The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1908-04-21
Q O THE 'LINE-BACK'S" CALF.C
By CHARLES TENREY JACKSON.

Fleet as a scared fawn, the little
red calf darted under Jeromes RATA
and fled into the bunch of cattle
rounded up on the parada grounds.
The guarding vaqueros raised laugh
at the discounted cowboy; the red
calf had twice eleuded him.
The rodeo boss" lifted the Cres-
cent-H branding-iron-the range
mark of Jerome's employers-from
the fire and tossed it into the dust.
He took up the scissors" iron of the
Dry Creek outfit and gazed at 1t
refiectively.
We'll. whose calf is it?" he asked.
You two will have to settle it,
Now to tell the parentage OF a
huerfano, that the eyes of no man
have seen until the roundup, will
battle even n boss of the rodeo.
Young Teddy Jerome was positive
that the red calf belonged to Zine
back" COW that had Mason's Cres-
cent-H mark. Bernal, a truculent
Mexican half-breed vaquero from the
Dry Creek ranch, swore that the red
calfs mother was gaunt old long
horn" with the scissors brand on her
flank.
Look" shouted Jerome, angrily.
drawing in his rope. ut knows it's
mother-it's ours,'
The disputed calf was lodging
among the swaying cattle that the
cowboys held on the parada space;
IL nudged close to the line-back-
then was through like a streak of
red to the side of the Dry Creek COW.
Bernal and some of the riders
raughed. Young Jerome was nettled,
but not shaken in his belief. He was
the only man from his employers
ranch at the rodeo, and felt the re-
sponsibility of getting every calf that
was rightfully due him. Bernal had
already secured one that Jerome
thought was his, but the wild moth.
ers had so nearly weaned their off.
spring by the end of the season that
doubt might well arise.
You and Bernal will have to set
tie it," repeated the rodeo boss.
Now cut out another calf from the
bunch-lively!"
SO the branding went on; the huer-
fanos, one by one, were cut out,
roped, and dragged to the branding
hre to be identified and marked with
any one of the dozen irons that were
hot In the embers. Bernal and
Jerome were among the cowboys who
rode about the wild herd. Every
Few minutes il was augmented by
other terror-stricken steers which
the vaqueros were beating out of the
brushy gulches leading down into the
main canon where the rodeowas held
1t was rough, dangerous work
Even leather chaps" and sombreros
could not protect the riders from the
thorny mesquit, nor could the surest-
rooted pony guarantee them from
broken bones on the steep hillsides.
Since daylight the rodeo hands had
held bunch of tame valley COWS on
the parada grounds to serve as a
buffer to the wild steers that charged
down the canon. Young Jerome was
behind these cattle, plying his quirt
and yelling i'm the singsong fashion
OF the cattlemen to stop the pressure.
But from up the canon a shrill
"hy-a-hy-a" announced the arrival of
another bunch of cattle driven out
by the workers. Straight into the
uneasy herd on the parada grounds
charged two dozen fierce steers: the
mass broke before the impact. and
the riders were swept away among
frightened groups of cattle.
Jerome flew over the rocky creek
bed In pursuit OF a score that gained
the brush before he could turn them.
But one by one his trained cow-pony
headed the fugitive. He saw Bernai
riding before half a dozen of the cat
tie. and when tho American went to
hts aid. all but three had been turned
back to the parada.
But these three. charging wildly
over a thorny ridge beyond the riders.
happened to be the line-back COW
with Mason's mark on her flank. the
old iong-hOrn that bore the scissors
brand, and the fleet red yearling that
had no brand at all Beinal turned
In the saddle TO laugh derisively at
his younger rival. The Mexican was
reDuted the best man with a rope in
Northern Arizona.
Your calf-hai" he called. "Jer-
ONE. who rope heem--iie have heem.
eh7"
ffNTr ~I...t.d 49,. fft,. -.