The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1941-11-20
CHAPTER xxx

That the soldiers reached Wagon
wheel Gap Ranch just in time to
save the invaders is written in the
history of Cattleland. Ellison and
his men surrendered to the COM
manding officer of the troops sta
toned at Fort Garfield. To Sheriff
Hart and to the best of the attacking
settlers the sound of the bugle sent
out by the approaching troops had
been almost as welcome as to the
beleaguered party.
Collins strutted out of the ranch
house undaunted by the yells and
curses flung at him and his asso-
ciates. He stood on the porch and
waited for a chance to speak, and
when the angry shouts died down
flung back defiance at the enemy.
ITO call me a murderer doesn't
make me one," he said, no more
disturbed than if he had been sit
ting with cronies at the Cheyenne
Club. Were honest men fighting
for our rights. Some of us have
been here since the Indian days.
Every cattleman among us has
helped build up this territory and
has been a good citizen. I can call
out the names of a dozen thieves I
see among you, scoundrels who
came here without cent and have
obtained herds at our expense, ev-
cry hoof of them stolen from some
of u.s."
He waited till the roar of rage had
spent itself, then went on hardly.
"Pd do just what I have done
again. The time has come when
either honest men or the thieves
have to get out, and by God! !
stand for hanging every rustler !
can find until the law will punish
them by putting them behind bars.
We are not fighting small settlers
but thieves. If l have to 60 to
prison for what I have done, I'll
still say ! did right in trying to rid
this country of outlaws"
Neither Collins nor any of the 9TH
er invaders went to the peniten-
tiary. Their trials were postponed
for many months. Witnesses van
ished. The intensity of the feeling
against the cattlemen declined.
Moreover, the cost of the trials was
so great that there was likelihood
of county bankruptcy. In the end
the indictments were dismissed.
But it was plain that the big
ranches were doomed. One after
another they followed the example
of the Diamond Reverse B and went
out of business. With the increase
in the number of small cattlemen
the chances for undetected rustling
grew fewer. Most of the thieves
were known, and one by one they
fitted to Montana or Idaho or Mex
leo.
jeff Brand joined a cattle outfit
in the Argentine. At long intervals
his friends heard of him. He came
back to the States to enlist for the
Spanish-American War. A bullet
took him in the throat as he was
going up San Juan Hill.
In the reorganization of the cattle
country after the breakup of the
big ranches Calhoun Terry took an
important part. He was recognized
as strong man, and as the years
passed his influence became more
than local. There came time when
he had to go to Washington to repre-
sent his people. He was never quite
happy there, for he was no politi-
clan, and he was glad when his
term of office expired. So was Ell
len. 1t seemed to her that a city
was no place to bring up a large
family of boys and girls, and she
gave a deep sigh of relief when they
were all home again in the West
she loved. Her father was an old
man bvz that time. and she knew it