Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-04-14
The Hoodoo Of
the CroSsbar q

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downright, 1908, by Daily Story Pub. COL

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 white ele-
plant on the hands of several until
Travers took it in hand. He sold on
the old herd at a sacrifice, and filed up
the ranch with fine, new picked stock.
His ideas of breeding and grazing were
somewhat ahead of Sunrise, and Its
environs, but he persevered and pros
pered in the face of the Crossbar 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 stoop of the
Rough Diamond" "We1l get an easy
winter anyhow, but wait till an eight
day blizzard strikes you in that shack,
with hundreds of your finest dropping
under the drifts, you'll wish the whole
Crossbar in Tunket. There amt de-
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 frCLe stiff
with the cattle last March, and Rocky S
going to the dogs. Better look out for
Rocky. He 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-
lieved modern methods would go far
towards chasing the hoodoo. The pas
turage was good. He made new fence
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 crowding.
When he went to Kansas City the
second year he took along the finest
herd Sunrise section had ever seen, and
it brought his own price. Rocky heard
of the sale with sullen moroseness, but
Hickson and the rest averred mildly
that the youngster had mighty good
stuff in him.
So when along with his business en-
terprise, Travers returned with a pretty
wife, public opinion sided with Hick-
son, and admired the hustling qualities
of Travers, without regard for Rocky
or his failure.
AS for Betty herself, she was more
than pretty. There was a poise to heI
carriage, and a style to her dress that
set the pace among the feminine ele-
ment of Sunrise.
At first she was said to be "stuck up.
Bunny Pierce said so when she sug-
gested that he lift his hat when he said
good-morning, but when she pitched in
and made Minnie Hickson's wedding
dress by the pattern of her own, and
sent her off to Sioux Falls on her we'd
ding trip with Bunny, looking like some
body, the verdict was reversed, and she
was held to be worthy Of Travers.
1t was in February that the big biz
zard came. After week of clear skies
and wind-swept wastes, the clouds closed
in, and by the first nightfall, old ranch
ers we're driving in all they could o.
their herds.
Travers watched and waited, hoping
the worst was over. 1t was well int
the third day when Rocky Davis brough
word of over a hundred deaths the nigh
before in the northwest division of thu
ranch. The boys had tried to bunEl
the cattle, and drive them south, he said
but the snow was too deep.
Betty watched him as he stood by th'
kitchen stove, one foot on the hearth
She had never liked the boy. Traver
had found him one night down in Sun
rise, a few months after his marriage
going to the devil as fast as an empt,
purse would let him. He had hear
himself cursed at the bar of the "Rougl
Diamond" and the novelty of it hat
struck him unpleasantly when he foun
that Rocky was the cursor
With a variety Of side compliment
on the subject delivered in his own pc
culiar style, Rocky was declaring to tn
world at large his undylng hatred of on
Travers, an outsider who had come in
and dared to make money out Of tn
ranch that had been the death Of hi
brother and the ruin Of himself.
Wherenpon Travers had prompt
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 yol
Betty" Travers asked, anxiously: 81
may be for all night"
The previous winter he had been on
with the boys, sharing the hardship
and danger and enjoying the fight fo
success, but now the charm of her fac
and the fear for her safety held hi1
back.
Rocky can stay and look out for you,
he added.
= "I'm going along with you" sal
Rocky, carelessly.
Something in his tone made Bett
turn and look him in the eyes. HI
glance fell, shiftily, before the stead
questioning VI uSl OWh, OuS AAoNCl . vi
not notice it, and she hesitated to te
him of her suspicion
"I'm not afraid" she told him. Gus
be careful"
After the two had gone, she barred til
heavy door and stood at the window
irving to see in the blackness outsid
II was several miles to the northwei
division. If Travers' horse, Chanc
should give out, or they should los
their way, or if Rocky were treacherou
She shuddered and thought of poor Jill
Davis No wonder Rocky was grim an
J sullen. She could not sleep, and as 81
sat by the fire listening and waiting Il
silence grew terrible. The though
surged through her mind with almost
nightmare fearsomeness.
Since the coming Of the Davis boy
the ranch, she could remember coun
less mishaps, insignificant, but ammo.
ing, which could be laid to his infi'
) ence. Quarrels among the other boy
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