RECREATION 



Volume XIX. NOVEMBER, 1903 Number 5. 



G. 0. SHIELDS, (COQUINA) Editor and Manager 



THE MYSTERY OF STIRRUP RANCH. 



H. N. BEECHER. 



Who he was, where he came from, box car without any pass from the 



or where they went we never found railroad company. Johnny accepted 



out. Probably we never shall know the honor. He said that as nearly as 



until, perhaps, when the last big he could judge the boy looked too 



roundup comes off ; when we are all honest for New York, was too swift 



driven into the big corral and the for Philadelphia, his feet were too 



angel Gabriel swings his lariat by the small for Chicago ; but from the way 



golden gate and St. Peter keeps tally he kept his mouth shut and minded 



while they separate the mavericks and his own business, he reckoned the 



outlaws and drive the regular herd little devil came from Denver, 



over on the South hillside where the Leige, who was our best judge of 



feed is always good, the storms never stock, said the little critter looked to 



come and the springs never dry up. him like a cross between an honest 



We found him alone at the ranch man and a city gal. We were satis- 

 on our return from a day's ride on the fied to leave it so. 

 spring roundup. He was a likely lit- Of course we had to call him some- 

 tie cuss about 12 or 13 years old and thing and we left the name to Andy, 

 all we found out about him had to be He kicked. Said he did not mind 

 guesswork, for he would not tell us a branding his own stock, but when it 

 thing. To all our questions he an- came to the maverick business he was 

 swered only, not in it; so we called the little chap 



"I promised Dad I would not tell'' ; The Maverick and cut it down to 



and that Dad would come for him Mave. 



some time. He had not been with us a week 



We found tracks of 2 horses, com- till we were all stuck on the little cuss, 

 ing in from the East and going out He took to our life like a half starved 

 over the Buena Vista trail. That was steer to a hay stack. He rode with us 

 all. Of course we could not shake the on the range, did odd jobs about the 

 kid. There was no choice but to keep ranch and rode alone to the post office, 

 him. He had not been with us 2 25 miles away, for our mail once a 

 hours till he seemed as much at home week. He did not seem to know what 

 on the ranch as the oldest of us. fear meant. He thought it was a pic- 

 After supper we made him a little nic the day we rode up to the carcass 

 bunk in the corner of the big fire- of a Mexican who had been shot for 

 place and put him to bed, where he stealing cattle, but the next day he sat 

 was soon sleeping peacefully. Then down and cried by the body of a 

 we put our wits together to untangle young colt that had been killed by 

 the mystery. mountain lions. . 



We left it to Johnny to decide, Once in a while Mave would won- 



when he should come. He had trav- der if Dad would come soon ; but we 



eled more than the rest of us, having never got a word out of him about 



come from Maine to Colorado on a Dad and we soon quit trying. 



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