the outlet-第56节

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ore　I　had　conversed　very　long　with　the　officers；　it　was　clear　to　me　that　the　shorter　our　moves　the　longer　it　would　extend　their　outing。　Before　I　left　the　soldier　camp；　Sanders　arrived；　and　as　we　started　away　together；　I　sent　him　back　to　tell　the　officers　to　let　me　know　any　time　they　could　use　half　a　beef。　On　reaching　our　wagon；　the　boys　were　just　corralling　the　saddle　stock　for　their　night…horses；　when　Sanders　begged　me　to　sell　him　two　which　had　caught　his　fancy。　I　dared　not　offer　them；　but　remembering　the　fellow's　faithful　service　in　our　behalf；　and　that　my　employer　expected　to　remember　him；　I　ordered　him　to　pick；　with　Don　Lovell's　compliments；　any　horse　in　the　remuda　as　a　present。

The　proposition　stunned　Sanders；　but　I　insisted　that　if　old　man　Don　was　there；　he　would　make　him　take　something。　He　picked　a　good　horse　out　of　my　mount　and　stayed　until　morning；　when　he　was　compelled　to　return；　as　the　probabilities　were　that　they　would　receive　the　other　cattle　some　time　during　the　day。　After　breakfast；　and　as　he　was　starting　to　return；　he　said；　〃Well；　boys；　tell　the　old　man　that　I　don't　expect　ever　to　be　able　to　return　his　kindness；　though　I'd　ride　a　thousand　miles　for　the　chance。　One　thing　sure；　there　isn't　a　man　in　Dakota　who　has　money　enough　to　tempt　me　to　part　with　my　pelon。　If　you　locate　down　on　the　Little　Missouri；　drop　me　a　line　where　you　are　at；　and　if　Lovell　wants　four　good　men；　I　can　let　him　have　them　about　the　first　of　December。　You　through　lads　are　liable　to　be　seared　over　the　coming　winter；　and　a　few　acclimated　ones　will　put　backbone　in　his　outfit。　And　tell　the　old　man　that　if　I　can　ever　do　him　a　good　turn　just　to　snap　his　fingers　and　I'll　quit　the　governmenthe's　a　few　shades　whiter　than　it；　anyhow。〃

The　herd　had　already　left　the　bed…ground；　headed　south。　About　five　miles　above　O'Brien's；　we　recrossed　to　the　eastern　side　of　the　Yellowstone；　and　for　the　next　three　days　moved　short　distances；　the　military　always　camped　well　in　our　rear。　The　fourth　morning　I　killed　a　beef；　a　forage…wagon　came　forward　and　took　half　of　it　back　to　the　cavalry　camp　with　our　greetings　and　farewell；　and　we　parted　company。　Don　Lovell　met　us　about　noon；　elated　as　a　boy　over　his　purchase　of　the　hay　ranch。　My　brother　had　gone　on　to　the　railroad　and　thence　by　train　to　Miles　City　to　meet　his　remuda　and　outfit。　〃Boys；　I　have　bought　you　a　new　home；〃　was　the　greeting　of　old　man　Don；　as　he　dismounted　at　our　noon　camp。　〃There's　a　comfortable　dugout；　stabling　for　about　ten　horses；　and　seventy…five　tons　of　good　hay　in　the　stack。　The　owner　was　homesick　to　get　back　to　God's　country；　and　he'll　give　us　possession　in　ten　days。　Bob　will　be　in　Little　Missouri　to…day　and　order　us　a　car　of　sacked　corn　from　Omaha；　and　within　a　month　we'll　be　as　snug　as　they　are　down　in　old　Medina。　Bob's　outfit　will　go　home　from　Miles；　and　if　he　can't　sell　his　remuda　he'll　bring　it　up　here。　Two　of　these　outfits　can　start　back　in　a　few　days；　and　afterward　the　camp　will　be　reduced　to　ten　men。〃

Two　days　later　Forrest　veered　off　and　turned　his　cattle　loose　below　the　junction　of　the　Beaver　with　the　Little　Missouri。　Sponsilier　crossed　the　former；　scattering　his　beeves　both　up　and　down　the　latter；　while　I　cut　mine　into　a　dozen　bunches　and　likewise　freed　them　along　the　creek。　The　range　was　about　ten　miles　in　length　along　the　river；　and　a　camp　was　established　at　either　end　where　men　would　be　stationed　until　the　beeves　were　located。　The　commissaries　had　run　low；　there　was　a　quiet　rivalry　as　to　which　outfits　should　go　home；　and　we　all　waited　with　bated　breath　for　the　final　word。　I　had　Dorg　Seay　secretly　inform　my　employer　that　I　had　given　Sanders　a　horse　without　his　permission；　hoping　that　it　might　displease　him。　But　the　others　pointed　out　the　fact　that　my　outfit　had　far　the　best　remuda；　and　that　it　would　require　well…mounted　men　to　locate　and　hold　that　number　of　cattle　through　the　winter。　Old　man　Don　listened　to　them　all；　and　the　next　morning；　as　all　three　of　us　foremen　were　outlining　certain　improvements　about　the　hay　ranch　with　him；　he　turned　tb　me　and　said：

〃Tom；　I　hear　you　gave　Sanders　a　horse。　Well；　that　was　all　right；　although　it　strikes　me　you　were　rather　liberal　in　giving　him　the　pick　of　a　choice　remuda。　But　it　may　all　come　right　in　the　long　run；　as　Bob　and　I　have　decided　to　leave　you　and　your　outfit　to　hold　these　cattle　this　winter。　So　divide　your　men　and　send　half　of　them　down　to　Quince's　camp；　and　have　your　cook　and　wrangler　come　over　to　Dave's　wagon　to　bring　back　provision　and　the　horses；　as　we'll　start　for　the　railroad　in　the　morning。　I　may　not　come　back；　but　Bob　will；　and　he'll　see　that　you　are　well　fixed　for　the　winter　before　he　goes　home。　After　he　leaves；　I　want　you　to　write　me　every　chance　you　have　to　send　a　letter　to　the　railroad。　Now；　I　don't　want　any　grumbling　out　of　you　or　your　men；　you're　a　disgrace　to　the　state　that　raised　you　if　you　can't　handle　cattle　anywhere　that　any　other　man　can。〃

I　felt　all　along　it　would　fall　to　me；　the　youngest　of　six　foremen；　and　my　own　dear　brother　consigning　me　to　a　winter　in　the　North；　while　he　would　bask　in　the　sunshine　of　our　own　sunny　South！　It　was　hard　to　face；　but　I　remembered　that　the　fall　before　it　had　been　my　lot　to　drive　a　thousand　saddle　horses　home　to　the　ranch；　and　that　I　had　swaggered　as　a　trail　foreman　afterward　as　the　result。　It　had　always　been　my　luck　to　have　to　earn　every　little　advance　or　promotion；　while　others　seemed　to　fall　into　them　without　any　effort。　Bob　Quirk　never　saw　the　day　that　he　was　half　the　all…round　cowman　that　I　was；　yet　he　was　above　me　and　could　advise；　and　I　had　to　obey。

On　the　morning　of　the　25th　of　September；　1884；　the　two　outfits　started　for　the　railroad；　leaving　the　remainder　of　us　in　a　country；　save　for　the　cattle；　so　desolate　that　there　was　no　chance　even　to　spend　our　wages。　I　commited　to　memory　a　curtain　lecture　for　my　brother；　though　somehow　or　other　it　escaped　me　and　was　never　delivered。　We　rode　lines　between　the　upper　and　lower　wagons；　holding　the　cattle　loosely　on　a　large　range。　A　delightful　fall　favored　us；　and　before　the　first　squall　of　winter　came　on；　the　beeves　had　contented　themselves　as　though　they　had　been　born　on　the　Little　Missouri。　Meanwhile　Bob's　wagon　and　remuda　arrived；　the　car　of　corn　was　hauled　to　our　headquarters；　extra　stabling　was　built；　and　we　settled　down　like　banished　exiles。　Communication　had　been　opened　with　Fort　Buford；　and　in　the　latter　part　of　October　the　four　promised　men　arrived；　when　Bob　Quirk　took　part　of　my　outfit　and　went　home；　leaving　me　ten　men。　Parent　remained　as　cook；　the　new　men　assimilated　easily；　a　fiddle　was　secured；　and　in　fulfillment　of　the　assertion　of　Sanders；　we　picked　up　courage。　Two　grain…fed　horses；　carefully　stabled；　were　allowed　to　each　man；　the　remainder　of　our　large　number　of　saddle　stock　running　free　on　the　range。

To　that　long　winter　on　the　Little　Missouri　a　relentless　memory　turns　in　retrospect。　We　dressed　and　lived　like　Eskimos。　The　first　blizzard　struck　us　early　in　December；　the　thermometer　dropped　sixty　degrees　in　twelve　hours；　but　in　the　absence　of　wind　and　snow　the　cattle　did　not　leave　the　breaks　along　the　river。　Three　weeks　later　a　second　one　came；　and　we　could　not　catch　the　lead　animals　until　near　the　railroad；　but　the　storm　drove　them　up　the　Little　Missouri；　and　its　sheltering　banks　helped　us　to　check　our　worst　winter　drift。　After　the　first　month　of　wintry　weather；　the　dread　of　the　cold　passed；　and　men　and　horses　faced　the　work　as　though　it　was　springtime　in　our　own　loved　southland。　The　months　rolled　by　scarcely　noticed。　During　fine　weather　Sanders　and　some　of　his　boys　twice　dropped　down　for　a　few　days；　but　we　never　left　camp　except　to　send　letters　home。

An　early　spring　favored　us。　I　was　able　to　report　less　than　one　per　cent　loss　on　the　home　range；　with　the　possibility　of　but　few　cattle　having　escaped　us　during　the　winter。　The　latter　part　of　May　we　sold　four　hundred　saddle　horses　to　some　men　from　the　upper　Yellowstone。　Early　in　June　a　wagon　was　rigged　out；　extra　men　employed；　and　an　outfit　sent　two　hundred　miles　up　the　Little　Missouri　to　attend　the　round…ups。　They　were　gone　a　month　and　caine　in　with　less　than　five　hundred　beeves；　which　represented　our　winter　drift。　Don　Lovell　reached　the　ranch　during　the　first　week　in　July。　One　day's　ride　through　the　splendid　cattle；　and　old　man　Don　lost　his　voice；　but　the　smile　refused　to　come　off。　Everything　was　coming　his　way。　Field；　Radcliff　&　Co。　had　sued　him；　and　the　jury　awarded　him　one　hundred　thousand　dollars。　His　bankers　had　unlimited　confidence　in　his　business　ability；　he　had　four　Indian　herds　on　the　trail　and　three　others　of　younger　steers；　intended　for　the　Little　Missouri　ranch。　Cattle　prices　in　Texas　had　depreciated　nearly　one　half　since　the　spring　before〃a　good　time　for　every　cowman　to　strain　his　credit　and　enlarge　his　holdings；〃　my　employer　assured　me。

Orders　were　left　that　I　was　to　begin　shipping　out　the　beeves　early　in　August。　It　was　the　intention　to　ship　them　in　two　and　three　train…load　lots；　and　I　was　expecting　to　run　a　double　outfit　when　a　landslide　came　our　way。　The　first　train…load　netted　sixty　dollars　a　head　at　Omahahut　they　were　beeves；　cods　like　an　ox's　heart　and　waddled　as　they　walked。　We　had　just　returned　from　the　railroad　with　the　intention　of　shipping　two　tr