Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-03-21

t"NAe2 W..ss
Bangs Was Topping Horse That
StrenuousIy Refused to Be Conquered.
knew this as evidence that they would
start after the calves on the following
day. The custom was to exchange
representatives to ride with each wag-
on within a reasonable distance, the
reps to look after the interest Of the
brand for which they rode.
"How many reps do you trader" he
asked
Three" she said. "Halfmoon D,
V L and with Slade."
The HalfmoOn d lay some fifteen
miles eastward along the foot Of the
hills; the V L the same distance to
the west, but cached away in a pocket
that led well back into the base of the
range, comparatively small outfit
owned by the BrandOns, father and
four sons, who made every effort to
keep the bulk of their cows ranging
in their own home basin and ex-
changed reps only with the Three
Bar.
SHADES home place lay forty miles
south and a little west and his COWS
graZed for over hundred miles, re-
quiring three wagons to cover his
range.
During the afternoon the three reps
came in to replace the men who had
left. The surplus horses had been
cut out and thrown back on the range,
only those required for the remuda
remaining in the pasture lot The
chuck wagon was wheeled before the
cOokhouse door and packed for an
early start. Before the first streaks
of dawn the men had saddled and
breakfasted 1t was turning gray in
the east when four horses, necessi-
tating the attentions of four men,
were hooked to the wagon. A man
hung on the bit of each wheel horse
while another grasped the bits of the
lead team as Waddles made on last
hasty trip inside.
"This will be q rocky ride for a
mile or two" he prophesied, as he
mounted the seat and braced Eim-
self. "These willow-tails haven't had
on a strap of harness for many a
month. All set. Turn lOOse!"
The men stepped back and the four
horses hit the collars raggedly. One
wheel horse reared and jumped for
ward. The off leader dropped his head
and pitched, shaking himself as If
struggling to unseat rider, then the
four settled into jerkey run and the
heavy wagon clattered and lurched
down the lane.
The wrangler, whose duty it was to
tend the horse herd by day, and the
nighthawk who would guard it at
night sat on their horses at the far
end Of the corral and urged the herd
out as the gates swung back. The
remuda streamed down the valley,
the two first riders swinging wide to
either flank while the nighthawk and
wrangler brought up the rear.
Shortly before noon the wagon was
halted In broad bottom threaded by
a Tiny SpI luS-ICu StiSoihs AhC ICdLuS
were unhitched; mounts were unsad-
died and thrown into the horse herd,
which was then headed into the mouth
of a branching draw and allowed to
Craze. Waddles dumped off the bed
rolls that were piled from the broad
lowered tail-gate to the wagon top
and each man sorted out his own and
spread it upon some spot which
struck him as q likely Der ground.
1t was not long before Waddles was
dispensing nourishment from the low
cred tail-gate, ladling food and hot
coffee into the plates and cups which
the men held out to him. They drew
away and sat crOss-legged on the
ground The meal was almost fin
ished when six horsemen rode down
the valley and pulled up before the
wagon.
whats the chance for scraps? the
leader asked.
"Step down." Waddles invited. "And
throw a feed In you. She's still a.
steaming."
Four Of the men differed In no ma
terial way from the Three Bar men
in appearance. The fifth was a ruff
fan with little forehead, face of
GORILLA cast, stamped WITH brute fe-
rocity and small intelligence. The last