the outlet-第13部分

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en　prohibitory。　The　trials　and　vexatious　of　the　road　were　mere　nothings　to　be　endured；　compared　to　the　sights　we　were　then　leaving。　Even　what　we　first　supposed　were　cattle　lying　down；　were　only　bed…grounds；　the　occupants　having　been　humanely　relieved　by　unwaking　sleep。　Powerless　to　render　any　assistance；　we　trailed　away；　glad　to　blot　from　our　sight　and　memory　such　scenes　of　misery　and　death。

Until　reaching　the　Washita　River；　we　passed　through　a　delightful　country。　There　were　numerous　local　trails　coming　into　the　main　one；　all　of　which　showed　recent　use。　Abandoned　camp…fires　and　bed…grounds　were　to　be　seen　on　every　hand；　silent　witnesses　of　an　exodus　which　was　to　mark　the　maximum　year　in　the　history　of　the　cattle　movement　from　Texas。　Several　times　we　saw　some　evidence　of　settlement　by　the　natives；　but　as　to　the　freedom　of　the　country；　we　were　monarchs　of　all　we　surveyed。　On　arriving　at　the　Washita；　we　encountered　a　number　of　herds；　laboring　under　the　impression　that　they　were　water…bound。　Immediate　entrance　at　the　ford　was　held　by　a　large　herd　of　young　cattle　in　charge　of　a　negro　outfit。　Their　stock　were　scattered　over　several　thousand　acres；　and　when　I　asked　for　the　boss；　a　middle…aged　darky　of　herculean　figure　was　pointed　out　as　in　charge。　To　my　inquiry　why　he　was　holding　the　ford；　his　answer　was　that　until　to…day　the　river　had　been　swimming；　and　now　he　was　waiting　for　the　banks　to　dry。　Ridiculing　his　flimsy　excuse；　I　kindly　yet　firmly　asked　him　either　to　cross　or　vacate　the　ford　by　three　o'clock　that　afternoon。　Receiving　no　definite　reply；　I　returned　to　our　herd；　which　was　some　five　miles　in　the　rear。　Beyond　the　river's　steep；　slippery　banks　and　cold　water；　there　was　nothing　to　check　a　herd。

After　the　noonday　halt；　the　wrangler　and　myself　took　our　remuda　and　went　on　ahead　to　the　river。　Crossing　and　recrossing　our　saddle　stock　a　number　of　times；　we　trampled　the　banks　down　to　a　firm　footing。　While　we　were　doing　this　work；　the　negro　foreman　and　a　number　of　his　men　rode　up　and　sullenly　watched　us。　Leaving　our　horses　on　the　north　bank；　Levering　and　I　returned；　and　ignoring　the　presence　of　the　darky　spectators；　started　back　to　meet　the　herd；　which　was　just　then　looming　up　in　sight。　But　before　we　had　ridden　any　distance；　the　dusky　foreman　overtook　us　and　politely　said；　〃Look…ee　here；　Cap'n；　ain't　you…all　afraid　of　losin'　some　of　your　cattle　among　ours？〃　Never　halting；　I　replied；　〃Not　a　particle；　if　we　lose　any；　you　eat　them；　and　we'll　do　the　same　if　our　herd　absorbs　any　of　yours。　But　it　strikes　me　that　you　had　better　have　those　lazy　niggers　throw　your　cattle　to　one　side；〃　I　called　back；　as　he　halted　his　horse。　We　did　not　look　backward　until　we　reached　the　herd；　then　as　we　turned；　one　on　each　side　to　support　the　points；　it　was　evident　that　a　clear　field　would　await　us　on　reaching　the　river。　Every　horseman　in　the　black　outfit　was　pushing　cattle　with　might　and　main；　to　give　us　a　clean　cloth　at　the　crossing。

The　herd　forded　the　Washita　without　incident。　I　remained　on　the　south　bank　while　the　cattle　were　crossing；　and　when　they　were　about　half　over　some　half…dozen　of　the　darkies　rode　up　and　stopped　apart；　conversing　among　themselves。　When　the　drag　cattle　passed　safely　out　on　the　farther　bank；　I　turned　to　the　dusky　group；　only　to　find　their　foreman　absent。　Making　a　few　inquiries　as　to　the　ownership　of　their　herd；　its　destination；　and　other　matters　of　interest；　I　asked　the　group　to　express　my　thanks　to　their　foreman　for　moving　his　cattle　aside。　Our　commissary　crossed　shortly　afterward；　and　the　Washita　was　in　our　rear。　But　that　night；　as　some　of　my　outfit　returned　from　the　river；　where　they　had　been　fishing；　they　reported　the　negro　outfit　as　having　crossed　and　encamped　several　miles　in　our　rear。

〃All　they　needed　was　a　good　example；〃　said　Dorg　Seay。　〃Under　a　white　foreman；　I'll　bet　that's　a　good　lot　of　darkies。　They　were　just　about　the　right　shadeold　shiny　black。　As　good　cowhands　as　ever　I　saw　were　nigs；　but　they　need　a　white　man　to　blow　and　brag　on　them。　But　it　always　ruins　one　to　give　him　any　authority。〃

Without　effort　we　traveled　fifteen　miles　a　day。　In　the　absence　of　any　wet　weather　to　gall　their　backs；　there　was　not　a　horse　in　our　remuda　unfit　for　the　saddle。　In　fact；　after　reaching　the　Indian　Territory；　they　took　on　flesh　and　played　like　lambs。　With　the　exception　of　long　hours　and　night…herding；　the　days　passed　in　seeming　indolence　as　we　swept　northward；　crossing　rivers　without　a　halt　which　in　previous　years　had　defied　the　moving　herds。　On　arriving　at　the　Cimarron　River；　in　reply　to　a　letter　written　to　my　employer　on　leaving　Texas　behind　us；　an　answer　was　found　awaiting　me　at　Red　Fork。　The　latter　was　an　Indian　tradingpost；　located　on　the　mail　route　to　Fort　Reno；　and　only　a　few　miles　north　of　the　Chisholm　Crossing。　The　letter　was　characteristic　of　my　employer。　It　contained　but　one　imperative　order；that　I　should　touch；　either　with　or　without　the　herd；　at　Camp　Supply。　For　some　unexplained　reason　he　would　make　that　post　his　headquarters　until　after　the　Buford　herds　had　passed　that　point。　The　letter　concluded　with　the　injunction；　in　case　we　met　any　one；　to　conceal　the　ownership　of　the　herd　and　its　destination。

The　mystery　was　thickening。　But　having　previously　declined　to　borrow　trouble；　I　brushed　this　aside　as　unimportant；　though　I　gave　my　outfit　instructions　to　report　the　herd　to　every　one　as　belonging　to　Omaha　men；　and　on　its　way　to　Nebraska　to　be　corn…fed。　Fortunately　I　had　ridden　ahead　of　the　herd　after　crossing　the　Cimarron；　and　had　posted　the　outfit　before　they　reached　the　trading…station。　I　did　not　allow　one　of　my　boys　near　the　store；　and　the　herd　passed　by　as　in　contempt　of　such　a　wayside　place。　As　the　Dodge　cut…off　left　the　Chisholm　Trail　some　ten　miles　above　the　Indian　trading…post；　the　next　morning　we　waved　good…bye　to　the　old　cattle　trace　and　turned　on　a　northwest　angle。　Our　route　now　lay　up　the　Cimarron；　which　we　crossed　and　recrossed　at　our　pleasure；　for　the　sake　of　grazing　or　to　avoid　several　large　alkali　flats。　There　was　evidence　of　herds　in　our　advance；　and　had　we　not　hurried　past　Red　Fork；　I　might　have　learned　something　to　our　advantage。　But　disdaining　all　inquiry　of　the　cut…off；　fearful　lest　our　identity　be　discovered；　we　deliberately　walked　into　the　first　real　danger　of　the　trip。

At　low　water　the　Cimarron　was　a　brackish　stream。　But　numerous　tributaries　put　in　from　either　side；　and　by　keeping　above　the　river's　ebb；　an　abundance　of　fresh　water　was　daily　secured　from　the　river's　affluents。　The　fifth　day　out　from　Red　Rock　was　an　excessively　sultry　one；　and　suffering　would　have　resulted　to　the　herd　had　we　not　been　following　a　divide　where　we　caught　an　occasional　breeze。　The　river　lay　some　ten　miles　to　our　right；　while　before　us　a　tributary　could　be　distinctly　outlined　by　the　cottonwoods　which　grew　along　it。　Since　early　morning　we　had　been　paralleling　the　creek；　having　nooned　within　sight　of　its　confluence　with　the　mother　stream；　and　consequently　I　had　considered　it　unnecessary　to　ride　ahead　and　look　up　the　water。　When　possible；　we　always　preferred　watering　the　herd　between　three　and　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　But　by　holding　our　course；　we　were　certain　to　intersect　the　creek　at　about　the　usual　hour　for　the　cattle's　daily　drink；　and　besides；　as　the　creek　neared　the　river；　it　ran　through　an　alkali　flat　for　dome　distance。　But　before　the　time　arrived　to　intersect　the　creek　on　our　course；　the　herd　turned　out　of　the　trail；　determined　to　go　to　the　creek　and　quench　their　thirst。　The　entire　outfit；　however；　massed　on　the　right　flank；　and　against　their　will　we　held　them　on　their　course。　As　their　thirst　increased　with　travel；　they　made　repeated　attempts　to　break　through　our　cordon；　requiring　every　man　to　keep　on　the　alert。　But　we　held　them　true　to　the　divide；　and　as　we　came　to　the　brow　of　a　small　hill　within　a　quarter…mile　of　the　water；　a　stench　struck　us　until　we　turned　in　our　saddles；　gasping　for　breath。　I　was　riding　third　man　in　the　swing　from　the　point；　and　noticing　something　wrong　in　front；　galloped　to　the　brow　of　the　hill。　The　smell　was　sickening　and　almost　unendurable；　and　there　before　us　in　plain　view　lay　hundreds　of　dead　cattle；　bloated　and　decaying　in　the　summer　sun。

I　was　dazed　by　the　awful　scene。　A　pretty；　greenswarded　little　valley　lay　before　me；　groups　of　cottonwoods　fringed　the　stream　here　and　there；　around　the　roots　of　which　were　both　shade　and　water。　The　reeking　stench　that　filled　the　air　stupefied　me　for　the　instant；　and　I　turned　my　horse　from　the　view；　gasping　for　a　mouthful　of　God's　pure　ozone。　But　our　beeves　had　been　scenting　the　creek　for　hours；　and　now　a　few　of　the　leaders　started　forward　in　a　trot　for　it。　Like　a　flash　it　came　to　me　that　death　lurked　in　that　water；　and　summoning　every　man　within　hearing；　I　dashed　to　the　lead　of　our　cattle　to　turn　them　back　over　the　hill。　Jack　Splann　was　on　the　point；　and　we　turned　the　leaders　when　within　two　hundred　yards　of　the　creek；　frequently　jumping　our　horses　over　the　putrid　carcasses　of　dead　cattle。　The　main　body　of　the　herd　were　trailing　for　three　quarters　of　a　mile　in　our　rear；　and　none　of　the　men　dared　leave　their　places。　Untying　our　slickers；　Splann　and　I　fell　upon　the　leaders　and　beat　them　back　to　the　brow　of　the　hill；　when　an　unfortunate　breeze　was　wafted　through　that　polluted　atmosphere　from　the　creek　to　the　cattle's　nostrils。　Turning　upon　us　and　now　augmented　to　several　hundred　head；　they　sullenly　started　forward。　But　in　the　few　minutes'　interim；　two　other　lads　had　come　to　our　support；　and　dismounting　we　rushed　them；　whipping　our　slickers　into　ribbons　over　their　heads。　The　mastery　of　man　again　triumphed　over　brutes　in　their　thirst；　for　we　drove　them　in　a　rout　back　over　the　divide。

Our　success；　however；　was　only　temporary。　Recovering　our　horses　we　beat　the　cattle　back；　seemingly　inch　by　inch；　until　the　rear　came　up；　when　we　rounded　them　into　a　compact　body。　They　quieted　down　for　a　short　while；　affording　us　a　breathing　spell；　for　the　suddenness　of　this　danger　had　not　only　unnerved　me　but　every　one　of　the　outfit　who　had　caught　a　glimpse　of　that　field　of　death。　The　wagon　came　up；　and　those　who　needed　them　secured　a　change　of　horses。　Leaving　the　outfit　holding　the　herd；　Splann　and　I　took　fresh　mounts；　and　circling　around；　came　in　on　the　windward　side　of　th