the outlet-第41节

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ion　if　I　would　be　hung　or　shot；　but　we　came　out　with　colors　flying。　The　United　States　marshal　who　attempted　to　take　possession　of　the　cattle　on　the　North　Platte　went　back　on　the　same　train　with　us。　He　was　feeling　sore　over　his　defeat；　but　Sutton　cultivated　his　acquaintance；　and　in　mollifying　that　official；　showed　him　how　easily　failure　could　be　palmed　off　as　a　victory。　In　fact；　I　think　Mike　overcolored　the　story　at　my　expense。　He　and　the　marshal　gave　it　to　the　papers；　and　the　next　morning　it　appeared　in　the　form　of　a　sensational　article。　According　to　the　report；　a　certain　popular　federal　officer　had　gone　out　to　Ogalalla　to　take　possession　of　two　herds　of　cattle　intended　for　government　purposes；　he　had　met　with　resistance　by　a　lot　of　Texas　roughs；　who　fatally　shot　one　of　his　deputies；　wounding　several　others；　and　killing　a　number　of　horses　during　the　assault；　but　the　intrepid　officer　had　added　to　his　laurels　by　arresting　the　owner　of　the　cattle　and　leader　of　the　resisting　mob；　and　had　brought　him　hack　to　face　the　charge　of　contempt　in　resisting　service。　The　papers　freely　predicted　that　I　would　get　the　maximum　fine；　and　one　even　went　so　far　as　to　suggest　that　imprisonment　might　teach　certain　arrogant　cattle　kings　a　salutary　lesson。　But　when　the　hearing　came　up；　Sutton　placed　Jim　Reed　and　me　in　the　witness…box；　taking　the　stand　later　himself；　and　we　showed　that　federal　court　that　it　had　been　buncoed　out　of　an　order　of　injunctive　relief；　in　favor　of　the　biggest　set　of　ringsters　that　ever　missed　stretching　hemp。　The　result　was；　I　walked　out　of　that　federal　court　scot　free。　And　Judge　Dundy；　when　he　realized　the　injustice　that　he　had　inflicted；　made　all　three　of　us　take　dinner　with　him；　fully　explaining　the　pressure　which　had　been　brought　to　bear　at　the　time　the　order　of　relief　was　issued。　Oh；　that　old　judge　was　all　right。　I　only　hope　we'll　have　as　square　a　man　as　Judge　Dundy　at　the　final　hearing　at　Fort　Buford。　Do　you　see　that　sign　over　there；　where　it　says　Barley　Water　and　Bad　Cigars？　Well；　put　your　horses　in　some　corral　and　meet　me　there。〃

There　was　a　great　deal　of　news　to　review。　Lovell　had　returned　to　Ogalalla；　the　body　of　Tolleston　had　been　recovered　and　given　decent　burial；　delivery　day　of　the　three　Indian　herds　was　at　hand；　bringing　that　branch　of　the　season's　drive　to　a　close。　But　the　main　thing　which　absorbed　our　employer　was　the　quarantine　that　the　upper　Yellowstone　country　proposed　enforcing　against　through　Texas　cattle。　He　assured　us　that　had　we　gone　by　way　of　Wyoming　and　down　the　Powder　River；　the　chances　were　that　the　local　authorities　would　have　placed　us　under　quarantine　until　after　the　first　frost。　He　assured　us　that　the　year　before；　Texas　fever　had　played　sad　havoc　among　the　native　and　wintered　Southern　cattle；　and　that　Miles　City　and　Glendive；　live…stock　centres　on　the　Yellowstone；　were　up　in　arms　in　favor　of　a　rigid　quarantine　against　all　through　cattle。　If　this　proved　true；　it　was　certainly　an　ill　wind　to　drovers　on　the　Powder　River　route；　yet　I　failed　to　see　where　we　were　benefited　until　my　employer　got　down　to　details。

〃That's　so；〃　said　he；　〃I　forgot　to　tell　you　boys　that　when　Reed　and　I　went　back　to　Ogalalla；　we　found　Field；　Radcliff　&　Co。　buying　beeves。　Yes；　they　had　bought　a　remuda　of　horses；　rigged　up　two　wagons；　and　hired　men　to　take　possession　of　our　'Open　A'　and'drooping　T'　herds。　But　meeting　with　disappointment　and　having　the　outfit　on　their　hands；　they　concluded　to　buy　cattle　and　go　ahead　and　make　the　delivery　at　Buford。　They　simply　had　to　do　it　or　admit　that　I　had　called　their　hands。　But　Reed　and　I　raised　such　a　howl　around　that　town　that　we　posted　every　man　with　beeves　for　sale　until　the　buyers　had　to　pony　up　the　cash　for　every　hoof　they　bought。　We　even　hunted　up　young　Murnane；　the　seller　of　the　herd　that　Jim　Reed　ran　the　attachment　on；　and　before　old　Jim　and　I　got　through　with　him；　we　had　his　promise　not　to　move　out　of　Keith　County　until　the　last　dollar　was　in　hand。　The　buyers　seemed　to　command　all　kinds　of　money；　but　where　they　expect　to　make　anything；　even　if　they　do　deliver；　beats　me；　as　Reed　and　I　have　got　a　good　wad　of　their　money。　Since　leaving　there；　I　have　had　word　that　they　settled　with　Murnane；　putting　a　new　outfit　with　the　cattle；　and　that　they　have　ten　thousand　beef　steers　on　the　way　to　Fort　Buford　this　very　minute。　They　arg　coming　through　on　the　North　Platte　and　Powder　River　route；　and　if　quarantine　can　be　enforced　against　them　until　frost　falls；　it　will　give　us　a　clear　field　at　Buford　on　the　day　of　delivery。　Now　it　stands　us　in　hand　to　see　that　those　herds　are　isolated　until　after　the　15th　day　of　September。〃

The　atmosphere　cleared　instantly。　I　was　well　aware　of　the　ravages　of　splenic　fever；　but　two　decades　ago　every　drover　from　Texas　denied　the　possibility　of　a　through　animal　in　perfect　health　giving　a　disease　to　wintered　Southerners　or　domestic　cattle；　also　robust　and　healthy。　Time　has　demonstrated　the　truth；　yet　the　manner　in　which　the　germ　is　transmitted　between　healthy　animals　remains　a　mystery　to　this　day；　although　there　has　been　no　lack　of　theories　advanced。　Even　the　theorists　differed　as　to　the　manner　of　germ　transmission；　the　sporule；　tick；　and　ship　fever　being　the　leading　theories；　and　each　having　its　advocates。　The　latter　was　entitled　to　some　consideration；　for　if　bad　usage　and　the　lack　of　necessary　rest；　food；　and　water　will　produce　fever　aboard　emigrant　steamships；　the　same　privations　might　do　it　among　animals。　The　overdriving　of　trail　cattle　was　frequently　unavoidable；　dry　drives　and　the　lack　of　grass　on　arid　wastes　being　of　common　occurrence。　However；　the　presence　of　fever　among　through　cattle　was　never　noticeable　to　the　practical　man；　and　if　it　existed；　it　must　have　been　very　mild　in　form　compared　to　its　virulent　nature　among　natives。　Time　has　demonstrated　that　it　is　necessary　for　the　domestic　animals　to　walk　over　and　occupy　the　same　ground　to　contract　the　disease；　though　they　may　drink　from　the　same　trough　or　stream　of　water；　or　inhale　each　other's　breath　in　play　across　a　wire　fence；　without　fear　of　contagion。　A　peculiar　feature　of　Texas　fever　was　that　the　very　cattle　which　would　impart　it　on　their　arrival；　after　wintering　in　the　North　would　contract　it　and　die　the　same　as　natives。　The　isolation　of　herds　on　a　good　range　for　a　period　of　sixty　days；　or　the　falling　of　frost；　was　recognized　as　the　only　preventive　against　transmitting　the　germ。　Government　rewards　and　experiments　have　never　demonstrated　a　theory　that　practical　experience　does　not　dispute。

The　only　time　on　this　drive　that　our　attention　had　been　called　to　the　fever　alarm　was　on　crossing　the　wagon　trail　running　from　Pierre　on　the　Missouri　River　to　the　Black　Hills。　I　was　in　the　lead　when　a　large　bull　train　was　sighted　in　our　front；　and　shortly　afterward　the　wagon…boss　met　me　and　earnestly　begged　that　I　allow　his　outfit　to　pass　before　we　crossed　the　wagon…road。　I　knew　the　usual　form　of　ridicule　of　a　herd　foreman；　but　the　boss　bullwhacker　must　have　anticipated　my　reply；　for　he　informed　me　that　the　summer　before　he　had　lost　ninety　head　out　of　two　hundred　yoke　of　oxen。　The　wagon…master's　appeal　was　fortified　by　a　sincerity　which　won　his　request；　and　I　held　up　my　cattle　and　allowed　his　train　to　pass　in　advance。　Sponsilier's　herd　was　out　of　sight　in　my　rear；　while　Forrest　was　several　miles　to　my　left；　and　slightly　behind　me。　The　wagon…boss　rode　across　and　made　a　similar　request　of　Forrest；　but　that　worthy　refused　to　recognize　the　right　of　way　to　a　bull　train　at　the　expense　of　a　trail　herd　of　government　beeves。　Ungentlemanly　remarks　are　said　to　have　passed　between　them；　when　the　boss　bull…whacker　threw　down　the　gauntlet　and　galloped　back　to　his　train。　Forrest　pushed　on；　with　ample　time　to　have　occupied　the　road　in　crossing；　thus　holding　up　the　wagon　train。　My　herd　fell　to　grazing；　and　Sponsilier　rode　up　to　inquire　the　cause　of　my　halting。　I　explained　the　request　of　the　wagon…master；　his　loss　the　year　before　and　present　fear　of　fever；　and　called　attention　to　the　clash　which　was　imminent　between　the　long　freight　outfit　in　our　front　and　Forrest's　herd　to　the　left；　both　anxious　for　the　right　of　way。　A　number　of　us　rode　forward　in　clear　view　of　the　impending　meeting。　It　was　evident　that　Forrest　would　be　the　first　to　reach　the　freight　road；　and　would　naturally　hold　it　while　his　cattle　were　crossing　it。　Bitt　when　this　also　became　apparent　to　the　bull　train；　the　lead　teams　drove　out　of　the　road　and　halted；　the　rear　wagons　passing　on　ahead；　the　two　outfits　being　fully　a　mile　apart。　There　were　abont　twenty　teams　of　ten　yoke　each；　and　when　the　first　five　or　six　halted；　they　unearthed　old　needle　rifles　and　opened　fire　across　Forrest's　front。　Once　the　range　was　found；　those　long…range　buffalo　guns　threw　up　the　dust　in　handfuls　in　the　lead　of　the　herd；　and　Forrest　turned　his　cattle　back；　while　the　bull　train　held　its　way；　undisputed。　It　was　immaterial　to　Forrest　who　occupied　the　road　first；　and　with　the　jeers　of　the　freighters　mingled　the　laughter　of　Sponsilier　and　my　outfit；　as　John　Quincy　Forrest　reluctantly　turned　back。

This　incident　served　as　a　safety…valve；　and　whenever　Forrest　forged　to　the　lead　in　coming　down　the　Little　Missouri；　all　that　was　necessary　to　check　him　was　to　inquire　casually　which　held　the　right　of　way；　a　tra