Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-06-04

CHAPTER Iv.-(Contlnued.)

49, 49," w. $50 49," '
There was, Saxton could see, the maxim!
here of a great farming property he fel
his old interest in outdoor life quickeninl
as he rode bach to the house in the even
ing. "
Snyder cooked supper for both of them
while SaSton repaired Il dccrepit wind
Mill which had been designed to supply
the house with water. He had formed &
poor opinion of the ca retaker, who hat
no well-defined duties. There was moth.
Ing for any one to d. unless the rang,
were again stocked and cattle raising un.
dertaken as a serious business. Saxton
was used to rough men and their ways.
lie had a happy faculty of adapting him.
SELF to the conversational capacities OF
ililserate men, and enjoyed drawing them
out and getting their point Of view bu
Snyders was not a visage that inspired
confidence. He had u Great shock o?
black hair and a scraggy beard. He lack
ed an eye, and he had q habit of drawing
bis bead around In order to acc6minodate
his remaining orb to any necessity. He
did this with an i%nsinuating kind Of de-
that became tiresome in a long
interview.
inns place is too fancy to be Of much
use, the man youchsafed. "You NAV
ma some dude that wants to plant money
where another dude has dug the first
mole; but l reckon you'll have a hare
time catching him, A real cattleman
wouldn't care for all this house. 1t might
De made into a stable. but u horse would
look Ridiculous in here. You might have
a corn crib made out of it; or it would
90 FOR a hotel If you could get dudes to
spend the summer here; but l reckon
It's a little hot out here for summer
boarders."
line only real value is in the land"
sald Saxton. I'm told there's no better
on the river. The house is a handicap.
or would be so regarded by the kind OF
men who make money out of cattle. Have
you ever tried rounding up the cattle
nat strayed through the fences? The
Poindexter crowd must have branded
their last calves about two years ago.
assuming that only a part Of them was
soid or run of, there ought to be some
Wo-year-olds still loose in this country
and they'd be worth finding"
Yer Jokin' l guess. These Teller,
around here are good ~feIlers, and all that,
but guess they don't give anything back.
! guess we amt got any cattle coming
to u.s.
"Who've you been reporting to, sny-
"How's that?'
Who have you been considering your.
self responsible to?"
Well, Jim Wheaton at the Clarkson
hired me-, and l reckon I'd re.
to him If 1 reported to anybody.
If you're going to run this shebane
and want to be reported to- / guess I can
to you"
Il want you to report to me-" said
John, quietly. I'm the first place I want
the house and the other buildings cleaned
out. After than the fences must be put
IN shape. And h we'll see if we can't
some of our cows. You can't tell
We may open up a real ranch here and
into business"
We'll, If you're the boss TIL do il
way. l got along all right with
Saxton determined to leave for Clark.
son the following morning. and formulat-
ed in his mind the result of his journey.
and plans for the future Of the incon.
gruous combination of properties that had
been entrusted to him. He sat for an
hour looking out over the moon-lit val
~ AAS OAAo luC louk sweep OF the
plain, through which he could see for
miles the bright ribbon of the river. A
train OF cars rumbled far away, on the
IRON trail between the two oceans, inten-
the loneliness of the strange
house.
X seem to find only the lonely places
said aloud.
In the morning he ate the breakfast
~ onHao In rIton oh md 1o - ,-h:.l. G.
der prepared. Snyder rode with him to
the railway station.
give my regards to Mr.. Wheaton, he
Daid, as Saxton swung himself into the
train. "You'll find me here at the old
stand when you come back"
"A queer customer and undoubtedly a
bad lot,' was Saxton's reflection.
When Saxton had written out the re.
port Of his trip he took it to Wheaton, to
get his suggestions before forwarding It
. Boston. He looked upon the cashier a.
his predecessor, and wished to avail him
self OF Wheaton's knowledge Of the local
affecting the several proper
ties that had now passed to his care.
Wheaton undoubtedly wished to be Of as
~sistance, and In their discussion OF the
report, the cashier made many sugges.
lions Of value, of which Saxton was glad
to avail himself.
"As to the Poindexter place." saiI
Saxton finally, 'I've been advertising 1t
for sale in the hope of finding a buyer,
but without results. The people at head
quarters can't bother about the details
Of these things, but I can't see why we
should maintain a caretaker. There's
nothing to take care of. That house is
worse than useless. I'm going back in q
few days to see II l can't coax home
some of the cattle we're entitled to, and
then I suppose we may as well dispense
With Snyder"
II don't see that there's anything else
to do" Wheaton answered. 1--WE been
TO the ranch. and there's little personal
property there forth caring for. That
man Snyder came along one day and
asked for a job and I sent him out there
thinking he'd keep things in order until
the Trust Company sent its own isor--
sentative here.
There were times when Wheaton's
black eyes contracted curiously. and this
one of the times.
81 doM't like discharging a man that
you'ye Employed Saxton replied.
tsOh, that's NIL right. You can't ke.r
hin IL he performs no service. Don't
trouble about him on my nccount How
soon are you going back thereg"
Next week some time"
Saxton was not surprised when he rx-
turned TO the ranch to find that Snyder
~ made no effort to obey his ins:ruc-