St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1922-04-22
FOREWORD

Tho driver of the big car throttled
down. Since he had swung away from
rho dusty road to follow a wagon
tr,ck across the desert, the speedom-
eter had registered many miles. His
oves searched tie ground in front to
Gee whether the track led up the brow
of the hill or dipped into the sandy
wash.
On the hrecze there honted to him the
Faint. insistent bawl Of thirsty cattle.
The car leaped forward again, climbed
the HILL and closed in upon a remuda
of horses watched by two wranglers.
The chauffeur stopped the machine
and shouted question at the nearest
rider, who swung his mount and can
tered up. He was lean, tanned youth
in oyeralls, JUMPER, wide sombrero,
htgh-heeled boots, and shiny leather
chaps. A girl In the tonneau appraised
with quick, eager eyes this horseman
Of the plains Perhaps she found him
less picturesque than she had hoped.
He was not there for moving-picture
purposes. Nothing on horse or man
held its place for any reason except
utility.
"Where's tho round up?'' asked the
driver.
The coffee-brown youth gave little
lift Of his head to the right. He was
apparently man of few words.
The car moved forward to the edge
Of the mesa and dropped into the val
ley. The girl In the back seat gave
a little scream Of delight Here at last
was the West she had read about In
books and seen on the screen.
This was Cattleland's hour of hours.
The parada grounds were occupied by
two circles Of cattle, each fenced by
eight or ten horsemen. The nearer
one was the beef herd, beyond this
and closer to the mouth Of the canyon
from which they had all recently been
driyen-was mass of closely packed
cows and CALVES.
Several men were busy branding and
marking the calves dragged to them
from the herd by the horsemen who
were ropIng the frightened little blat-
ters.
With q movement Of her wrist the
girl opened the door and stepped down
from the car.
A man sitting beside the chauffeur
turned In his seat. you'd better stay
where you are honey" He had an
Idea that this was not exactly the
scene a girl of seventeen ought to see
at close range.
i want to get the kinks out OF my
muscles. Dad" the girl called back.
I'll not 90 far"
She walked along ridge that ran
from the mesa into the valley IKE an
4 0utstretched tongue. There was a
touch Of unstudied jauntiness in the
way the tips Of her golden curls es-
capped from beneath the little brown
toque she wore. A young man guard
ing the beef herd watched her curl
ousy. Something in the poise Of the
light, boyish figure struck spark
from his Imagination. . ."@ g..
AS she stood on the spit of the ridge,
3 slim, light figure silhouetted against
the skyline, the young man guarding
the beef herd called something to her
mat was lost in the bawllng " the
{ cattle. From the motion of his hand
J sne Knew that he was telling her to
get back to the car. But the girl saw
no reason for obeying the orders Of
sange-r1der she had never seen before
ana never expected to see again. No
Oooy mad ever told her that a rider Is
larry safe among the widest hill cat
4 ue, Dut man on foot is liable to at
JACK at any time when Ii herd Is ex-
cited.
shout Of warning startled her.
ABOVE the believing Of the herd she
heard another yell.
Hl-yi-ya-a!"
A red-eyed steer, tall I'D. was crash
ing through the small brush toward
tae hfanders. There was wild sour
~ 1or safety. The men dropped iron
ana ropes and fed to their saddles. De-
nected by pursuers, the animal turned.
ny chance it Numbered straight for
Inc girl on the sand spit.
ohe stood parulyzed for moment.
Out or the gathering darkness a voice
zane TO her sharp and clear. Don't
move! 1t rang so vibrant with crisp
4 command that the girl, poised for
n1sht, stood Still and waited In white
.etror while the huge steer numbered
toward her.
COW pony, wheeled as on a dol
'af' jumped to an instant gallop. The
: 1an riding 1t was the one who had
warned her back to the car. Horse and
Mulho pounded over the ground toward
Aer. Each stride brought them closer
~ each other rs they converged toward
ne sahd spit. 1t came to her with q
sust OF pnnlcky despair that they
would collide on the very spot where
{ sue Stood Yet she did not run.
ne rider lifting his bronco forward
:. iuil speed, won by fraction Of a
seeoha. He guided III such a way as
G. uf''ls MS horse between her and the
sse Without slackening his pace
= ne leist as he swept past. the man
low, caught the girl beneath