Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-06-27

It was like Spider to attach the low
est possible motive to anything that he
might do, but 1 knew better. There
was no use in saying anything more.
held out my hand. Spider WINGED as he
took it. Then found that his right
palm had been cut almost to the bone
by the rope that had been pulled through
it, took him back to the camp and
dressed his hand as we'll as was able
with the limited resources at our COM
mand, and at last he rolled up in his
blanket and fell into the deep sleep Of
utter exhaustion.
l had returned TO my own tent and
sat under the fly, looking out at the
dismal landscape and feeling very blue
indeed. There was nothing, as far as
the eye could reach, but rock, cactus
and sand. How the cattle were to live
I could not see. Something must be
DONE was about to call the foreman
for consultation when I saw him
coming toward me.
"Evenin. he remarked as though he
had not seen me before that day.
"Thought I'd come over an see what
we'd best do with them there critters
while the rivers goin down. We can't
stay here"
didn't in the least know what to
do. Furthermore, the river was not
going down. 1t was rising.
"Yaas, SO tits. That's what made me
think that maybe, after all, we'll have
ter take the herd ter OIL Lorena's range
fer bit. Can't do no better as / en-
see
"Where is Lorena' s ranger" asked.
SIS there feed thereH'
Bout 40 mile down the river. Oh,
yes, there's grass there, all right
enough. F" He spoke SO obviously that
I asked for an explanation. ooh, yes,
there's grass there, all right enough"
he repeated. "But then Lorena, he's
there too. ] don't like Lorena none
too well. He's greaser, an there amt
no worse one nowhere. He's got an all
fred bad lot aroun him, too, down there
to Aqua Caliente. You'll have ter pay
fer the use er the range, of course, an I
reckon maybe we won't have no trou-
BILE. Anyhow, it looks like it's all we
en- do"
was not borrowing trouble. said
that thought we'd better start for Lo-
rena's as soon as we could get away in
the morning.
81 reckon" agreed the foreman.
"Now there's another thing wanted ter
say. You see how we was at the river
this mornin. We're short handed, that's
what we are, an we want more help"
This fact was not news to me, and
said SO.
"Well, we're shorter'n ever now"
the foreman went on. "Hollis he won't
be no good fer awhile-one Of his arms
is foot an a half longer'n the other,
an it'll take er month ter get it back
where it was. Now there's that kid
Spider. He done some mighty good
work yes day in the herdin, not ter talk
erbout that job he done fer Hollis-a
man what tried ter throw him down all
he knowed. S'pose we take him on. I"
"But what will the cook do3'' OBJ
jected,
tiles all right. We On pick up a
Chinaman er sunthin fer him bimeby,
an now he says the kid'll be sight
more use roun the cattle than ever he
was with the cook outfit. i guess we
ON call that settled, go fur es the Bally
Curl goes. Course know the kid can't
do mans work yet, an / only mean
ter give him boys pay fer now, till we
see how he does. Are you willin2''
was perfectly willing-more than
that, I was delighted to give Spider his
chance, but I did not cay so. only
asked how Spider was to get suitable
outft-apart from the horse. If he had
taken fancy to the ugly brute he had
ridden that day he might have the
creature and welcome.
Iguess that lets US out-the horse, I"
responded the foreman. "The boys has
got up sorter chip in fer the rest.
Hollis, he'll come up with consid able
of it, 1 reckon. He will fer the chaps
anyhow. He owes it."
Hollis certainly did owe the chaps,
but was rather surprised from my
knowledge of the man that he should SO
readily acknowledge his debt.
ooh, yes. Hollis is mighty grateful,
reckon, replied the foreman when I
expressed my establishment. "Hollis'll
come down with the money all right,
don't you fear" There was something
peculiar In the foreman's tone that
made me suspicious
"Does Hollis know that he's expected
to contributor" 1 asked.
"No, not yet. He will, though. I'm
a-gonter see him now" The foreman
hitched his holster conveniently for
ward and departed. I shouted an order
after him to the effect that, whatever
Hollis might or might not be willing to
give, there should be no coercion in the
matter. I never knew whether or not
this order was obeyed. Irather think it
was not.
did not witness the announcement
of Spiders promotion. Long before sum
rise l had started out with the foreman
to arrange with Lorena for the use Of
his pastures. The herd was to follow us.
AS the foreman had said, found Lo-
rena to be most villainous old Mexi-
can and surrounded by a most villain
GUS crew Of followers. He knew that we
were at his mercy. and therefore over
charged us frightfully. The pasturage
on his range was good, and that at least
was comfort, but didn't at all like
the prospects in other ways. Two days
later, when the cattle arrived, we
camped, as before, on the banks of the
river. Our ostensible reason for camp
ing there was, of course, that we would
be on hand at the earliest possible mo-
ment when the river should fall enough
to allow us to cross. But really we
chose this place, the foreman and /, in
order to be as far away as we could
from the wicked little town Of Aqua
Caliente, the headquarters of Lorena
and his friends. At best the town was
far nearer us than we liked. The dis
lance was only 90 miles or SO.