The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1904-03-04
The Hoodoo of
the Crossbar q
By lola l.. FORESTER
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Copyright, 1905. By Daily story Pub. coh

\kJHEN Don Trayers brought
w brand new wife home from Kan
sas City the second time he went down
with 1000 head of sound stock, there
was favorable ripple of public opinion
from Sunrise to the Crossbar.
The Crossbar had been n white ele-
plant on the hands Of several until
Travers took Il in hand. lie sold on
the cid herd at sacrifice, and filled up
the ranch with fine, new picked stock.
lis ideas CT breeding and grazing we're
somewhat ahead OF Sunrise. and its
enyirons, but he persevered, and pros
percd In the face OF the CrUssbar hoo
doc.
You may come out fair and square
the first year. sonny" old Hickson told
him the first time he showed up IN the
social circle on the front sIOop Of the
Rough Diamond" wen get an easy
winter anyhow, but wait till an eight
day blizzard strikes you in that shack,
with hundreds OF your finest dropping
rnder the drifts, you'll wish the whole
cent weather shed on the place, and the
last two fellows there settled the hoo
doc on It for sure Rocky Davis and his
brother Jim. We found jim fro2c sti1
with the cattle last March and Rocky
going to the dogs. Better look out for
Rocky. lie isn't very sweet on the
CrOssbar
Travers nodded with a grin Of de-
termination. He had bought up the
ranch cheap from Rocky Davis. and be-
lieyed modern methods would go far
towards chasing the hOodoo. The pas
divisions on his own Judgment, against
the advice OF Rocky, and cut down the
stock 500 head the first year. to run no
risk OF over cruwding.
When he went 10 Kansas City the
second year he took along the finest
herd Sunrise section had ever seen, and
1t brought his own price. Rocky heard
OF the sale with sullcE moroscuess. but
Hickson and the rest aycrrcd mildly
that the younEste. had mighty good
stun In him
So when along with his business en-
terprise Travers returned with Il pretty
wife, public opinion sided with Hick-
son and admired the hustling qualities
OF TrRvcrs. without regard for Rocky
or hts failure
AS for Betty herself she was more
than pretty. There was polsc to her
carriage, and n style to her dress that
set the pace among the feminine elc-
ment OF Sunrise
At first she was said 10 be STUCK up"
Bunny Pierce said SO when she sug-
gested that he lift his hat when he said
good-mOrnng but when she pitched In
and made Minnie lltcksous wedding
dress by the pattern Of her own. and
cent her OF 10 Sioux Falls on her we'd
ding trip with Bunny. looking Ike some
body, the verdict was reversed, and she
was held to be worthy Of Traycrs
1t was In February that the big biz
card came After week Of clear skies.
and wind-swcpt wastes, the clouds closed
In, and by the first nightfall. old ranch
ers were driving in all they could Of
their herds
Trayers watched and waited. hoping
the worst was over II was well into
the third day when Rocky Davis brought
word OF over a hundred deaths the night
before in the northwest division OF the
ranch. The boys had tried to bunch
the cattle. and drive them south, he said.
but the snow was too deep
Betty watched HIM as he stood by the
kitchen stove, one foot on the hearth
She had never liked the hoy. Trayers
had found him one might down In sun
rise. a few months after his marriage.
going to the devil as fast as an empty
purse would let him lie had heard
himself cursed at the bar of the Rough
Diamond" and the novelty Of II had
struck him unplcasantly when he found
that Rocky was the cursor
With a variety of side compliments
on the subject delivered in his own pc.
culiar style, Rocky was declaring to the
world at large his undylng hatred Of one
Travers. an outsider who had come in
and dared to make money out of the
brother and the ruin of himself
Whereupon Travers had promptly
offered him all the help in his power
and had given him work AT the Cross
bar, and tried to brace him up.
You won't be afraid, will you
Betty" Travers asked. anXiously: at
may be for all night"
The previous winter he had been out
with the boys. sharing the hardshipy
and danger and enjoying the fight for
success. but now the charm Of her face
and the fear for her safety held him
back.
Rocky can stay and look out for you"
he added.
I'm going along with you" said
Rocky, carelessly.
Something In his tone made Betty
turn and look him in the eyes His
glance fell. shftIly, before the steady
questioning Of her own. but Travers did
not notice II. and she hesitated to tell
him OF her suspicion,
I'm not afraid" she told him. Just
be careful"
After the two had gone she barred the
heavy door and stood at the window
trying TO see In the blackness outside
1t was several miles to the northwest
division. II Travers horse. Chance.
should give out, or they should lose
their way. or II Rocky were treacherous.
She shuddered and thought of poor Jim
Davis No wonder Rocky was grim and
sullen. She could not sleep, and az she
sat by the fire listening and waiting the
silence grew terrible The thoughts
surged through her mind with almos. Q
nightmare fearsomeness