Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 820 — page 2: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

7 ‘y oS ry ee cake A ; AR ee ee 2 eco 4 “Well, I’m dashed if this isn’t impu- dence!" growled the man with the letter, glaring over the top of it to meet the un- steady gaze of Mustang Harris, foreman of the new United Cattle Co. ‘W’at does she say, major?” asked the cowboy, ina deferential manner, ‘* Listen to this,” invited the other. And then he read the letter aloud. It ran as fol- lows: ‘*Cross Bar RANCH, Sept. 16, 18—, - “To Mason Aanus BLUKES, * President of the United Southwestern American Catile 0).:— ‘* My Dear Srr:—I wish to call your attention to the fact that the construction of a barbed wire fence across Rocky Gap cuts off my cattle-run to Clear- water Creek. This renders Cross Bar Ranch prac- tically worthless so far as cattle-raising is concern- ed, as Clearwater Creek furnishes our only available water at certain seasons of the year. In putting up such a fence you are doing me au irreparable injury without at the same time doing yourself or Lone Star Ranch any particular good. This you must certainly perceive at a glance, and I trust you will be kind enough to allow my cattle theprivilege of drinking from Clearwater Creek, ** While L have in no way countenanced or encour- ed the work of the ‘nesters,’ the fencing of Rocky ay will certainly put mre in sympathy with them, and, as my cattle must have water, I shall be forced to find a means of getting them toit. I would much rather live amicably with my neighbors than other- wise, but [ cannot submit without protest to the ruining of my business, I trust you will fully ap- preciate the situation, and that there may be no un- pleasantness or trouble, ‘* Yours truly, ‘* GERTRUDE GRANT, ** Owner of Cross Bar Ranch.” ‘Now, what in thunder do you think of that?” fumed the florid-faced major. Mustang Harris nodded sagely. ‘It’s jest like ther gal,” he declared, traces of a grin on his ugly face. ‘‘She ‘Who is she?” : takes arter her ole dad.” ‘The smartest gal thet ever roped a steer. She’s clean grit all ther way through.” ‘What about her?” ‘She took the Cross Bar arter her ole dad wuz killed. Thar was a big debt on the ranch, an’ ev’rybody laughed at a gal run- nin’ the place—a tenderfoot gal at thet, fer she wuz born an’ schooled in ther East.” ** Well?” ‘*Waal, her ole dad wuz a tenderfoot, an’ he didn’t own a dollar w’en he got holt o’ Cross Bar through some kind of a deal. Thar wuz a big debt on the place, an’ no- body reckoned he'd lift it. He w’u’d jest ther same if he’d lived, fer it wuz ’bout hafe cleared w’en hecroaked. Then the gal took Pi place, an’ I ‘low she’s nigh cleared the ebt.” Major Blukes grunted, ‘*And this girl has the cheek to send a threatening letter to me—me, President of the United Southwestern American Cattle Co. She has the gall to tell me where J can build a fence! Huh! It’s nothing to me if my fence cuts her cattle off from Clearwater Creek. I propose to look out for myself and the interests of the syndicate. I know my business!’ Te swelled and puffed in his pompous manner, trying to look dignified. “Ther gal’s a fighter, major,” asserted Mustang Harris. ‘‘She won’t be crowded i tall. Some others hey tried thet, but she showed her spunk. Arter takin’ the ranch, she said she was goin’ ter do ther thing up right, an’ so she learned ter ride a hoss as well as her best cowboy. Then she practiced shootin’ till she got it down fine hee Poe drive nails with a pistol in each nd. ~ “ With the butts?” J ‘* Nary time; with ther bullets. kin handle a rope with sher best. her fling a steer more’n once.” The major looked incredulous. ‘* A wonderful girl!” with something like a sneer in his voice. ‘‘She’ll get in trouble when she tries to monkey with Agnus An’ she I’ve seen Blukes! If she joins the nesters in cutting r- - 41; Amy OG may yan”. — Rw | « he -, « ? 4 red ae. 6a. Se tl ae r 3 ( : f a 2 —_e Cin} becl s OES s ig EE a See . = * fences, [ll make it so hot for her in these parts that she'll be glad to get out.” ‘Whom are you speaking of, Major Blukes?” asked a rather handsome and nattily-dressed young man, who came saun- tering out of the ranch, carelessly smoking a cigar, “This girl, Kirk,” replied the old soldier, thrusting the letter into the hands of the smoker. ‘Here may be some work for you. ‘The fence.cutters are going to keep you on the jump.” ‘“'That is what I expected when I came here,” replied Nathan Kirk, or Nobby Nat, as he was sometimes called. The U. $8. A. Cattle Co. had an original way of doing everything, and, much to the amusement of their own cowboys, they had engaged Kirk, an Eastern detective, to in- vestigate the fence-cutting and bring to jus- tice the cutters. Nobby Nat had seemed to think he had a soft job, and the cattle- men had made all manner of sport of him. If there is anything the average cowboy de- tests it is adudish-appearing individual, and the ‘* Tenderfoot Detectivo,” as Nat was dubbed, offended them by his elegance. “Wait tell we git ther cuss alone some- whar,” Iron Jaw Jim had said, significantly. ‘We'll make him so sick he’ll throw up his job an’ go back ter ther effeet East—thet’s w’at we will!” And Jim’s comrades had nodded and wink- edin a manner that showed their approval of the scheme. Nobby Nat carried a cane usually, and that was enough to stamp him as more than “fresh.” A cane might be all right in the ‘‘effeet East,” but a cane on a North Texas ranch—augh | The moment the Tenderfoot Detective saw the handwriting of the owner of Cross Bar Ranch he started somewhat. ‘Then he read the letter through to the end, a strange look on his handsome face, ~ “She seems to be a business woman,” he observed, as he passed the epistle back to the angry major. | ‘« Business—dusiness /” puffed the other. ‘‘That’s an insult to the U, 8. A. Cattle Co., young man! The idea of a gir/ telling me where J can run a fence! And then she the same as threatens to join the fence-cutters!” Nobby Nat nodded. | ‘‘That means more trouble.” “Not a great deal, If the Rocky Gap fence is cut, I’ll know who did it. hat’ll be enough, She’ll find she’s got no soft-head to deal with when she braces against .Major Agnus Blukes.” There was a strange twinkle in the un- steady eyes of Mustang Harris, but he said nothing. However, the look on his face was one of mingled contempy and disgust, which he artfully concealed by turning away. Evi- dently the foreman of the Lone Star aanch thought very little of this blustering brag- gart who was his cmployer. _ Harris had a dark record, it was said he had belonged to Mart Renshaw’s Rustiers, and that there was a price on his head in Colorado. He was said to have killed his man many ‘: time, but the powerful U. 8, A. Syndicate had succeeded in obtaining his pardon, placing him at the head of their forces to lead in the battle with the ‘'nest- -ers,”” or small ranchers, who were being ruined by the erection of barbed-wire fences which cut off their water supply and their free runs. ; The cattle-barons had made huge land- grabs, paying very little attention to small claims and ranches, knowing the cutting off of the water supply would mean the ruin of the small rancher, forcing him to seil his property ata beggarly figure or abandon it entirely. Thus the wlready wealthy syndi- cate would add to its riches by the downfall of those weaker than these insolent ‘‘ba- rons.” In the ‘‘ good old days” such a thing as a + * P ° > - 7 Paid "bre te ‘ : a Ms . LZ . ’ * Rem a FT. -*s . = r x ~* * - Nobby Nat, the Tendexfoot Detective. > - “AF OP ahs ‘+ r _* pid ' a > oy 4-22 7 wi Jas od ns barbed-wire fence was unknown, and the small rancher had an equal chance with his rich neighbor, for his herds had the run of the open plains, only guarded by the hired cowboys, and distinguished by the brand of their owner, With the advent of the barbed-wire fence, all this changed. The cattle-kings inclosed ull the land to which they had a rightful claim by entry or purchase, ‘and much to which they had no claim at all, stretching the hated wires for miles and miles across the plains, in every case taking pains to in- clude in their own domain all valuable watering-places—the usual method of money —to take all the law allows and as much more as if can attain. The cowboys were somewhat in sympa- thy with the nester, although they were bound to work for the interest of - their ,»em- ployers. They could see that the wire fence would soon rob them of their glory and their occupation. To day the trne plains cowboy is fast becoming a mere herder, and in a few years the genus cowboy will vanish, to be <noOWNn no more except in legond and story. Major Blukes tore the letter into trae ments, which he cast on the ground, grind- ing them under his heel. ‘The girl don’t want to fool with me!” he asserted. ‘‘She’ll be pretty sure ter make yer trouble, major,” assured Mustang Harris, ‘““AsI said, she’s clean grit; All around these yere parts she’s known as Git Thar Gert. The boys say w’en she sets out to. do a thing she allus gits thar with both feet.” , ‘* Bosh! I suppose the fence across Rocky Gap is being run up now?” se Yep. ”? “* Harris, bring my horse. I’m goin’ over an’ take a look at it. Reckon !’ll have it built double there. Just to let this girl know I hain’t ter be fooled with.” Nat Kirk sauntered to the cool veranda of the house, while the foreman hastened away to bring the major’s horse. Twenty minutes later, the old soldier started for the Rocky Gap. Being a hard- headed old fellow, he had really determined to have the fence at that point constructed. double, which would mean an actual de- fiance to the Girl Rancher, who had ven- tured to mildly warn him against cutting off her cattle-run. CHAPTER IT. GIT THAR GERT MEANS BUSINESS. Just as he was about to ride down into Rocky Gap Major Blukes suddenly found himself face to face witha girl who was mounted on a coal-black horse. ‘Hold on a moment, sir!’ she’ command- ed, reining her animal across the veteran’s path and throwing up one gauntlet-gloved hand, ‘‘] want to speak with you.” The major caught his breath. ‘By Jove! she is a beauty!” he mentally exclaimed. He was right. The girl was not more than twenty years of age, and sat in the side-saddle like a queen onathrone. Her blue riding-dress clung to hor fine figure as if she had been molded in ‘t, the garments being plainly the work of an Eastern tailor. Instead of a regular rid- ing hat, a grayish sombrero was planted on her head, being caught up at one side and fastened witha gold pin. Her hair was a golden bronze, and was rolled up beneath the sombrero in an artistic, manner. Sun and wind had browned her face some- what, ‘but her complexion, naturally of a pure, creamy tint with the healthy touch of pink, was far from being ruined. Her lips were like rose petals, and her teeth were small, square and white as milk. Her eyes were of that rare violet-blue so seldom seen. Around this girl’s waist was a silken sash which supported a brace of handsome re- volvers. —~: j hd Rayos . yer a s / \\ | y “" Y . | > OOKS: = = \- oe — : & % | 4 ~T » . ‘ ‘ ~- et > | ! 5. ) | . bs j , 4 - N y : CT a = “ee, “foe * , > ‘ 4 oap “y - ——<S te © f * — . ’ | ~ = < ~ Se fF R J < | dnd ; * , ’ £) a ce . io