CHAPTER V
A FALL OF CRUMBS
An active day followed. The two trail foremen left early to overtaketheir herds, and the trio at the homestead was fully employed. Thecripples were brought up, brands were copied, and the commissary storesassorted and arranged. Before leaving, the men had stretched thesunshade, and the wounded magician sat in state before his owntent door.
The second contingent numbered forty cattle. Like the first, they were amixed lot, with the exception of a gentle cow. Occasionally a trailforeman would provide his outfit with a milk cow before starting, orgentle one en route, and Seay had willingly given his cow to thehospital on the Beaver.
A fine rain fell during the night. It began falling during the twilightof evening, gathering in force as the hours passed, and only ceased nearthe middle of the following forenoon. The creek filled to its banks, thefield and garden freshened in a day, and the new ranch threw off theblight of summer drouth.
"This will bring the herds," said Forrest, as the sun burst forth atnoon. "It's a general rain, and every one in Dodge, now that water issure, will pull out for the Platte River. It will cool the weather andfreshen the grass, and every drover with herds on the trail will pushforward for Ogalalla. We'll have to patrol the crossing on the Beaver,as the rain will lay the dust for a week and rob us of our signal."
The crippled man's words proved prophetic. One of the boys was dailydetailed to ride to the first divide south, from which a herd, if timingits march to reach the Beaver within a day, could be sighted. On aprimal trace, like the Texas and Montana cattle trail, every benefit tothe herd was sought, and the freshened range and running water were awelcome breeze to the drover's sail.
The first week after the rain only three herds reached the Beaver. Eachforeman paid his respects to Forrest at the homestead, but the herdswere heavy beef cattle, purchased at Dodge for delivery on armycontracts, and were outfitted anew on a change of owners. The usualflotsam of crippled and stray cattle, of galled and lame saddle stock,and of useless commissary supplies, was missing, and only the wellwishes of the wayfaring were left to hearten man and boy at thenew ranch.
The second week brought better results. Four of Don Lovell's herdspassed within two days, and the nucleus of cattle increased to onehundred and forty odd, seven crippled horses were left, while thecommissary stores fairly showered, a second wagon load being necessaryto bring up the cache from the trail crossing. In all, during the week,fifteen herds passed, only three of which refused the invitation tocall, while one was merely drifting along in search of a range to takeup and locate with a herd of cattle. Its owners, new men in theoccupation, were scouting wide, and when one of them discoveredHackberry Grove above the homestead, his delight was unbounded, as therange met every requirement for establishing a ranch.
The tyro's exultation was brief. On satisfying himself on the source ofthe water, the splendid shade and abundance of fuel, he rode down thecreek to intercept the trail, and on rounding a bend of the Beaver, wassurprised to sight a bunch of cattle. Knowing the value of the range,Forrest had urged the boys to nurse the first contingent of strays upthe creek, farther and farther, until they were then ranging within amile of the grove. The newcomer could hardly control his chagrin, andas he rode along, scarcely a mile was passed but more cattle wereencountered, and finally the tent and homestead loomed in sight.
"Well, I'm glad to have such near neighbors," affably said the stranger,as he dismounted before the tent. "Holding down a homestead, I suppose?"
Only Joel and Forrest were at home. "Not exactly," replied the latter;"this is headquarters ranch of Wells Brothers; range from the trailcrossing on Beaver to the headwaters of the same. On the trail withcattle, I reckon?"
"Just grazing along until a range can be secured," replied the man."I've found a splendid one only a few miles up the creek--fine grove oftimber and living springs. If the range suits my partner, we'll move inwithin a few days and take possession."
"Notice any cattle as you came down the creek?" politely inquiredForrest.
"Just a few here and there. They look like strays; must have escapedfrom some trail herd. If we decide to locate above, I'll have them allrounded up and pushed down the creek."
Joel scented danger as a cub wolf scents blood. He crossed the arbor andtook up a position behind Forrest's chair. The latter was a picture ofcontentment, smiling at the assurance of his caller, and qualifying hisremarks with rare irony.
"Well, since you expect to be our neighbor, better unsaddle and stay fordinner," urged Forrest. "Let's get acquainted--at least, come to somefriendly understanding."
"No, thank you. My partner is waiting my return to the herd, and will beanxious for my report on the range above. If possible, we don't care tolocate any farther north."
"You ought to have secured your range before you bought your cattle. Youseem to have the cart before the horse," observed the wounded man.
"Oh," said the novice, with a sweeping gesture, "there's plenty ofunclaimed range. There's ample grass and water on this creek to grazefive thousand cattle."
"Wells Brothers estimate that the range, tributary to the Beaver, willcarry ten thousand head the year round," replied Forrest, languidlyindifferent.
"Who are Wells Brothers?" inquired the newcomer.
Forrest turned to the stranger as if informing a child. "You have thename correct," said he. "The brothers took this range some time ago, andthose cattle that you met up the creek are theirs. Before you round upany cattle and drive them out, you had better look into the situationthoroughly. You surely know and respect range customs."
"Well," said the stranger explosively,--they mustn't expect to hold thewhole country with a handful of cattle."
"They only took the range recently, and are acquiring cattle as fast aspossible," politely replied Forrest.
"They can't hold any more country than they can occupy," authoritativelyasserted the novice. "All we want is a range for a thousand cows, andI've decided on that hackberry grove as headquarters."
"Your hearing seems defective," remarked Forrest in flute-like tones."Let me repeat: This is headquarters for Wells Brothers. Their rangeruns from the trail crossing, six miles below, to the headwaters ofBeaver, including all its tributaries. Since you can't stay for dinner,you'll have time to ride down to the crossing of the Texas and Montanatrail on this creek. There you'll find the posted notice, so that he whoruns may read, that Wells Brothers have already claimed this range. I'llfurnish you a pencil and scrap of paper, and you can make a copy of theformal notice and show it to your partner. Then, if you feel strongenough to outrage all range customs, move in and throw down your glove.I've met an accident recently, leaving me a cripple, but I'll agree toget in the saddle and pick up the gauntlet."
The novice led his horse aside as if to mount. "I fail to see the objectin claiming more range than one can occupy. It raises a legal question,"said he, mounting.
"Custom is the law of the range," replied Forrest. "The increase of aherd must be provided for, and a year or two's experience of beginnerslike you usually throws cattle on the market. Abundance of range is agood asset. Joel, get the gentleman a pencil and sheet of paper."
"Not at all necessary," remarked the amateur cowman, reining away. "Isuppose the range is for sale?" he called out, without halting.
"Yes, but folks who prefer to intrude are usually poor buyers," shoutedthe crippled Texan.
Joel was alarmed and plied Forrest with a score of questions. The boyhad tasted the thrill of ownership of cattle and possession of a range,and now the envy of others had threatened his interests.
"Don't be alarmed," soothingly said the wounded man. "This is like apage from life, only twice as natural. It proves two things: that youtook your range in good time, and that it has a value. This veryafternoon you must push at least one hundred cattle up to those springsabove Hackberry Grove. Let them track and trample around the water andnoon in the shade of the motte. That's possession, and possession isnine points
, and the other fellow can have the tenth. If any one wantsto dispute your rights or encroach on them, I'll mount a horse and go tothe trail for help. The Texans are the boys to insist on range customsbeing respected. It's time I was riding a little, anyhow."
Dell returned from scouting the trail, and reported two herds due toreach the Beaver that evening. "I spent an hour with one of the foremenaround the ford," said he to Forrest; "and he says if you want to seehim, you had better come down to the crossing. He knows you, and makesout you ain't much hurt. He says if you come down, he'll give you aquarter of beef and a speckled heifer. He's one of JessPressnell's bosses."
"That's the word I'm waiting for," laughed Forrest. "Corral the horsesand fix up some kind of a mounting block. It'll take a scaffold to getme on a horse, but I can fall off. Make haste, because hereafter wemust almost live on horseback."
The words proved true. Forrest and Dell, the latter bareback, returnedto the trail, while Joel rode to drift their cattle up the Beaver, inorder to be in possession of Hackberry Grove and its living springs. Theplains of the West were a lawless country, and if its pioneers would notrespect its age-old pastoral customs, then the consequences must bemet or borne.
Three weeks had passed since the accident to Forrest, the herds werecoming with a vengeance, and the scene of activity changed from thehomestead to the trail crossing. Forrest did not return for a week,foraging on the wagons, camping with the herds, and never failing tolevy, to the extent of his ability to plead, on cattle, horses, andneedful supplies. As many as five and six herds arrived in a single day,none of which were allowed to pass without an appeal: if strangers, inbehalf of a hospital; if among friends, the simple facts weresufficient. Dell was kept on the move with bunches of cattle, orfreighting the caches to the homestead, while Joel received thedifferent contingents and scouted the threatened range.
Among old acquaintances there was no denying Forrest, and Dell fellheir to the first extra saddle found among the effects of a trailoutfit. The galled horses had recovered serviceable form, affording eachof the boys a mount, and even the threatened cloud against the rangelifted. The herd of a thousand cows crossed the Beaver, and Forrest tookparticular pains to inform its owners of the whereabouts of unclaimedrange the year before. Evidently the embryo cowmen had taken heed andinquired into range customs, and were accordingly profuse withdisclaimers of any wrong intent.
The first three weeks of July saw the bulk of the herds north of theBeaver. Water and range had been taken advantage of in the trailing ofcattle to the Northwest, fully three hundred thousand head havingcrossed from Dodge to Ogalalla. The exodus afforded the boys an insightinto pastoral life, brought them in close contact with the men of theopen, drove false ideas from their immature minds, and assisted in thelaying of those early foundations on which their future manhoodmust rest.
Dell spent every chance hour with the trail men. He and Forrest sleptwith the wagons, met the herds, and piloted them in to the best water.The fact that only experienced men were employed on the trail made thered-headed boy a welcome guest with every herd, while the wideacquaintance of his crippled sponsor assured the lad every courtesy ofcamp and road. Dell soon learned that the position of point man usuallyfell to a veteran of the range, and one whose acquaintance was worthy ofcultivation, both in the saddle and around the camp-fire.
"I'm going to be a point man," Dell confided to Forrest, on one of theirtrips up to the homestead. "He don't seem to have much to do, and nearlyalways rides with one leg across his horse's neck."
"That's the idea," assented Forrest. "Aim high. Of course, you'll haveto begin as a drag man, then a few trips to Montana in the swing, andafter that you have a right to expect a place on the point. The troubleis, you are liable to slip back a notch or two at any time. Here I'vebeen a foreman in other years, and this trip I was glad to make a hand.There's so many slips, and we can't be all point men and bosses. Cooksand horse wranglers are also useful men."
The first serious cloud to hover over the new ranch appeared earlyduring the last week in July. Forrest's wounds had nearly healed, and hewas wondering if his employer would make a further claim on hisservices during that summer, which was probable at the hands of a droverwith such extensive interests. He and Dell were still patrolling theford on Beaver, when one evening a conveyance from the railroad to thesouth drove up to the crossing. It brought a telegram from Don Lovell,requesting the presence of Forrest in Dodge City, and the messenger, aliveryman from Buffalo, further assured him that transportation wasawaiting him at that station. There were no grounds on which to refusethe summons, indefinite and devoid of detail as it was, and preparationswere immediately made to return with the liveryman. What few cattle hadbeen secured during that trip were drifted up the creek, when allreturned to the homestead for the night.
To Dell and Joel the situation looked serious. The crippled man,helpless as he was at first, had proven their rock of refuge, and nowthat he was leaving them, a tenderness of unnoticed growth was revealed.As an enforced guest, he had come to them at a moment when their povertyhad protested at receiving him, his unselfishness in their behalf hadproven his friendship and gratitude beyond question, and the lesson wasnot lost on the parentless waifs.
On the other hand, Forrest lightened all depression of spirits. "Don'tworry," said he to the boys. "Just as sure as water runs and grassgrows, I'll come over this trail again. So far in life, I've never doneany good for myself, and I'm going to play this hand out and see if youlads land on your feet. Now, don't get the idea that I've done any greatfeat in rustling you boys a few cows. It's one of the laws of life, thatoften we can do for others what we can't do for ourselves. That soundslike preaching, but it isn't. Actually, I'm ashamed of myself, that Ididn't get you double the number of cattle. What we did skirmishtogether was merely the flotsam of the trail, the crumbs that fall fromthe supper table, and all obligations to me are overpaid. If I couldhave had just a few tears on tap, with that hospital talk, and you boysbeing poor and orphans--shucks! I must be getting doty--that plea wasgood for a thousand strays and cripples!"
The brothers took courage. So far their chief asset was a fine range.Nearly three hundred and fifty cattle, imperfect as the titles to manyof them were, had been secured and were occupying the valley. A rounddozen cow ponies, worthless for the present, but which in time wouldround into form, were added to the new ranch. Every passing commissaryhad laughed at the chance to discard its plunder and useless staples,and only the departure of the man behind the venture, standing in theshadow as it were, threw a depression over the outlook.
Funds, with which to pay his reckoning, had been left with Forrest. Theboys had forgotten the original agreement, and it was only with tact anddiplomacy that a snug sum, against his protest and embarrassment, wasforced on Joel. "It don't come off me," said the departing man, "and itmay come handy with you. There's a long winter ahead, and the fightain't near won yet. The first year in starting a ranch is always thehardest. But if you boys can only hold these cattle until grass comesagain, it's the making of you. You know the boy is father to the man,and if you are true-blue seed corn--well, I'll bet on two ears tothe stock."
Forrest's enthusiasm tempered the parting. The start for the railroadwas made at daybreak, and in taking leave, each boy held a hand, shakingit heartily from time to time, as if to ratify the general advice. "I'llmake Dodge in two days," said the departing guest, "and then I'll knowthe meaning of this wire. It means something--that's sure. In the meantime, sit square in your saddles, ride your range, and let the idea runriot that you are cowmen. Plan, scheme, and devise for the future.That's all until you hear from me or see my sign in the sky.Adios, senors."