Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

94 The Grand Round-Up. chiefs. No find chiefs, come back. Good! Buck- shot love you, and say no forget—no forget.”’ And with a wave of his hand he was off, riding away on a borrowed horse, with his head held erect and the pride of his race cropping out of his every movement. He waved his hand gracefully, and Karl sang out a last “so long,” after which the lone Indian boy gal- loped out of sight. The young range riders once again took up their duties, and Cuthbert found what a tough time might be expected in following the business through the rigors of winter. Of course, the weather moderated again, and they had even some pleasant days, but winter was close at their threshold, and all preparations had been made looking to an especially severe season. The X bar X outfit was probably as well equipped to meet the cold and storm of winter as any cattle ranch in that region. Their feeding grounds all adioiaed valleys or tim- ber where the cattle could take shelter during the continuance of a blizzard, and from whence they must be driven in time to the more exposed range to avoid their starving to death. Cuthbert did his part well. He was proud to “hold up his end of the row,” as the boys aptly ex- ~ pressed it, whether in herding cattle, stopping a stampede or riding a bucking broncho without “pull- ing leather’’—that is, not being compelled to grasp the saddle horn or use any support beyond the stanch bridle. Karl’s affection grew each day. He believed some kindly Providence had dropped this companion down there for him—just such a fearless, frank, easy-going and good-natured chum as every bright boy longs to meet. They were never happy long apart; each expe- ConniclooOokks.€c©