Colorado Ranch Customs

Every ranchnian is armed with a repeating rifle, a ahot-gun and a revolver - although raany do not earry their revolvers. I liardly ever earry mine. In i the event of a quarrel an unarmed man ! stands more show for hi.s life, for, no mattor liow great a desperado may be i thé man, ho never shoots au unarnied , man. The question is asked : " n' you heeled ? " meaning annod. On your answering to the oontrary they will I mediately put np their weapon's. ing here ís sure death to the onê getting caught at it. Two wöekH ago a party of us went np into the inonntains prospocting for minerals in a new gnleh, and on onr way found a man lianging to a tree wlio }ial been dead somo dayx, with a paper pinned on his shirt simply tating, "Horse thief." These things Htriki; terror to the tlrieves. Threo nights ago tliret desperate-lookiug mon ai-outd me in tho night, and Raid they Wére looking : for a horse-thief and were tired. I ! vitod them to stay all night. Tlicy immediately made themselves at home, cooking their nvn suj)per, I finally faüing asleep, leaving them playing poker, j ? 1 a e.onier. They deparled eurly tlut nest morning, ana, I leanred, carne up with their man and shot him. It is remarkable to tliink that a man may hoot hi.s neighbor and nothing be said, but let him steal anything and he must die. It is one of the peculiar ideas of tho men on the borders that every man must protect his life, and not the law. But there is a good class of people now settling up country, slowly but snre, and their Eastern ideas will bring law '■ and order.- Cor. Bochester HeraUL