The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-04-20
Cow Country
NJ n NJ. BOWER



by tho simple method OF waving his
hand at the group around the tsbls
and saying. -ouess you know the
boys what'd yuh say We could call
yuhy-
-Bud--ah--Rfruse.. bud answered,
swiftly weighing the romantic Idea
OF using acme makeshift name until
he had made HIS fortune. and decid
ing against H. But his hesitation
served TO convince every man there
that Rirnie was not his name. and
that he probably had good cause for
coneeaiing hts own. Adding that 10
Dirk Tracy's guess that no was
from Jackson's Hole. tho sum
spelled outlaw.
not 10 seem curious about Buds
past They even refrained from
mAnifestins too much interest In the
musical instruments unti Bud him
self took them out Of their cases
that evening and began tuning
them. Then the half.haked. tongue
tied fellow came over and gobbled
at him eagerly.
Hen wants yuh b play some.
thing" . man they called Day Tn
tcrpreted. Hens loco on music.-
Bud smiled. picked up the guitar.
tuned up the strings a bit. plucked
a minor chord generously and be-
San abruptly;
To kin tark about you cocns y
havin trouble
Wen. An think An have enough a
OF nah oh-own--
-nart. he's wont and hired .
show actor. looks like" Dirk con.
fided behind his hand 20 Shorty
Mcclure That's real sinEtn'. N
yuh ask me-"
shut up Grunted shorty. and
prcddcd Dirk into silence 70 thai he
would miss none Of the song.
since Buddy had ieft the pink
apron stage Of his life behind him.
singing songs 10 please other people
had been a. much . part of his life
as riding and ropinx and eating and
sleeping. lie had always sung on
played or danced when he was
asked TO do so-acceptinw without
question his mothers doctrine that
II was unkind and Inbred 10 refuse
when he really could DO those
things well. because on the cattle
ranges indoor amusemonts were
few. and those who could furnish
rial entertainment werv fewer. HIS
repertoire seemed cndless. HeTcouif
sing from dark to dawn. providing
his voice held out
Al midnight Bud blow on his bile
tsred fingertips and shook The gut
tar eentiy. bot;oms,de up. y
4 guess that's all the music
there Ia In the dArned thing to-
night hs iamcntcd. -Shcis made
to keep time. and she always
strikes. along about Midnight
After that Hen followed Bud
around like . pet dog. and found
time between stable chores 20 groom
Stopper and Smoky and sunfish-
-fIcn. he's adopted yuh. hornss
ana Al. looks nks.- Dirk observed
ens Gay to Bud when they were rtd-
ing Together. Tie sure b takin'
care o them oyuses Of yoarn.
Dyou ten him tor
Bud came out q Q hsmesfck
rsverss and looked II him inquiring
b. mo. DIDN'T zen him anything
4 hniisvs that, AL right. DIRK ~
torted- You don't so around teitn'
all yuh know. like that In feiiev.
A man never got into trouble yet BY
kecpin' his mouth shut"
Bud sont him q sideiong glance Of
inquiry. and Dirk caught him at u
and grinned.
-ruh bren hers . month. snd you
ainV said q word about where you
come from. You said COW country
Wen. she's tearin' big piace-cow.
country. She runs from canady 10
Mexico. and from the corn belt 10
the Pacific ocean. mighty near.
Takes In Jackson's Hole. and lot
uh country I know. Tn within TO
tie TO a man that can play the game
the way you been piayin' H. Bud.
Most always he complained vague
~. they carry their brand too
plain
I'm here because I'm here Bud
chanscd softly. his eyes stubborn
even while he smiied at DIRK
DIRK had said tina, no man ever rot
into trouble By keeping his rnou'h
shut Bud closed his for . good ha
hour, and when h. opened II again
he undid all the good he had accom-
plished by bis silence.
Where does that tran 60 that
climbs up over the mountains back
OF that peakr' he asked Seems TO
be q stock trail Have you got Eraz-
ing land beyond the mountainsy'
Dirk took time to pry off a fresh
chew OF tobacco before he replied.
You mean Thunder Paas7 That
there crosses over into the Black
Rim country. Yeah-there's . big
vide range country over there. but
we don't run any stock ON H. Bur.
rofack valleys big enough for. the
Muieshoe." q
Bud rolled . eiearet II didn't
mean that main tran: that's n wagon
road. What referred TO is that
blind trail that takes off up the can
yon behind tire corrais and crosses
into the mountains the other side Of
Compel"
Dirk eyed him. Il dunno's ! could
say. right ofYfiand. what TRAN yuh
menn." he parted EVERY canyons
got q TRAN that runs up a ways.
They all lead UP to water. OF feed.
or something IKE that and then
quit. most gen'rally.- And he added
with heavy sarcasm. "A fer,er that's
lived on the range oughta know
what trails Is for. and how they'rc
made"
Stock had been over that canyon
trail within tho last month or no.
and Buds inference that the Mule
shoe must have grazing ground
across the mountains was natural.
How'd you come 10 be cxplorin'