Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-11-18
published By special arrangement With The
CHICAGO Tribune 6yndicats)
THE STORY so FAR

THE STORY so A
Joe Hickey, ranch hand, had married
Janet Cooper, stenographcr, who was much
younger than himself. They have been
married ten years, but Joe has not pro-
crossed and is still q ranch hand. Dave
Verne, a new ranch foreman, helps Janet
around the ranch house and does everything
possible to make the hard ranch life easier
70 her. Joe becomes unreasonably jealous.
Joe does not like Verne because he feels
that he should have had the formanship.
Award, ranch manager, arrives one day and
tells them that the North Pasture where
they are located has been sold. This pleases
Joe as he believes this will prevent Janet
and Dave Verne from being together.
And now the story
Warmth came with the climbing sun.
Hickey trailed his gather-in to the round
up ground; dry cows, wet COWS with their
chunky, white-faced calves; a few pom
derous bulls, grizzled OF forehead and
protesting against being driven till Joe
uncoiled his whip and dashed their TANKS
viciously; last springs yearlings; some
three-year-old steers. Hundreds. They
merged with other hundreds in a loose
herd Of three thousand and more as the
last nan came In toward min o'clock.
Directed by Verne, the cutting began,
i0AAAAA 40 Az VoAR NOV 49,
must the four hundred dry lows be sep
arated for immediate shipment, but the
yearlings past and the big steers-a good
three hours Job. Hard work for the no
longer young Joel Hard enough for any
man. Over and over again, the quick
squirt as an uneasy brute reached the
edge Of the herd, the sudden. choppy,
stiff legged lodges and whirls Of the agile
cutting horses, the wild short dash be-
tween herd and "cut." Sweat in his eyes,
sweat and dust in his grey stubble- beard,
a sort OF protesting ache inside after
ifty-odd chases, and Joe cursed Scotty
who, had he not fallen from grace in
Tanning, would have been sent in to re-
lieve him. Verne, who never seemed to
tire, might not think to send another
man to take Joe's place until noon, or
even until the job was over. Verne'd
go on, riding his sagging horse, Carrots,
to the camp site, rope a fresh mount,
saddle 1T, spend fifteen minutes eating
and drinking cup after u Of coffee,
then lead on to work Number Two Pas
ture all afternoon.
turned gratefully to the prospect Of the
longer winter months when, should
Award decide to leave him and Janet at
North Camp, he would have 1t easy, q
half day OF fence riding, afternoons or
the 'sofy" in the stove-warmed little
room between kitchen anu bedroom. trips
to Tanning in the car. Would Verne
leave him the old flivver? Probably. for
Janet's sake. Verne had the fool notion
that Janet needed more "sassiety" and
would expect Joe to keep or driving her
out in the e~vening-so that they could
go on meeting? Well, he'd fool Verne
there-and Janet would n out who
was boss. She sure would
At a little past twelve, the cutting In
North Pasture finished, Hickey rode to
the mesquite tree where Janet beside her
coffee fire, had opened up the III and
boxes containing bread, pickles. beef
jam. Good She'd baked two big cakes
He ate swiftly, for he was to relieve one
of the men holding the dry COW cut. A
last hiccoughing gulp of hot coffee tt
wash down cake crumbs, n he was
mounted on his fresh horse. He passed
Verne coming in. riding alonside Awards
slowly driven car.
From his new post Hickey could see
Janet, slim and shapely in breeches anc
shirt, her barred, coppery bobbed hail
glinting in the sun, stoop to lift the pot
of fresh coffee for the newcomers. She
seemed to watch the foreman, to hover
over him. When she began to collect
pots, pans, eating tools, and boxes, Verne
helped her. He lifted them and the tub
and water keg for her. They stood for 6
little while, heads close together, lean
ing on the back of the cars truck body
Did she lay q hand on the mans arm, tc
quickly withdraw 1t? Joe wasn't sure. o.
course, Verne would be telling her the
new Award had brought. Was she TAX
ing it hard, thinking Verne would leave
Hardly had the cutting in Number Two
Pasture begun, when Janet stopped the
car nearby, to watch the work. Verne
rode to her.
Want a horse for q while, Miz Hickey
I'll get a boy to shorten his stirrups, an
you can help hold herd" On a dash past
the car, purposely hazing his steer that
way. Joe caught the so%licitous smile or
Verne's face and Janet's eager, answering
flash as she stepped down.
"Oh. yes, Just for a little, MIR. Vernel
Janet loped toward the herd. happy In
the feel OF saddle and sensitive horse
flesh under her. II she were only a man
II she could ride from daybreak to dusk
live in the sunshine, drink all day the
robust wind of the high plains, take the
thousand chances of a spill, really not 9
danger to these Centaur-men, muscle
hardened by he Jolts from powerful
steel sinewed cutting horses. And al
night sleep the unstirring, deathlike
sleep of utter physical wearinessl She
had need to cure the wakefulness that
had come upon her because OF worry
over Joe's increasing restlessness, his
signing n mutterings in nightmare
ridden sleep. Poor Joe, her problem
Hers because he was the most precious
thing in life to her, the man to whom
she had eagerly surrendered her virgin
body, over whom she had spread the
shield of her love. She knew that some.
thing troubled him; she could not, as
yet, guess what.
Watching her. Hickey ragged: "She
can't bear to have him get out'n hel
| sight, now she knows he's goin' awayl'
He spurred his horse brutality, jerked 1t
half screamed IN oath at a flying steer
spat with angry disgust. The early at
| ternoon sun was hot; Joe's heavy under
clothes chafed him. He was angered tc
see Verne riding quietly, tirelessly. with
a technique that enabled him to cut five
to Joe's four.
The afternoon wore On. From his leas-
urely post Joe continued to observe Janet
and the Woodworking foreman. He saw
Verne's horse go down when a panicky
calf suddenly lodged In front Of it just
as it started a herd-edge squirt; he Ia
Janet's hand go to her breast in an un-
conscious gesture OF concern, saw hel
ride close as Verne picked himself uI
and examined his mounts legs, saw
Verne laugh up at her then she
trotted back to the car and turned hel
horse over to the boy who had loaned 1T
Thu sun sank int q lavender mist
All dry COWS separated, the cuts were
trailed back to North Pasture gate and
turned into the camp corrals, ready tc
be pushed O. to the railroad at daybreak
Award stood beside his car, in front OF
sighted North Camp. Verne Joined them
Tor a foU YnfnyltnQ ptt11 m hnrcahork.