Wells Brothers

cessary to relieve the pain. The limb had reached a swollen condition by morning, and considerable anxiety was felt over the uncertainty of a physician a

rairie and save an hour's time. There's a dim wagon trail runs from here to the first divide, north of the trail crossing

first divide, and we can post the boys of the cut-off. They'll surely meet the doctor this afternoon or

g previous, and now that a chance presented itself, his eyes danced at the prospect. "Why, I can follow a dim

t seems to think that no one can pour water like you. Besides,

the lacings as an object lesson to the boys. Both rode the same length of stirrup, mounting the horse to

at that boy was ever intended for a farmer. Notice his saddle poise, will you, Paul? Has a pretty foot, too, even if it is slig

, "because I simply can't spare Dell. The swelling has benumbed this old leg of mine, and we'll have to give it an occasional rubbing to keep the circulation up. There's where

u. Show them the brand on that horse you're riding, and give them distinctly to understand, even if you are barefooted, that you are one of Don Lovell's men. Of course you don't know him, but

to the boys, until the latter's confidence knew no bounds. At random, the men virtually spoke of the cattle on a thousand hills, until the boys fully believed that by merely waving a wand, the bells would tinkle and a cow walk forth. Where two horses were promised, fo

re, fully reviewing the details of his errand. Left behind, and while rubbing the wounded limb, Dell regaled his patient with a scrap of family history. "Pa never let us boys

t, which would be better than letting it go to waste. One day's hot winds would absorb

ason, and our potatoes aren't bigger than marbles. Now, let me ru

. Nearly every herd abandons more or less cattle on these long drives, and he could have bought them for a song and sung it himself. The buffalo grass on the divides and among these sand hills is the finest winter grazing in the country. This water that you are wasting would hav

so?" earnest

ereafter, you and Joel want to be friendly with these

l. There was a marked silence, only broken by a clatte

re this road intersects the cattle trail. In case the doctor doesn't reach there by noon, I sent orders to fly a flag at the junction, and Joel to return home

ild a smudge fire; build it in a circle, out

dle reins to Dell, "but we'll wait until Joel return

ivered. Both Forrest and Priest knew the distance to the ford on the Republican, and could figure to an hour, by different saddle gaits, the necessary time to cover the distance, even to Culbertson. Still there wa

hour," said the foreman, as the boy rounded a bluff and disappeared. "He can build the fire as well as any o

n the occupants of the tent were startled by the neigh of a horse. "That's Rowdy

oment later the vehicle rattled up, led by the irrepressible Dell, as if in charge of a battery

Republican, and still had traveled ninety miles since sunrise. "If it wasn't for six-shooters in this country," said he, as he entered the tent, "w

a fool from lending his

es. It's healing in its nature," commented the doctor, as he began removing the bandages. As

deliver a short lecture on the danger of carrying the hammer of a pistol on a loaded cartridge. The boys are

t's not in my department. Well, that bullet surely was hungry for muscle, but fortunately it had a distaste for bone. This is just a simple case of treatment and avoiding complications. Six we

l loafing around to borr

ternal," replied the doctor, w

l during the day, of the importance of making friends with the drovers, the value of the water, the purchase of disabled cattle, was all carefully reviewed aft

rom the security of his bunk; "who would be

e pictures of cowboys?--not shoo

er wet a hair, and they changed to fresh ones at noon. The only difference I could see, they wore their hats at dinner

ave gone," was De

s a city street, and the cattle seemed to walk in loose marching order, of their own accord. Not a man carried a whip; no

en did it take?

nd the one who brought up the rear was the drag man. Then there was the cook, who drove the wagon, and the wrangler, who took care of the horses--o

. "Mr. Quince said he would buy us a

attle! An hour before noon one of the point men gave a shrill whistle, and the whole column of beeves turned aside and began feeding. The

aid?" timidly querie

seback. Stop asking foolish questions and go to sleep," co

r. A seniority of years had given one a twelve hours' insight over the other, in range cattle, and there was no common ground between s

's call it Sunday," said he, "and not work to-day. Besides, if I overtake the herd, I'll have to make a hand. Wait until to-morrow, an

he upper Beaver. "That's what we call Hackberry Grove," said Joel, "and where we get our wood. The creek makes a big bend, and all the bottom land has grown up with timber, some as big as a m

, surveying the scene. "It's a natural cattle range. There are the

nsion, and what we could earn, we held down the homestead. Last fall we proved up; pa's service in the army counted on

y tones. "There's a fortune in this grass, if you boys only had the cattle to

nd no one would credit bo

. Make that the basis of your beginning. All these cattle that are coming over the trail are hunting a marke

-section of land," replied

pect your prior right," argued the practical man. "Range is being rapidly taken up

tant companion, until he scarcely looked forward to any reprieve, and the castles being built and the domain surveyed at the present moment were vague and misty. "I d

a promise?" frankl

agerly repl

eaver Creek as a cattle range. Ask him if he knows any way to secure a few cows and year

mitted Joel, as if tra

ttle. Forrest has been a trail foreman and knows all the drovers and their men. H

id you say that control of a range was a basis on

se sight of the fact that a range that will graze five to ten t

roaching herd. The trail foreman was satisfied that he had instilled interest and inquiry into the boy's mind, which, if carefully nurtured, might result in independence. They had ridden several miles,

pastoral people. In America it dates from the first invasion of the Spanish. Among us Texans, a man's range is respected equally with his home. By merely laying claim to the grazing privileges of public domain, and occupying it with flocks or herds,

ccupying it with cattle, and hold possession

ange to-day. This is your epoch. The buffalo preceded you, the settler, s

t a start of cattl

outs, and he may surprise you. There's an old maxim about where there's a will there's a way. Now if

d Joel; "the first t

ore excusing the lads for the night, Priest said to the doctor: "This is a fine cattle r

r needs, and your general health is actually discouraging to my profession. Yes, I think I'll have to approve of the suggestion. A life in the open, an evening by a camp-fire, a saddle for a pillow--well, I wish I had my life to live over. It wouldn'

gentlemen want to make an early start. You'll have t