The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-05-25
FoREwoRo

Inc Qrlver OF the Dig car tnrOttIctI
down. Since he had swung away from
the dusty road to follow wagon
track across the desert, the speedOm-
eter had registered many miles. His
eyes searched the ground in front to
see whether the track led up the brow
Of the hill or dipped into the sandy
wash.
On the breeze there floated to him the
faint, insistent bawl Of thirsty cattle.
The car leaped forward again, climbed
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 overalls, jumper, wide sombrero.
high-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 the 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
driven--was a 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-
tiers.
With a 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 girl Of seventeen ought to see
at close range.
II want to get the kinks out Of my
muscles. Dad" the girl called back.
''I'll not go far"
She walked along a ridge that ran
from the mesa into the valley ike an
outstretched tongue. There was
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
ouay. Something In the poise of the
light. boyish figure struck a spark
from his imagination.
As she stood on the spit Of the ridge,
a slim, light figure slhouetted against
the skyline, the young man guarding
the beef herd called something to her
that was lost in the bawllng of the
cattle. From the motion of his hand
she knew that he was telling her 70
get back to the car. But the girl saw
no reason for Obeylng the orders of a
range.rlder she had never seen before
and never expected to see again. No.
body had ever told her that rider Is
fairly safe among the widest hill cat
tie. but man on foot Is llable to at
tack ut any time when herd Is ex-
cited.
A shout of warning startled her.
Above the believing Of the herd she
heard another yell.
"Hi-yi-ya-a"
A red-eyed steer, tail up, was cAsl,.
ing through the small brush toward
the branders. There was wild sour.
ry for safety. The men dropped iron
and ropes and fled to their saddles. De.
fected by pursuers, the animal turned
BY chance it Numbered straight for
the girl on the sand spit.
She; stood paralyzed for moment
Out Of tile gathering darkness a voice
came to her sharp and clear. Don't
mover It rang so vibrant with crisp
command that the girl, poised for
flight, stood still and waited in white
terror! while the huge steer numbered
toward her.
A COW pony, wheeled as,on a dol
lar, jumped to an instant gallop. The
man riding 1t was the one who had
warned her back to the car. Horse and
ladino pounded over the ground toward
her. Each stride brought them closer
to each other as they converged toward
the sand spit. It came to her with a
gust of panicky despair that they
would collide on the very spot where
she stood. Yet she did not run.
The rider, lifting his bronco forward
at full speed, won by fraction of a
second. He guided In such way rs
to bring his horse between her and the
steer Without slackening his pace
in the least as he swept past, the man
stopped low, caught the girl beneath
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