Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-04-13
NUMBER IS.

tine sitting OF the tongues Of young
calves SO that these would be unable
to feed properly and as result be
disowned by their mothers, whereupon
the Lazy X outfit would slap its brand
on them as mavericks.
Allen was q Kentuckian who had
served in the Confederate army as one
Of Morgan'a raiders and so had re-
ceived by popular brevet the title Of
colonel At the close Of the war he
had come to Arizona with his young
wife, Josephine. and had founded a
home on the Sweetwater. He was
now one of the cattle harons Of the
great southwest Prosperity had not
spoiled him. Careless in his attire,
cordial In his manner, he was man
| who was loved and respected by his
men from the newest tenderfoot to the
veteran OF the bunk house. His wife,
however. was not so highly regarded,
for she had never been able to recog.
nize charges IN time or location and 50
was IN perpetual conflict with her en-.
yironinent She attempted to make the
| free ard independent cowboys ofShe
| Arizona plains "stand around" like the
house servants Of the Kentucky blue
grass. and she persisted In the effort
| to manage her husband by the fem
inine artifce Of weeping. In the days
of her youth and beauty this had been
very effective, but now that these had
passed 1t was productive only Of good
humored raillery from him and mirth
from the bystanders.
"No wonder Jim has the finest ranch
In Arizony," the cowboys were wont
to say. with Josephine a-irrigatin' II
all the time"
Allen Hacienda was certainly q
garden spot In that desert country.
The building was Of the old Mexican
style. an architecture found by cen.
turies Of experience to be suited best
TO the climate and the materials OF
the land. The house was only one
story In height The rooms and out.
building sprawled over wide eIpanss
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 gar.
den. A 'dobe wall cut OF the house
from the corral and the bunk house.
A heavy girder spanned the dis
tance from the low roof to the top
of the barrier. Latticework support.
Ing grapevine formed, with grder,
gateway through which one could
catch from the piazza a view OF
second cultivated plot. Palms and
Towering cactuses added color and life
o. the near prospect. Through the
arbor a glimpse Of the Tortllla noun
tains, forty miles away, held the eye.
The Sweetwater. its path across the
plains outlined by the trees fringins
its banks, flowed past the ranch. Iuc.
ca palms and sahuaros threw scanty
shade over the garden.
shortly after the arrival Of the Al
lens In Arizona they were blessed
with Il daughter. the tirst white child
born I'm that region. They waited for
a Protestant clergyman to come along
before christening her. and rs 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
father Professionally dubbed her Echo,
which name. when the preacher came,
he Insisted upon her retaining.
As Echo grew older, In order that
she might have companion, Colonel
Allen went to Kentucky and brought
back with him little orphan girl who
wa distant relative Of his wife.
Polly Hope her name was, and Polly
Hone 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 II they
were boys. He taught them TO ride
astrde. to shoot, TO rope cattle. Ihey
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 saucy Polly,
with golden curls. bhe eyes and tip
tilted nose. upon the near. The ex-
Confederate soldier dubbed them In
military style his right and LEFT
wings" AS the three would make q
raid upon Florence, the county town,
the inhabitants did not need to look
out of doors to ascertain who were
coming, for the merriment Of the little
girls gave sufficient indication. Here
comes Jim Allen ridin' like the de-
stroyin' angel" said young Sheriff
Hoover on one Of these occasions Il
know him by the rustlin' OF his
wings"
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