The Dolores star., 1924-05-16
CHAPTER !

~ under the shingles" shouted
3Fansley. waving to the procession to
- "a.
n EInder, foreman and head teamster,
GfInfghtened up from the half load
Il new hay in which he had been
awaiting the final word. frightened the
aine4 made clucking sound in his
threat, and the horses pressed their
Ahoulders into the collars. Linder
9laueed back to see each wagon or
lno3ement take up the slack with n
56Rkslike the cars of freight train
IL eushiOned rumble of wagon wheels
Che soft earth, and the noisy chat
S6 the steel teeth of the hay
u came up from the rear. Trans
"outfit" was under way.
nnsley was n contractor; a mas
~ 6f men and of circumstances. Six
-NoakD before, the suspension of
a5Gdlng order had left him high and
14y.zwith n dozen men and rs many
eenuns on his hands and hired for the
Geasbn. Transley galloped all that
afkhk into the foothills; when he re-
f1lHed next evening he had con-
,ttac& with the Y.D. to cut all the hay
49, the ranch buildings to the Forks.
xxan1ley traded his dump scrapers
~ moving machines, and three days
4nfDr his outfit was at work in the
~opeF reaches Of the Y.D.
sxhe contract had been decidedly
G6ootAble. Not an hour of broken
weefher had interrupted the opera
nd x1,Ith a
&tneKof hay In stack, Transley was
q1tv1ng down to the headquarters of
a. I'D. The trail lay along broad
ynatSy, warded on either side by
e6n6eB Of foothills; hills which in any
tGt1lF country would have been dlgni-
.0G0 hy the name of mountains. From
t11lt summits the gray-green up-tilted
0ne1tone protruded, whipped clean of
a1n0 by the chinooks of centuries.
t 84ro and there on their northern
JGbGpoD hung q beard of scrub timber;
S1a<p gulleys cut into their fast
\ sQeeo to bring down the turbulent
11Dge of their SHOWS.
Dome miles to the left of the trail
~ the bed of the Y.D.. fringed with
QGDeor and cottonwood and occasional
41<E green splashes of spruce. Be
yo1d the bed of the Y.D., beyond the
Goeehllls that looked down upon 1t,
nm4 the mountains themselves, their
8lant crests pitched like mighty tents
drgN1eng placidly between earth and
Gea9en. Now their four o'clock veil
Q&: hlue-purple mist lay filmed about
1houlders. but later they would
out in bold silhouette cutting
the twilight sky. Everywhere
q fences of the eternal, broken
flo(XAg the muffied noises of Trans
Yscntfit trailing down to the Y.D.
;anhr. foreman and head teamster,
.eN141ooed his shoulders against his
halt lad Of hay and contemplated the
yoeg14With amfcable satisfaction. The
, ~ 4olds of the foothills had been a
,p5eh91nt change from the railway
Fg14eosof the plains below. Men and
hoNooo had fattened and grown con-
,,ten6 md the foreman had reason to
that Transley's bank account
go ofted by the sudden shift in
erations. Linder felt In his
Il for pipe and matches; then,
4, ,g1f7z4 trown. withdrew his fingers.
M self had laid down the law that
!, nust be no smoking In the hay
d A carelessly dropped match
nlgS 70 an hour nulllfy all their
AZ frown had scarce vanished
y oof-beats pounded by the side
y wagon. and rider, throwing
4 lightly from his horse, dropped
Jim In the hay.
al ght I'd ride with you a spell,
II at Pete-horse acts like he was
e on the Off front foot. Chuck
Z ID. tonight?"
= 2 what Transley says George.
q knows."
- Jet at tbs Y.D.f