Frostburg mining journal., 1903-01-17
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Cnpuright. 1901. bv 4. y. Richardson


hands OH his powerful shoulders and
looking ut him with her ardent, cOur
agcous eyes, you are all have to love
now. since-since daddy's gone, and If
il was-if il was-lots worse than it Is
I'd 80 anyhow-all the more. maybe
"And YOU shan't be sorry, dearest
answered Arch You know yourself
it never got such Il hold Oh me before.
| couldn't Scem''-his sun and wind
tanned face flushing Il still darker red
to get back to myself, to sense my
self Ii was all around me. Nearly all
the other fellows drink. and I'd get ut
1t again before | was really myself
81 know. dear. Both of my brothers
back in old Missouri are the same.
That's what made daddy so bitter
about you and me-
"But six months up on the plains,
away from 1t nll-and with you, Stella
it'll settle the whisky question for
ever. amt afraid to ask you, darling,
and you know I'd rather die than bring
trouble to you. tell you. know my
self. and you'll see; I'll make it stick"
What offer is it you have? Where
are yon-are wc-going and what are
you going to do?'
"IIulbrooks going to send herd OF
5000 cattle on to the Staked plain to
range he's picked out up there. It's
raw country Indians and buffalo bare
ly off it-nnd it's big wages to 20 up
with the herd and keep sign camp:
takes some sand To do it, you know
1t was in the latter part of the seven
ties in western Texas. while the range
was yet general and unfcnccd. The
string of sign camps. with its riders
circling the range a man had chosen
for his cattle. was the living fence
which held the animals from straying
or from drifting" before storms. These
camps the cattlcman placed rs nearly
as the question of water supply admit
ted at equal distances around his range
or across such parts as had not the
natural barrier of II river or canyon.
In every camp were TWO men whose
duty it was to ride ont daily in oppo-
site directions until they met the riders
from the next adjoining camp. looking
always for straying cattle and turning
them back into the range.
"And the upper camp Arch cOntin-
ucd eagerly. don't need but one rider
because it's right against the Canadian
river. Uolbrcok will be glad to give it
to me if I'll only come. We can live
there the six months it's big wages
and SAY" every cent of the money.
Then. with the little bunch I've got al
ready running with IIolbrooks cnttle
we could begin for ourselves. Stella
oh. Stella" he broke off suddenly, I'm
the happicst man in Texas. It's like
being taken out Of hell and led plumb
straight into hravcn.'
They were married the next day.
Stella'S was the temperament which
whom once the heart has been given
sends talents. abilities. the labor OF the
hands. all. gladly after 1t in devoted
service. Then came Il happy, exciting
time buying Stclla's outfit-that is to
say. the things which Old Hank Pear
sail. head cook of the expedition, pro-
nouEccd suitable to "a lady cowboy
a-krcpin' sign camp"
Finally the great caravan started
lazi'y and pOnde-ously UP the trail. 1t
was Il marvellous pastoral panorama,
and Stella's quick artist soul revcled in
its quaint picturesquenesS. She per-
ccired it all-the country, the cattle,
the means. the daily round-to be like
Il survival. a bit out of the life of some
old Indian owner of herds.
There was the vast herd strung out
and moving very slowly that the cattle
might Craze as they Travelled. the cow
boys riding along the sides, the six
great mess wagons, hitchcd two or
three together. with teams Of eight and
ten and even twelve horses, bringing
up the rear At night the cattle We're
rounded into \ great mass and bedded
down, the men taking turns by twOs
riding night herd, singing loudly to
keep the animals quiet. Each mess
wagon had its two men, its stock OF
provisions and u tent or some mate
rials to build Il dugout camp.
Stella came to have II sisterly affec-
tiOn and admiration for these big.
rough fellows in whose company she
Jared slowly nOrthward OH that strange
Journey. She saw them day by day
and night after night cheerily enduring
hardships and facing dangers as great
as those of the campaigning soldier.
The riding VI night herd, the crossing
of rivers with treacherous current and
quicksand bed, fighting to prevent or
- qucll a stampede-thcse things were
attended with no glory. They were
done with light hearts and jesting
words daily and as matter of course.
And in the evening these champions
came like great children to sit about
her. listening while she sang old songs
to the accompaniment of her guitar or
told stories from such classics as she
knew.
They had been three months in their
little adobe house on the open plain,
whose ingenuous yet inscrutable face
Stella never we1ried of studying. The
clean, high air had been Gods own
medicine to her, and. with her heart
full Of happiness. she had thriyed and
blossomcd. this dark beauty, In the
raking wind and burning sun which
destroy blond delicacy. And the grim,
mcnacing "if'' which at first lay 50
close behind her joy grew DINNER and
DINNER. Every day when Arch came
home to her or when, as often hap
pcned. she saddlcd up and rode out to
meet him he shouted jOyfully at sight