Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1909 — The Round=Up [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Round=Up

A Romance of Arizona Novelized From Edmund Day’s Melodrama

By JOHN MURRAY and MILLS MILLER

SYNOPSIS. Chapter I—Returning with gold from the mines to an Arizona ranch to claim Echo Allen, his promised bride, Dick Lane is attacked by Apaches led by Buck McKee, a lenegade. After spending six months in a hospital Lane writes to his friend Jack Payson, owner of the Sweetwater ranch, to tell Echo he is coming home. He tells Payson he has $3,000 to pay a mortgage placed by Jack on his ranch to help him. II- —Colonel Jim Allen, owner of the Bar One ranch, is father of Echo and father by adoption of Polly Hope, Dick and Bud Lane. Polly and Bud are sweethearts. In Dick's absence Echo falls in love with Jack, realizing that her love for Dick was merely friendship. Dick is believed to be dead, owing to the return of McKee with a lying story. Bud “chums” with McKee despite the warnings of Slim Hoover, the fat and popular sheriff. Echo and Jack become engaged. 111.Echo declares to Jack after the latter suppresses Dick’s letter, fearing to lose her, that she will be true to her promise to Dick if he returns. Bud quarrels with Jack about Echo, the boy championing his absent brother’s cause. IV—Aided by Bud, McKee murders Terrill, the station agent, stealing from him $3,000 of county money. McKee suggests to Bud that Dick may still be living. V- —The boys gather at the Allen ranch for the wedding of Echo and Jack. VI and Vll—McKee plans to to throw suspicion of Terrill’s murfjr on Jack, and he and Bud go to .he Allens’ for the wedding. Mckee, raises a disturbance and is put out. VIJI —All ready for the wedding. IX —Dick turns up at the Allens’ just as his rweetheart is married to Jack. Only Allen and Jack see him. Jack is tempted to shoot his friend, who pays the $3,000 to him and returns to the desert. X —The cowpunchers send for a piano as a surprise tor Echo, now married to Jack. XI Jack keeps his business affairs secret from his wife, not daring to tell her where he got the $3,000 to pay the mortgage. Polly flirts with Slim, although she loves bud The boys give the piano to Echo. Buck McKee comes to Payson’s at the head of his followers, the Lazy K outfit, to accuse Payson of killing Terrill. Xll—Buck accuses Jack, and the young man refuses to clear himself by telling where he got the money. Slim puts McKee and his men off the Payson place. Jack confesses to his wife his deception to her! regarding Dick, and she sends him to the desert to find Dick and bring him back to hear from her own lips that she believed him dead when she promised to marry Jack. Forgetting he is under suspicion of killing Terrill, Jack goes. Echo tries to call him back, but is prevented by Bud. Slim, as sheriff, pursues Jack. XIII—In the desert are Dick, sought by Jack, the latter pursued by Slim and a posse, and a band of Apaches hunted by a troop of soldiers. XlV—Jack finds Dick to send him back to Echo with his own supply of water and food, he himself staying in the desert to expiate his unfaithfulness to his friend. The two are attacked by the Apach. es. Dick is killed and Jack is wounded. He is rescued by Slim and the troops.

CHAPTER XV. IT is dawn in the valley of the Sweetwater. The outfit of Sweetwater ranch has gathered for the roundup and the drive to the railroad. In the absent e of her husband Echo Payson had assumed complete charge of the ranch and with the help of Sagebrush had carried on the work just as she thought Jack would do. ; hoping against hope for his return in safety and hiding her sorrow from those about her. tinder a clump of cottonwood a chuck wagon has halted. Many of the boys on the round-up are still asleep, the Bight herders returning to camp. The cook, Parenthesis, has staiJtwl his preparations for breakfast. | Parenthesis is mlxinlg dough in a dishpan set on the tailboard. Sagebrush kneels near him, putting on his spurs preparatory to saddling up. as be goes on the first relief. “Wake up Texas an’ the other b<j>ys, Fresno,” ordered Sagebrush. The Californian threw away the butt of his cigarette and shook each man by the shoulder. With much yawning and rubbing of eyes the men crawled from their sleeping bags. Dashing cold water Into their faces front a basin beside the water barrel, they drank copiously of the coffee which Parenthesis poured out for them. “Mostly all the Ixtys are In now, ain’t they?" asked Parenthesis, looking about the group. “Yep,” answered Sagebrush. “We’ll finish brandin’ the calves today. 1 reckon Fresno will have to take charge of the drive. I can't leave the ranch until Jack gets back.” Show Low was the only sleeper who had not responded to Parenthesis’ call. That worthy walked over and gave him a kick which brought forth a grunt, but no other sign of an awakening. Returning to the fire, Parenthesis took a tin cup and poured himself out a cup of. coffee. “Heard any word from him yet?” he asked as he gulped the beverage. “Nothin’,” replied Sagebrush grimly. “Slim wrote from Fort Grant he was

on the trail, but the ’Paches were out, an’ they 7 wouldn’t let him leave the fort till the soldiers went with him.” “Slim hadn’t oughter gone an’ left things the way hq did. Buck McKee is gettin’ a lot of bad men together an’ ’lows he is goin’ to run fer sheriff himself,” growled Fresno. "I got my eye on that Peruna.” “Peruua! Who’s be?” asked Texas. “One of Buck’s outfit,” answered Fresno. “He is mighty slick with the njnnin' iron an’ brandin’ other folks’ calves.” ( “We can’t be too careful,” warned Sagebrush. “Things is strained to the bustin’ point, an’ any promise of gun play is goin’ to set off a whole lot of fireworks.” . , Show Low’ was on the verge of waking up. This he did by gradually increasing the volume of each snore and breaking it off with a whistle. At the very moment Sagebrush suggested gun play Show Low snorted his loudest. “What’s that?” asked Sagebrush, grabbing his revolver. ‘‘Show’ Low. lie’s a regular brass band w hen he gets •started—from the big trombone down to the tin whistle,” laughed Fresno. “It’s a wonder he can sleep alongside of that noise," “He can’t,” Fresno volunteered. “He’ll wake himself up in a minute. He’s off now 7 .”

The snores of Show Low grew more frequent until.he climaxed his accompaniment of sleep with one awful snort, which awakened him. “Eh, what’s that?" he yelled as he bounded to a sitting posture. “Didn’t I tell you?” queried Fresno. Sagebrush grinned and slowly arose, gathering up his saddle and rope. Swinging one over each arm, he started toward the corral, saying: “Come on, boys; we got a lot to do today. Git your bosses.” The night riders were cpming into camp, meeting their comrades with grunts or in a few words telling them what to guard against in some particular part of the grazing herd. The sun had risen. The cattle were on their feet browsing the short, sweet grass, moving slowly toward the river. “Work!” growled Show Low. “Darn me if I ain’t commenced to hate it!” Fresno picked up his saddle to follow his foreman, but paused long enough to fire this parting shot at the cook: “Say, Parenthesis, if them biscuits you’re makln’ is as hard as the last bunch, save four of ’em for me. I want to shoe that pony of mine.” Parenthesis threw a tin cup at Fresno, who dodged it. Punching the dough viciously, he said: “Darn this housekeeping Gets'a feller’s bands all rough. It’s enough to spile the disposition of a saint.” Ills soliloquy was Interrupted by Buck McKee riding up to the wagon from the Lazy K outfit, which was camping a mile below them. “Hello, cookie! How goes it?” was his greeting. “You wind it up, an’ It goes eight days,” Parenthesis bellowed, his temper fast reaching the breaking point. “Jack Payson ain't back yet?” Buck asked, paying no attention to the bad humor of Parenthesis. “Not that I knows on.” The cook rolled the dough with elaborate care. 4 "Nor Hoover?” “Ain’t seen him,” he replied curtly. “Well, they qaln’t cornin' back, either

They pulled it off pretty slick on us fellers. Hoover he lets Payson go an’ makes a bluff at chasin’ lifter hitn. Then they gets off somewhere, splits up the money an’ gives us the laugh.” Parenthesis turned on him in anger and shouted: "I’ll bet my outfit against a pair of green socks that either one of ’em or both will be back here before this round-up is over." “You will, eh?” snarled Buck. "Well, we're jes’ waitin’ fer ’em. We’ll swing Payson so high he’ll look like a buzzard, an’ as fer Hoover—well, he’s served his last term as sheriff In this here county—you hear me shoutin’.” McKee cut bls pony with his quirt and dashed away in time to escape an unwelcome encounter with several members of the Sweetwater outfit who were riding back to camp. The men were riding out their new

string of ponies today. As eacTi passed

Parenthesis flung a gibe at him. He had resumed his breadmaking when Polly rode pp to the wagon. “Hello, Parenthesis!” was her greeting. “What is the matter with you?” “Nothin’. This here housekeepin’ is gettin’ on my nervous system some fearful.” Parenthesis struck the dough a savage whack and added, “I ain’t cut out fer housekeepin’.” “You’ve beeu cut out all right,” retorted Polly, glancing at his legs, “whatever it's for.” Parenthesis was not abashed. “Yep, fer straddlin’ a boss,” he proudly replied,

as if that were the chief end of man. Polly,, thus balked in her teasing, tried a new’ form of badinage. “Say, the boys are all braggin’ on your breadmakln’. Won’t you give me your receipt?” “Good cooks,” said Parenthesis, “never give a way their receipts. Brings bad luck to ’em next time.” “Aw, come now, Parenthy, tell me, an’ I’ll let you make my weddin’ cake.” “Will you? Au' let me put in whatever I want fer jokes on the boys?” “Yep, everything goes.” “Oh, I’ll give ’em somethin’ to dream on, you can .bet your sweet life—soap fer Fresno’s finger, clothespin fer Show Low’s nose, bottle of anty-fat fer Slim! It’s a Swop, Miss Polly!” “Well, out with your great secret of breadmakin’.”

“Well, Miss Polly, I take flour an’ water an’ sourin’s an’ a pinch of salt’— “Flour an’ water an’ sourin’s an’ a pinch of salt!” repeated Polly, totting the list off bn her fingers. "Why, so do I, an’ so does every one. It must He in the workin’. How long do you work the dough, Parenthesis?” “It must lie in the workin’,” repeated Parenthesis solemnly. “Why, I work it an’ work it”— he continued with exaspering slowness. “How long do you work it?” asked Polly impatiently. “Till my han’s look purty clean-like!” said Parenthesis, holding up his floury paws. “Then you’ve got a day’s work still before you!” snapped Polly, huffed at seeing herself the victim of a chaffing that she herself had begun. “I won’t bother you any longer. So long!” Parenthesis, however, desired to continue the conversation. “When is this here hitch between you an’ Bud comln* off?” he asked. Polly drew herself up proudly and, speaking with assumed haughtiness, replied, “We’re figurin’ on Bendin’ out the Cards next month.” The cowboy’s eyes twinkled. “Well, I’m a-goin’ to give.jjp clgaroot smokin’." “What for?” asked Polly In surprise. “Goin’ in trainin’ to kiss the bride." “That’s nice!” said Polly, beaming. “Yep, have to take up chawin’, like Bud Lane." Polly was saved from having to answer by Sagebrush galloping up to the wagon. "Put on your gun!” he shouted to Parenthesis. Asking no questions, the cowpuncher obeyed his foreman. Trouble was brewing; that he could plainly see. All he had to do was to obey orders and shoot when any one tried to point a gun at him. Turning to Polly, he cried. "Where’s Mrs. Payson?”

“She come over with me, but stopped to look over the tally for those cows that are goln’ with the drive.” More to himself than to Parenthesis or Polly, Sagebrush said: “I wish she’d stayed at the ranch. This range is no place fer women now. Buck McKee an’ his outfit hits tanked up with Gila whisky, an’ they’re just pawin’ fer trouble.” “What’s come over people lately?” asked Polly. “It’s all along of Hoover goln’ away like he did an’ leavin’ us without a sheriff or nobody that is anybody mailin’ a bluff at law an’ order!” cried Sagebrush. “It's sot this section back twenty years,” observed Parenthesis. “That’s what it has,” agreed the foreman. “Fresno reports that he found that Peruna of the Lazy K outfit slappin’ the Lazy K brand on one of our calves. There ain’t nobody can maverick no calves belongin’ to this outfit, not so long as I’m ranch boss an’ captain of the round-up. We’ve got to takeHhe law in our own han’s an’ make nn example of this bunch right now.” Sagebrush meant what he said. He was gathering re-enforcements from his own men. He knew that the boys of the Allen ranch would side with him, and he felt that there were enough lovers of law and order in the county to declare themselves against the high handed methods of Buck McKee and his followers. “Come on, you fellows!” shouted Show Low as he rode past the wagon up the range. “What is It now?” asked Sagebrush. Over his shoulder Show Low shouted: "We all had a run-in with that Buck McKee’s bunch. Fresno’s laid out with a hole In his shoulder. Billie Nicker’s cashed lb. I’ve got some of the Triangle lx>ys, an’ we’re goln’ to

make a elean-tip7 ! “You ain’t goin’ to do nothin’ unless I say so. We don’t want no range

war. We’il git the man that did the killin’. Come on!” commanded Sagebrush. Polly galloped after the men, saying, “Gee, I’ll miss something if I don’t hurry up!” (To be Conti nu ed)

“Eh, what's that?” he yelled.

“Yep, fer straddlin' a hoss.”

“Gee, I’ll miss something if I don't hurry up!”