This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1905 Excerpt: ... THE RANCH IN THE VALLEY CHAPTER I There were few more popular men within a circle of a hundred miles than Jim Brown. His place laysome way up a deep valley among the eastern hills of New Mexico. Most of the land in the valley belonged to him, and his cattle could wander among the hills in search of fresh forage for many miles each way without there being anyone to question their right. At the mouth of the valley, two miles away, stood a little cluster of five or six houses, consisting of a drinking shop, a tiny general store, and the houses of the men who worked for Jim Brown in the busy season, and who at other times cultivated small patches of ground, raising chiefly vegetables, pumpkins, and melons for sale to the cowboys on the surrounding ranches. Jim Brown kept almost open house, and it was a most natural thing for a cowboy who got a couple of days' holiday, and did not care about going down to the nearest town for a spree, to say, " I shall go up to old man Brown's and see how things are getting on." He knew that he could rely upon a hearty welcome, good food, and better whisky than could be got anywhere else in the county, and also on a pleasant greeting from Polly Brown. As Jim Brown, although in comfortable circumstances, was by no means rich, it might be thought that he would ruin himself by such lavish hospitality, but his visitors took care that he should not suffer in this respect. They would seldom go empty-handed. It might be that a freshly-killed deer would be slung behind the saddle, or a couple of bear's hams. Sometimes it would be two or three pounds of tea or tobacco from the town, besides which, at parting, they would slip two or three dollars into the hands of one of the children; but more than this, they would brand mavericks with Po...
Description:
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1905 Excerpt: ... THE RANCH IN THE VALLEY CHAPTER I There were few more popular men within a circle of a hundred miles than Jim Brown. His place laysome way up a deep valley among the eastern hills of New Mexico. Most of the land in the valley belonged to him, and his cattle could wander among the hills in search of fresh forage for many miles each way without there being anyone to question their right. At the mouth of the valley, two miles away, stood a little cluster of five or six houses, consisting of a drinking shop, a tiny general store, and the houses of the men who worked for Jim Brown in the busy season, and who at other times cultivated small patches of ground, raising chiefly vegetables, pumpkins, and melons for sale to the cowboys on the surrounding ranches. Jim Brown kept almost open house, and it was a most natural thing for a cowboy who got a couple of days' holiday, and did not care about going down to the nearest town for a spree, to say, " I shall go up to old man Brown's and see how things are getting on." He knew that he could rely upon a hearty welcome, good food, and better whisky than could be got anywhere else in the county, and also on a pleasant greeting from Polly Brown. As Jim Brown, although in comfortable circumstances, was by no means rich, it might be thought that he would ruin himself by such lavish hospitality, but his visitors took care that he should not suffer in this respect. They would seldom go empty-handed. It might be that a freshly-killed deer would be slung behind the saddle, or a couple of bear's hams. Sometimes it would be two or three pounds of tea or tobacco from the town, besides which, at parting, they would slip two or three dollars into the hands of one of the children; but more than this, they would brand mavericks with Po...