El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-01-20

} the same breath with such cattle
but - me if Old Ferg don't make it uI
when he comes to buying cows for you!
What's your brandt"
She had to laugh. That was some
thing that she had never thought of,
aud saying that they would settle that
later on she bid him good-morring.
Miss Champion perplexed her brain
a great deal about that band, but af-
ter many consultations W tn her girl
friends they settled on something tina
looked like q ban 10.
why, what is ftp" said Uncle Bill
" when they showed it to the old
Texan.
"It is banjo" they said.
"Ah, is that it? Well, long before
you have found sweetheart good
enough for you there will be ban jos
a-plavipg around all over the rahge,
from the Conchos to the Rio Grade -
ed that he would live to see his
prophecy fulfilled, but he has, and the
end is not yet.
At the end of two months Uncle Bill
ly came in one night in most ex-
traordinar' ly felicitous frame of mind.
81 struck a great bargain for you to-
day, Miss Million. Oh. don't laugh!
You will be a cattle kin-queen, I
mean-yet. 1 played the ban jo on
eighty head of cows and calves. Got
'em for So, cows aud calves all told.''
The months rolled by, and
very pleasant months they were
for both teacher and pu-
humminR birds bad returned from the
sun lands mingling the hues of the ir
wings with the prairie flowers of q
Thousand blooms. The girls, mounted
on pretty mustangs, were out for .
lark "Let us gallop over to the brand
ing pens,'' said one of them. This is
the anniversary of yonr arrival at
been here year and have become q
cattle owner, and you have never seen
a vaquero lasso steer yet" No soon
er proposed than they were off at break
neck speed, and what a pretty picture
they made, those seven western girl
fving over the rolling prairie. with
their hats in their han s and their
greyhounds at the heels of the ponies
and the fearless riders laughing like
| ripping waters and chattering like a
flock of birds.
''Why. there is Miss Million nowr'
| shouted Uncle Billy. "Glad to see you.
We have just finished putting banjoes
on your cattle. Do you know how
Anybody else but old Ferg would
swindle you ="
81 haven't the remotest idea," said
Miss Champion, looking rather sur
prised at the long stream of cows and
calves that were pouring out OF q cor
raj. each with a rude outline of banjo
on its sides.
Twelve hundred aud sixty head, all
told," shouted Uncle Billy, as it moth
ing on earth ever gave him moro
pleasure
Impossible" exclaimed Miss Irene.
"Not at all. Il Is all on the dead
square. I ell you it pays to teach
school in Texas and buy cows. just
listen and keep the figures in your
wages bought 24O cows and the same
number of calves-48O, all told. With
your next 5000 1 bought 300 good COWS,
and there are 500 young calves. Don't
that make 1860 head, Miss Million? If
it don't then old Ferg don't know q
maverick from a 4-year-old wild cat"
To say that the young girl was very
entirely too mildly. She rode across
the prairies in walk. going so slow
tn at her pony often plucked bud or q
mouthful of grass. 1t was easy for her
to see lat if her affairs prospered at
this rate it would not be long before
sue WOuiu OWu kT06G mbuy Cd1tlc3
and her conscience gave her little
twitch. She wondered whether she
was doicg right. Maybe she was taking
advantage of this good-hearted old
man.
Another year passed. The girls
were growing into very beautiful young
ladies, and "Old Ferg" was so
proud of their Accomplishments that
he con, luded that he ought to take
them TO San Antonio ard show them
off. They enjoyed the trip very much,
and two of them got couple of fine
fellows wild, and after many visits to
the B irdsong racnh these fine fellows
became members of Uncle Rilly's
family.
After returning home Uncle Billy
called Miss Champion into the parlor
and asked her to do little figuring for
him. "These banjoes'' he said, ''are
getting too many for old Fere's upper
story. After the interview Miss Cham
pion found that she was the owner of
Of 276O head of cattle. Uncle Billy hal
explained it all. There had been slight
advance and some losses. He had
bought 1000 head of cows during the
second year, and the increase amounted
to 500 from the old stock. 81 have
given you the right NAME" he said.
''Stay here five years and Miss Mill
lion W i'll be the proper name for you"
At the erd of the third year this
young girl whom 'Old Ferg" found
crying in hotel in San Antonio be-
cause she did not know what on earth