Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-02-27
CHAPTER IL.

- SUSIcueQ Tor miles up ana OoWh
the Sweetwater valley. Bounded on
the east and west by the foothills. the
tract was one OF the garden spots OF
Arizona. Southwark lay the Sweetwa-
ter ranch owned by Jack Payson.
Northward was the home ranch Of the
Lazy X, an Ishmaelitish outfit ever
at petty war with the other settlers ir,
the district IL Wss miscellaneous
and constantly changing crowd recruit
ed from rustlers from Wyoming. gam
blers from California. half breed out
laws from the Indian Territory-in
short bad men" from every section
Of the ives ern country. They had
special grudge against Allen and Pay
son. whom they held 70 De accountable
for the sudden disappearance about
year before Of their leader. Buck Nc.
kee. balf breed from The Cherokee
strip. However. 40 other leader had
arisen equal TO that masterful spirit.
aud their enmity expressed itself only
In such petty depredations as chang
Ing brands on stray cattle from the
Bar one aud Sweetwater ranches aud
the Sitting Of the tongues OF young
calves 50 that these would be unable
to feed properly and as a result be
cisowned by their mothers. whereupor
the Lazy X outfit would slap its brand
on them as mavericks
Allen was a Kentuckian who had
served In the Confederate army as one
Of Morgans raiders and so had re
ceived by popular brevet the title OF
colonel. At the close Of the war he
had come 10 Arizona with his young
wife. Josephine. and had founded u
home on the Swcetwatcr He was
now one or the cattle nar0ns OF the
great southwest. Prosperity had not
spoiled him. Careless IN HIS attire
cordial Ia his manner. he was n mar
who was loved and respected by his
men from the newest tcndcrfoot 20 the
veteran OF the bunk house. His wife.
however. was not so highly regarded.
for she had never been able - recog-
nize changes I'm time or location and SC
was IN perpetual conflict with Der en-
vironmcnt- She attempted 10 make tho
free and independent cowboys OF the
Arizona plains "stand around" like the
house servants OF the Kentucky blue
grass. and she persisted IN the effort
20 manage her husband by the fem
mime artificc OF weeping In the days
OF her youth and beauty this had been
very effective but now that these had
passed II was productive only OF gooo
humored raillery from him and mirth
from the bystanders.
'No wonder Jim has the finest ranch
in Arlzony." the cowboys were won't
20 say. with Josephine n.irrigatin' n
all the time"
Allen Hacienda was certainly n
garden spot In that desert country.
The building was OF the old Mexican
style. an architecture found by cen
turtles OF experience 10 be suited best
20 the climate and the materials OF
the land. The house was only one
story in height. The rooms and out
building sprawled over a wide expanSe
OF ground. The walls were OF native
stone and adobe clay. over them clam
bered grapevines. In front OF THE
home Mrs. Allen had planted a gar
den. A 'dobe wall cut of the house.
from the corral and the bunk house
A heavy glrder spanned the dis
lance from the low roof TO the top
OF the barrier. Latticework support
ing n grapevine formed. with a girder.
a gateway through which one could
catch from the piazza view OF n
second cultivated plot Palms and
Towering cactuses added color and life
TO the near prospect. Through the
arbor n glimpse OF the Tortiia noun
tains, forty miles away, held the eye
a..
plains outlined by the trees fringing
its banks. flowed past the ranch. Yuc-
ca palms and sahuaros threw scanr~
shade over the garden.
Shortly after the arrival OF the Al
lens In Arizona they were blessed
with a daughter, the FIRST white child
born I'm that region. They waited for
Protestant clergyman 90 come along
before christening her and as such
visits were few and far between the
child was beginning to talk before she
received a name. From cunning
habit she had OF repeating the last
words OF questions put TO her her
fathes professionally dubbed her Echo.
which name. when the preacher came.
he insisted upon her retaining.
AZ EcuO grew Oluer, In Oruer thaI
she might have a companion Colonel
Allen went 10 Kentucky and brought
back with him little orphan girl who
was n distant relative of his wife.
Polly Hope her name was. and Polly
Hope she insisted on remaining, al
though the Aliens would gladly have
adopted her.
Colonel Allen trained the girls IN all
the craft OF the plains just as If they
were boys. He taught them TO ride
astride. TO shoot. to rope cattle. They
accompanied him everywhere he went.
cantering on bronchos by the side Of
his kentucky thoroughbred. Merry.
dark eyed, black haired Echo always
rode upon the off side and ssncy Polly.
with golden curss. blue eyes and tip
tilted nose, upon the near. The ex-
Confederate soldier dubbed them ira
military style his right and left
wings" As the three would make a
raid" upon Florence. the county town.
the Inhabitants did not need to look
out OF doors to ascertain who were
coming, for the merrinent OF the little