The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-02-18


swarmed with Idle cowpunchers. Then
came the breakdown in our scheme.
The cowboys took to 'maveIicking' on
their own account Some of them had
the grace to 20 into partnership with
some farmer aud SO claim a small
bunch OF COWS. hut others suddenly
and miraculously acquired herds OF
thelr own. From keeping within the
law they passed to violent methods.
They slit the tongues Of calves for the
purpose or separating them from their
mothers. Finding he could not suck,
bossy wouid at last wander away from
his dam 6nd so become II maverick. In
short, anarchy reigned on the range"
But surely my father had nothing
to do with thisW
"No; 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 Ia common
with II 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 q respecter of the law. Change
the law | said The law Is all right
they replied; the trouble is with these
rustlers. Wen 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 oy sr and over the question of
"mavericking," and she saw her ia
| ther as he rode up to the house that
last day before he went south.
Redfeld went on. "The whole plan
10 utNtlOPtl was Hiisg anu NOhhti
still that Ed Wetherford, who knew
the hester and the cowboy so well,
should have lent his aid to 1t. The
cattlemen, some from Cheyenne, some
from Denver and few from New
York and Chicago, agreed 10 finance n
sort of vlgllante corps composed OF
men from the outside on the under
standing that this policing body should
be commanded by one OF their own
number. Your father was chosen sec
ond In command and was to guide the
party, for he knew almost every one OF
the rustlers and could ride directly TO
their DOORS"
81 wish he hadn't done that" mur.
INJURED the girl.
IL must be frank with you, Virginia
| can't excuse that In him. II was q
kind OF treachery. He must have been
warped by his associates. They con
vinced him by some means that 1t was
his duty, and one tine day the Fork
was startled by Il messenger who rode
In to say that the cattle barous were
coming with hundred Texas bad men
to clean out the town and to put their
own men into office. This last was
silly rot to me. but the people believed
t."
The girl was tingling now. II re-
member! / remember the men who
rode into the town TO give the alarm.
| was scared almost breathless."
II was in Sulphur City and did not
hear OF II till II was nearly all over"
Redfield resumed, his speech showing
little OF the excitement which thrill
ed through the girls voice. "Wel, the
first act OF vengeance was 30 III con.
sidered that It practically ended the
whole campaign. The Invaders fell
UPON ana killed two ranchers. one az
whom was probably not rustler ut
| all, but q peaceable settler, and the
other one they most Darbarously
La anged. More than this, they attack
ed and yalnly tried TO kill two settlers
whom they met on the road-Germaii
farmers, with no connection, so far as
known, with the thieves. These men
tsCdptu ulu SuNN 'hN oi"' ''' -.
few hours the whole range was atame
with vengeful fire. The Forks, AS you
may recall, was ike swarm Of bum
blebees. Every man and boy was
armed and mounted. The storekeepers
distributed guns and ammunition,
leaders developed, and the embattied
'punkln rollers, rustlers and towns
men rode out TO meet the invaders"
The girl paled with memory OF It.
"It was terrible, went all day with
out eating, and for two nights we
were all too excited TO sleep. II seem
I'd MS II the world were coming to an
END. Mother cried because they
wouldn't let her go with them. She
didn't know father was leading the
other army"
"She must have known soon, for II
was reported that your father was
among them. She certainly knew when
they were driven 10 earth In that log
fort. for they were obliged TO restrain
her By forge from going. to your ia
,ais fpn n,- na,t ,.iiAasi So ...si.rts'