The Ranch on the Beaver

by Andy Adams

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The Iron Trail

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The trains made the trip in forty hours. A temporary chute had been built, between stations, at the unloading point. Sargent was in waiting, the cattle were freed from the cars to the prairie, and the outfit moved them to the nearest water and placed them under herd. Joel's train reached the chute three hours after the first, which afforded opportunity for a brief conference between the young cowman and the Arickaree foreman.

'How soon can you receive the next herd?' questioned Joel.

'Five or six days,' answered Sargent; 'four in a pinch.'

'The grass? How's the grass?'

'The farther down the Big Sandy, the better advanced. From River Bend across to the Arickaree, it's as green as a garden.'

'Substance enough to move the cattle on?'

'Ample. Our horses crossed in good condition, coming at a pace of forty miles a day.'

The boy made a mental calculation. 'The Stoddard cattle are due to ship on the 25th. Could we load them out two days in advance of that date?'

'You mean my outfit to receive them?'

Joel nodded.

'Easily,' continued the foreman. 'I can send a detail back, or a courier ahead to the ranch which is to summer this herd, and deliver a day out from the range. Bring on your cattle. We'll make ten miles with this herd yet to-day. The Lazy H steers next?'

Time was valuable. Men and horses were not considered. 'Here, at this unloading chute, on the 25th.'

'My wagon will be camped here that morning. Come on.'

Joel continued on with the empty train. At the first telegraph station he alighted and was soon in touch with the railroad office. The date of the next shipment was advanced two days, the live-stock agent located, and the Stoddard Ranch advised by wire and special messenger. The youth took a night train south, was delayed by finding every side-track filled with cattle trains, threading their way to the upper ranges. Instead of overland, as in other days, the herds were moving by rail.

With little loss of time Joel reported at the Stoddard Ranch. The gathering had ended, and, except to pass on the herd, nothing remained but the trip to the station and the loading out.

'I don't care even to count them,' announced the boy. 'I know Lazy H cattle better than the man who bred them. This herd suits me right down to the split in their hoofs. We'll have to class them to ship, and then we can count them by carloads. Are you sure you didn't overlook any scrubby threes and fours in gathering?'

'The boys say they didn't,' replied the old cowman, 'and from the looks of the herd, I agree with them. Good chance to clean up the ranch.'

'Really, I'm sorry there are not more knotty ones. Two winters in the North surely finishes a scrubby three or four into a little pony beef. He has the age and rounds out like a butter ball.'

It was the difference in view. The breeding ranch looked upon the knotty steers as cull stuff, while the upper beef ranges hailed them because of a maturity of years which insured a ripened beef. They were searched for in the markets. Pony beeves were in a class by themselves.

The herd left the ranch in ample time to ship out on the advanced date. Joel and his host remained at the ranch, only overtaking the cattle the second evening. Manly was hailed in passing, joining the ambulance as it circled the herd.

'The first thing in the morning,' said Joel to the foreman, 'is to cut your aged stuff separate from the twos. Hold everything off the water. Four men, with some shipping experience, will be needed for the first trains, and I'll take the last one. Better take a train yourself. Want to handle the Beaver outfit again this summer?'

'Not if I'm allowed to run loose without a guardian,' answered the Panhandle foreman. 'I'm a little bit scared of that upper country.'

'Drive on,' ordered Mr. Stoddard. 'Any of the boys will jump at the chance as shippers. Joe was raised on sweet milk.'

When classified and cut into car lots, the herd counted out over thirty-six hundred. Five heavy trains were required to handle the shipment, which was a repetition of the first one.

As before, Joel took the rear train. 'Draw up a contract,' said he to the old ranchman, 'and make the same commission firm the factor in this deal. All I ask is the chance to mature these Lazy H steers into beef, and you can name all other conditions.'

'I'll do nothing of the kind,' replied the old man. 'I may send a memorandum in to the commission house, but this sale goes as an open account. There's no need of even the scratch of a pen between us. Our interests are mutual. I'm just as glad to get these cattle off my range as you are to mature them. Your credit with me has been tested.'

'I was in hopes you would let us have Manly again '

'Joe's as worthless as an old dog,' interrupted Mr. Stoddard. 'All he's fit for is to lay around in the shade. He isn't worth a turn of shucks to any one but me. You'll have to worry along without him.'

Sargent was on hand to meet the trains, having traveled all night to keep his appointment. The trip down to the summer range was made at a leisurely pace, the owner accompanying the herd and making a hand. The outfit went on to the Arickaree after delivery, but the young cowman and his foreman spent several days on each of the ranges where the through cattle were being located for the summer. Both herds had come from safely above the quarantine line in Texas, and all danger of fever, by travel, was overcome by using the iron trail.

The new cattle located quickly. A few days after the return of the outfit, owner and foreman reached the Arickaree. The round-up had been set two weeks earlier than the spring before, and the men detailed on that task were still away. Joel remained at the upper ranch until the annual round-up reached the Arickaree on its way to the Platte River. The men reported a light drift, not an animal found adrift as far south as the headwaters of the Smoky. The Beaver outfit had been hailed on the latter watercourse, and reported no cattle in hand, having been out with a wagon and seven men over two weeks.

'That's good news,' said the young cowman. 'That means that we'll ship beef two weeks earlier than last fall.'

'About the first of August,' agreed Sargent. 'With a light run of beef to market, the Arickaree needn't hurry. How many beeves will this ranch ship?'

'Just enough to make room for the Albion cattle, seven or eight trains. But trim the ranch closely of all rough stuff and dead wood. You ought to see the Lovell ranches in the lower country. The cows are as even as screened wheat. Every hoof stands in a class by itself, thrifty as weeds. We must put this ranch and the Beaver on the same basis.'

On reaching the latter ranch, Joel found the winter outfit resting on its oars. With the exception of completing the exchange of ranch patriarchs with the Arickaree and the annual round-up, nothing had occurred to change the even run of events. The winter drift had proved largely imaginary, and with the splendid outlook for early beef, the outfit relaxed to the point of restlessness.

'If it wasn't for my social duties,' admitted Quinlin, 'time would surely hang heavy on my hands. This settlement down the Beaver is one of my best assets. But what's the use? Here I go and make a date to bring Dell down the next Sunday, and he sneaks away to Hackberry Grove, trying to locate a coyote den. And there you are. With all my days of trouble and nights of waking, that red-headed wretch just simply won't 'spond.'

The mustang hunt was not even mentioned. The ranch remuda, the next morning, however, passed under Joel's inspection.

'Where did that native horse, that chestnut, come from?' he inquired.

'After you left us,' regretfully admitted Hamlet, 'the outfit got restless, grouchy, would hardly speak to one another. The horses grew nervous, pawed holes in the ground, and something had to be done to ease the situation. I sent over on the Republican and had that mustang hunter, the one you mentioned so often, come down and give the boys a little outing, just to lift the strain. The result was we took in over seventy mustangs. Too near the Beaver, you understand, for the safety of good cow horses. You'll find four mules among the work stock, and a few old soldiers, once cow-ponies, here in the remuda. Throw your saddle on that chestnut and try out his road gaits.'

'You found him among the mustangs?'

'All the boys insisted that the horse must fall to you. In fact, the half-breed urged that the chestnut should be named after him. We called him Pierre from that moment.'

''Have you ever saddled him?''

'You'll find him just what the doctor ordered for a rising young cowman. Away on business for the ranch, that way. It was surely nice in the boys to remember you with the pick of the band.'

'Omit the sugar, please, and throw a saddle on him.'

The horse answered for himself. 'Better not say too much,' suggested Hamlet to the others. 'If my little story stands up, we got off better than we deserve. He'll come back on that horse and admit that we're the best cow outfit he ever worked.'

The monotony of the idle season was only broken by a visit from the solicitor of the commission firm. 'You needn't touch on the Arickaree,' suggested Joel. 'The upper ranch will send out about two thousand beeves and an extra train or two of mixed stuff.'

'Good advice will bear repeating,' said the solicitor, on leaving; 'Ship early.'

'Rest easy on that score. It may go against the grain when beeves are laying on three pounds a day but we'll ship them.'

The first shipment went out on the 25th of July. It numbered twenty-four cars, many of the beeves having reached the Beaver when yearlings, others four-year-olds, and none less than double-wintered. The range could produce no finer beef, and, on reaching the market, buyers for the different packing houses were alert for the first run of beef from the Beaver. Joel accompanied the consignment, and, when the sale sheet was handed him, he mused a moment and turned to Major Hunt.

'This shipment nets us just half the sum needed,' said he. 'In buying that Panhandle ranch, I promised a liberal payment on the first of September. By advancing half of it now and the remainder next week, we will establish our credit in banking circles at Fort Worth. Your firm was among the references given, and I want that bank to know that our promise to pay is good.'

'That's the idea,' said the old factor approvingly.

'Advise the bank by letter that this sum has been placed to its credit with you,' continued the boy, referring to the sales statement, 'and insist on an immediate answer, regarding my offer on any remnant of the brand not delivered. Urge that the matter should be closed at once; that the ranch outfit is idle and anxious for a big cow-hunt.'

The old factor made a brief memorandum. 'This remnant of cattle were not tendered on taking over the ranch and are supposed to be astray?' he questioned.

'Exactly. I'll be in with the next shipment and will expect an answer, or some one from the bank can meet me here. You'll have advice of the shipment in advance, and can wire the bank. The idea is, to let them come to me.'

The second consignment from the Beaver reached the market on August 1st. The commission firm had been advised, and, on reaching the office, almost the first persons to greet the boy were the cashier and expert from Fort Worth.

'I can't talk to you now,' said Joel, in greeting, 'because our account with this firm is in red ink, but this afternoon it will be good. But come with me and I'll show you a thousand beeves from our Beaver range; one train of straight Stoddard cattle from the Panhandle. I want you to see the magic, on a Texas steer, of two winters in the North. Then you'll understand maturing beef.'

'It's an old story with me,' loftily replied the expert, consulting his watch as usual. 'We came in last night and want to leave by the first train.'

'Then we will excuse you,' politely nodded Joel. Turning to the cashier, he continued: 'We may want to establish a credit with you some day or use you as a reference, and, while passing away the time, let's take a stroll through the yards. These two trains are a sample of six thousand beeves, this year's harvest from one ranch. You know Mr. Stoddard, and I'll show you his ranch brand on to-day's market. This afternoon you can see the sale sheets on the Lazy H train of beeves. Then you'll know why Uncle Dudley recommended us to you as a buyer for the Albion Ranch. Come on, and let's take a little stroll through the yards.'

The enthusiasm of youth, coupled with the commercial instincts of the banker, carried the moment. The boy led the way, the cattle expert reluctantly joining, and the trio spent an hour overlooking the offerings on the day's market. Joel adroitly led his guests to his own beeves, listened to the haggling between salesmen and buyers, the guessing on weights, and the usual gamut of market clatter.

The bank official was in capable hands and readily absorbed the main details. 'Give me the figures,' said he, to the boy, 'from cost to their selling value on to-day's market.'

'At twos,' replied Joel, 'they cost fourteen dollars, laid down on the Beaver. To-day they class as beeves on foot, crossing the scale and selling gross weight. To get their net value, we'll have to wait for the sales statement. The expense of holding them two years will amount to a dollar a head. The Beaver is still an open range, free grass and ample water.'

The youth had lodged his point. As the trio sauntered away from the yards, a most cordial feeling had developed. An afternoon hour was appointed, when they met again in the private office of Major Hunt.

Without a word Joel handed the sale sheets to the cashier.

'That Lazy H train of beef netted fifty-six dollars a head,' mused the banker in mild amazement, handing the statement to his expert. 'Small wonder that Wells Brothers are buying bankrupt ranches in the Texas Panhandle. That beats banking.'

'Not many banks in your State,' said Major Hunt, 'that can show annual earnings equal to the yearly profits of our mutual clients. As cowmen, the boys are just beginning to preen their wings. A few years more and they will size up as cattle kings.'

The conversation finally led to the matter at issue.

'My only reason for making you an offer on the remnant is,' said Joel, 'on account of our foreman on the Albion Ranch. He's getting along in years, and I want to make him a present of any stray cattle that he may gather. By giving him an interest in the brand, it holds his services and ensures success in our last ranch venture. My offer still stands on the remnant astray.'

'Why, you are liable to gather a thousand cattle in that brand yet,' insisted Mr. Stallsmith, the expert. 'You haven't made any offer that I would sanction.'

'Then keep the brand and gather it yourself,' smilingly said the youth. 'If we were inclined to be tricky, without any principle -- cow-thieves, in a way -- we could gather the missing cattle, run the tally-mark on them, and you would never be any the wiser. It may seem odd to you that we don't, but that's the way my folks raised me. Better gather them yourself and tender them on delivery.'

Joel extended his hand to the banker. 'I believe that concludes our business to-day. The balance of the September payment is to your credit with this firm. If you hear of any other ranches for sale in the Panhandle, let us know. We may have some idle funds after the beef harvest's over.'

'One moment,' protested the cashier, holding the boy's hand. 'Let me sell you that remnant first.'

'Our experts differ. My lump offer on the brand may stand, but I'll withdraw my bid per head. I'm afraid your Mr. Stallsmith might count them on us twice, and they ain't worth it.'

The banker exchanged a look with his expert. Major Hunt noticed that the pivotal point was reached, and instantly came to the rescue.

'Meet this boy halfway,' said he to the cashier. 'He wants that remnant as a present to a faithful man. He admits that there are tricks in the trade, and refuses to stoop to them. Meet his offer, and shake hands with yourself when you sell a ranch to an honest boy. Haggling will win you nothing.'

'The tail may go with the hide,' nodded the banker. 'The brand is yours outright. I'll give you a bill of sale to that effect.'

The article was drawn. Joel scanned it, and turned to Major Hunt. 'Include this in to-day's payment. There may be a few hundred cattle yet in this brand, not tally-marked, and I hope that our foreman will gather a nice little beginning of cows for himself. I'll let you know how many he gathers.'

The latter remark was addressed to the cashier. There was a mild but clear note of victory in Joel Wells's voice.