The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-12-31
The Princess
and the Puma

.
ucsf se<fh tho Whesirv
ss~r~wsr Syndicate. lac
There had Tn b. q king and queen.
Of oour~. Tho king was a terrible
old man. who wore an shooter. and
spurs. and shouted In such tremefs'
doun voice that tho ras,iers on tho
prairie would run Into their holes
under tho prickiy pear. Before Their.
was a royal family they called The
man Whispering Pen" when he
came 10 own 50. 900 acres of land and
more cattle than he could count they
called him o'Donncii. The Cattle
King
The queen had h~~n n Merioan rfri
from Laredo. She made a good. mild.
Colorndociaro wife. and even sue
ceesicd In teaching Ben TO modify his
voioo sufficiently while In tho house
90 prevent the dishes from heinz
brok.n. when Ron rot 10 b~ king.
che would cit on IN. gallery Of Espin.
ous ranch Ind weave rush mats.
When wealth bsc,nie 80 Irresistible
and Oppressive that upholstered
brought down from San Antore In
tho wagons. she bowed her smooth,
dark head and shared the fate OF III"
Danae
To avoid lcse-maJests you have
been presented first TO the king and
queen. They do not enter the story.
which might he called The Chron'
icie OF the Princess, the Happy
Thought and the Lion That Bungled
His job"
Jo1cfa o'Donneii WITS the surviving
daughter. the princess From her
mother an. inherited warmth OF ma
,ure and n du.ky ~emitropic beauty
'From Ben orDonn.ll tho royal shs
acquired a store OF intrepidity. com
mon sense and tho faculty Of ruling
The combination was one worth 70
ing miies to sec. Josefa, while ridine
her pony at a gailop. could put fivs
out Of ain bullets thru a tomato car
swinging at the end OF string She
could play for hours with a whit
kitten she owned. dressing II In al
manner Of absurd clothes. Scornins
her head, what i,S45 two-year-oidi
would bring on the hoof. at $3.50 pei
head. Roughly speaking. the EspInoss
ranch IN 40 miles long and 20 broad
but mostly leased land. Josefa. or
her pony, had prospected over ever
mile OF II. Every cowpuncher on ths
range knew her and was a loyal vas
sal. Ripley Givens. foreman OF one
OF the Esplnosa outfits. saw her on.
day and made up his mind TO form
a royal matrimonial alliance Pre-
sumptuous7 No. In those days. ir
tho Ncuces country. a man was .
man. And. after all, the title of cat
tie king does not presuppose blood
royal. Often II only signifies tina
It's owner wears the crown In toker
Of his magnificent qualities In thu
art OF cattle stealing.
One day Ripley Givens rode ovci
70 the Double Elm ranch to inquir,
about bunch OF strayed ycarlings
He WINS late In setting out on his re
turn trip, and II was shutdown whcr
he struck the White Horse crossins
OF tho Neuccs From there to hi
own camp II was Is miles. To tn
Espinosa ranch house II was IL. Civ
ems was tired. He decided 10 pas
the night at the crossing.
There Was n fine water hole in tn
rivcr.bed. The banks were thickl,
covered with great trees. undergrowl
! with brush. Back from the waite
hole 80 yards was n stretch OF curl,
mesquite grass-supper for his hors
and bed for himself. Givens stake,
his horse and spread out his saddl
blankets 10 dry. He sat down witt
, his back against tree and role
a cigaret. From somewhere In IN
denae timber along tho river came