The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-05-25
A RED
HEIFER
1t Was the Cause an Absurd
Mistake
By Clarissa Mackie
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

spot in the landscape.
"As well as three other brands" add
ed Jim Lewis.
"Then why does the Widow Clancy
lay claim to the critter" demanded
Jim Lewis scornfully.
"She says it's a stray" explained
Harry Barry. Seems her foreman told
her that critter that had as many as
four different brands could rightly be
claimed by anybody that found It,"
who's the foreman?' asked Gabriel
incredulously.
"Peter Henry"
I'm wondering how he managed to
fasten his thieving claws on the wild
der's money bags"
"She come out pore in health with
snug little sum that had been left to
her by Clancy, who WIS in the building
line somewheres east. | don't think
she's a Hunger exactly, but Mrs. Clln-
took said she'd wore herself out over
the ninth story of a building he was
putting up and lived ten weeks after
ward! You can imagine what tough
specimen Clancy must have been, and
you might know 'twould wear the bux-
omest kind Of woman to skin and
bones to take care Of him" The Crane
pulled solemnly at his cigarette after
this long explanation.
How'd you come to know so much
about the Widow Clancy" demanded
Harry Barry suspiciously.
IT talked with Mrs. Clintock about
her Seems Mrs. Boss she'd been over
to call on the wilder" said the Crane
innocently.
Anybody seen the widow YETI" in
quired Jim.
There was silence for several sec
onds, and all eyes turned toward the
Crane, who was staring out across the
range.
For the Lords sake" he broke out
irrelevantly, the COMPOUNDED critters
making of for Satans gulch! WHO'D
peel"
His horse swung around to quick
touch, and before the others could
draw breath he was dashing after the
red spot, which was gradually becom-
ing smaller. In another instant they
were all after him.
The red heifer switched her tail
saucily and capered joyously ahead of
the pursuing cattlemen.
Crane" painted Jim Lewis In that
gentleman's ear when he had come
abreast of him, you're running the red
heifer Off the widder's ranger
Pm not. The critters running
away and I'm trying to catch her be-
fore she breaks her neck in the gulch."
Crane tossed back over his shoulder
The red heifer gamboled In the Fan,
occasionally pausing to below back an
impudent defiance to her pursuers. Ga
briel explained in breathless shouts the
different brands borne by the heifer as
If all the Lone Bull men were not ac-
quainted with the itinerant creatures
marks of identity.
The red heifer had been the pet
amusement of all the cattlemen In Pu-
lardo county for six months past.
Lately her sudden appearance among
a herd was the signal for a stampede
for tho branding iron that would mark
her for the time being as the posses
sion of the ranch whose latest brand
she bore. AS these brands merely
singed the thick hair on her body. they
were obliterated as rapidly as her coat
heightened Where she came from no
body could positively say, but 1t was
believed that she was a wild COW
which had joined some herd on the
ranges unknown to the tenders.
Ever since the Three Star ranch,
which adjoned the Lone Bull on the
west. had been purchased by the wild
ow Of one Daniel Clancy. hate Of New
York city. the red heifer had appar-
emily staked claim on the widows
property for 1t mingled with her herds
and seemed content to remain among
the rather scrubby lot of cattle which
Peter Henry had picked out for the
newcomer
uO lLOho pdAA PCoPiS hob hhOh ~
very little about the Widow Clancy ex-
cept that occasionally they had de-
scrlbed a lone female figure galloping
along the distant ridges on a buckskin
pony. Mrs. Clintock had told them
that the widow was like all Widows
fair. fat. forty and fascinating. Also
red hair" the boss wife had added
with a twinkle in her eye.
mot for mine" Harry Barry had
calculated. and the others had echoed
his sentiment As by one accord they
all avoided the Three Star property
and the well defined trail which had
once marked the neighborliness be-
tween the ranches was now hidden
with several months growth Of rank
grass.
Now the spirit Of mischief had sud
denly possessed the solemn Crane, and
he had deliberately led the pursuit aft
er the red heifer that had been peace
fully grazing on the Widows range for
several weeks.
The spirited horses took fences
whenever there were any. and it was
not long before the red heller grew to
larger Proportions in their sight I'M
For soreness of the muscles wheth-
err induced by violent exercise or In