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


venient to the branding pen, the steers
well away to the opposite side. As
Peter drove n W-square COW. followed
by little white faced calf whose brand
had plainly been tempered with. he
heard one of his associates say:
There's nothing small about the
ii l. except their methods"
whats III l. stand for anyway
the other COW puncher asked.
why, H. or How Long. Depends
whether you're with 'cm or agin 'em"
Peter wheeled from the men and
headed for the bunch he was cutting
out. He fancicd that the man had
looked at him strangely as he offered
choice Of meanings for the RI 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 were jammed 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
a calf. These Were turned over to cow
boys waiting for them. Time after
time Hamilton returned to that mass
of unconscious power that with sin
gle rush could have annihilated the lit.
tie band Of borscmen 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 a handful
Of cowboys kept them in check, cir
cling round and round them on ponies
that did their work without waiting
for quirt or rowel.
The MONDAY sun looked down upon
scene that to the eye unskilled in
these things was as confusion worse
COMPOUNDED. Cowboys dashed from no
where in particular and did amazing
things with a bit of rope, sending 1t
through the air with snaky undula-
tons after flying cattle The rope
taking on lifclike coils, would pursue
the flying beast like an aerial reptile.
then the moose would fall true. and the
thing was done. A second later cou-
pie of cowboys would be examining the
disputed brand on the prone animal
The smell of burning flesh and hair
rose from the branding pen and min
gled with the stencil Of the herds in
one nolsome compound. The yells Of
the COW punchers. each having its diff
ferent bearing on the work in hand
were all but lost in the dull, steady
roar OF the cattle, believing in n cho-
rus Of fear, rage and pain. And still
the work Of sorting, branding. cutting
out went steadily on. Though an out
slider would not have perceived it. the
work was as crisp cut and exact In its
methods as the work in counting
house
The beef contract called for thou
sand steers four and five years old.
counted and some dozen extra head
added in case Of accident. they were
Immediately started on the trail rs
they could accomplish some seven or
eight miles before being bedded down
for the night. Hamilton. who had
crossed TO the beef side of the roundup
to have n necessary word with the Cir
Gle Star foreman, was amazed to find
Simpson making ready to start with
the trail herd. Peter inquired. with n
few explosives, how long he had been
a COW man in good and regular stand
ing.
"As far as the regularity is concern
ed, that would be pretty hard thing
10 answer, but he's had an interest In
the xxx slnce-since"-
"IIe drove Rodney's sheep over the
cliTT
Amt You "A little hard on the be-
ginning of his cattle career? 1t usual
ly goes by more businesslke name,
but"-he shrugged his shoulders "it's
up to the XXN We wouldn't have
him help to pull begged cattle out of n
creek"
The beeyes, hidden in slmoom of
their own stamping, were gradually
being pressed forward on the trail. a
huge pawn, ignorant of Its own
strength, manipulated by Il handful OF
men and horses. Its believing, like the
tuning of q thousand bass fddles,
shook the stiffness like the long. sullen
roar of the sea as out of the plain they
Numbered to feed the multitude.
well. there goes as pretty bunch
of porterhouses as I'd want to put
tooth to. II get away from here with
In the next two months, as I'm ex.
pecting, doubtless I'll meet some OF
you again with your personality some.
what obscured by reason of fried
onions"
The foreman of the Circle Star waved
his hand after the slowly moving herd
that gradually pressed forward like an
army in loose marching order. out.
riders gaIloped ahead, like darling in.
sects, and pointing the numbering mass
that trailed its half mile length at a
snalrs pace,
After supper came general relaxn-
ton around the campfire. The men,
who had all lay been strunp IN a kann