The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1906-01-13

| ing the days work before him. and
went In search Of the horse that he had
not ucketcd overnight. as the beast re-
lurcd full belly after the hard
nights ride he had given him. Peter
had rolled olit of his blankets with a
keen antlcipatory relish for the day
ahead IL was well, he knew, that
there was ample work of definite
nature for Peter the COW puncber: as
for Peter the man, he was singularly
at sea. Had Judith Rodney been his
desert comrade all these cheerful years
for him to get his first belated insight
into the real Judith only a few little
hours back? Or was II, he wondered.
her seeming Inconsistencies of him as
she rode brave and sorrowful through
the night to avert, II might be, her
brothers death-at all events, to COM
fort and inspirt the frightened woman
and her little chlldren-that had fresh
ly tinged the friendship he had so long
felt for her? Many were the questions
that Peter vaguely put to himself as
he started out for his long day in the
saddle, and none of them he answered.
Indeed, he could not satisfactorily ex-
plain to himself why he should think
of Judith at all In this way. Surely 1t
was a strange thing that he should dis
of Judith!
For It was In such dreams that Kath-
crime Colebrooke had figured ever since
Peter could remember. For years, in
deed - and Judith knew II - he had
stood, tame and tractable, waiting for
Chloe to throw her dainty lariat. But
Chloe had intimated that her graceful
fingers were engaged with the ink pot
and her head with schemes for further
something
And there was Judith the great heart
ed, Judith who was as inspiring as a
thought of careers beyond the loyal do
ing Of her woman's part, Judith, trusty
and loyal-and Judith with that ac-
cursed family connecticut
Peter frightened his cinch and turned
his horse westward. After couple
Of hours hard riding he could dimly
make out specks moving on that huge
background Of space, and presently
his horse ncighed 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
IA Toto h.aI N,,t \,
use for the rowel.
Breakfast was already well under
way when he reached camp. The out
fit, seated on saddles In 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 II 'he would take
overland trout or Cincinnati chicken
this morning. The cook never omit
ted these jocuar inquiries regarding
the various camp names for bacon. He
seemed to think that choice of alias
was as good as change Of menu
There was little talk nj 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 We're thrown
over horses fresh from a long nights
good grazing. cinches We're frightened,
slickers and blankets were adjusted,
and camp melted away in Il troop OF
horscmen winding away through the
gray Of early morning.
The scene of the beef roundup was
mighty plain, affording limltless
scope for handling the cattle of a
thousand hills. The specks in the far
distance began to grow as II the screw
of field glass was bringing them
nearer, turning them into horsemen,
punches of cattle, chuck wagons of
the different outfits, reserves OF horses
restrained by temporary rope corrals--
all the equipment of a great roundup
! Dozens of men, multitudes of horses
hordes of cattle-the mighty plain swal-
lowed all the little, pranclng, gallon.
ing, believing things, and still looked
mighty In its loneliness. Men darted
! hither and thither, yelling shrllly; cows
born apparently to be leaders, broke
| from the punches 10 which they had
been assigned and started at n clumsy
run, followed by kindred susceptible tc
example. Cow punchers. waiting for
| just such manifestations Of mdividu
! allty, whlrled after them like comets
and soon they We're again in the paw,
ing, heaying, swelterng bunch tC
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 OF
with no unsparing hand since the early
spring roundup, Calves bearing the
ii l. brand-that claimed by com
pany known 20 be made up of cattle
thieves-followed mothers bearing al
most every brand that grazed herds in
that part of the state. The Wetmore