The Somerset reporter., 1898-05-26
LAZY Co BRAND.

"Blamed eff | understand it nohow,
cap'n."
Jase Howard said it emphatically.
He was a tall, lanky man, with pro-
nounced Yankee type of countenance,
and he leaned his elbow Familiarity up
on the pommel of the saddle as ne talk
ed with the young owner of the White
River ranch.
Henry Penryn, the proprietor relied
no little upon the judgment and expert
ence of Howard, and the subject of their
present discussion was serious one.
Come now; stock doesn t disa ppear,
even in Texas, without human agency,
Penryn said ref1ectively. According to
the books, more than 500 head have dis
appeared-totally evaporated, so to
speak-sinoe last round up, and now
that there are SO many calves to brand
l don't know what will happen. The
leakage must stop, or | shall have to
give up the ranch. "
"Looks like there were niger in
the wood pile, don t it,"
Penryn looked at him without reply.
His silence evidently exasperated Jase.
"See herel' he exclaimed. He used the
butt end Of his whip to draw in the red
dirt of the trail the figure used on the
White River ranch as a brand, thus
q a lazy g" in the nomenclature
of the plains. With horizontal stroke
the @ was converted into d.
"Sweet, pretty little trick, ain It it,"
he said sarcastioally. "An our mark is
on the same part O. the critter too.
But how does be get 'em:" demand
ed Penryn; that is, if he is the guilty
party. "
"Oh, he's guilty fast enoughl I've
seen many 2 rustler hung ON less evil
dence in the old days"
They were speaking of NJ Perriot, a
young Frenehman who had been for a
time dealing in cattle in their neigh
borhood and was rapidly growing rich.
NJ Perriot was good looking besides
being wealthy young Frenehman.
Penryn had met him several times
usually at Colonel Dahlgreen's home
stead, which lay several miles from the
White River ranch. Before NJ. Perriot
bad come into the country Penryn had
been about the only young man visitor
at the colonels S. The colonel's daughter
Josie was the magnet which drew him.
Nowadays he always found Perriot
there before him.
That very afternoon Penryn, taking
what he called his constitutional, saw
before him the young lady with Perriot
as her escort. They were well mounted
and his pony had all he could do to
overtake the couple and might not have
done so but that they drew rein on the
verge of a hill and sat contemplating
what was going on below on the other
slope, where Perriot had his little
camp. So interested were they in the
cattle branding that they did notice
Penryn till he was close upon them.
After saluting Miss Dahlgreen and ex-
changing few grave words with Per
riot Penryn raised his bat again to the
lady and trotted down the farther side
of the hill. AS he went however, he
turned to Perriot, and said as he point
ed to the believing herd and the excited
Mexicans below them: I've heard of
man being hung for branding a bunch
of steers like that. Times have changed
in Texas, but it ism t healthy occupa-
ton even now.
"What mean you?" sputtered Perriot.
But Miss Josie turned her back upon
the American. Penryn spurred his po-
ny on and rode down into the midst of
the rabble about the camp wagon and
fires. The Mexicans saw him coming,
and somebody recognized him. Those
at the fires and the branders huddled
together and turned black looks upon
him as he rode into their midst.
There was steer on his side near
one of the fires, held by the lariats of
two herdsmen. There was an old mark
"a mark Penryn knew well--on the
beasts nigh fore shoulder.
Somebody ran from one of the fires
aud laid hot iron ON the steer S side
There was a sckeninR odor of burning
hair and flesh, and the astonished steer
beloved loudly.
The MeXicans gathered around the
American with threatening faces. He
looked down upon them contemptuous-
ly. lyon know what this means in
Texas" he said calmly This range
will be too hot for you fellows-under
stand?'
He turned his pony about and rode
out of the group. One man made grab
at his bride rein, and Penryn raised
his whip and brought it down with
singing force across his face Then he
put spurs to his pony and rode off over
the rise, expecting every instant TO hear
the report of guns behind him But no
volley followed him, and he passed over
the crest of the rise unmolested. Miss
Josie and her escort had Disappeared
"If the fool remains around here "a
hours, | won't answer for the oonse
quences. There were cattle from ranch
es other than mine in that bunch, y.
He struck off for his own range in
different direction from that by which
he had come The country was wilder
and more broken. There was a grove
of stunted trees and "A branch of the
river in his path. and he stopped to
give his pony an hours rest.
He was still sitting by the side of the
stream his steed feeding few yards
away, when he saw a group of half
dozen or more horsemen coming out of
a gulley across the brook. They forded
the stream and then, apparently catcb-
ing sight of him, drew up in an excited,
1oti