Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-12-16
Simpsons Ranch,

81 don't see no sense in 1t, nohow. :
It was the older of two stalwart cow
punchers" that delivered this oracular
statement. In private life he was once
probably Mr.. Smith or Mr. Jones, bur
this must have been in days which
were prehistoric as far as his fellows
in the cattle country were concerned.
To them he was, and had always been.
'Broncho Sam; and old Bill Kensett,
up on the divide. whose age was be-
yond mortal ken, and who was stall
wart man when he trapped with Rux-
ton and traded with st. Vrain, was Oh
record as saying that he allowed that
when tibet thar youngster come from
the States he hednt no other nam:
than Broncho Sam" That settled it.
"Thet thar youngster' was a rela-
tive, certainly not a positive, charac-
terization; for Broncho Sam was a
veteran and he looked it as he sat
on rude bench, outside the ruder
log cabin, and facing the west. To an
Eastern eye his surroundings were the
abomination of desolation. The cabin
stood in a narrow valley, near the bed,
almost dry, of what might be stream.
To the gray banks inclosing it few
stunted and distorted cedars were pre-
cariously clinging, and at a distance
there were some patches of sage
brush. AS unwise, indeed, were he
who should look at these things TO
the exclusion of distant ones, as he
who should curiously inspect the squa-
lid streets of Naples when by lifting
his eyes he could see across the beau
tiful bay to the grand silhouette OF
Vesuvius, with Sorrento and Capri. in
the distance. Here, above the barren
outlines of grim canons, above the
sparsely wooded foothills, above the
gagged outlying peaks, rose in its SIM
pie majesty the great range Across
the exquisite blue sky overhead drifte1
clouds as white as the driven snow
and light and fieecy as those under
which once lay the Isles of the Blest.
1t was near sunset, after the radiance
of an autumn day. and the air was de-
liciously clear, cool and bracing.
Broncho Sam was not looking at the
mountain or sky, but at a gun which
he was cleaning. His companion, q
younger man and evidently disciple,
had been watching his skillful manip-
ulation, and listening to the words of
wisdom which fell from his lips, for a
famed ranch manager was this same
Broncho Sam; and fortunate were his
employers, far away in "the States"
whose interests were intrusted to his
faithful care.
Then came voice through the open
door-a fresh, youthful, ringing voice:
"Just you wait a minute, Sam, and
I'll come out and argue the point with
you. have not an idea what you are
talking about, but say there is some
sense in it; and what is 1t all about,
anyway"
Sam uttered an unintelligible grunt.
1t could not have one of entire dissat-
isfaction, for something like a smile
showed itself on his rugged features,
and was plainly visible as he looked up
and saw Jack Reynolds standing in
the doorway. A handsome young fell
low he was, and a general favorite in
all the region for fifty miles round.
Ever since he came out from Chicago
whence the doctor sent him after a
long illness-he had added as steadily
to his list of friends as to the hardness
OF his muscles, the color in his cheeks
and the figure at which he turned the
scale.
"Blame me II he don't jest lay over
any tenderfoot l ever see," said Brou-
cho Sam, one day, as he stood in an
admiring crowd at the bar of the Ar
cade saloon in Pueblo. Gimme a
show, and I'll make him a first-class
ranch hand in year or two"
'He amt no SLOUGH of ranchman
now, accordin' to my idee," said rash
newcomer.
Sam looked at him with an undis-
guised contempt, clearly shared by the
bystanders. Perhaps he is, an per-
haps he amt" said he. 81 allow you
oughter know better'n I. Yes, Jim
yer may gimme another one of the
same sort"
:, Jack, II may easily be believed, wa;
the soul of the ranch. He interested
himself in the operations, and made 2
creditable figure at the first round
up" He could soon ride the worst o.
the "bucking" horses, and throw 4
lariat with many an older man. HI
was a bit of dandy too. in his way
and did not disdain a gilt cord witt
pendent tassels around the crown o
an expensive sombrero, gay neckti'
loosely knotted and lying snugly unde
the riding collar of his gray fiannc
shirt, or a pair of long riding boot
OF exceptional make. All this finery
however, was reserved for other place
than the ranch, and other occasions
than the days passed there. The mos
cynical of "old-timers" found nothin,
to criticise in his display thereof whel
ne rode into Pueblo for a day of com
bined business and pleasure; and, II
way, they felt local pride in on
who could hold a certificate OF com
potency from such a Sir Hubert n
Broncho Sam, ans at the same tim
be, by the canons of that longitude,
very respectable Swell" More tina
one young lady member Of some part
of personally conducted" tourists ha
looked admiringly at him from tn
window of the Denver Pullman as h
sat on his horse near the station pla!
form; and the landlord of the Arcad
saloon was understood to have, In
rare interval of sobriety, expresse
the opinion that such an exhibitio
was good for the interests of the n
zion. why" said he, thar amt n