Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-03-07

CQSSlOn became neaCe0 anu general.
TITS a settled fact that the outfits
that have put in hay are better off,"
Evans said. "But there's q dozen To-
calities like this, dozen little civil
wars going on right now where the
Inhabitants are so mulish that they
lay their ears and fight their own in
terests by upholding a f1ea-bit preju-
dice that was good for twenty years
ago but is dead issue today"
"And why Is 1t dead today?" Nor
row demanded. "And not as good as
1t always WASP"
"Only a hundred or SO different
reasons" Evans returned Indifferent
~. "Then beef-tops brought ten dol
lars a head and they're worth three
times that now; then you bought a
brand on the hOof, come as they run,
for round five dollars straight
through, exclusive of calves; now It's
based at ten on the roundup tally.
In those days man could better af-
ford to let part of his cows winter
kill than to raise feed to winter the
whole of them through-amOng other
things. These days he can't"
"And have your water holes fenced"
Morrow said. "As soon as you let the
first squatter light"
1.-The government has prohibited
fencing water holes necessary to the
adjacent range" Harris cut In. IF
that valley was mine I'd have put 1t
in hay this long time back"
"But it wasn't yours Morrow
pointed out.
mo; but 1t is now, or at least q
part of it is" Harris said. Il picked
up that school section that lays across
the valley and filed on home quar-
ter that butts up against the rims"
He sat gazing indifferently out the
door as If unconscious Of the dead
silence that followed his remark.
More men had drifted in till nearly
dozen were gathered in the room.
"That's never been done out here
buying school sections and filing squat
ter's rights" Morrow said at last.
"This is COW country and will never
be anything else"
"Good cow country" Harris agreed.
"And it stands to reason it could be
made better with little help"
whenever you start helping a coun-
try with fence and pillow you ruin 1t
for cows" Morrow stated 81 know !"
1T always loomed up in the light of
q good move to me-" the newcomer
returned. zone of us has likely read
his signs wrong"
There's some signs round here you
better read" Morrow said. They
were posted for such as YOU"
1T appears like I'd maybe made a
bad selection then. Pm sorry about
that" Harris deprecated in a negli-
gent ton. that belieC his words. Its
hard to tell just how it will pan out"
"Not so very hard-if you can read"
the dark man contradicted.
The newcomers gaze returned from
down the valley and settled on Nor
rows face.
do you run brand of your own
SOS you'd stand to lose dollar If
every foot of range was fenced?' he
inquired.
"What are you trying to get at
now?" Morrow demanded.
Nothing much-nOw; I've already
got" Harris said. "a mans interest
lays on the side where his finances
are most concerned"
"What do you mean by that?" Nor
row insisted.
you're good at predicting-maybe
you're an expert at guessing, too"
Harris returned. And suddenly Evans
laughed as If something had just &C.
Cured to him.
Morrow glanced at him without
turning his head, then fell silent, his
expression unchanged.
A chunky yOungster stood In the
door and bent an approving gaze on
the big pinto as he swung out across
the pasture lot. The boys face was
small and quizzical, a shaggy mop of
tawney hair hanging so low upon his
forehead that his mild blue eyes
peered forth from under the fringe of
it and gave him the air of surprised
terrier, which effect had gained him
the title of Bangs.
II bet the little paint-hOrse could
make a man swing and rattle to set
up in his middle, once he started to
act up" he said.
"Calico wouldn't know how to start, "
Harris said. "A horse, inside his linn
itations, Is what his breaker makes
him. l never favored the idea of
breaking a horse to fight you every
time you climb him. My horses are
gentle-broke."
"But you have to be able to top
of just any kind of horse" Bangs
objected.
"That don't hinder a man from gen.
Ting his own string" Harris re-
turned.
: Bangs turned his surprised eyes on
Harris and regarded him intently as
IL striving to fathom a viewpoint that
was entirely new to him.
"Why, it don't, for fact" he said
at last. "Only l just never happened
to think of it like that before"
Morrow laughed and the boy flushed