Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-03-03
THE STRESS OF THE TRAIL

know It, he answered, shortly.
They brooded silently over their cof-
fee and fried bacon, sitting uneasily
on their boot-heels. Fifteen miles of
unbroken snow lay between them and
the agency; days drive when the 60
ing was good-now, five miles of wal
lowing through the drifts would leave
their cattle exhausted. A sudden
freshening of the wind meant bliz-
zard-and the White Death plays
winning game on the open prairie
when there is neither food, nor fire, nor
shelter.
I'VE better go back a piece-eh.
JeH? 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 I'VE got t. have 'em t. break
road for these critters. Maybe we'll
run onto bunch O. broom-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 n
mile from thel 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. Not
blasted horse in sight! l guess we
better so back an try to shove them
cattle through the best we can"
For answer, the Freak pointed down
the coulee which they overlooked.
Amt that a smoke down there?" he
interrogated, anXiously
1t was smoke, Big Jeff averred To-
ward 1t they headed their horses, plod
ding patiently. AS they came nearer,
the almost invisible exhalation deyel
oped into half-dozen well-defined
blue spirals, floating straight up
through the tranquil atmosphere. They
eyed them with disfavOr; and, when
rounding bend of the coulee. they
came upon bunch of scrubby ponies.
orange buckskins and gayly marked
pintos predominating in number, the
Freak pulled up in disgust.
"A bunch of skulkin' Gros Ventresr'
he lamented. Lot O. good they'll do
us
Maybe we could get m t. break
trail for u.s. jeff hazarded. hopefully.
ITS worth quite bit to the outfit.
yuh know, t get them cattle through:
an maybe some O these buckos
wouldn't mind maxim few spondu-
lcks."
Wont do no hurt t try, reckon"
admitted the Freak, but these here
uIOs 'eutTeS are laZler tnan rat
COW In July. l know EN-"
SO they rode to the teepee that. by
its size and ornamentaton. they
judged to he 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 dsapproval.
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 to
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.
How many ponies they got tied up
in camp7" he asked, suddenly. did
yuh notice, m son "