The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1910-07-12
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tie We're driven up from the pasture
and penned in corral near the ranch
house for delivery in the morning.
When night closed down and the
house was still did Santa Yeager
throw herself down. clasplng that
| formal note to her bosom, weeping
and calling out name that pride
| (either In one or the other had kept
from her lips many day, or did she
| file the letter in her business way, re-
tanning her royal balance and strength?
Wonder, IL you will, but royalty is
sacred, and there is veil. But this
much you shall learn:
AT midnight Santa slipped softly out
of the ranch house, clothed in some
thing dark and plain. She paused for
moment under the live oak trees,
Santa turned her face to the south
east and threw three kisses thither-
ward, for there was none to see.
Then she sped silently to the black
smith shop. fifty yards away. and what
she did there can only be surmised.
| But the forge glowed red. and there
was faint hammering such as Cupid
might make when he sharpens his ar
row points.
!, Later she came forth with queer
shaped handled thing In one hand and
n portable furnace such as are seen In
branding camps In the other. To the
corral where the Sussex cattle were
penned she sped with these things
swiftly in the moonlight
She opened the gate and slipped in
side the corral The Sussex cattle
were mostly dark red. but among
this bunch was one that was milky
whte-notable among the others.
And now Santa shook from her shout
der something that we had not seen
before-a rope lasso. She freed the
loop Of It. coiling the length In her left
hand. and plunged into the thick OF the
cattle
The white COW was her object She
swung the lasso, which caught one
horn and slipped off.
Again she made the cast, while the
aroused cattle milled around the rour
sides of the corral In plunging mass.
This throw was fair; the white COW
came to earth again, and before II
could rise Santa had made the lasso
fast around post OF the corral with
Il swift and simple knot and had leap
ed upon the cow again with the raw
hide hobbies
| In one minute the feet of the animal
were tied She ran swiftly to her fur.
mace at the gate and brought the
branding iron. white hot.
| The below OF the outraged white
COW as the iron was applied should
have stirred the slumbering uuricular
nerves and consclences of the nearby
subjects of the Nopallto. but 1t did not.
And It was amid the deepest nocturnal
silence that Santa ran like n lapwing
back to the ranch house and there zen
upon Il cot and sobbed- sobbed as
though queens had hearts us simple
ranchmens wives have and rs though
she would gladly make kings of prince
eonsorts should they ride back again
from over the hills and far away
In the morning the capable. reyoly.
cred youth and his vaqueros set forth
driving the bunch of Sussex cattle
across the prairles to the Rancho Seco,
The beasts arrived Mt Rancho Seco
one evening at dusk and were received
and counted by the foreman
The next morning ut s o'clock q
horseman loped out of the brush to the
10 mt ad
stifiiy and strobe with whizzing spurs
TO the house. His horse gave great
sigh and swayed foam streaked. with
down dropping head and closed eyes.
| But waste not your pity upon Bel
| shazzar, the flea bitten sorrel, Today
In Nopalito horse pasture he survives.
| pampered, beloved. unridden, cherish.
cd record holder of long distance rides.
The horseman stumbled into the
house. Two arms fell around his neck,
and some one cried out in the voice OF
woman and queen alike. ''Webb--oh,
Webbw
~ was u skunk" said Webb Yeager
"Hush! said Santa. Did you see it2'
Il saw It," said Webb.
What they meant God knows. and
you shall know II you rightly read the
primer OF events.
BE tho cattle queen" said Webb,
land overlook It II you can. I was
NANCY sheep stealth coyote"
Hush" said Santa again, laying her
fingers upon his mouth. There's no
queen here. DO you know who | am?
! nm Santa Yeager, first lady of the
bedchamber. Come here"
She dragged him from the gallery
cradle with an infant In lt-a red.
ribald. unintelligible. babbling. beauti-
full infant. sputtering mt life In an I'M
seemIy manner.
"rheres no queen on this ranch"
said Santa again. Look at the king.
He's got your eyes. Webb. Down on
your knees and look at his highness."
But jingling rowels sounded on the
gallery. and Bud Turner stumbled
| there again with the same query that
| he had brought n year ago.
"Mornn' Them beeves is Just turned
out on the trail. Shall I drive 'em to
| Barber's Or
He saw Webb and stopped.
"I,a- ba ba ba ba ba!' shrleked the
king IN his cradle. beating the air.
you hear your boss, Bud" said
Webb Yeagcr. with broad grin. Just
as he had said n year ago.
And thu: Is all. except that when
Old Man Quinn. owner of the Rancho
Seco. went out TO look over the herd
Of SUSSEX cattle that he had bought
from the Nopalito ranch he asked his
new manager
"Whai's The Nopalito ranch brand,
| Wilson,"
N bar Y" said Wilson.
Il thought so" said Quinn. But
look at thai white heifer there; she's got
another brand II heart with cross In
side Of IT, What brand Is that?"
|