Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-02-08
THE STRESS OF THE TRAIL

I'VE better go back a piece-eh,
Jeff?' advised the Freak. as they un-
tied their horses. There's a little
coulee, yuh remember, back about
four miles. Maybe them cayuses To-
Gated in that. There's little cut-banks
along it."
"Sure," the big man answered, hope
fully. "We got t. have 'em t. break a
road for these critters. Maybe we'll
run onto bunch O. tails
though l guess the Injuns keep 'em
pretty well chased out O. here"
They turned the cattle out of the
corral to browse around as best they
could; there was little danger of their
straying far. Not voluntarily would
they trample their way through the
encompassing snow.
On top Of little eminence, half a
mile from the coulee Of which the
Freak had spoken, they halted. Back
at the corral they could see the bunch
OF cattle-a black blot on the dazzling
white page Of the prairie; before them
spread away vast expanse Of mo-
notonous level; for many miles the
brown breast Of the earth was clothed
in the glittering robes Of winter.
"Ugh!' Big jeff shivered. mot a
blasted horse in sight! guess we
better go back an try to shove them
cattle through the best we can"
For answer, the Freak pointed down
the coulee which they overlooked
"Ain't that a smoke down there?, he
Intercepted, anxiously.
1t was smoke, Big JefT averred. To-
ward 1T they headed their horses, plod-
ding patiently. AS they came nearer,
the almost invisible exhalation devel-
oped into a half-dozen well-defned
blue spirals, floating straight up
through the tranquil atmosphere. They
eyed them with disfavor; and, when
rounding a bend Of the coulee, they
came upon bunch Of scrubby ponies,
orange buckskins and gay1y marked
pintos predominating in number, the
Freak pulled up in disgust.
"a bunch of skulkin' GroS Ventres!"
he lamented. Lot O. good they'll do
u.s."
Maybe we could get IN t. break
trail for u.s." Jeff hazarded, hopefully.
"It's worth quite bit to the outfit,
yuh know, t. get them cattle through;
an maybe some O. these buckos
wouldn't mind maxim a few spondu-
licks."
won't do no hurt t. try, I reckon"
admitted the Freak, "but these here
Gros Ventres are lazier than a fat
cow in July. l know 'em."
So they rode to the teepee that by
it's size and ornamentation, they
judged to be the abode of the chief.
In many Indian dialects was the
Freak versed, and so he was able to
state their wants with dignity and
much sonorous language.
But the chief grunted disapproval.
His ponies were weary, he said, and
the snow was deep. Also his young
men were weary, and the smoke Of
the teepee fires was strong in their
nOstrils. Therefore the trail could not
| be broken for his white brothers, even
though he offered much fiat silver.
| This the Freak communicated 30
Jeff as they rode away. Around the
bend, past the Indian ponies, Jeff pull
ed up his horse. He curled one chap
encased leg around the saddle-horn,
| and eyed the Freak.
Glow many ponies they got tied up
in camp?" he asked, suddenly. did
yuh notice, m son -
1.-TWO was all seen. Why?
AN If them two was loose, they'd
be afoot, wouldn't they? Big jeff went
on, ignoring the question.
"Why, yes, / guess they would. But
what if they WASP"
"I'll tell yuh." Jeff swung his horse
closer to the Freak, and lowered his
voice-though there was none within
three hundred yards to hear. At in
tervals, the Freak nodded his head
and calculated "Surev' with much EN-:
phasis. Then Big Jeff resumed his
normal position in the saddle, and they
turned back to the GrOs Ventre camp
''rhe white brothers of the chief OF
the Gros Ventres,' the Freak grated
"have little grub wherewith to face
the deep SHOWS, and their stomachs
would be as the stomach of the gray
wolf ere they reach the wooden tee
pees of the White Father at Snake
Butte Can the great chief spare g
few pounds Of flour and leg Of deer
meat? His white brothers will give
many pieces of fiat silver"