The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-11-10
scantily did it escape being written


"especially"-in kingdom.
That light the hundred head Of cat.
tie were 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. clasping 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 a day. or did she
Gle the letter In her business way. re-
tanning her royal balance and strength3
Wonder. II you will, but royalty Ii
sacred, and there is a 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
a 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. ffty 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 a queer
shaped handled thing In one hand and
a portable furnace such as nre 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
white-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 1t. 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 or
Again she made the cast, while the
aroused cattle milled around the cOur
sides of the corral ln a plunging mass.
This throw was fair: the white COW
came to earth again. and before II
could rise Santa had made the lass0
fast around post of the corral with
a 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 auricular
nerves and consciences of the nearby
subjects Of the Nopalito. but it did not.
And 1t was amid the deepest nocturnal
silence that Santa ran like a lapwing
back to the ranch house and there fell
upon a cot aud sobbed-sobbed a.
though queens had hearts as simple
ranchmen's wives have and as though
she would gladly make kings Of prince
consorts should they ride back again
from over the hills and far away.
In the morning the capable. revolv-
cred youth and his vaqueros set forth
driving the bunch Of Sussex cattle
across the prairies to the Rancho Seco.
The beasts arrived ut Rancho Seco
one evening at dusk and were received
and counted by the foreman.
The next morning at o'clock q
horseman loped out OF the brush to the
Nopalito ranch house. He dismounted
stiffly and strode with whizzing spurs
to the house. His horse gave great
sigh and swayed foam streakcd. with
down dropping head and closed eyes.
But waste not your pity upon Bel.
shazzar. the flea bitten sorrel. To-day
In Nopalito horse pasture he survives,
pampered. beloved. unridden. cherish
ed 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
Webbv
II was a skunk" said Webb Yeager
"Hush! said Santa. Ibid you see 1t r
Il saw It," said Webb.
What they meant God knows. ani
you shall know ii you rightly read thu
primer of events.
BE the cattle queen" said Webb
'and overlook 1t II you can. was I
NANCY. sheep stcalin' coyote"
"Hush!' said Santa again. laying he
fingers upon bis mouth. There's d
queen here. Do you know who | am
am Santa Yeager. nrst lady Of th
bedchamber. Come here"
She dragged him from the CALLER
into the room to the right. There stoo
a cradle with an infant in tia ret
ribald. unintelligibie. babbling. beaut
ful infant. sputtering at life In an III
seemly manner.
There's no queen on this ranch
said Santa again. Look at the kim
He's got your eyes. Webb. Down Q
your knees and look ut his highness." /"
| But jingIing rowels sounded on 4