The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-06-11

Clay Morgan ate breakfast by
lamplight and was in the saddle be-
fore day crossed the eastern hills.
Harry Jump and Cap Vermilye were
at roundup in the Haycreek Hills,
leaving only Nose, too old for such
riding, and the Mexican cook, Pan
cho, on the ranch. Morgan said to
Nose: 'I'lI probably be back after
dark. Put some new crosspieces on
the front gate-it's coming apart"
and set forth southwark across his
range. At this elevation the night
air was sharp enough to bite through
his vest and cotton shirt. The big
bay horse shot away on a run. Nor
gan let him have his run.
Mogul's rim lay two miles north,
behind him. The ranch house and
its corrals and barns sat at the foot
of the rising Mogul Hills, which
ran straight south; along the base of
these hills, following the ruts of a
casual road, Clay Morgan took his
way. To his left, half mile, an
other string Of hills lifted up, SO
creating the long and narrow valley
he followed. This was his range,
emerging slowly from the ink-gray
twilight. When first sunlight burst
across the eastern peaks Morgan
was six miles down the valley and
at the end of his own range. A
small ridge lay in front of him; at
the summit he reined in to have his
look at the round bowl of Govern
ment Valley.
Ducking in and out of the small
ravines of the land he came upon
cattle and young stuff occasionally
grazing, herding these before him
and throwing them back toward the
roundup crew. Three men were
working this section-Charley Hill
house and two other Three Pines
hands. He drove his small collec.
ton of beef into the held bunch and
started on another circle, Hillhouse
accompanying him. Around ter
o'clock, having dragged the north
end Of the range, all of them start.
ed the held bunch back for the main
roundup.
The sun was a copper-red flare in
the middle sky and the dust began
to thicken behind the herd. Morgan
dropped back to the drag, throwing
his neckpiece over his nose. Charley
Hillhouse motioned one of the other
men to take his place and joined
Morgan and made his first speech in
two hours.
81 been thinkin' over last night,
Clay. Hard to figure"
''Let it slide, Charley"
Charley Hillhouse retorted, "It
won't slide" and stared before him.
He was a compact, capable man,
not given to much talk; the type to
worry lot of things around in his
head, to reach his own answers and
hold his own conclusions.
Herendeen and his men cleared the
Haycreek Hills of the last struggling
stock; Gurd Grant cleaned up the
edge of the Potholes and came in
Running w had secured Fanolangc
Pass, and at twilight this day the
job was done, the brands segregat.
ed and held in separate herds. Aft
er supper Morgan started Harry
Jump back to the Mogul range with
the Long Seven beef, and the Crow.
foot and Running w cuts went away
numbering shadows in the moon.
light, the scrape of feet and the
click of those long horns and the
plaintive "Baw' of the last calf rid
ing back through the night-still air
Dust and heat were gone and the
campfire's fame, so still was this
air, tapered upward to blue-yellow
almost stationary point. Charley
Hillhouse, who was wagon boss
said: We'll move over and work
the Antelope Plains tomorrow.
The cook swore around the shad
ows, harnessing his team. After.
wards the mess wagon went bump
ing away on its four-hour ride, te
be ready on the Antelope Plains by
daybreak. Lying on his blanket
head athwart the seat of his saddle
Clay Morgan listened to the dry
groaning of the wagon wheels fade
into this enormous night. He rolled
a cigarette and savored its keer
smell. Stars crowded the sky; the,
washed that limitless sweep O,
black with a diamond-glitter, al
down to the black horizons edge
until they seemed to fall below the
rim of fiat world. Here and there
in the pine SUBMITS coyotes begar
] to bark up their mourning plant
Hillhouse and Clay Morgan and Lige
White sat by the fire, their cheek.
sharply, taciturnly graved by igh
and shadows; and men lay blan
keted in the background, weary ane
relaxed and Graded by their inward
thinking. Herendeen walked forward
from the shadows to stand high
above this sprawled group. He
tossed sage stem into the fire ane
watched the pale and heatless flame
rise. He was across from Clay Nor
gan; his eyes searched the crowd
The edges of his vest fell away from
the rounds of his shoulders and ths
deep stretch Of his chest; his big
ness was all in proportion, legs ane
arms and torso; it was a muscular