The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1906-02-03


weakened them, and the steers that
had been without water for thlrty.s
hours were being pushed on course
slightly northwest ms rapidly as the
enfeebled condition of the saddle horses
would permit. Creek after creek that
they had made for proved to he but a
dry bed.
The glare of the red earth under tho
scourge of the flaming sun tDrmcnted
the eyes of the men into strange illu-
sions. The naked red plain stretched
Hat like the colossal background of II
screen, over which writhed n huge
dragon spined with many horns, head
less, trailing its tortuOus way over the
red world. Sometimes II was as I'M
real Ms n fever haunted dream, drug
inspired nightmare, when Chinese
screen, perchnnce, has stood at the foot
OF the Slccpcr's bed Sometimes the
dragon curled itself into ball. and the
foreman sung out that they were mill
ing, and the men turned and rode away
from II, then dashed back Mt It. after
getting the necessary momentum. en-
tered like II flying wedge, fought their
way into the rocking sea of surging
bodies. shouted from their thirst parch
ed throats imprecations that were lost
In the dull. sullen roar. Then the
dragon would uncoi and again trail Its
way over the red waste lands.
A red sun had begun to set over n
red earth. and the men who had been
out since noon securing the country for
water returned TO say that none had
been found. and they began to look In
to each others face for the answer
that none could give. At sunset they
made dry camp There was but
enough water left to cook with Each
man received as thirst quenching ra-
ton n can of Tomatoes. After supper
they consulted, and II was agreed to
trail the herd tn midnight taking ad-
vantage of the GOODNESS to hurry them
on as fast as possible to Green river.
The grave nature of their plight was
Indicated by the fact that no one
smoked after supper. Silent. sullen,
they sat round. waiting for the fore
man to give the order to advance lie
waited for the moon to come up. SLOW.
ly II rose over the Bad Land hills and
hung round aud fun Ike n gigantic Ian.
tern
The watches were arranged for the
night with n double guard Every
man In the outfit was beginning TO
have n feeling of panic that commune
Gated itself to every other man, and as
nt ln tp., tul ,lA
no longer. but blind force that they
must take chances with through the
tong watches of the night, while the
thirst grew in the beasts parched
throats, they foresaw what would IN
all probability happen; they thought of
their women, Of all that most strongly
bound them to life, and they sat and
waited dumbly.
The moon that night was too bril-.
liant for bcnsonS; the Gaunt, red world
lay naked and uuShrven for the sin
that long ago had brought upon 1t the
wrath of God. Sometimes the cattle
split and one of them tried to turn
back to the last water they had drunk.
for cattle, though blinded with thirst
never forget the last stream nj which
they have qucnched thirst aud will
turn back to II though they drop on
the way But the men pressed them
farther and farther and for yet little
while the cattle yielded,
AZ midnight the saddle stock was in
capable of moving farther. one horse
had fallen and lay too weak to rise.
Tho others, limpug and footSorc, no
longer responded 90 uuirt and rowel
The foreman ordered the herd thrown
on the bed ground for the night The
hcrderS for the first watch began to
circle. The rest OF the outfit took To It's
blankets To snatch little rest for the
double duty that awaited every man
that night. Now, IL Is time hOnOrcd
belief among COW men that the herd
must be sung to, particularly when It
is restless and tonight they tried all
the old favoritcs, the Cowboys La
meut" being chief among them. But
the herd refused to he soOthed. and
round and round it circled; not once
would it lie down.
The moon cleaned almost hra2cn,
showing the cruel sears the trenches
torn by cloudbursts, the lines wrought
by the long, patient waiting Of the
earth for the lifting of the wrath OF
God. lmperishable grief was writ on
~" land as on human face The
hight wore ON, the watches changed,
the herd continued restless; not more
than II third of 1t had heddcd down.
The third watch was from / o'clock
10 half past in the morning SImp.
son and another NNN man, with two
Of the Wetmore outfit, made MP al
double watch and rode, singing, about
the herd as the long, dreary watch
wore away. The cattlc's lowing had
taken on gasping cracked sound
that was more frlghtml than the mad
dened below Of the early evening.
Simpson. who AZ past the age when
men live the life OF the saddle, felt
the hardship keenly.
He had ridden since sunrise but for
no 10