The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1900-03-15


done. was about to call the foreman
for a consultation when 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 cant
stay here \. s| s
didn't in the least know what to
DO. Furthermore, the river was not
going down. It was rising
"Yaas, SO 'tis, That's what made me
think that maybe, after all, we'll have
ter take the herd ter Oh Lorena's range
fer bit. Can't do no better as, ! en-
see. - FL ~ ....~:.-
Where is Lorena s range p asked.
is there feed there2" : g.
= Bout 40 mile down the river. Oh,
yes, there's grass there, all right
enough" He spoke SO obviously that
I asked for an explanation. "Oh, yes.
there's grass there, all right enough,
he repeated. ''But then Lorena, he's
there too. I don't like Lorena none
too we'll. He's greaser, an there aim
no worse one nowhere. He's got an all
fired bad lot aroun him, too, down there
to Aqua Caliente You'll have ter pay
fer the use er the range, Of course. an
reckon maybe we won't have no trou-
BILE. Anyhow. it looks like it's all we
en- do"
I was not borrowing trouble. / said
that I thought we'd better start for To-
rena's as soon as we could get away in
the morning.
II reckon, agreed the foreman.
SHOW 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.
swell, we're shorter'n ever now"
the foreman went on. "Hollis he won
be no good fer awhile-one of his arms
is foot an 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
*'But what will the cook do2" I OBJ
jected.
''He's all right. We en- pick up
Chinaman er sunthin fer him bimeby,
an now he says the kid'll be a sight
more use roun the cattle than ever he
was with the cook outfit. l guess we
en- call that settled, SO fur es the Bally
Curl goes. Course know the kid can't
do mans work yet, an I only mean
ter give him boys pay fer now, till we
see how he does. Are you willin p
was perfectly willing-more than
that, I was delighted to give Spider his
chance, but I did not say so. only
asked how Spider was to get suitable
outfit-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.
II guess that lets US cut-the horse
responded the foreman 1.-The bows has
got up sorter chip in fer the rest
Hollis, he'll come up with ccnsid able
Of it. reckon. He will fer the chaps
anyhow. He owes it. -
Hollis certainly did owe the chaps,
but I was rather surprised from my
knowledge of the man that he should SC
readily acknowledge his debt.
"Oh, yes, Hollis is mighty grateful, /
reckon, replied the foreman when l
expressed my establishment s'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 contribute?' I asked.
mo, not yet He will, though. I'm
a-gonter see him now. - The foreman
hitched his holster conveniently for
ward and departed. 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.
I did not witness the announcement
of Spiders promotion. Long before sun
rise I had started out with the foreman
to arrange with Lorena for the use of
his pastures. The herd was to follow u.s.
AS the foreman had said, found To-
rena to be most villainous old Mexi-
can and surrounded by 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