Cow-Country

opped where two roads forked at the base of a great, outstanding peak that was but the point of a mountain range. "This trail straddle

er waited with the patience they had learned in three weeks of continuous travel over country that was rough in spo

to stop pretty soon, or we don't eat," He observed. "Smoke, you're a quitter. What you want to do is go back-but yo

rider tolerantly. "Right hand goes-and we camp at the first good water and grass. I can grain the three

was new country-Bud had never so much as seen a map of it to give him a clue to what was coming. The last turn of the deep-rutted, sandy road where it left t

. And a job he must have soon, or go hungry. He turned and rode toward the dust-cloud, came shortly to a small stream and a green grass-plot, and stopped there long enough to throw the pack off Sunfish, unsaddle Smoky and stake them both out to graze. Stopper he saddled, then knelt and washed his face, beat the tr

ng his range credentials in his eyes, in his perfect saddle-poise, in the tan on his face to his eyebrow

handed; and when he rode near enough to distinguish

. "And eight men is a small crew to work a herd that size. I guess I'll tie ont

rd when a big, rollicky steer broke from the milling cattle and headed straight out past him, running like a deer. Sto

behind Bud. And "Catch 'im and

his rope loose, flipped open the loop as Stopper raced up alongside, dropped the noose neatly, and took his turns while Stopper planted his forefeet and braced himself for the shock. Bud's right leg was over the cantle, all his weight on the left stirrup when the jerk came

d Bud reined up in astonishment before the most amazing string of unseemly epithets he had ever heard. It began with: "What'd you throw that critter for?

ad in your life, for that!" He invited vengefully. "You told me to tie down that steer, and I tied him down. You've got no call to compla

ncertainly. "Who are you, and where'd yuh come from

d snapped. "If I had I'd probably be cross-eyed by now. You

se stopped him with a wave of the hand, his eyes still measuring the face, the form and

wn I didn't mean it literal." He stopped and suddenly he laughed. "I've been yellin' 'Tie 'im down' for two years and more, when a

y, not much appeased by the explanation. "I don't give a darn abou

on't pick my words." He eyed Bud sharply. "You're

'm told," Bud retorted stiff

ike yuh. You ain't been in these parts long?

g more explicit information, but Bart Nelson-as Bud knew him afte

hat your

bill of sa

n to be wanting

ident struck him as being rather funny. "I'd want a boss that expected to have his orders carried out, though. I

ers back to their work with oaths tingling their ears.

you want to use him, and if you can hold up to that little sample of roping yuh gave us, I'll pay yuh sixty a month. And

his exact place of residence. If they had never heard of the Tomahawk outfit it would do no good to name it. If they had heard of it, they would wonder why the son of so rich a cowman as Bob Birnie should be hiring out as a common co

the herd and rode over to where the hi

ut AJ and AJBar stuff; left ear-crop

cut herd, wheeled and went back of his own accord. From the corner of his eye, as he went, Bud saw that Bart Nelson and one or two others were watching him. They continued to eye him covertly while he worked the herd with two other men. He was glad that he had not travell

cowmen. White men he had never learned to distrust, and to be distrusted had never been his portion. He had always been Bud Birnie, son and heir of Bob Birnie, as clean-handed a cattle king as ever recor

just how old a "Hand" the fellow was. Fifteen minutes convinced him that Bud had "growed up in the saddle", as he would have put it. But that only mystified him the more. Bart knew the range, and he knew every man in

have the "earmarks" of an Idaho rider. Furthermore, the small Tomahawk brand on the left flank of the horse Bud rode was totally unknown to Bart. Yet the ho

ched, droopy-shouldered rider who was circling the herd in a d

then to receive and drive farther back a galloping AJBar cow which Bud and Stopper had just hazed out of the herd. Dirk squinted at Stopper's brand which sho

brand over close to Jackson's Hole, som

, but he's a sur

unteered after further scrutiny. And he added with the unconscious i

him; he's liable to turn out good for the outfit. Showed he'll do what he's

wanted to make sure that his smile would show; though it was

ugh guess-but I wouldn't presume to guess what he's here fur. Meb

losely. While the two talked he singled out a yearling heifer, let

another way I couldn't name it. And the ear looks as if about half of it had

d hard. Then he rode over and inspecte

k with the bun

weaty neck. "I kept passing this critter up, and I guess the other boys did the

ey've got 'em all. And you, Kid, can help haze the

" He said. "If it's all the same to you, I'll report for work in the morning, if you'll tell me wher

t merely told him to ride on up the Flat next morning, and take the first trail that turned to the left. "The Muleshoe ranch is up

to a job, and while he was not very enthusiastic over the boss, the other boys seemed all right, and the wages were a third more than he had expect

g cautiously on his trail. While he fed his horses the last bit of grain he had, and cooked his supper over what promised to be his last camp-fire

he mountain-tops around him. And being young and carefree and healthfully weary, he was asleep and snoring gently within five minutes of his last wriggle into his blanket

ten in place of a hot supper had not been satisfying to his stomach. He crawled carefu

ture for a man nearing forty to lie uncovered in the brush, and let a numerous family of mosquitoes fe

ite clear, slept in the stable that nig