The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-01-05
LORD ULLlN'S DAUGHTER.
Roh and Nav were sveethearts.

OF course they were; that's what
they had been learning ever since Bob,
stripping of twenty, had come out
from Tennessee 10 the Texas Panhan-
die with the family.
In those days May was n bright
haired, high-strllng little girl of four
teen whom Bob never called nor
thought of as "red-headed."
Bob was strcng, good-humored boy,
not bit afraid of work; and he had
way with him that gave him COM
mand of men and creatures. He rose
rapidly in old man Loves employ from
simple COW puncher to wagon boss,
then foreman, and when he was only
twenty-five went, with the approval
and goodwill of his employer, to take
the position OF ranch manager for a
Boston company.
All the world loves a lover. Bob
was such a whole-hearted one, his
state of mind was so patent, he took
such delight in it, wore his chains with
such open pride and enthusiasm, that
all the Panhandle felt with and for
him.
Besides being n fellow that a girl
could love without any difficulty, any
body-with a daughter to spare-might
have been pleased with Bob for SON.
in-law
And old man Love was pleased
enough with the match, and greatly
given TO Dragging of Bob as a coming
adjunct to the Love greatness, until
the tragedy of the one-horned brindle
cow, which tore things all up gener-
ally, threatened to sever two loving
hearts and darken forever Bod's and
Mays happy horizon.
This old cow-worth perhaps 81
bobbed up at one Of the round-ups
sporting, In addition to the n Of the
Boston National, which was facetious-
ly known as the Bean" brand, old
man Loves XXX.
Though very uncommon, such accl-
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 the range would
have told you that while old man Love
was square enough himself, he was
crazy crank about the sacredness Of
his brand. His long suite was to jump
up and down and swear that 1t never
yet was on anything that wasn't his
own. He invariably claimed an ami
NAL that bore it In addition to another
brand (as did this cid cow, however
plainly 1t 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
nd or,,o oraI hr1n6Ia npiyrr
10 cost him he might perhaps have
blnked 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 back
ed down by any one, and he dared
the worst--and got it!
He held the cow for his company,
after a 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 child of
his married to 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.
Having, by this means, been assured
of his sweethearts steadfastness and
readiness, Bob sent he. word by one
of her fathers cowboys to ride good
horse past the halfway branding pen,
i, armed himself with license and hung
around the Triple X ranch for q week.
When May finally found the oppor-
tunity to slip away in the most care
less manner, with one Of the mems
sombreros on and in the face Of threat
ening weather she received a raptur-
GUS welcc me from the long -banished
Bob, and they promptly headed their
ponies for Squire Wiley's, just the
other side of Roaring Greek, who was
supposed to be holding himself in read
mess for their visit
What Mexican. or other paid SPY,
or what unfriendly or envious hand
carried the news to old man Love will
not be known, but he burst into one Of
his near COW camps at dinner, shortly
after Bob and Mays departure, like
roaring South African lion with mus
tard in his eye.
The boys"-who knew well 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 dis
tance before he fairly lit in their midst.
But old Hank PearSall, the cook,
was new man, not long from south
west Texas neither knowing of nor
caring particularly for Bob Holly and
his love affairs. SO he stood at his Of
fetal post, at the tail end of the chuck
wagon, and gave amiable attention to
the impassioned harangue and singular
antics Of this new and entertaining
employer.
Being commanded to come along and
assist in dispensing Bob and resculng
May, he mounted a serious appearing
but fitful tempered bucksllin- -colored
pony, with one...white eye and much
symmetry of bone--as much of 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 mile of
Roaring Creek. But while pursuer and
pursued pushed on at their utmost
pace, another factor was coming with