On one occasion Stockton, through some of his employees, duped two men from Maxwell's Ranche, who, he asserted, had stolen cattle from him. When he had them in his power he started off, leaving the impression on the minds of their friends that he intended to take them to Trinidad, for the purpose of delivering them up to the sheriff. Instead of doing this, however, he carried them into a side road and there shot them, leaving their bodies to be devoured by the coyotes, or, perhaps, buried by some casual passer-by. For this deed he was arrested and lodged in jail. He was liberated, however, almost immediately, without even the form of a trial, the officers being too much afraid of him and of his confederates to detain him.
The occurrences which I have related will illustrate the kind of life that is led in the cattle raising country of Colorado, New Mexico, South-western Kansas, and Texas. I named this place Bandit House, and the ford in the stream near by, Dead Man's Crossing, which are expressive and appropriate, if not poetical.
A Wealthy Ranchero.
Beyond Stockton's is General Maxwell's Ranche. Maxwell is the wealthiest American in Southern Colorado. I believe he got his start in life by marrying a Mexican woman, who inherited an extensive Spanish grant. Maxwell has quite a large family, and he bears a better reputation than do most of the old settlers. He is a great gambler, and is much interested in horse-racing, but is disposed to be kind and hospitable to strangers.
Crossing quite an extensive piece of country, the Dry Cimmaron is reached. Here some enterprising Englishmen, headed by a Mr. Read, have taken up a large tract of land, and have established a colony. They have built a very neat little town, and when I passed through there, their affairs seemed to be in a thriving condition. The town is located on a rather high and dry elevation, which takes its name from the scarcity of water in the branch of the Cimmaron River, which runs by it.
Dry Cimmaron was for a time a stopping-place for the stages from the Elizabethtown mines, which connected with the Southern lines. It is on a more direct route for the cattle men and freighters; but, although it has plenty of wood, it is
