Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-08-15

completed on every filing. Two men
were digging post holes across the val
ley below the edge of the last falls
blowing and the mule teams were
steadily breaking out another strip.
almost year." she said, referring
to the commencement of the new
work.
"Just year today" Harris correct
ed, and he was thinking of the day
he had first met the Three Bar girl.
'"This our anniversary, sort Of"
She nodded as she caught his mean
ing.
"The anniversary of our partner
ship" she said. "YOu told me there
were millions Of miles Of sage just
outside. And millions of cows-and
girls"
Later l told you something else"
he said. "And I've been meaning 1t
ever since The road to the outside Is
closed If l was to start now I'd lose
the way"
She pointed dowL the valley as a
drove of horses moved toward them
under the guidance Of a dozen men.
The hands would start breaking out
the remuda the following day. The
spring work was on.
"Off to a running start on another
year." he said. "And sure to hold our
lead. From today on out, you and
I'll be busy pair" he prophesied.
His prediction proved true. The
Three Bar was beehive of activity
and it seemed that the hours bet ,een
dawn and dark were all too short for
the amour of work Harris wished to
crowd into them.
The cOwhands were breaking out
the horses in the corrals while the
acreage of plowed land in the lower
fields steadily increased.
The day that Evans led the men
out on the calf roundup, the mule
teams made their first trip across the
plowed land with the drill.
The fields were being seeded to al
falfa and oats so that the faster grow,
ing grain might shade and rotect the
tender shoots of hay. Before the grain
'ripened it would be cut green for hay,
cured and stacked.
Early rains had mOiStened the
fields and they were family green with
tiny shoots Of oats. These thickened
into rank velvety carpet while the
homesteaders were hauling hundred
loads Of rocks to form a crude dam
across the stream below the take-Out.
The water was gradually raised till 1t
ran almost flush with the top Of the
head gate. The gates were lifted and
the diverted waters sped smoothly
down the new channel>to carry life to
a portion of the sagebrush desert.
As the tangible results Of the work
became more apparent Harris Wig
ilance increased. There was now
more than plowed ground to work on !;
crops to be trampled at time when
they would not lift again to permit
of moving; fences to be wrecked so
that range stock might have free ac-
cess to the fields. A single night could
upset the work Of many months. But
dS uS SlOOu Will DiiiIc at Tic uOuIu
of the lane he allowed none of his
thoughts to be reflected In his speech.
Billie Warren half-closed her eyes
and viewed the broad expanse Of rip
ping green In the bottoms. How many
times she had stood here in the past
with old Cal Warren while he visioned
this very picture which now un-
rolled before her eyes in reality; the
transformation of the Three Bar fiat
from q desert waste to a scene of
abundant fertility Under the reclaim
ing touch Of water.
It was a quiet picture Of farm life
If one looked only upon the blooming
fields and took no account of the raw,
barren foothills that flanked them
the gaunt, towering range behind. She
found 1t difficult to link the scene be-
fore her with the deviltry of few
months past. The killing of Bangs
and Rile Fosters consequent grim re-
taliation; the raid on Three Bar bulls
and the stampede Of her trail herd;
all those seemed part Of some life 80