The herald., 1897-10-17
Old HORSE THIEF DAYS
written for The Herald.)

logged along the other morning, driving
into Los Angeles from our little ranch.
"Hosses amt hardly wuth steaiiH. VII,
SIR. talk about stealth hosses, we use
Z hev an awful time back in Ohia in the
early days I've kstched many hoss-
thief an brurg 'em back, an the hosses
with 'em. One time, | remember, father
was away with the mill team, an the
only hoss on the place was my stable
hoss-course l didn't wanta ride him.
VIII SIR l heerd tn bell ring in town.
I knowed I'd got to so, so put m saddle
or m stable hoss an started right off.
Most ev'rybody was there when l got
there-'bout three hundr'6 on us. They c
ben a team O. hosses stole-I knowed
the hosses well. Wall, the hull crowc on
US scattered out, the hull three hundred
on us, we scattered out, in twos an
threes, ar they wasn't no chance Yer
hoss-thef t git away"
Uncle paused here little as we passed
the stock yards. looking critically at the
cattle, commenting on their points oi
excellence and deficiency.
"Ef them critters knowed,' said Tn
Gle, "ef them critters knowed as much
as we know-ef they knowed what they
was bein' fed and took car or fer-they
wouldn't stay there long, would they?
Makes me thiril O. the way tn ole devil
s got heap O folks penned up in lot
O. fool idees, a-feedin' on 'em with truck
at they banker arter t the ruin O. their
own souls An the only thing they re
a-comin' to is to bein' devoured. The
curua part or. it is. thet the very folks
at is worst deceived is the blindest O. the
lot
I'VE he'd hoss comp'ny down there"
resumed Uncle, referring TO his first
yarn "Ev'rybody b'longed to 1t, an
when anybody's toss was stole he'd go
to town an ring the town bell-any time,
day er night-an' ev'ry one at blonged
to the comp'ny was 'bliged t go to town
an see what was the matter. Then we'd
make all tn 'rangements, an pair off
an lay out which roads each was to
take. an by time daylight come we was
ginally ready to start. You take three
hundred men an let 'em scatter out
a-huntin' a hoss, an the chances is
they're perty APP to find i'm. The ones
AT struck trail O. the hos,ses, they keep
on tell they come up to 'em an ketched
the thieves They alters brought 'em
back, tool don't r'member O. no time
after TIL eomp'ny was started at they
didn't git the hosses an the fellers at
stole EN-
"W'll s'r, 1 heerd the bell ring one
morning, an l jumped on my stable
hoss an rode to town. Most everybody
was there when got there, an t want
long fore we was cut a-huntin fer the
team at had been stole. I picked out
fer my man, to go long with me,
choosed John Shugert. big, double
fisted Dutchman at was always brag-
gin bout whut he would do in fight.
1 hadn't never seen him fight, because
nobody ever wanted to fight with him
he was big enough to lick three COM
mon men, So thought he'd be the best
man to have aroun' we come up TO the
hcss-thief
Il alters callated when went after
horn l alters figgered at I was goir' to
git 'em. An l did git 'em good many
times, too. VII. sr John Shugert an
me, we rode a day an half an then
we heerd O. the hoss,es an got on their
track We follered 'em the rest O. that
day an the mex day bout three o'clock
we met a man a. as'ed him had he seen
any hosses, an he says they was feller
Jest comm down the next hill, a-comin
lords US ridin a stable hoss an leadin'
another-a bay The man d'Scibed the
hosses, an l knowed it was the hosses
'at we wanted. The man he says-the
Teller sayS-'You jest turn around an be
a-goin, the same way as he is, an he'll
ketch up with yeh perty soon. Then yeh
can take him anyhow yeh want to-
II says to John, says, John, you want
to git y'ur r'volver ready wher yeh en-
git 'em out quick. You'll hafto git off'n
y'ur boss an do most o. the work, an
I'll set on my hoss an keep Mister Thief
covered with my gum I'd been sick all
winter, an wasn't in no shape nohow.
"W'u s'r, Shugert he was so scairt he
could hardly set on his hoss. oh, We'll
hafto go an git some O. the rest O. the
comp'ny,' he says. We can't do nothin'
alone
THAT made me hoppin' mad. Looky
hyer! I Gays, looky hyer! We got to
take that feller an them hosses. If you
ain't got no grit fer Lords sake don't
chow 1t like that!' I felt like shootin'
the great big coward then an ther-
made me so mad. Wa-all. We got
headed roun', an in little bit here come
CERT he looked around, like fool, but l
tole him to keep still an not let on.
"Feler he drove up an was a-goin'
by. He had got on the wrong road, ar
was tunin' back. I looked at his hoss,
an I knowed it the minnit I set eyes on
it'd han'led the hoes many's the time
the hoss knowed me, tool see that.
That's a nice-lookin' hoss you got ther,
says.
eyes, perty fair hoss.'
"'Is y'ur stable anyways close aroun'
here?' 1 says. We jes' come to this
country How old is yur hoss?'
"'He's eight 'yr OF come mex spring,
the feller says. You en- look at is
mouth ar see. raised that boss my
self, an 1 know, but yoh better 'xam-
irse fer y'urself'
Il got off my hoss an gin the reins to
John. Git ready to pull yur gum !
says to John, in a whisper But the
fool Dutchman. he set there es limp es
q dishrag. I went up to the hoss an
took holt o. the reirAs, a-makin' like !
was goin' to look in. is mouth. The fell
Ter he turned his face lords John to ask
i'm suthin,' an wheu he looked around
agin 1 had my r'volver pointed at i'm.
Move hand, er foot, an you're a
dead man. says. He see l had i'm, an
he set still. You stole these hosses,' ]
says, Gown, b. Delaware. I've han'led
this boss many time. He knows me
heap better 'r he does YOU I spoke tC
the hoss, calm i'm by name, an he
pricked up is ears an champed his BIZ