White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-11-30
CHAPTER l.

FORKS.
"Squatter, don't let the sun go down
on you," he read "That's the third
one Of those reminders, Calico" he told
the horse. "The wording little diff
ferent but the sentiment all the same"
Fifty yards off the trail the charred
and blackened fragments of wagon
showed in sharp contrast to the
bleached white bones of two horses.
"They downed his team and torched
his worldly goods" the rider said. "All
his hopes gone up in smoke"
He turned in his saddle and looked
| off across the unending expanse Of
sage. Coldriver-probably so named
from the fact that the three wells In
the town constituted the only source
Of water within an hours ride-lay
thirty miles to the south, cluster
Of some forty buildings nesting on
a wind-swept fiat. Seventy miles be-
yond 1t, and with but two more such
centers of civilization between, the
railroad stretched across the rolling
desolation.
|
evidence left behind to prove that the
sign was no empty threat before
heading the paint-horse along the left.
hand fork. He noted that the range
cows along his route were poor and
lean, their hip bones showing lumpily
through sagging skin, giving them the
appearance of mixers rather than
beef stock. The preceding summer had
been hot and dry, browning the range
six weeks before its time, and the
stock had gone into the winter in
poor shape. Heavy snowfalls had com.
pleted the havoc and 10 per cent of
the range stock had been winter
killed. Those that had pulled through
were slow in putting on weight and
recovering their strength.
4 big red steer stood broadside to
him, the Three Bar brand looming
on it's side, and the man once more
pulled up his horse and lost himself
in retrospection as he gazed at the
brand.
"The old Three Bar, Calico" he re-
marked to the horse. ''The old home
brand. It's been many a moon since
last ! laid an eye on Three Bar
cow"
The man was gazing directly at the
steer but he no longer saw it. In
stead he was picturing the old-time
scenes that the sight of the brand
recalled. Step by step he visioned the
long trail of the Three Bar cows from
Dodge City to the Platte from the
Platte to the rolling sage-cad hills
round old Fort Laramie and from
Laramie to the present range.
His mind pictured two boys OF some
where round eighteen years OF age
setting forth from the little home town
of Kansas City, Nesting al the con
auence Of the Missouri and the Kaw
year later Cal Warren was whack
ing bulls on the Santa Re trail while
the other. William darris. was holding
the reins over four plungng horses
as he fooled numbering Concord stage
over the trail from Omaha to the little
camp called Denver.
1t was five years before their trails
crossed again. Cal Warren was the
I
established post along the trail,
rambling structure of 'dobe, poles and
sod, and there conducted the business
of 1.-Two f. One" !. calling impossible
and unknown in any other than that
day and pace
The long bull trains were in sight
from horizon to horizon every hour OF
the day. The grind OF the gravel wore
down the hoofs OF the unsod oxen.
and when footsore they could not go
on. One sound bull for two with
tender feet was Warren's rule OF
trade. These crippled ones were soon
made sound in the puddle pen. sod
corral flooded with sufficient water to
puddle the yellow clay into six-inch
layer OF stiff, healing mud, then
thrown out on the open range to fat
ten and grow strong. But transitions
were swift and sweeping. Steel rails
were crowding close behind the prairie
schooners and the ox-bows. Bull trains
grew fever every year and eventually
Cal Warren made his last trade OF
two for one.
Bill Harris had come back to view
the railroad of which he had heard
so much and he remained to witness
and to be part of the wild days OF
Abilene, Hays and Dodge. US each at.
tanned the apex of its glory as the
railroads end and the consequent des.
tination of the Texas trail herds. The
sight of these droves OF thousands
implanted desire to run cows him
self and when he was wed In Dodge
he preached this project 10 his boy.
hood pal.
lit was the sincere wish OF each to
| gain the other as a partner In all flu
ture enterprise, but this was not to
b, Warren had see. the bottom drop
out of the bull trade and he would
not reIinquish the suspicion that any
business dealing In four footed stock
was hazardous IN the extreme and he
insisted that the solution of all their
financial problems rested upon owning
land. not cows. Harrfs could not be
induced to farm the soil while steers
were selling round eight dollars q
head
Warren sQuatted on a quarter OF
land. Harris bought a few head of
she-stOck and graZed his COWS north
and west across the Kansas line into
the edge of the great unknown tina,
was styled Nebraska and Northwest
district. AT first his range was limit