New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-12-13

his fellows. why brand these NAV
ericks at IS per head for this or tina
outfit when the law says they belon,
to the man who finds themY"
| Lee Virginia looked up brightly
THAT seems right to me-
"Ah. yes. but wait! We cattlemel
had large herds, and the probabilitie,
were that the calf belonged to som,
one Of US. whereas the cowboy, having
no herd at all. knew the maverick be
longed to some ones herd. True, thu
law said 1t was his, but the law die
not mean to reward the freebooter
Yet that is exactly what 1t did. Al
first only few outlaws took advan
tage Of it. but hard years came on. the
cattle business became less and less
profitable, we were forced to lay ofI
our men. and so at last the range
swarmed with idle cowpunchers. Then
came the breakdown In our scheme.
The cowboys took to 'mavericking.. on
their own account. Some Of them had
the grace to 60 into partnership with
some farmer and so claim small
bunch of cows. but others suddenly
and miraculously acquired herds of
their own. From keeping within the
law they passed to violent methods.
They slit the tongues of calves for the
purpose Of separating them from their
mothers. Finding he could not suck,
bossy would at last wander away from
his dam and so become maverick. In
short, anarchy reigned on the range"
But surely my father had nothing
to do with this?''
mo; your father up to this time had
been on good terms with everybody.
He had a small herd of cattle down
the river, which he owned in common
with man named Hart"
Il remember him."
HE was well thought of by all the
big outfits and when the situation be-
came intolerable and we got together
to weed out the rustlers,' as these cat
tie thieves were called, your father
was approached and converted to a
belief in drastic measures. He had
suffered less than the rest Of us be-
cause of his small herd and the fact
that he was very popular among the
cowboys. So far as was concerned.
the use Of violent methods revolted
me. My training in the east had made
me a respecter Of the law. Change
the law I said. The law is all right
they replied; the trouble is with these
rustlers: Well hang few Of 'em, and
that will break up the business"
Parts Of this story came back to the
girls mind. producing momentary
flashes Of perfect recollection. She
heard again the voices Of excited men
arguing over and over the question Of
''mavericking." and she saw her ia,
Their as he rode up to the house that
last day before he went south.
Red6eld went on. 'The whole plan !
rs developed was silly, and l wonder
still that Ed Wetherford. who knew
the hester and the cowboy SO well,
should have lent his aid to it. The
:attlemen, some from Cheyenne, some
rom Denver and q few from New
York and Chicago, agreed to finance
| sort Of vigilante corps composed Of
men from the outside on the under
that this policing body should
,e commanded by one of their own
lumber. Your father was chosen Sec
nd in command and was to guide the
'arty. for he knew almost every one Of
he rustlers and could ride directly to
heir doors.' .s..
II wish he hadn't done that" MUIR
nured the girl.
Il must be frank with you, Virginia.
can't excuse that in him. It was a
ind Of treachery. He must have been
warped by his associates. They con-
inced him by some means that it was
is duty, and one fine day the Fork
1as startled by a messenger who rode
! to say that the cattle barons were
oming with hundred Texas bad men
0 clean out the town and to put their
wn men into Office. This last was
lily rot to me. but the people believed
90 ....-.. ....-... ...
The girl was tingling now. II re-
ember! remember the men who
de into the town to give the alarm.
was scared almost breathless." II
II was in Sulphur City and did not
,ar Of it till 1t was nearly all over"
ed6eN resumed, his speech showing
little Of the excitement which thrill
through the girls voice. "Well, the
Ut act Of vengeance was 80 Ill con- a
Tered that It practically ended the .
hole campaign. The invaders fell
'on and killed two ranchefs. one Of d
hom was probably not Q rustler at Ir
:, but q peaceable settler. and the e,
her one they most barbarously c,
nged. More than this. they attack, b
and vainly tried to kill two settlers
,om they met on the road-German Il
rmers, with no connection. 50 far as "
own, with the thieves. These men W
.aped and gave the, alarm. In a T.