Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-06-14

Spanish house. and the more she saw
OF IL the more she thought what a do.
hghtfuI home IL could be made. All
the doors opssied into a courtyard. 81
patio. as Florence called Ii. The
house was low, In the shape of a rect
angle, and so immense In size that
Madeline wondered If IL had beer a
Spanish barracks. Florence led The
way out on a porch and waved a hand
az a vast. colored void. That's wnar
Bill likes" she said.
AT first Madeline could not tell what
was sky and what was land. The Inn
mensity of the scene stunned her faeul-
ties Of conception. She sat down In
one OF the old rocking-chaIrs and
looked and looked. and knew that she
was not grasping the reality of what
stretched w~ondrously before her.
Were up at the edge of the foot
hills" Florence said. "ItlI sure take
you a little while to get used to being
up high and seeing so much Thats
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 round-upl want to know all
about Ito see It." declared Madeline.
please tell me what II means, what
it's for, and then take me down there"
"It'ii 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 II IL
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. all about the
roundup"
We'll, In the first place, every cat
tleman has to have a brand to Identify
his stock. Without IL no cattleman.
half a hundred cowboys, II he had
so many, could ever recognize all the
cattle In a big herd. There are no
fences on our ranges. They are all
open to everybody. Every year we
have two big round-ups. but the boys
do some branding all the year. A calf
should he branded as soon as It's
This Is a safeguard against
cattle-thieves. We don't have the
of herds and lunches of cat
lie like we used to.
I'VE have our big roundup In the
'all, when there's plenty of grass and
water, and all the ~riding-stock as well
Is the cattle are In fine shape. The
,attlemen in the valley meet with their
and drive In all the cattle
hey can find. Then they brand and
out each mans herd and drive II
oward home. Then they go on up or
the valley. make another camp,
nd drive In more cattle. 1t takes I
/,
For Madeline the morning hours flew /.
y, with a goodly part OF the time :
pent on the porch gazing out over that
.ver-changing vista. At noon a team :
ter drove up with her trunks. Then
lille Florence helped the Mexican :
get lunch Madeline unpacked /,
of her effects and got out things =
Or which she would have immediate
eed. After lunch she changed her :
ress for a ridIng-habit and. going out
de. found Florence waiting with the
AS Madeline rode along she made !,
pod use OF her eyes. The soil was :
indy and porous, and she understood :
by the rain and water from the few :
'rings disappeared so quickly. What :
her was the fact that,
iol gh she and Florence had seemed .
he riding quite awhile, they had ="
,%parently not drawn any closer to :,
e roundup. The slope of the valley u
as noticeable after some miles had
zen trayersed.
Gradually black dots enlarged and !.
stunned shape of cattle and horses o.
owing round a great dusty patch. In u
lother half-hour Madeline rode be- -,
IL Tl1~,~.-, - 49,. ~.4.If4- - 49, II