth, and to remark significantly that he had far rather see a child of his married to 8 horse thief than to a person capable of such behavior
 Communication between the lovers had since been managed, once or twice, by the utmost stealth and secrecy. Hav- ing, by this means, been assured of his sweetheart's steadfastness and readiness Bob sent her word by one of her fathers cowboys to ride a good horse past the half way branding pen, armed himself with a license and hung around the Triple X ranch for a week.
 When May finally found the oppor- tunity to slip away in the most careless manner, with one of the mems som- breros on and in the face of threatening weather, she received rapturous well come from the long banished Bob, and they promptly headed their ponies for Squire Wiley's, just the other side of Roaring creek, who was supposed to be holding himself in readiness for their visit.
 What Mexican or other paid spy or what unfriendly or envious hand car ried the news to old man Love will not be known, but he burst into one of his near COW camps at dinner, shortly aft CT Bob and Mays departure, like roar ing South African lion with mustard in his eye.
 ''The boys''-who knew we'll enough what was afoot, and what would be asked of them-dropped their tin cups and plates, jumped on their waiting ponies and were out of hailing distance before he fairly lit in their midst.
 But old Hank Pearsall, the cook, was . new man, not long from southwest Texas, neither knowing of nor caring particularly for Bob Holly and his love Ho{- 01 La o<h oe3 ,ol at the tail end of the chuck wagon, and gave amiable attention to the impas- stoned harangue and singular antics of this new and entertaining employer.
 Being commanded to come along and assist in dispensing Bob and rescuing May, he mounted serious appearing but ftful tempered buckskin colored pony, with one white eye and much symmetry of bone-as much of 8 char acter in its way as Hank was in his and started, with considerable interest and curiosity.
 They rode hard and were near over hauling the lovers within a mile of Roaring creek. But while pursuer and pursued pushed on at their utmost pace another factor was coming with a hun dred times greater speed to take hand in the game.
 The dry bed of Roaring creek was just before them, beyond that tiny rise, then an arroyo, and beyond that again the roof of the justices house, just in sight. As Bob and May chatter ed over the creek bed and scrambled up onto the rise beyond, both looked back, and their ponies stopped, tossing their heads, pricking their ears and snorting at curious humming sound that sud- denly seemed to fill all the air about.
 Hurry up, darling" cried Bob, throwing out 8 hand to catch Mays; tits big storm coming from above. '' But before they could descend the slope to cross the dry arroyo in front it was running from bank to bank and brim- ming over with a sudden flood of red,