The Running Iron . A running iron is a branding iron with which a brand is drawn freehand on the hide of an animal. That’s a pretty apt description of the slice of the Old West within. There’s a bit of Cowboy Poetry as well as a thick slice of short stories about what once was. It’s been done freehand by members of the Cochise County Corral of the Westerners and some of their friends. Although the running iron was often a tool of the rustler used to redraw existing brands, we can promise you that nothing within came from anyone else’s herd. These are our stories and poems arising from the Southwest borderlands where Tombstone is our home, Boothill just around the corner, and Mexico an easy ride to the south. Cochise County was once home to Cochise and Geronimo. We can look up to Cochise’s Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains, visit the spot where Geronimo surrendered, and walk where Wyatt Earp and Doc fought in the street with Curly Bill and Ringo. This was home to Apaches, rustlers, the cavalry, gamblers, outlaws, and train robbers. We export gold, silver, copper, beef, and now poetry and tales too tall to keep at home. This is your chance to join the adventure!