Willmar tribune., 1901-07-03

I
there were three people at Black Rocl
Horse ranch who were anything but
cool. In fact, Ferd, Florence and
were as "hot" as we could we'll become
hot with impatience and disgust.
For more than four weeks we had
been preparing for celebration, a
picnic at our cottonwood grove, with
ALI the family and all our neighbors
along Black Rock creek to join in max
ing great day. Ferd, who had bor-
rowed some volumes of the Congress
sional Record from some local poll
tician, had written a short address,
and Florence had practiced diligently
some patriotic songs. Moreover, we
had expended So for fireworks, of q
magnitude worthy of the largest at
tainable crowd.
Our discontinue may be imagined
when say that father, mother and
the younger children. had failed in a
promised return from their visit at
Green River, and that, just two days
before the Fourth, report had reached
Black Rock Valley of 4 monster cele-
bration" which was to be held at
Lander, and to which every mothers
son and daughter in our neighborhood
had stampeded.
We were left alone, we three; so far
as we knew, there was not q soul left
within 25 miles of us.
We were, of course, still looking for
the return of our family from Green
River, but as the morning slipped
away and II o'clock came, with no
sign of them, Ferd and I gave ourselves
up to sulking. We were lying upon our
backs in the shade of some cotton
woods near horse corral, when Flor
ence, who was still on the lookout.
shouted to us.
'They're coming!" she cried, run
ming toward us and clapping her hands
joyfully. II can see the dust of their
wagon down the valley. Splendid!
splendid! Wen have a celebration all
to ourselves!" AS there are eight of
us altogether, the prospect was not
quite so disheartening.
Ferd and I sprang to our feet and
climbed the corral fence to look. What
we saw was flying trail of dust rising
above a point about mile distant.
A glance, however, showed our more
practiced eyes that the dust cloud was
altogether too great to be kicked up
by span of mules and spring wagon.
That's not them," declared Ferd, in
disgust. cts stampede of horses or
CATTLE A faint roar of trampling
hoofs soon bore to our ears the proof
of his assertion. The dust cloud in
creased in volume, and the mutter of
pounding hoofs Jared like a distant
rumble of thunder.
Our suspicious were quickly reused.
We craned our necks and watched in
silence. We had only minute to wait
before a big bunch of horses, going at
q swift trot, broke cover of the point.
A few seconds later, we discovered, on
the outskirts of the herd, which doubt
less numbered many horses of our
own, two pony riders turning the lead
ers across the valley. Il
We did not have to guess that these
men were ''rustlers," and that there
were more of them in the rear push
ing the horses forward. Every move
ment of herd and men proclaimed the
fact. A gang of our mountain free
hooters had taken advantage of the
stockmen's 'stampede" to Lander to
make another stampede, which should
be vastly to their own advantage.
The men were steering their catch
across Black Rock valley up to the
mouth of Two-owe-tee pass. Once
through that difficult gap, they would
hustle the herd into the Businesses of
Owl Creek mountains, break it up into
small punches and get away with the
horses at their leisure.
Ferd and I did not say this to each
other-we did not need to do SO. We
slipped off the fence presently, and
looked at each other in grim kind of
way.
SWELL" said Ferd, we've got to head
off that herd, stampede and scatter
I'm, somehow" ~ -
"Sure thing!" assented.
When Florence understood the case,
she set up frantic wall. sYou shan't
go!" she almost screamed. '.Those
men will shoot you dead! Anyway, if
you do, I'll go along and be shot, tool"
You will stay at home, Florry," said
Ferd, kindly, but in his masterful way.
SWELL take good care of ourselves,
never fear.''
1hereupon she ran to the house;
crying. We could not stop to comfort
her. While Ferd went for our guns.
trapPlngs and a snack to eat, ran to
the creek pasture, got out two of. our
best riding ponies and saddled them.
When l had finished Ferd came out,
wearing his hunting jacket and carry
Ing my jacket and our guns. Il
The big side pockets of the coats
were stuffed to bulging, but my jacket
felt light enough, and when Thrust
q hand into one Of the pockets and
drew out giant ''cracker" of the big
gest size, 1 fairly whooped with de-
light. There were a half dozen in each
pocket, and each one was a foot in
length. They would make enough
noise to stampede a whole tribe of
Indians, let alone 400 OF 500 half-wild
" We We're 81 fr in atwinkling. w
knew OF an old buffalo and cattle trail
q half mile distant, leading up to the
! head 9yf Of Black Rock, and round the
slopes of several mountains Il into the
north gap of Two-owe-tee. This trail
we took -sss o. ~ ,s, ,,,~5 .' as.-. ~
"We'n plant ourseKesain in front of
that herd in the gap,,.,. said Ferd. ..aand
there We'll have our celebration. f be-
neve we can Counter stampede, run
'em over that crowd and get away in |
the, dust and racket
Ahe very probable event Of a fight