the outlet-第43章

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It　must　have　been　the　latter　part　of　July　when　we　reached　the　South　Fork　of　the　Big　Cheyenne　River。　The　lead　was　first　held　by　oiie　and　then　the　other　herd；　but　on　reaching　that　watercourse；　we　all　found　it　more　formidable　than　we　expected。　The　stage　of　water　was　not　only　swimming；　but　where　we　struck　it；　the　river　had　an　abrupt　cut…bank　on　one　side　or　the　other。　Sponsilier　happened　to　be　in　the　lead；　and　Forrest　and　myself　held　back　to　await　the　decision　of　the　veteran　foreman。　The　river　ran　on　a　northwest　angle　where　we　encountered　it；　and　Dave　followed　down　it　some　distance　looking　for　a　crossing。　The　herds　were　only　three　or　four　miles　apart；　and　assistance　could　have　been　rendered　each　other；　but　it　was　hardly　to　be　expected　that　an　older　foreman　would　ask　either　advice　or　help　from　younger　ones。　Hence　Quince　and　myself　were　in　no　hurry；　nor　did　we　intrude　ourselves　on　David　the　pathfinder；　but　sought　out　a　crossing　up　the　river　and　on　our　course。　A　convenient　riffle　was　soon　found　in　the　river　which　would　admit　the　passage　of　the　wagons　without　rafting；　if　a　cut…hank　on　the　south　side　could　be　overcome。　There　was　an　abrupt　drop　of　about　ten　feet　to　the　water　level；　and　I　argued　that　a　wagon…way　could　be　easily　cut　in　the　hank　and　the　commissaries　lowered　to　the　river's　edge　with　a　rope　to　the　rear　axle。　Forrest　also　favored　the　idea；　and　I　was　authorized　to　cross　the　wagons　in　case　a　suitable　ford　could　be　found　for　the　cattle。　My　aversion　to　manual　labor　was　quite　pronounced；　yet　John　Q。　Forrest　wheedled　me　into　accepting　the　task　of　making　a　wagon…road。　About　a　mile　above　the　riffle；　a　dry　wash　cut　a　gash　in　the　bluff　bank　on　the　opposite　side；　which　promised　the　necessary　passageway　for　the　herds　out　of　the　river。　The　slope　on　the　south　side　was　gradual；　affording　an　easy　inlet　to　the　water；　the　only　danger　being　on　the　other　bank；　the　dry　wash　not　being　over　thirty　feet　wide。　But　we　both　agreed　that　by　putting　the　cattle　in　well　above　the　passageway；　even　if　the　current　was　swift；　an　easy　and　successful　ford　would　result。　Forrest　volunteered　to　cross　the　cattle；　and　together　we　returned　to　the　herds　for　dinner。

Quince　allowed　me　one　of　his　men　besides　the　cook；　and　detailed　Clay　Zilligan　to　assist　with　the　wagons。　We　took　my　remuda；　the　spades　and　axes；　and　started　for　the　riffle。　The　commissaries　had　orders　to　follow　up；　and　Forrest　rode　away　with　a　supercilious　air；　as　if　the　crossing　of　wagons　was　beneath　the　attention　of　a　foreman　of　his　standing。　Several　hours　of　hard　work　were　spent　with　the　implements　at　hand　in　cutting　the　wagon…way　through　the　bank；　after　which　my　saddle　horses　were　driven　up　and　down；　and　when　it　was　pronounced　finished；　it　looked　more　like　a　beaver…slide　than　a　roadway。　But　a　strong　stake　was　cut　and　driven　into　the　ground；　and　a　corral…rope　taken　from　the　axle　to　it；　without　detaching　the　teams；　the　wagons　were　eased　down　the　incline　and　crossed　in　safety；　the　water　not　being　over　three　feet　deep　in　the　shallows。　I　was　elated　over　the　ease　and　success　of　my　task；　when　Zilligan　called　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　first　herd　had　not　yet　crossed。　The　chosen　ford　was　out　of　sight；　but　had　the　cattle　been　crossing；　we　could　have　easily　seen　them　on　the　mesa　opposite。　〃Well；〃　said　Clay；　〃the　wagons　are　over；　and　what's　more；　all　the　mules　in　the　three　outfits　couldn't　bring　one　of　them　back　up　that　cliff。〃

We　mounted　our　horses；　paying　no　attention　to　Zilligan's　note　of　warning；　and　started　up　the　river。　But　before　we　came　in　view　of　the　ford；　a　great　shouting　reached　our　cars；　and　giving　our　horses　the　rowel；　we　rounded　a　bend；　only　to　be　confronted　with　the　river　full　of　cattle　which　had　missed　the　passageway　out　on　the　farther　side。　A　glance　at　the　situation　revealed　a　dangerous　predicament；　as　the　swift　water　and　the　contour　of　the　river　held　the　animals　on　the　farther　side　or　under　the　cut…bank。　In　numerous　places　there　was　footing　on　the　narrow　ledges　to　which　the　beeves　clung　like　shipwrecked　sailors；　constantly　crowding　each　other　off　into　the　current　and　being　carried　downstream　hundreds　of　yards　before　again　catching　a　foothold。　Above　and　below　the　chosen　ford；　the　river　made　a　long　gradual　bend；　the　current　and　deepest　water　naturally　hugged　the　opposite　shore；　and　it　was　impossible　for　the　cattle　to　turn　back；　though　the　swimming　water　was　not　over　forty　yards　wide。　As　we　dashed　up；　the　outfit　succeeded　in　cutting　the　train　of　cattle　and　turning　them　back；　though　fully　five　hundred　were　in　the　river；　while　not　over　one　fifth　that　number　had　crossed　in　safety。　Forrest　was　as　cool　as　could　be　expected；　and　exercised　an　elegant　command　of　profanity　in　issuing　his　orders。

〃I　did　allow　for　the　swiftness　of　the　current；〃　said　he；　in　reply　to　a　criticism　of　mine；　〃but　those　old　beeves　just　drifted　downstream　like　a　lot　of　big　tubs。　The　horses　swam　it　easy；　and　the　first　hundred　cattle　struck　the　mouth　of　the　wash　square　in　the　eye；　but　after　that　they　misunderstood　it　for　a　bath　instead　of　a　ford。　Oh；　well；　it's　live　and　learn；　die　and　forget　it。　But　since　you're　so　d　strong　on　the　sabe；　suppose　you　suggest　a　way　of　getting　those　beeves　out　of　the　river。

It　was　impossible　to　bring　them　back；　and　the　only　alternative　was　attempted。　About　three　quarters　of　a　mile　down　the　river　the　cut…bank　shifted　to　the　south　side。　If　the　cattle　could　swim　that　distance　there　was　an　easy　landing　below。　The　beeves　belonged　to　Forrest's　herd；　and　I　declined　the　proffered　leadership；　but　plans　were　outlined　and　we　started　the　work　of　rescue。　Only　a　few　men　were　left　to　look　after　the　main　herds；　the　remainder　of　us　swimming　the　river　on　our　horses。　One　man　was　detailed　to　drive　the　contingent　which　had　safely　forded；　down　to　the　point　where　the　bluff　bank　shifted　and　the　incline　commenced　on　the　north　shore。　The　cattle　were　clinging；　in　small　bunches；　under　the　cut…bank　like　swallows　to　a　roof　for　fully　a　quarter…mile　below　the　month　of　the　dry　wash。　Divesting　ourselves　of　all　clothing；　a　squad　of　six　of　us；　by　way　of　experiment；　dropped　over　the　bank　and　pushed　into　the　river　about　twenty　of　the　lowest　cattle。　On　catching　the　full　force　of　the　current；　which　ran　like　a　mill…race；　we　swept　downstream　at　a　rapid　pace；　sometimes　clinging　to　a　beef's　tail；　but　generally　swimming　between　the　cattle　and　the　bluff。　The　force　of　the　stream　drove　them　against　the　bank　repeatedly；　but　we　dashed　water　in　their　eyes　and　pushed　them　off　again　and　again；　and　finally　landed　every　steer。

The　Big　Cheyenne　was　a　mountain　stream；　having　numerous　tributaries　heading　in　the　Black　Hills。　The　water　was　none　too　warm；　and　when　we　came　out　the　air　chilled　us；　but　we　scaled　the　bluff　and　raced　back　after　more　cattle。　Forrest　was　in　the　river　on　our　return；　but　I　ordered　his　wrangler　to　drive　all　the　horses　under　saddle　down　to　the　lauding；　in　order　that　the　men　could　have　mounts　for　returning。　This　expedited　matters；　and　the　work　progressed　more　rapidly。　Four　separate　squads　were　drifting　the　cattle；　but　in　the　third　contingent　we　cut　off　too　many　beeves　and　came　near　drowning　two　fine　ones。　The　animals　in　question　were　large　and　strong；　but　had　stood　for　nearly　an　hour　on　a　slippery　ledge；　frequently　being　crowded　into　the　water；　and　were　on　the　verge　of　collapse　from　nervous　exhaustion。　They　were　trembling　like　leaves　when　we　pushed　them　off。　Runt　Pickett　was　detailed　to　look　especially　after　those　two；　and　the　little　rascal　nursed　and　toyed　and　played　with　them　like　a　circus　rider。　They　struggled　constantly　for　the　inshore；　but　Runt　rode　their　rumps　alternately；　the　displacement　lifting　their　heads　out　of　the　water　to　good　advantage。　When　we　finally　landed；　the　two　big　fellows　staggered　out　of　the　river　and　dropped　down　through　sheer　weakness；　a　thing　which　I　had　never　seen　before　except　in　wild　horses。

A　number　of　the　boys　were　attacked　by　chills；　and　towards　evening　had　to　be　excused　for　fear　of　cramps。　By　six　o'clock　we　were　reduced　to　two　squads；　with　about　fifty　cattle　still　remaining　in　the　river。　Forrest　and　I　had　quit　the　water　after　the　fourth　trip；　but　Quince　had　a　man　named　De　Manse；　a　Frenchman；　who　swam　like　a　wharf…rat　and　who　stayed　to　the　finish；　while　I　turned　my　crew　over　to　Runt　Pickett。　The　latter