Her Prairie Knight, Lonesome Land & The Uphill Climb: Complete Western Trilogy. B. M. Bower
cattle. We depend on government land for range for them. The Cross outfit is the same, only Keith’s is on a smaller scale. He’s got to have range outside his own land, which is mostly hay land. This part of the State is getting pretty well settled up with small ranchers, and then the sheep men keep crowding in wherever they can get a show—and sheep will starve cattle to death; they leave a range as bare as a prairie-dog town. So there’s only one good bit of range left around here, and that’s the Pine Ridge country, as it’s called. That’s our main dependence for winter range; and now when this drought has struck us, and everything is drying up, we’ve had to turn all our cattle down there on account of water.
“Ever since I took charge of the Pool, Keith and I threw in together and used the same range, worked our crews together, and fought the sheepmen together. There was a time when they tried to gobble the Pine Ridge range, but it didn’t go. Keith and I made up our minds that we needed it worse than they did—and we got it. Our punchers had every sheep herder bluffed out till there wasn’t a mutton-chewer could keep a bunch of sheep on that range over-night.
“Now, this lease law was made by stockmen, for stockmen. They can lease land from the government, fence it—and they’ve got a cinch on it as long as the lease lasts. A cow outfit can corral a heap of range that way. There’s the trick of leasing every other section or so, and then running a fence around the whole chunk; and that’s what the Pool has done to the Pine Ridge. But you mustn’t repeat that, Trix.
“Milord wasn’t long getting on to the leasing graft; in fact, it turns out the company got wind of it over in England, and sent him over here to see what could be done in that line. He’s done it, all right enough!
“And there’s the Cross outfit, frozen out completely. The Lord only knows what Keith will do with his cattle now, for we’ll have every drop of water under fence inside of a month. He’s in a hole, for sure. I expect he feels pretty sore with me, too, but I couldn’t help it. I explained how it was to milord, but—you can’t persuade an Englishman, any more than you can a—”
“I think,” put in Beatrice firmly, “Sir Redmond did quite right. It isn’t his fault that Mr. Cameron owns more cattle than he can feed. If he was sent over here to lease the land, it was his duty to do so. Still, I really am sorry for Mr. Cameron.”
“Keith won’t sit down and take his medicine if he can help it,” Dick said moodily. “He could sell out, but I don’t believe he will. He’s more apt to fight.”
“I can’t see how fighting will help him,” Beatrice returned spiritedly.
“Well, there’s one thing,” retorted Dick. “If milord wants that fence to stand he’d better stay and watch it. I’ll bet money he won’t more than strike Liverpool till about forty miles, more or less, of Pool fence will need repairs mighty bad—which it won’t get, so far as I’m concerned.”
“Do you mean that Keith Cameron would destroy our fencing?”
Dick grinned. “He’ll be a fool if he don’t, Trix. You can tell milord he’d better send for all his traps, and camp right here till that lease runs out. My punchers will have something to do beside ride fence.”
“I shall certainly tell Sir Redmond,” Beatrice threatened. “You and Mr. Cameron hate him just because he’s English. You won’t see what a splendid fellow he is. It’s your duty to stand by him in this business, instead of taking sides with Keith Cameron. Why didn’t he lease that land himself, if he wanted to?”
“Because he plays fair.”
“Meaning, I suppose, that Sir Redmond doesn’t. I didn’t think you would be so unjust. Sir Redmond is a perfect gentleman.”
“Well, you’ve got a chance to marry your ‘perfect gentleman,” Dick retorted, savagely. “It’s a wonder you don’t take him if you think so highly of him.”
“I probably shall. At any rate, he isn’t a male flirt.”
“You don’t seem to fancy a fellow that can give you as good as you send,” Dick rejoined. “I thought you wouldn’t find Keith such easy game, even if he does live on a cattle ranch. You can’t rope him into making a fool of himself for your amusement, and I’m glad of it.”
“Don’t do your shouting too soon. If you could overhear some of the things he says you wouldn’t be so sure—”
“I suppose you take them all for their face value,” grinned Dick ironically.
“No, I don’t! I’m not a simple country girl, let me remind you. Since you are so sure of him, I’ll have the pleasure of saying, ‘No, thank you, sir,’ to your Keith Cameron—just to convince you I can.”
“Oh, you will! Well, you just tell me when you do, Trix, and I’ll give you your pick of all the saddle horses on the ranch.”
“I’ll take Rex, and you may as well consider him mine. Oh, you men! A few smiles, judiciously dispensed, and—” Beatrice smiled most exasperatingly at her brother, and Dick went moody and was very poor company the rest of the way home.
Chapter 10. Pine Ridge Range Ablaze
At dusk that night a glow was in the southern sky, and the wind carried the pungent odor of burning grass. Dick went out on the porch after dinner, and sniffed the air uneasily.
“I don’t much like the look of it,” he admitted to Sir Redmond. “It smells pretty strong, to be across the river. I sent a couple of the boys out to look a while ago. If it’s this side of the river we’ll have to get a move on.”
“It will be the range land, I take it, if it’s on this side,” Sir Redmond remarked.
Just then a man thundered through the lane and up to the very steps of the porch, and when he stopped the horse he was riding leaned forward and his legs shook with exhaustion.
“The Pine Ridge Range is afire, Mr. Lansell,” the man announced quietly.
Dick took a long pull at his cigar and threw it away. “Have the boys throw some barrels and sacks into a wagon—and git!” He went inside and grabbed his hat, and when he turned Sir Redmond was at his elbow.
“I’m going, too, Dick,” cried Beatrice, who always seemed to hear anything that promised excitement. “I never saw a prairie-fire in my life.”
“It’s ten miles off,” said Dick shortly, taking the steps at a jump.
“I don’t care if it’s twenty—I’m going. Sir Redmond, wait for me!”
“Be-atrice!” cried her mother detainingly; but Beatrice was gone to get ready. A quick job she made of it; she threw a dark skirt over her thin, white one, slipped into the nearest jacket, snatched her riding-gauntlets off a chair where she had thrown them, and then couldn’t find her hat. That, however, did not trouble her. Down in the hall she appropriated one of Dick’s, off the hall tree, and announced herself ready. Sir Redmond laughed, caught her hand, and they raced together down to the stables before her mother had fully grasped the situation.
“Isn’t Rex saddled, Dick?”
Dick, his foot in the stirrup, stopped long enough to glance over his shoulder at her. “You ready so soon? Jim, saddle Rex for Miss Lansell.” He swung up into the saddle.
“Aren’t you going to wait, Dick?”
“Can’t. Milord can bring you.” And Dick was away on the run.
Men were hurrying here and there, every move counting something done. While she stood there a wagon rattled out from the shadow of a haystack, with empty water-barrels dancing a mad jig behind the high seat, where the driver perched with feet braced and a whip in his hand. After him dashed four or five riders, silent and businesslike. In a moment they were mere fantastic shadows galloping up