Wells Brothers: The Young Cattle Kings Page 14

  CHAPTER XIV

  AN ILL WIND

  The start to the station was made at four o'clock in the morning. Joelaccompanied the drover, the two best horses being under saddle, easilycapable of a road gait that would reach the railroad during the earlyforenoon. The direct course lay across country, and once the sun floodedthe Beaver valley, the cowman swung around in the saddle and hispractical eye swept the range. On sighting Hackberry Grove, the brokencountry beyond, including the sand hills, he turned to his guide.

  "My boy," said Mr. Lovell, "you brothers have a great future before you.This is an ideal cattle range. The very grass under our horses' feetcarries untold wealth. But you lack cattle. You have the range here forthousands where you are running hundreds. Buy young steers; pay anyprice; but get more cattle. The growth of young steers justifies anyoutlay. Come down to Dodge about the first of August. This drouth isliable to throw some bargains on that market. Be sure and come. I'llkeep an eye open in your interest on any cattle for sale."

  The old drover's words bewildered Joel. The ways and means were notentirely clear, but the confidence of the man in the future of thebrothers was gratifying. Meanwhile, at the little ranch the team stoodin waiting, and before the horseman had passed out of sight to the souththe buckboard started on its northern errand. Dell accompanied it,protesting against his absence from home, but Forrest brushed asideevery objection.

  "Come on, come on," said he to Dell; "you have no saddle, and we may beback to-night. We're liable to meet Paul on the Republican. Turn yourranch loose and let it run itself. Come on; we ain't halfway through ourfiguring."

  Joel returned after dark. Priest had left Ogalalla, to the north, thesame day that Forrest and his employer started up the trail from thesouth, and at the expected point the two foremen met. The report showedwater in abundance from the Republican River northward, confirmingForrest's assertion to his employer, and completing the chain of watersbetween Dodge and Ogalalla. Priest returned with the buckboard, whichreached the Beaver after midnight, and aroused Joel out of heavy sleep.

  "I just wanted to say," said Priest, sitting on the edge of Joel's bunk,"that I had my ear to the ground and heard the good fighting. Yes, Iheard the sleet cracking. You never saw me, but I was with you the nightyou drifted to the Prairie Dog. Take it all along the line, wasn't itgood fighting?"

  "Has Dell told you everything?" inquired Joel, sitting up in hisblankets.

  "Everything, including the fact that he got lost the night of the Marchdrift, while going home after a pack horse. Wouldn't trust poor oldDog-toe, but run on the rope himself! Landed down the creek here a fewmiles. News to you? Well, he admits that the horse forgot more than hehimself ever knew. That's a hopeful sign. As long as a man hearkens tohis horse, there is no danger of bad counsel being thrust on him."

  The boys were catching, at first hand, an insight into the exactingnature of trail work. Their friends were up with the dawn, and whileharnessing in the team, Forrest called Joel's attention to setting theranch in order to water the passing herds.

  "I was telling Dell yesterday," said he, "the danger of Texas feveramong wintered cattle, and you must isolate your little herd untilafter frost falls. Graze your cattle up around Hackberry Grove, and keepa dead-line fully three miles wide between the wintered and throughtrail herds. Any new cattle that you pick up, cripples or strays, holdthem down the creek--between here and the old trail crossing. For fearof losing them you can't even keep milk cows around the ranch, so turnout your calves. Don't ask me to explain Texas fever. It's one of themysteries of the trail. The very cattle that impart it after a winter inthe north catch the fever and die like sheep. It seems to exist, in amild form, in through, healthy cattle, but once imparted to native ornorthern wintered stock, it becomes violent and is usually fatal. Thesure, safe course is to fear and avoid it."

  The two foremen were off at an early hour. Priest was again in charge ofLovell's lead herd, and leaving the horse that he had ridden to theRepublican River in care of the boys, he loitered a moment at parting.

  "If my herd left Dodge at noon yesterday," said he, mentallycalculating, "I'll overtake it some time to-morrow night. Allowing tendays to reach here--"

  He turned to the boys. "This is the sixteenth of June. Well, come out onthe divide on the morning of the twenty-fifth and you will see a dustcloud in the south. The long distance between waters will put the herdthrough on schedule time. Come out and meet me."

  The brothers waved the buckboard away. The dragging days were over. Theherds were coming, and their own little ranch promised relief to thedrover and his cattle.

  "Mr. Quince says the usual price for watering trail herds is from one tothree cents a head," said Dell, as their friends dipped from sight. "Thegovernment, so he says, allows three cents for watering cavalry horsesand harness mules. He tells me that the new settlers, in control of thewater on the trail, in northern Texas, fairly robbed the drovers thisyear. The pastoral Texan, he contends, shared his canteen with thewayfarer, and never refused to water cattle. He wants us to patternafter the Texans--to give our water and give it freely. When Mr. Lovellraised the question of arranging to water his herds from our beaverponds, do you remember how Mr. Quince answered for us? I'm mighty gladmoney wasn't mentioned. No money could buy Dog-toe from me. And Mr.Lovell gave us three of our best horses."

  "He offered me ten dollars for taking him to the railroad," said Joel,"but I looked him square in the eye and refused the money. He says wemust buy more cattle. He wants me to come to Dodge in August, andI'm going."

  Dell treated the idea of buying cattle with slight disdain."You--going--to--buy--more--cattle?" said he, accenting each word. "Anyone tell your fortune lately?"

  "Yes," answered the older boy. "I'm having it told every day. One ofthose two men, the gray-haired one on that buckboard,--stand here andyou can see them,--told me over a year ago that this range had a value,and that we ought to skirmish some cattle, some way, and stock it. Whathe saw clearly then, I see now, and what Mr. Lovell sees now, you maysee a year hence. These men have proved their friendship, and why standin our own light? Our ability to hold cattle was tested last winter, andif this range is an asset, there may be some way to buy more cattle. I'mgoing to Dodge in August."

  Dell was silenced. There was ample time to set the ranch in order.Turning away from the old trail, on the divide, and angling in toheadquarters, and thence northward, was but a slight elbow on thegeneral course of the trail herds. The long distance across to theRepublican would compel an early watering on the Beaver, that the cattlemight reach the former river the following evening. The brothers knew toa fraction the grazing gait of a herd, the trailing pace, and couldanticipate to an hour the time required to move a herd from the PrairieDog to the Beaver.

  The milk cows and calves were turned back into the general herd. Thedead-line was drawn safely below Hackberry Grove, between imaginarylandmarks on either slope, while on the creek, like a sentinel, stood alone willow which seemed to say, "Thus far shalt thou go and nofarther." The extra horses, now in the pink of condition, were broughthome and located below the ranch, and the house stood in order.

  The arrival of the first herd had been correctly calculated. Thebrothers rode out late on the morning designated, but did not reach thedivide. The foremost herd was met within seven miles of the Beaver, theleaders coming on with the steady stride of thirsty cattle that hadscented water. Priest was nowhere in sight, but the heavy beevesidentified the herd, and when the boys hailed a point man, thesituation cleared.

  "Mr. Paul--our boss?" repeated the point man. "He's setting up aguide-board, back on the divide, where we turned off from the oldtrail. Say, does this dim wagon track we're following lead to WellsBrothers' ranch?"

  "It does," answered Joel. "You can see the willows from the next swellof the prairie," added Dell, as the brothers passed on.

  It was a select herd of heavy beeves. In spite of the drouthencountered, the cattle were in fine condition, and as the herd snailedforward
at its steady march, the sweep of horn, the variety of color,the neat outline of each animal blended into a pastoral picture ofstrength and beauty.

  The boys rode down the advancing column. A swing man on the oppositeside of the herd waved his hand across to the brothers, and while thetwo were speculating as to who he might be, a swing lad on the leftreined out and saluted the boys.

  With hand extended, he smilingly inquired, "Don't you remember the daywe branded your cattle? How did the Two Bars and the ---- Ycows winter?"

  "It's Billy Honeyman," said Dell, beaming. "Who is that man across theherd, waving at us?" he inquired, amid hearty greeting.

  "That's Runt Pickett, the little fellow who helped us brand--the lad whorushed the cattle. The herd cuts him off from shaking hands. Turn yourhorses the other way and tell me how you like it out West."

  Dell turned back, but Joel continued on. The column of beeves was fullya mile in length. After passing the drag end of the herd, the wagon andremuda were sighted, later met, with the foreman still at the rear. Thedust cloud of yet another herd arose in the distance, and while Joelpondered on its location over the divide, a horseman emerged from a dipin the plain and came toward him in a slow gallop.

  "There's no foreman with the next herd," explained Priest, slacking hishorse into a walk, "and the segundo wasn't sure which swell was the realdivide. We trailed two herds past your ranch last summer, but the frosthas mellowed up the soil and the grass has overgrown the paths untilevery trace is gone. I planted a guide-post and marked it 'Lovell'sTrail,' so the other foremen will know where to turn off. All the oldman's herds are within three or four days' drive, and after that it'salmost a solid column of cattle back to Dodge. Forrest is in charge ofthe rear herd, and will pick up any of our abandoned cattle."

  The two shook out their mounts, passed the commissary and saddle stock,but halted a moment at the drag end of the herd. "We've been droppingour cripples," explained Priest, "but the other herds will bring themthrough. There's not over one or two here, but I'm going to saw offthree horses on Wells Brothers. Good ones, too, that is, good fornext year."

  A halt was made at the lead of the herd, and some directions given thepoint man. It was still early in the forenoon, and once man and boy hadfairly cleared the leaders in front, a signal was given and the cattleturned as a single animal and fell to grazing. The wagon and remudanever halted; on being joined by the two horsemen, they continued oninto the Beaver. Eleven o'clock was the hour named to water the herd,and punctual to the moment the beeves, with a mile-wide front, weregrazed up to the creek.

  The cattle were held around the pools for an hour. Before dinner wasover, the acting foreman of the second herd rode in, and in mimicking atrail boss, issued some drastic orders. The second herd was withinsight, refused to graze, and his wagon was pulling in below the ranchfor the noon camp.

  Priest looked at his watch. "Start the herd," said he to his own men."Hold a true northward course, and camp twelve miles out to-night. I maynot be with you, but water in the Republican at six o'clock to-morrowevening. Bring in your herd, young fellow," he concluded, addressingthe segundo.

  The watering of a trail herd is important. Mere opportunity to quenchthirst is not sufficient. The timid stand in awe of the strong, and theexcited milling cattle intimidate the weak and thirsty. An hour is theminimum time, during which half the herd may drink and lie down,affording the others the chance to approach without fear and slaketheir thirst.

  The acting foreman signaled in his herd. The beeves around the waterwere aroused, and reluctantly grazed out on their course, while theothers came on with a sullen stride that thirst enforces. The previousscene of contentment gave way to frenzy. The heavy beeves, equallyselect with the vanguard, floundered into the pools, lowed in their joy,drank to gorging, fought their fellows, staggered out of the creek, anddropped to rest in the first dust or dry grass.

  Priest trimmed his own beeves and remuda. A third herd appeared, when heand the acting foreman culled over both horses and cattle, and sent thesecond herd on its way. Each of the three advance herds must reach theRepublican the following day, and it was scant two o'clock when thethird one trailed out from the Beaver. With mature cattle there werefew cripples, and the day ended with an addition to the little ranch ofthe promised horses and a few tender-footed beeves. There were two moreherds of heavy beef cattle to follow, which would arrive during the nextforenoon, and the old foreman remained over until the last cattle,intended for army delivery, had passed the ranch.

  The herd never fails. Faith in cattle is always rewarded. From that fardistant dawn when man and his ox started across the ages the one hasever sustained the other. The two rear beef herds promptly reached theBeaver the next morning, slaked their thirst, and passed on before noon.

  "This lets me out as your guest," said Priest to the boys, when the lastherd was trimmed. "Bob Quirk will now follow with six herds of contractcattle. He's the foreman of the second herd of beeves, but Mr. Lovelldetailed him to oversee this next division across to the Platte. Forrestwill follow Quirk with the last five herds of young steers, slated forthe old man's beef ranch on the Little Missouri. That puts our cattleacross the Beaver, but you'll have plenty of company for the next month.Mr. Lovell has made a good talk for you boys around Dodge, and if you'llgive these trail drovers this water, it will all come back. As cowmen,there are two things that you want to remember--that it'll rain again,and that the cows will calve in the spring."

  Priest had barely left the little ranch when Bob Quirk arrived. Beforedismounting, he rode around the pools, signaled in a wagon and remuda,and returned to the tent.

  "This is trailing cattle with a vengeance," said he, stripping hissaddle from a tired horse. "There has been such a fight for water thisyear that every foreman seems to think that unless he reaches the riverto-day it'll be dry to-morrow. Five miles apart was the limit agreed onbefore leaving Dodge, and here I am with six herds--twenty thousandcattle!--within twenty miles of the Beaver. For fear of a stampede lastnight, we threw the herds left and right, two miles off the trail. TheLord surely loves cattle or the earth would have shook fromrunning herds!"

  That afternoon and the next morning the second division of the Lovellherds crossed the Beaver. Forrest rode in and saluted the boys with hisusual rough caress.

  "Saddle up horses," said he, "and drop back and come through with thetwo rear herds, There's a heavy drag end on each one, and an extra manto nurse those tender cows over here, to home and friends, will belending a hand to the needy. I'll run the ranch while you're gone. Oneof you to each, the fourth and fifth herds, remember. I'll meet youto-morrow morning, and we'll cut the cripples out and point them in tothe new tanks below. Shake out your fat horses, sweat them up alittle--you're needed at the rear of Lovell's main drive."

  The boys saddled and rode away in a gallop. Three of the rear herdsreached the Beaver that afternoon, watered, and passed on to safe campsbeyond. One of Quirk's wagons had left a quarter of beef atheadquarters, and Forrest spent the night amid peace and plenty wherethe year before he lay wounded.

  The next morning saw the last of the Lovell herds arrive. The lead oneyielded ninety cripples, and an hour later the rear guard disgorged afew over one hundred head. The two contingents were thrown together, thebrothers nursed them in to the new tanks, where they were freed on aperfect range. A count of the cripples and fagged cattle, culled back atheadquarters, brought the total discard of the sixteen herds up to twohundred and forty-odd, a riffraff of welcome flotsam, running from ayoung steer to a seven-year-old beef. The sweepings had paid thereckoning.

  Several other trail foremen, scouting in advance of their herds, hadreached the Beaver, or had been given assurance that water was to be hadin abundance. A measurement of the water was awaited with interest, andonce the rear herd grazed out from the beaver ponds, Forrest and thebrothers rode around the pools to take soundings.

  "I cut notches on willow roots, at each beaver dam, and the loss runsfrom four to six inches, the low
er pools suffering the heaviest," saidJoel, summing up the situation.

  "They're holding like cisterns," exultingly said Forrest. "Fiftythousand cattle watered, and only lowered the pools on an average offive inches. The upper one's still taking water--that's the reason it'sstanding the drain. Write it in the sand or among the stars, but thewater's here for this year's drive. Go back and tell those waitingforemen to bring on their cattle. Headquarters ranch will water everytrail herd, or break a tug trying."