Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-07-04
0ff-color she-stock had been carefully
culled from the -ange.
no DoipkoA - <ho h,,,ob

Cullcu IrOm the "dnge.
Harris pointed to the bunch.
'Look that assortment over well,
Billie" h" advised. "a few seasons
more, with fair luck, and you won't
see one of these rainbow droves with
every OlOr from brindle to strawberry
roam; none of these humpbacked
runts; they'll all be gone. That's al
most the last mongrel herd that will
ever wear your brand. They'll run
better ev ry year until we have all
big fiat-backed bee stock-a straight
white-face rum"
The third morning out from the
home ranch broke stormy. A nasty
drizzle dampened the face of the
world and laid its clammy touch on
all living things. This condition pre-
vailed all through the day and shortly
after the cows had been milled and
bedded for the night the drizzle turned
to rain, now falling straight and soft,
again in fierce squalls whipped by
varying shifts of wind. A saddled
night horse was picketed for every
man. III wagon stood close under
hill while the herd was bedded on
broad fiat at the mouth of a valley.
The sOggy patter IF the rain on her
teepee luIed the girl to sleep but she
was frequently reused. A dull NUT
tering materialized suddenly into a
sharp thunderstorm and the canvas
walls of her teepee were almost con-
tinuOusiy illuminated by successive
flashes. The picketed~ horses fretted
and stamped.
She dropped to sleep again but was
reused b. voices outside as the guards
changed shifts and she estimated that
1t must be near morning, the fourth
change of guards.
The sounds ceased as the men who
had just been relieved turned in for
their 81 A horse neighed shrilly
within few yards of her teepee An
other took it up anf an answer sound
ed from thu flats. There was /. crash
of pistol bots, rumble of hOOfs and
the instant command of Harris.
"Roll out! Roll ou. he called.
saddles On your hOrses!'
Even as he shouted there came the
swish of wet canvas as the men tum-
Dled from their bed rolls, the impre-
cations of the suddenly awakened.
Billie thrust her head from the tee
pee flap, the water cascading down
her neck. She saw Harris, buckling
his belt as he ran, and the next flash
showed him vaulting to Calico's back.
The thunder of hoofs drew her eyes
to the bed ground where black mass
surged, then bore off up the valley.
A scattered line of riders bore down
on the herd, two ghostly apparitiOns
among them throwing the cows into a
panic of fear. She knew these for
riders Tapping yellow slickers in the
wind AS the light faded she saw
three horizontal red streaks cut the
Obscurity and knew that one of her
guards wa. in the midst of the rus
tiers, doing his single-handed best.
The red splashes Of answering shots
showed on all sides of him. She tugged
on her chaps and boots, slipped Pa.
posses picket rope and vaulted to his
back.
The scene was once more illumf.
mated as she rode from the wagon. A
riderleSS horse circled in the flat,
dark shape sprawled near him, and
she wondered which one of her men
had gone doy knot of horsemen
were turning up an opening gulch on
the far side of the valley. A hat
dozen Three Bar riders veered their
horses for the spot. Harris turned in
his saddle and his voice reached her
above the tumult.
"Let 'em go!" he shouted. LET 'em
go Hold the herd!'
Far off on the opposite side she
made out lone horseman riding at q
full run along the sidehill above the
cows as he made a supreme effort to
reach the head of the run. The Three
Bar men split and streamed up both
sides of the bottoms. The flashes
had ceased except for brief quivering
plays O. less than seconds duration.
She hung her spurs into Papoose and
trusted to his footwork. A half-fare
showed the pinto bare twenty yards
ahead, with Harris putting him at the
slope to ass the cows. She swung
her own horse after him and she felt
the frequent skid o. his feet on the
treacherOus sidehili.
From the sounds below she knew
they were well up on the TANKS of
the run and nearing the peak. The
stampede seemed slowing. long,
wavering flash revealed Harris a dozen
jumps ahead. Papoose followed the
paint-horse as Harris put Calico down
the slippery sidehill and lifted him
round the point of the herd. In the
same flash Billie had seen two slick.
ers out before the peaks of the run,
Tapping weirdly in the faces of the
foremost cows. This accounted for
the slowing-up she had sensed. Two
Of her men were before them and she
wondered how this had come TO PASS.