The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-08-07

ericks at 50 per head for this OF that
outfit when the law says they belong
10 the man who finds themT
Lee Virginia looked up brightly.
"i'hat seems right TO me-"
"Ah, yes. but walt! We cattiemen
had large herds, and the probabilities
were that the calf belonged 10 some
one OF us. whereas the cowboy. having
no herd at all, knew the maverick be-
longed 10 some ones herd. True, the
law said Il was his. but the law did
not mean TO reward the freebooter.
Yet that II exactly what II did. At
frst only few outlaws took advan-
tage Of II. but hard years came on. the
cattle business became less and less
profitable. We were forced 10 lay on
our men. and so nc last the range
swarmed with Idle cowpunchers. Then
came the breakdown In our scheme.
The cowboys took 10 'mavericking' on
their own account. Some OF them had
the grace TO go into partnership with
some farmer and 50 claim a small
bunch OF cows. but others suddenly
and mlraculously acquired herds OF
their own. From keeping within the
law they passed 10 violent methods
They slit the tongues Of calves for the
purpose Of separating them from their
mothers. Finding he could not suck.
bossy would az last wander away from
his dam and so become n maverick. In
short. anarchy reigned on the range"
"But surely my father had nothing
to do with thisi"
"No: your father up 10 this time had
been on good terms with everybody.
He had small herd OF cattle down
the river. which he owned In common
with n man named Hart"
II remember him"
He was well thought OF by all the
big outfits. aud when the situation be-
came intolerablc and we got together
20 weed out the rustlers,' as these cat
tie thieves were called. your father
was approached and converted to a
belief in drastic measures. lie 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 n respecter Of the law. Change
the law I said. The law IL all right
they replied: the trouble is with these
rustlers. Wen hang a 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.
Redheld went on. The whole plan
as developed was silly. and ! wonder
still that Ed wetherford. who knew
the hester and the cowboy so well,
should have lent his aid 10 II. The
cattlemen. some from Cheyenne. some
from Denver and a few from New
York and Chicago. agreed TO finance a
n sort OF vigilante 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"
IL wish he hadn't done that" muir
INJURED the girl
Il must be frank with you. Virginia
I can't excuse that In him. II was a
Kind Of treachery lie must have been
warped by his associates. They con
WINGED him by some means that II was
his duty. and one fine day the Fork
was startled by a messenger who rode
in to say that the cattle barons were
coming with a hundred Texas bad men
to clean out the town and to put their
own men into office. This last was
silly rot 10 me. but the people believed
IT,"
The girl was tlngling 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 Il till IL was nearly all over"
Redfeld resumed. his speech showing
a little OF the excitement which thrill
ed through the girls voice. We'll. the
first act OF vengeance was so III con
sidered that |, practically ended the
whole campaign. The Invaders fell