The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-22
BRANDING COYOTES.
How Cowboys Created a Sensation
ON a California Ranch.

t
How Cowboys Created a Sensation
ON a California Ranch.
There was trouble on Miller 8 Lux's
ranch the other day, says the San Fran
cisco Call.
Henry Miller, sthe boss" had taken it
into his head to relieve a coyote trap. and
he found out something he didn't p%articu-
larly want to know. The coyote had been
caught in this trap the night before, but
for some reason nobody had killed it.
Then the old man saw it. He hadn't
had the fun of killing q coyote for a long
time mot since the legislature tool. the
t,unty off scnlps), SO he laid this one out
with professional pride.
When the beast was taken from the
trap, Mr.. Miller turned it over, and at
once began to swear.
"Who in thunder did that" he shout
! ed. "Who has been clapping my brand
on coyotess"
Tho boys slowly came forward and,
with innocent and surprised c-ountenances,
looked at the coyote. There in big letters
was Miller g. Lux's brand, the HH, indi-
eating plainly that the beast was the prop
erty of the millionaire cattle men and
claiming the full protection Of the brand
ing law. Nobody in the crowd of %vaqueros
could, or rather would, explain the brand
on the coyote. AT least that's what they
told Miller. Tho branding on the coyote
had been lone for many months, SO there
was no way of locating where it had been
done. 1t might have been d hundred miles
away.
s.Must have been some of them Portu-
guese you hired last summer what done
it,, F." said Charley, the Oldest COW boy on
the ranch.
Portuguese be blowedl" retorted Mil
Ter. sit was some OF you fellers. Those
- Portuguese amt got sense enough
for nothing like that. I'll find out any
how. Saddle up there quick and come
along"
Then began a chase over the ranch for
q sight of a coyote.
Hero, you, Pachugo, lasso that fell
low!, shouted Miller as soon as one of the
quick footed coyotes came in sight.
Old Paehugo is one of the best hands
with tho iarlat in the whole San Joa, uin
valley, but he bad to make several
! "throws'' before he got his game. First
the rope fell short, then it went ahead,
then it fell in the right place, but Mr..
Coyote jumped through itand went scam
pcring glecfnlly over the plains, being
careful to run close to as many prairie dog
holes as he could. AT last old Pachugo
was successful, and the coyote was pulled
over on his back with o broken neck, the
lariat having landed in just the right spot.
Mr.. Miller jumped of his horse and
! turned over she dead animal. Sure
enough, there was the HH. And, worse
still, there we're the earmarks, Miller &
Lux's coyote beyond a doubt.
"That was done by that Chinaman over
near Nevada, . said old Pachugo. II can
tell, because the coyote smells like rice"
AS tho NcS.lda end of the ranch was
over 100 mi ) away. Mr.. Miller could not
make old Pacbugo prove J statement,
but he was by no means con l, SO he
made the whole crowd put in the day on q
coyote hunt.
Il don't mind telling you" said Char
ley, Sit was that niger over on the west
side, and he done it for .sur interest.
"My interest? What do you mean?"
yelled Miller, beginning to get mad again.
"Well, you soe," said Charley, there
amt no bounty on coyote calps just now,