Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-06-20

Spanish house, and the more she saw
OF 1t the more she thought what de-
nghtful home 1t could be made. All
the doors opened into a courtyard. OF
patio, as Florence called it. The
mousse was low, in the shape of a rect.
angle, and so immense In size that
Madeline wondered If 1t had been a
Spanish barracks. Florence led the
way out Oh porch and waved a hand
at vast, colored void. THAT'S what
Bill likes" she said.
At first Madeline could not tell what
was sky and what was land. The i'm
mensity of the scene stunned her facul.
ties OF conception. She sat down in
one OF the old rocking chairs ard
looked and looked, and knew that she
was not grasping the reality of what
stretched wondrously before her.
We're up at the edge of the foot.
hills" Florence said. 'ItIl sure take
you little while to get used to being
up high and seeing so much That's
the secret-we're up high, the air is
clear, and there's the whole bare
world beneath us. Here-see that
cloud of dust down in the valley? It's
the roundup. The boys are there, and
the cattle. Wait, I'll get the glasses"
"The roundup! / want to know all
about ito see it," declared Madeline.
please tell me what it means, what
It's FOR, and then take me down there"
It'll sure open your eyes, Miss Ham.
mond. I'm glad you care to know.
Your brother would have made a big
success in this cattle business If It
hadn't been for crooked work by rival
ranchers. He'll make 1t yet, In spite
of them"
Indeed he SHALL" replied Madeline.
But tell me, please, ali about the
roundup"
"Well, in the first place. every cat
tleman has to have brand to identify
his stock. Without it no cattleman.
nor half hundred cowboys, If he had
so many, could ever recognize all the
cattle in big herd. There are no
fences on our ranges. They are all
open to everybody. Every year we
have two big round-ups, hut the boys
do some branding all the year. A calf
should be branded as soon as It's
found. This is a safeguard against
cattle-thieves We don't have the
rustling of herds and punches Of cat
tie like we used to.
"We have our big roundup in the
fall, when there's plenty IF grass and
water, and all the riding-stock as well
as the cattle are in fine shape. The
cattlemen in the valley meet with their
cowboys and drive in all the cattle
they can find. Then they brand and
cut out each mans herd and drive 1t
toward home. Then they go On up or
down the valley, make another camp,
and drive in more cattle It takes
weeks"
For Madeline the morning hours flew
by, with a goodly part Of the time
spent on the porch gazing cut over that
ever-changing vista. At noon a team.
ster drove up with her franks. Then
while Florence helped the Mexican
woman get lunch Madeline unpackeG
part of her effects and got out things
for which she would have immediate
need. After lunch she changed her
dress for a riding-habit and going out
side, found Florence waiting with the
horses.
AS Madeline rode along she made
good use of her eyes. The soil was
sandy and porous, and she understood
why the rain and water from the few
springs disappeared SO quickly. What
surprised her was the fact that,
though she and Florence had seemed
to be riding quite awhile, they had
apparently not drawn any closer to
the roundup. The slope of the valley
was noticeable after some miles had
been traversed.
Gradually black dots enlarged and
assumed shape Of cattle and horses
moving round a great dusty patcls In
another half-hour Madeline rode be-
hind Florence to the outskirts Of the