Glacier County chief., 1939-03-24

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For an hour Cook and Brock rode
up long gradual slope that shelved
out from the wall of the Sierras.
The town Of Lone Tree dropped be-
hind them and then was lost in the
desert sink.
Toward noon they had climbed the
desert shelf and were near the
roads end. where Breck saw some
sort Of camp along a willow creek.
A corral enclosed one end Of a box
canyon further on, and from this
rose a cloud Of dust. He glimpsed
a herd Of animals racing before a
lone horseman, then caught a deep
voice, slow and good-natured in
spite OF the curses it uttered.
That's Sierra Slim," Cook ex-
planned, zone of my forest guards.
Must have seen US coming and has
wrangled up the pack train. You'll
meet a real moss-back mountaineer
in Sierra. He's going to be your
partner until you're well broke in"
They stopped their truck under
the trees, climbed out, and mo-
ment later Brock watched a lank,
loose-jointed figure amble down
from the corrals. He wore a black
Stetson of the COW country, limp
brimmed, with its high crown
knocked into a peak. The rest of
his costume was equally haphaz-
ard; flannel shirt with bright red
and black checks, gray jeans, shoes
with golf soles. y
Slim" said Cook, "this is Brock.
He's going up with us to take over
Rock House station"
"Glad to know you," he declared
perfunctorily. "Goin' to take Cot
ter's place, Ell? Well, for me now,
can't see myself doin' it. Under
stand, I amt exactly sayin'
wouldn't. And again, that don't
mean I would"
CHANGING beyond Sierra Slim,
Breck caught a twinkle in Dad
Cooks eyes. A little later when ST.
ezra had wandered off, saying he
would rustic some grub, Cook
laughed. ''Slim's meaning is hard
to get at sometimes, but don't let
that bother you. He isn't half as
confused as he makes out"
After noon chuck they all turned
to the job of packing for an early
start tomorrow. Everything had to
be slowed in the leather kayaks, that,
two for each mule, must be nicely
balanced in weight. Breck had once
gone through the experience of hav-
ing a load kicked to pieces when
it turned under his mules belly, SO
calculated his outfit carefully now.
"Of course" Cook said, grinning
as he stood up from a pile of tele-
phone insulators, ''you can hang a
rock on one side or the other to
even it up. I've seen that done!"
Breck left his work for a time
and surveyed the equipment at
Cooks feet. Seems to me-" he OBJ
served, that most of your load has
to do with telephones"
''It has. That will be your first
job-two hundred miles of line and
most Of it torn down by fallen trees
or showed under. Like that every
spring. You wait, son! Two weeks
Of climbing those giant fir will tell
what you're made Of"
Just before evening Sierra Slim
dragged a dozen pack saddles from
under q tarpaulin, inspected them.
then uncovered more riding gear.
By shutdown they had twenty-four
kyaks filed and standing two by two
under the trees. Pack saddles rest
ed in a row on log, lead ropes
coiled nearby. Each mans riding
gear lay close to the spot where he
had mrolled his bed. It was the
camp of pack train ready to hit the
trail at dawn.
A cool wind from over the noun.
tains forced down the desert heat
Cook built a campfire, and in the
hour before turning in all three sat
with the red glow upon their faces.
their shadows Pickering of to min,
gle with the canyon blackness. The
time had come for pipes. and far-off
thoughts, and words slowly spoken,
Talk drifted inevitably to the Till
sons. Cook made q remark. Sierra
Slim delivered his non-committaI
speech. But he remained silent him.
sch, thinking Of his purpose in COM
ing to these mountains.
''I did imagine my business would
be . simple NATTER" he confessed
At last. "Just ind csst who killod
Cotter and then" He paused.
brushing his hand through the IRE
HIGHT. wipe him out. But this
int dat kind Il war"
Yer don't know yor nnan," Cock
nDgme6, ~and Until ~ Hnen more
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