A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



known as Sorrel Stud. Mage broke him as a three- 

 year-old, and had ridden him some eighteen years. 

 The last few years of that time Stud had come to be 

 known as Old Gran'pa. He was still alive, but had 

 been turned out under good keep, winter and sum- 

 mer, to end his days in peace. He was very fast, and 

 was considered among the top cutting horses of his 

 time. Mage's worship of this horse is only typical 

 of every cowboy's love for his pet horse. But to his 

 story : 



"It wus this away : We hed fenced some, but alius 

 hed lots o' strays on the open range, an' Shorty 

 Owen [who, by the way, stood 6 feet and 6 inches], 

 tole me early in the spring he would send me out to 

 gather strays when the big round-ups begin, an' 'lowed 

 I best be gettin' my plunder rounded up. That wus 

 'fore you cum, but you know he wus the S. M. S. 

 range boss, an' mighty nigh raised me. He tuk to 

 me the day I hit the ranch. 'Kid,' he says, 'you ain't 

 never hed no chanct an' I'm agoin' to giv you one.' 



"Shorty taught me to ride — hobbled my feet unter a 

 three-year-ole steer onct, an' turned him a-loose. We 

 hed it roun' an roun' with the hole outfit hollerin', 

 'Stay with 'im, Kid!' I stayed all right, but when 

 he pitched into a bunch o' mesquites I sure would 'a' 

 left 'im If these here preachers is right 'bout 'free 

 moral agency,' but them hobbles belt me back, and I 

 stayed fer the benediction. Since thet time I never 

 hev seed a boss I wus scart to climb on. 



[217] 



