Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-03-24

The range rider of the Judith Gap
was playing freeze-out in the stage
ranch saloon. There were four play
ers. the stakes were the drinks, and 1t
cost 81 a round for whisky every few
minutes, for red liker' was two bits
a drink in the days before the railroads
In Montana. That made no difference
to the range rider however. He might
lose his monthly stipend of $50 in one
night, but he could run ''some of bill.
for he had an all winters job ahead of
him, and the profit on the goods was so
many hundred per cent. that the host
could afford to take the chances. And
then, you know, If he got real hard up
he could get few horses to break, and
So was easily earned by riding some
thing tina: no one else would. 1t was a
little risky. to be sure; but then how
else could cow-punchers die If not roll
ed on or trampled to death by some ter
rlied horse So the game went on.
The wind howled around the log
building. and the fine snow sifted
through some of the cracks where mud
daubing had fallen out. The box stove
roared and got red in the cheeks in an
unsuccessful attempt to keep pail OF
water that stood in far corner from
freezing. Notwithstanding its efforts,
the crinkle of the ice was heard as the
cold outside increased. and penetrating
the cracks fought back the efforts of
the stove.
1t was about 10 o'clock in the morn
ing, but the sun was only up an hour or
so, and the lce-laden storm from the
north was making a very successful at
tempt to conceal the fact. A blue fog"
was rolling through the gap, and the
mercury had all dropped into the bulb,
tired Of trying to keep track of the &C.
centricities of a climate borrowed for
the occasion from the snowy wastes of
British America.
The game went on at the table In a
quiet kind OF way. Every time the
range-rder moved his foot the spur
chains jingled on the floor. The stage
stock tender on the other side of the ia
bic was playing his best, for he knew
he had reached the limit of his credit
at the bar, but the cards were against
him. Two sheep herders completed the
quartette, and the sneaky looking,
blear-eyed tock-tender sized them up
with a glance that BODIED i'll if they per
chance fell asleep before the till behind
the bar had received their rolls, earned
by standing out on the hills in the
storms of the six or seven months past.
Two wet colley dogs lay by the stove
with smoking pelts, dreaming of the
trail for every once in while one of
them would give a curious "yip-yip"
that suggested efforts to get a slow
band of sheep into the corral The bar
tender stood with his elbows on the
counter, peering out of the window
and waiting for the inevitable moment,
that occurred at more or less regular
intervals, when some one of the play
ers would go broke" requiring
round of drinks a dollar added to the
steadily increasing store in the till, and
a rediyision of the chips
After doing the honors on one of
these occasions he opened the door, ad-
hitting a cold blast of air and snow
that made the card players swear And.
peering out, he said:
Time fur the stage. guess the Kid
must ha' missed the trail"
well, what If he has?" growled the
stock tender, to whom the arrival of
the stage meant an hour Of cold and
dlsagreeable work IFS no use freez-
ing us to death lookin' for him; he's no
chicken
The sheep herders laughed, the range
rider yawned, when a rafting OF
wheels and harness and n cheerful
'hullo" outside caused the game to be
forgotten, and all made a rush to the
door. They were greeted by two or
three mail sacks thrown with consider
able force; and as the stocktender led
away the horses the driver, great
bundle of blankets. shawls and buffalo
robe, rolled off his seat and followed
the mail sacks, as they were dragged
through the saloon by the barkeeper,
into the store beyond.
After the driver had loosened up his
outer wraps and melted the frost from
his eyelashes, he looked around and
nodded to those present. When his eye
lit on the range-rider, he said:
"Hullo. Bill; | saw Campbell at the
river, and he sent a note to you. Here
1t is" and he handed a piece of paper
to the rider. Bill looked at 1t moment,
and then whispered softly to himself,
CHANGING out of the window at the
scurrying snow meanwhile.
"He wants you to go down the south
side of the Gap and see If them Basin
cattle that has drifted through are bad
ly mixed up with the Musselshell outfit,
so he told me- said the driver. "He
said fur you to go down this morning,
stop over night at the o. II, home ranch
on Careless Greek. and send word by
me when | come back tomorrow; and
If the cattle amt scattered yit he'll
send over a wagon outfit and try and
work EN- back into the Basin
Yes" said Bill slowly, that is what
be says here; but, great Cod does he
expect me to go when this fog is allow
ing2"
81 suppose so" said the driver "He
said If you didn't 90 now 1t would he
no use later, fur the cattle would be
scattered sure. and the Basin roundup
would lose a heap"
The cow-puncher made no reply, but
up TO the bar he said: Give
me a drink, Jack: it'll take considerable
Of your stuff to keep a man from freez-
In to death to-day" Taking a liberal
dose of the liquor referred to he pulled
H. 4 .