A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



oats fer him ten years, till the High Boss wus out onct 

 from New York and seed Ole Gran'pa go to a fire. 

 Of course I wus up, an' he sed he guessed he could 

 pay fer Gran'pa's oats the rest o' his days. Joe wus 

 mighty perticular 'bout company oats. We hed to 

 haul 'em 60 miles, but I think he slipped a mess to 

 White Pet onct in a while hisself. I used to wait 'til 

 the boys hed hit their hot rolls, then I'd slip out to 

 the barn, get my big John B. full o' oats, steal to the 

 corner o' the boss pasture, an' Ole Gran'pa wus alius 

 waitin' fur me an' he'd never leave a stray oat to 

 give us away. 



"They called me 'the S. M. S. Kid.' I wus 'bout 

 sixteen. I could ride some an' I alius hed a httle 

 money back from my wages. So when Shorty Owen 

 tole me I wus agoin' I used thet an' all I made up 

 to goin' time fer an outfit. I hed a good season sad- 

 dle, a Gallup; but I bought a bridle with plenty o' 

 do-dads on it. Then you know my Injun likin' fer 

 color: I bought a yaller swet blanket, an' a top red 

 Navajo blanket fer Gran'pa. He kinda leaned to 

 color too. I set up all night with Swartz an' made 

 him finish a pair o' top stitched boots, an' I hed enuff 

 left fer new duckin' pants, red flannel shirt, an' a 

 plaid fer change, shop-made bit and spurs, both in- 

 laid, a yaller silk handkerchief, a new hot roll, an' a 

 twelve-doller beaver John B. Then Shorty Owen cut 

 out my mount. In course I hed Sorrel Stud; he wus 

 six years old, right in his prime, an' I kep' him shinin'. 



[219] 



