Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-02-25
w.N.u. RELEASE

NoAtASo II d HAL Gall OS SSCiy-
where! Moonlight Bailey's still my
horse wrangler and a good one, but
he's let the remuda drift, I guess.
He told me last night we're thirty
head short. Well hunt them to-
day."
"Try Crazy Woman" Lew offered.
Il saw tracks," He explained no
more. In a moment, with his break
fast finished, he said, "Since I'm
not signed on the pay roll yet I'll
take a little cruise this morning
alone"
He saw Arnold's glance lift sharp
ly and drop. 1t was not his way to
question man.
Even as he watched eastward Lew
could see dust clouds layered above
the advancing columns, some Of
them forty miles away. Closer,
where Ok Bow town made hand
full Of gray adobe cubes scattered
beside the new railroad, a dark
swarm moved out slowly, taking the
arrowhead trail formation.
He Strengthened in a moment,
squirting to sharpen the focus Of
what his rowing gaze had caught.
A lone rider was coming out from
that herd near town, the hoofs of his
running horse shooting up puffs Of
dust like exploded bombs. He came
on incredibly fast. Still out on the
plain, he veered toward the low hills
that trimmed the eastern side Of
the valley and was lost in there for
perhaps ten minutes. When he came
out his pace had slowed to a walk.
Like that, unhurried, he moved into
the Cross T roundup camp at the
valleys mouth.
Nov then," Lew asked, "what
kind of coyote business was that?"
With his gaze led to the roundup
camp by that lone rider he watched
the work going on below him. It
brought sudden scowl to the steady
set of his hazel eyes. Half a dozen
branding fires sent their smoke into
the still air. He could see the small
darting figures of mounted men cut
into the pool of cattle and come
out, each with his single animal at
ropes end. There we're a thou
sand steers to be road-branded, so
Tom Arnold had said. They'd never
get that job done by tomorrow night.
Thought of so much lost time put
its irritation in him. He knew a
better way.
He sat up and gathered his reins
to go and turned for a last look at
the spring where he had hoped a
man would be camping. Old Willy
Nickle was crouched there beside
the water, smoking his black clay
pipe.
Lord, Willy" he said, "you do
make my scalp itch! Did you hap
pen to be an Apache I'd have an
arrow in my hump ribs by now!"
$50 you would" Willy nodded.
'How long have you been here?
Saw no sign of your camp"
The old man stood up and stuffed
his pipe into the deep pocket of his
deer-hide coat. Last night" he
said. "You don't never leave your
camp sign, boy" he advised grave
ly. BURY your fire and sleep away
somewheres from the water. Well,
that's just talk thought" He leaned
on the slender barrel of his needle
gun and stared down into the valley.
Seems like the Cross rs been
slowed up some. That herd there
past town is the Indian Supply out
fit, so I think, hitting the trail ahead
of Tom Arnold. That's been their
caper."
They've thrown trouble aplenty
into the Cross rs start" Lew
agreed, $50 I'm told" He looked
down into the old fellows dark, gen.
tie face and brought out the thing
he wanted to know.
He gave his details clearly. IF a
man leading the Cross T was to
swing west and keep off the trail he'd
save time and even pass the Indian
Supply outfit maybe. There's
shorter route. They tell me that
Colonel McKtrick led scouting
army up the Staked Plain once and
marked the way with rock piles.
There's buffalo grass enough this
year. But it's question of water.
No man hereabouts could say, l
guess"
"Well, he could" old Willy stated.
It'd be dry drive first day to a
tank, with nothing to go by. Then
there'll be those rock piles plain as
a mans nose. He could make it a
hundred miles north to the White
Salt Fork A double butte is his
landmark there. He goes east from
that"
"There'll be water on the Staked
Plain then, sure?"
eff a man knows how the Apaches
got it in them dry cienegas."
Lew grinned. "He does" This
was satisfying information, and he
made a vital decision in that mo-
ment. It'll be the rock-pile route
for the Cross T when take it over.
Without things happening We'll start
in another day."
Willy nodded and crouched again
beside the water; and so, having
planted that knowledge in his brain,
T o,,, loft him like hrOtyp old o,olo