The Cattle-Baron's Daughter

was built of birch trunks, and had once, with its narrow windows and loopholes for rifle fire, resembled a fortalice; but now ced

scroll-work, and, as it stood then, flanked by its stores and stables, barns and cattle-boys

the paling flicker of saffron that still lingered upon the horizon. On the other, a birch bluff dipped to the Cedar River, which came down faintly chilled with the Rockies' snow from the pine forests of the foothills. There was a bridge four miles away, but

gement and prosperity. Corrals, barns, and stables were the best of their kind; and, though the character of all of them was not beyond exception, in physique and fitness for their work it would have been hard to match the sinewy men in blue shirts, wide hats, and long boots, then wateri

y in his dark hair, and his eyes were keen and black, with a little glint in them; but, vigorous as he still seemed, the hand on the table was smooth and but slightly tinted by the sun, for Torrance was o

that region unless he did homage to the cattle-barons. They were Republicans, admitting in the abstract the rights of man, so long as no venturesome citizen demanded too much of them; but they had discovered that in practice liberty is usually the prerogative of the strong. Still, they had done their nation good service, for they had found the land a wilderness and covered it with cattle, so

heir wine, which was the choicest that France could send them; and it is also probable that no bet

sent for ten of you, and eight have come. One

too busy at the depot bringing a fat Dutchman a

the men been different, would not have been quite f

asked Torrance, and

tle on his prepossessing friends. Asked him why, when he was at it,

'd figure on committing that kind of meanness would be the son of Fremont Grant

ied I 'most brought the lad up as a son. When he got hold of his foolish noti

f some of the men, for Torrance's draco

ight, and he told you somethi

my temper. Then one evening I told him he had to choose right then between hi

r any of it?" a

d that would feed a thousand families was keeping us in luxury no American was entitl

redictions had more than once been flung at them, and their possessions were still, they fancied, secure to th

right now," said one. "Still, I don't quite figure it would work

g laughed. "Buy him off," he said tentatively. "We hav

ecided negation, and Torrance look

Larry may be foolish,

o give him time. Let it pass. You h

of them. "You had bet

mine. You have lived on the bitter water and the saleratus bread, but none of you has seen his wife die for the want of the few things he couldn't give her, as I did. I gave the nation my two boys when the good times came, and they're dead-bur

one another with an ominous question in

hing has to be done quietly. When the official machinery moves down here it's because we pull the strings, and we have got to have the law upon our side as far as we can. Well, that's going to cost us money, and we want a c

ho had not spoken. One of them also fancied that there was for a mo

" he said. "You'll have to wait a little if I'm to do as

e. "Allonby, I'll make that cheque

every man holding cattle land from here to the barren country to stand in, and then, one way or another, we'll freeze out the homesteaders. Well, then, we'll constitute ourselves a committee, with Torrance as head ex

s to me, sir, that the first question is, 'Cou

en a mounted man came up at a gallop, and a band of others in haste on foot. They stopped in front of

untry will have no more use for you. Now, if any folks came here and pulled our b

own," said one retainer, with the soft blue eyes o

id another. "Ride them back

ary," said Torrance quietly. "Still, y

a good deal, though it was inart

us to. This is the cattle-baron's country, and we're here. It's good e

way turned with a little grim smile to his guests.

and when the decanter had gone rou

. "The Cedar District Stockraisers' Committee incorporated to-day w

ronical smile in his eyes as he said, "If necessary agai

y. "No, sir!" he said. "By what

ard towards a wider life is usually marked by strife, and the shadow of coming trouble was already upon the land. It had deepened little by little, and the cattle-barons had closed their eyes, as other men who have held the reins have done since the beginning, until the lean hands of t

rom the side of it, flanked by a towering water-tank. A pump rattled under it, and the smell of creosote was everywhere. Cattle corrals ran back from the track, and beyond them sun-rent frame houses roofed with cedar shingles straggled away on the one hand, paintless, crude, and square. On the other, a smear of trail led the dazzled vision back across the parched levels to the glancing refrac

etty politician consulted with the representative of a Western paper. The smoke of cigars drifted everywhere, and the listless heat was stirred by the hum of voi

ke a half-page of it if you'll let me have your views. New epoch in the country's history!

my views the barons would put their thumb on you and squeeze you flat," he said. "On

d. "The rights of the Press are sacr

fice of your contemporary farther east was broken into a few hours ago, and an article written by a friend of mine pulled out of th

ape beneath it, and there was a curious silence when the dusty cars rolled into the little station. It was followed by a murmur as an elderly man in broad white hat and plain store clothing, and a plump, blue-eyed

ant?" h

his hat to the girl. "Yes

her man. "Also de

somebody, "from Chicago. They raise them there in the sausage machine.

ingly, but apparently fail

der chestnut. I hi

usually fair; and in the meanwhile five or six other men got down from a car. They we

e Americans. Got any objections

greeting, but there were others in wide h

the taunt had its meaning, for it is usually onl

der. When we want mules or cowsteerers, I guess we'll fin

this was as yet unusual, that he wore a bandolier. Rolling back one loose sleeve he displayed a brown arm wi

. "Well, I guess that's not astonishing. It wou

ore cattle than you could count in a long day carrying that brand. It will be a

ortunity to get a gang-plough previously unloaded from a freight-car into a wagon. The sight of it raised a demonstration,

ell, now, some of you are keeping stores, and one or two I see here baking bread and making clothes. Which is going to do the most for your trade and you, a handful of rich men, who wouldn't eat or wear the things you have to sell, owning the whole country, or

n, and had horses led up for the Dakota men. They had some difficulty in mounting, and the crowd laughed good-humouredly, though here and

d get down when nobody sees me," he said. "The beast wouldn't try to climb

ut he flicked his team with the whip, and there was cheering and derision when, with a drumming of hoof

they'll go a good deal further when they get their bloo

noding to der franc tireurs. I was in der chas

ame kind of thing again. What you saw at the depot is going on wherever the railroad is brin