The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-20
BOB AND MAY.
Bob and May were sweethoarts.

nesSeo 10 CI1o IeXaS Innnanule with the
family.
In those days May was bright hair
ed, high strung little girl of III whom
Bob never called nor thought of as red
headed"
Bob was strong, good humored boy,
not bit afraid of work. and he had
way with him that gave him command
of men and creatures. Her rapidly
In Old man Loves employ from simple
COW punc,cr 10 wagon boss, then fore
man, and when he WAS only 25 went
with the approval and good will of his
employer, to take the position of ranch
manager for Il Boston company.
All the world loves a lover. Dob was
such 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 tho
Panhandle felt with and for him.
And old man Love was pleased
enough with tho match and greatly
given to Dragging of Bob as Il coming
adjunct to the Love greatness, until the
tragedy of the ono horned brindle cow,
which tore things all up generally,
threatened to sever two loving hearts
and darkcn forever Bob's and Nays
happy horizon.
This old cow-worth perhaps ST
bobbed up Mt ono of tho roundups sport
Ing, in addition to tho B N of tho Bos-
ton National, which was facetiously
known as tho "Bean" brand, old man
Loves (xxx).
Though very uncommon, such acct
dents may occur in the haste and con-
fusion of branding without necessarily
implying dishonesty on some ones
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
er standing.
But any cowboy on tho range would
have told You that while old man Love
was square enough himself he was
crazy crank about tho 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
boro it i'll 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 brndlc COW was going to
cost him, he might perhaps have blink
ed 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 no dared the
worst-and got it!
He held the COW for his company, aft
er Il 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 Il child of his married to a
horse thief than to 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
Bobsent her word by one of her fathers
cowboys to ride good horse past tho
half way branding pen. armed himself
Triple X ranch for week.
When May finally found the oppor-
tunity to slip away IN tho most careless
manner, with ono of the mems SOM
breros on and in the face of threatening
weather, she received Il rapturous wei
como from tho long banished Bob, and
they promptly headed their ponies for
Squire Wiley's, just the other side of
Roaring creek, who was supposed to DO
holding himself in readiness for their
visit.
What Mexican or other paid spy or
what unfricndly or envious hand car
ried the news to old man Love will not
be known, but he burst into ono Of his
near cow camps at dinner shortly aft
er Bob and Mays departure, like roar
ing South African lion with mustard in
his eye.
Tho 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 halling 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
affair. So he stood at his official post,
at tho 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