the outlet-第48章

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d　mule　trains　coming　in　and　also　leaving　for　their　destinations。　Our　employer　came　in　about　dusk；　and　at　once　went　to　the　depot；　as　he　was　expecting　a　message。　One　had　arrived　during　his　absence；　and　after　reading　it；　he　came　over　to　Dave　and　me；　saying：

〃It's　from　Mike　Sutton。　I　authorized　him　to　secure　the　services　of　the　best　lawyer　in　the　West；　and　he　has　just　wired　me　that　he　has　retained　Senator　Aspgrain　of　Sioux　City；　Iowa。　They　will　report　at　Fort　Buford　on　September　the　5th　and　will　take　care　of　any　legal　complications　which　may　arise。　I　don't　know　who　this　senator　is；　but　Mike　has　orders　not　to　spare　any　expense　as　long　as　we　have　the　other　fellow's　money　to　fight　with。　Well；　if　the　Iowa　lawyers　are　as　good　stuff　as　the　Iowa　troops　were　down　in　Dixie；　that's　all　I　ask。　Now；　we'll　get　our　suppers　and　then　sack　our　saddleswhy；　sure；　you'll　need　them；　every　good　cowman　takes　his　saddle　wherever　he　goes；　though　he　may　not　have　clothes　enough　with　him　to　dust　a　fiddle。〃



CHAPTER　XIX。　IN　QUARANTINE

We　reached　Miles　City　shortly　after　midnight。　It　was　the　recognized　cattle　centre　of　Montana　at　that　time；　but　devoid　of　the　high…lights　which　were　a　feature　of　the　trail　towns。　The　village　boasted　the　usual　number　of　saloons　and　dance…houses；　and　likewise　an　ordinance　compelling　such　resorts　to　close　on　the　stroke　of　twelve。　Lovell　had　been　there　before；　and　led　the　way　to　a　well…known　hostelry。　The　house　was　crowded；　and　the　best　the　night　clerk　could　do　was　to　give　us　a　room　with　two　beds。　This　was　perfectly　satisfactory；　as　it　was　a　large　apartment　and　fronted　out　on　an　open　gallery。　Old　man　Don　suggested　we　take　the　mattresses　outside；　but　as　this　was　my　first　chance　to　sleep　in　a　bed　since　leaving　the　ranch　in　March；　I　wanted　all　the　comforts　that　were　due　me。　Sponsilier　likewise　favored　the　idea　of　sleeping　inside；　and　our　employer　yielded；　taking　the　single　bed　on　retiring。　The　night　was　warm；　and　after　thrashing　around　for　nearly　an　hour；　supposing　that　Dave　and　I　were　asleep；　old　man　Don　arose　and　quietly　dragged　his　mattress　outside。　Our　bed　was　soft　and　downy；　but　in　spite　of　the　lateness　of　the　hour　and　having　been　in　our　saddles　at　dawn；　we　tossed　about；　unable　to　sleep。　After　agreeing　that　it　was　the　mattress；　we　took　the　covering　and　pillows　and　lay　down　on　the　floor；　falling　into　a　deep　slumber　almost　instantly。　〃Well；　wouldn't　that　jar　your　eccentric；〃　said　Dave　to　me　the　next　morning；　speaking　of　our　inability　to　sleep　in　a　bed。　〃I　slept　in　one　in　Ogalalla；　and　I　wasn't　over…full　either。〃

Lovell　remained　with　us　all　the　next　day。　He　was　well　known　in　Miles　City；　having　in　other　years　sold　cattle　to　resident　cowmen。　The　day　was　spent　in　hunting　up　former　acquaintances；　getting　the　lay　of　the　land；　and　feeling　the　public　pulse　on　the　matter　of　quarantine　on　Southern　cattle。　The　outlook　was　to　our　liking；　as　heavy　losses　had　been　sustained　from　fever　the　year　before；　and　steps　had　already　been　taken　to　isolate　all　through　animals　until　frost　fell。　Report　was　abroad　that　there　were　already　within　the　jurisdiction　of　Montana　over　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　through　Texas　cattle；　with　a　possibility　of　one　third　that　number　more　being　added　before　the　close　of　the　season。　That　territory　had　established　a　quarantine　camp　on　the　Wyoming　line；　forcing　all　Texas　stock　to　follow　down　the　eastern　side　of　the　Powder　River。　Fully　one　hundred　miles　on　the　north；　a　dead…line　was　drawn　from　Powderville　on　that　watercourse　eastward　to　a　spur　of　the　Powder　River　Mountains；　thus　setting　aside　a　quarantine　ground　ample　to　accommodate　half　a　million　cattle。　Local　range…riders　kept　all　the　native　and　wintered　Texas　cattle　to　the　westward　of　the　river　and　away　from　the　through　ones；　which　was　easily　done　by　riding　lines；　the　Southern　herds　being　held　under　constant　control　and　hence　never　straying。　The　first　Texas　herds　to　arrive　naturally　traveled　north　to　the　dead…line；　and；　choosing　a　range；　went　into　camp　until　frost　relieved　them。　It　was　an　unwritten　law　that　a　herd　was　entitled　to　as　much　grazing　land　as　it　needed；　and　there　was　a　report　about　Miles　City　that　the　quarantine　ground　was　congested　with　cattle　halfway　from　Powderville　to　the　Wyoming　line。

The　outlook　was　encouraging。　Quarantine　was　working　a　hardship　to　herds　along　the　old　Powder　River　route；　yet　their　enforced　isolation　was　like　a　tempered　wind　to　our　cause　and　cattle；　the　latter　then　leisurely　grazing　across　Dakota　from　the　Little　Missouri　to　the　mouth　of　the　Yellowstone。　Fortune　favored　us　in　many　respects。　About　Miles　City　there　was　no　concealment　of　our　mission；　resulting　in　an　old　acquaintance　of　Lovell's　loaning　us　horses；　while　old　man　Don　had　no　trouble　in　getting　drafts　cashed　to　the　amount　of　two　thousand　dollars。　What　he　expected　to　do　with　this　amount　of　money　was　a　mystery　to　Dave　and　myself；　a　mystery　which　instantly　cleared　when　we　were　in　the　privacy　of　our　room　at　the　hotel。

〃Here；　boys；〃　said　old　man　Don；　throwing　the　roll　of　money　on　the　bed；　〃divide　this　wad　between　you。　There　might　be　such　a　thing　as　using　a　little　here　and　there　to　sweeten　matters　up；　and　making　yourselves　rattling　good　fellows　wherever　you　go。　Now　in　the　first　place；　I　want　you　both　to　understand　that　this　money　is　clear　velvet；　and　don't　hesitate　to　spend　it　freely。　Eat　and　drink　all　you　can；　and　gamble　a　little　of　it　if　that　is　necessary。　You　two　will　saddle　up　in　the　morning　and　ride　to　Powderville；　while　I　will　lie　around　here　a　few　days　and　try　the　market　for　cattle　next　year；　and　then　go　on　to　Big　Horn　on　my　way　to　the　Crow　Agency。　Feel　your　way　carefully；　locate　the　herds　of　Field；　Radcliff　&　Co。；　and　throw　everything　in　their　way　to　retard　progress。　It　is　impossible　to　foretell　what　may　happen；　and　for　that　reason　only　general　orders　can　be　given。　And　remember；　I　don't　want　to　see　that　money　again　if　there　is　any　chance　to　use　it。〃

Powderville　was　a　long　day's　ride　from　Miles　City。　By　making　an　early　start　and　resting　a　few　hours　at　noon；　we　reached　that　straggling　outpost　shortly　after　nightfall。　There　was　a　road…house　for　the　wayfaring　man　and　a　corral　for　his　beast；　a　general　store；　opposition　saloons；　and　the　regulation　blacksmith　shop；　constituting　the　business　interests　of　Powderville。　As　arriving　guests；　a　rough　but　cordial　welcome　was　extended　us　by　the　keeper　of　the　hostelry；　and　we　mingled　with　the　other　travelers；　but　never　once　mentioning　our　business。　I　was　uneasy　over　the　money　in　our　possession；　not　that　I　feared　robbery；　but　my　mind　constantly　reverted　to　it；　and　it　was　with　difficulty　that　I　refrained　from　continually　feeling　to　see　that　it　was　safe。　Sponsilier　had　concealed　his　in　his　boot；　and　as　we　rode　along；　contended　that　he　could　feel　the　roll　chafing　his　ankle。　I　had　tied　two　handkerchiefs　together；　and　rolling　my　share　in　one　of　them；　belted　the　amount　between　my　overshirt　and　undershirt。　The　belt　was　not　noticeable；　but　in　making　the　ride　that　day；　my　hand　involuntarily　went　to　my　side　where　the　money　lay；　the　action　never　escaping　the　notice　of　Sponsilier；　who　constantly　twitted　me　over　my　nervousness。　And　although　we　were　tired　as　dogs　after　our　long　ride；　I　awoke　many　times　that　night　and　felt　to　see　if　my　money　was　safe；　my　partner　slept　like　a　log。

Several　cowmen；　ranching　on　the　lower　Powder　River；　had　headquarters　at　this　outpost。　The　next　morning　Sponsilier　and　I　made　their　acquaintance；　and　during　the　course　of　the　day　got　a　clear　outline　of　the　situation。　On　the　west　the　river　was　the　recognized　dead…line　to　the　Wyoming　boundary；　while　two　camps　of　five　men　each　patroled　the　dividing　line　on　the　north；　drifting　back　the　native　stock　and　holding　the　through　herds　in　quarantine。　The　nearest　camp　was　some　distance　east　of　Powderville；　and　saddling　up　towards　evening　we　rode　out　and　spent　the　night　at　the　first　quarantine　station。　A　wagon　and　two　tents；　a　relay　of　saddle　horses；　and　an　arsenal　of　long…range　firearms　coinposed　the　outfit。　Three　of　the　five　men　on　duty　were　Texans。　Making　ourselves　perfectly　at　home；　we　had　no　trouble　in　locating　the　herds　in　question；　they　having　already　sounded　the　toesin　to　clear　the　way；　claiming　government　beef　recognized　no　local　quarantine。　The　herds　were　not　over　thirty　mile