Wells Brothers

fully employed. The cripples were brought up, brands were copied, and the commissary stores assorted and arranged.

ion of a gentle cow. Occasionally a trail foreman would provide his outfit with a milk cow before s

as the hours passed, and only ceased near the middle of the following forenoon. The creek filled to its

sure, will pull out for the Platte River. It will cool the weather and freshen the grass, and every drover with herds on the trail will pus

d, if timing its march to reach the Beaver within a day, could be sighted. On a primal trace, like the Texas and Montana cattle t

le, purchased at Dodge for delivery on army contracts, and were outfitted anew on a change of owners. The usual flotsam of crippled and stray cattle, of galled a

wagon load being necessary to bring up the cache from the trail crossing. In all, during the week, fifteen herds passed, only three of which refused the invitation to call, while one was merely drifting along in search of a range to take up and

, was surprised to sight a bunch of cattle. Knowing the value of the range, Forrest had urged the boys to nurse the first contingent of strays up the creek, farther and farther, until they were then ranging w

fably said the stranger, as he dismounted before

s is headquarters ranch of Wells Brothers; range from the trail crossing on

plendid one only a few miles up the creek--fine grove of timber and living springs.

u came down the creek?"

e escaped from some trail herd. If we decide to locate abov

a position behind Forrest's chair. The latter was a picture of contentment, smi

ddle and stay for dinner," urged Forrest. "Let's get ac

rd, and will be anxious for my report on the range above.

ou bought your cattle. You seem to have the ca

e's plenty of unclaimed range. There's ample grass an

to the Beaver, will carry ten thousand head the y

rothers?" inquir

this range some time ago, and those cattle that you met up the creek are theirs. Before you round up any cattle a

,--they mustn't expect to hold the wh

and are acquiring cattle as fast as

atively asserted the novice. "All we want is a range for a thousa

ner, you'll have time to ride down to the crossing of the Texas and Montana trail on this creek. There you'll find the posted notice, so that he who runs may read, that Wells Brothers have already claimed this range. I'll furnish you a pencil and scrap of paper, and you can

to see the object in claiming more range than one can

for, and a year or two's experience of beginners like you usually throws cattle on the marke

cowman, reining away. "I suppose the range

intrude are usually poor buyer

boy had tasted the thrill of ownership of cattle and possession of

t least one hundred cattle up to those springs above Hackberry Grove. Let them track and trample around the water and noon in the shade of the motte. That's possession, and possession is nine points, and the other fellow can have

round the ford," said he to Forrest; "and he says if you want to see him, you had better come down to the crossing. He knows you, and makes ou

p some kind of a mounting block. It'll take a scaffold to get me on a horse, but

up the Beaver, in order to be in possession of Hackberry Grove and its living springs. The plains of the West were a lawl

e herds, and never failing to levy, to the extent of his ability to plead, on cattle, horses, and needful 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, in be

fording each of the boys a mount, and even the threatened cloud against the range lifted. The herd of a thousand cows crossed the Beaver, and Forrest took particular pains to inform its owners o

fully three hundred thousand head having crossed from Dodge to Ogalalla. The exodus afforded the boys an insight into pastoral life, brought them in close contact

mployed on the trail made the red-headed boy a welcome guest with every herd, while the wide acquaintance of his crippled sponsor assured the lad every courtesy of camp and road. Del

f their trips up to the homestead. "He don't seem to have much to

have a right to expect a place on the point. The trouble is, you are liable to slip back a notch or two at any time. Here I've been a foreman in other yea

ell were still patrolling the ford on Beaver, when one evening a conveyance from the railroad to the south drove up to the crossing. It brought a telegram from Don Lovell, requesting the presence of Forrest in Dodge City, and the messenger, a liveryman from Buffalo, further assured him that transportation was await

ng them, a tenderness of unnoticed growth was revealed. As an enforced guest, he had come to them at a moment when their poverty had protested at receiv

t the idea that I've done any great feat in rustling you boys a few cows. It's one of the laws of life, that often we can do for others what we can't do for ourselves. That sounds like preaching, but it isn't. Actually, I'm ashamed of myself, that I didn't get you double the number of cattle. What we did skirmish toge

ccupying the valley. A round dozen cow ponies, worthless for the present, but which in time would round into form, were added to the new ranch. Every passing commissary had laughed a

s forced on Joel. "It don't come off me," said the departing man, "and it may come handy with you. There's a long winter ahead, and the fight ain't near won yet. The first year in starting a ranch is always the ha

he general advice. "I'll make Dodge in two days," said the departing guest, "and then I'll know the meaning of this wire. It means something--that's sure. In the mean time, sit square in your