The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-11-30
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thought of careers beyond the loyal do
Ing Of her woman's part, Judith, trusty
and loyal-and Judith with that &C.
cursed family connection!
Peter frightened his cinch and turned
his horse westward. After a couple
Of hours hard riding he could dimly
make out specks moving on that huge
background of space, and presently
his horse neighed and put fresh spirit
into his gait, recognizing his fellows
in moving dots on the vast perspective,
and, being beast of some intelligence,
for all his heavy footed failings, he
reasoned that food and rest would soon
be his portion. Peter had no further
use for the rowel
Breakfast was already well under
way when he reached camp. The out
fit, seated on saddles in a semicircle
about the chuck wagon, ate with that
peculiar combination of haste and skill
that doubtless the life of the saddle
counteracts as digestive troubles are
apparently unknown among plainsmen.
The cook, in handing Peter his tin
plate, cup, spoon and black handled
fork, asked him if ''he would take
overland trout OF Cincinnati chicken
this morning?" The cook never omit
ted these jocular inquiries regarding
the various camp names for bacon. He
seemed to think that a choice of alias
was as good as change of menu.
There was little talk at breakfast, and
that bearing chiefly on the days. work.
Every one was impatient for an early
start. The horse wrangler had his
string waiting, the cook was securing
his iron pots, saddles were thrown
over horses fresh from a long nights
good grazing, cinches were frightened,
slickers and blankets were adjusted,
and camp melted away in a troop OF
horsemen winding away through the
gray Of early morning.
The scene Of the beef roundup was
a mighty plain, affording limitless
scope for handling the cattle Of a
thousand hills. The specks in the far
distance began to grow as if the screw
Of field glass was bringing them
nearer, turning them into horsemen,
lunches Of cattle. chuck wagons of
the different outfits, reserves of horses
restrained by temporary rope corrals-
all the equipment Of great roundup
Dozens of men, multitudes of horses,
hordes of cattle-the mighty plain swal-
lowed all the little, prancing, gallop-
ing, believing things, and still looked
mighty in it's loneliness. Men darted
hither and thither, yelling shrilly; COWS,
born apparently to be leaders, broke
from the punches to which they had
been assigned and started at clumsy
run, followed by kindred susceptible to
example. Cow punchers, waiting for
just such manifestations of indiyidu-
atty, whirled after them like comets,
and soon they We're again in the paw
ing, heaving, sweltering bunch to
which they belonged
Peter Hamilton, whose particular
skill as a cow puncher lay in that
branch of the profession known as
cutting OUT found that the work
Of the rustlers had been carried on
with no unsparing hand since the early
spring roundup. Calves bearing the
Fl l. brand-that claimed by a COM
pany known to be made up Of cattle
thieves followed mothers bearing al
most every brand that grazed herds in
that part OF the state. The Wetmore
outfit, that used w inclosed in a
square, were apparently the heaviest
losers. The COWS and calves were
herded at the right Of the plain, con-
venient to the branding pen, the steers
we'll away to the opposite side. As
Peter drove Wsquare COW, followed
by little white faced calf whose brand
had plainly been tempered with, he
heard one CT his associates say:
There's nothing small about the
81 L except their methods"
Whats H L stand for anyway
the other COW puncher asked.
"Why, HI, or How Long. Depends
whether you're with 'em or agin 'em."
Peter wheeled from the men and
headed for the bunch he was cutting
out. He fancied that the man had
looked at him strangely as he offered
choice OF meanings for the H L.,
and yet he could not have known that
Peter had gone to Rodney's cabin last
night. He flung himself heart and soul
into his work, dashing full tilt at the
snorting, stamping bedlam enveloped
In clouds of dust that dimmed the very
daylight. Calves bleated piteously as
they We're damned in the thickening
pack. Peter shouted, swung the rope
right and left thinning the bunch
about him, and second later emerged.
driving before him COW, followed by
calf. These were turned over to COW
boys waiting for them. Time after
time Hamilton returned to that mass
Of unconscious power that with a sin
gle rush could have annihllated the lit
tie band of horsemen that handled
them with the skill of dealer shut
fling, cutting, dealing a pack Of cards,
TO the left were the steers. paving
and tearing up the earth in a very &C.
stasy of impotent fury But handful
Of cowboys kept them in check, cir
cling round and round tharo IN ,o,;o.