The Cass County Sun (Linden, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 26, Ed. 1 Tuesday, June 24, 1924 Page: 3 of 8
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ZEN of
the Y. D.
oA Novel of the Foothills
By ROBERT STEAD
Author of
- Th• Cow Punchtr " — " T*i
Homisttadtrs"— Ntighbort." ttc.
Copyright by ROBHRT STEAD
LIFE IN THE OPEN
Life in the open through the
eyes of an author who la at once
a inan of affairs and a poet—
that's "Zen of the I.I).," by Rob-
ert Stead. It's an adventurous
life, for the scene Is the Cana-
dian West, where the open spaces
are wide and the people grow
large and Individual to fill them.
The author was born in Mani-
toba and has traveled all over
th t province and Alberta and
Saskatchewan selling automo-
biles, so he knows the country
well. Moreover, he's been a
newspaper man In several cities
of western Canada. And now
he's an official of the Immigra-
tion and colonization department
of the Canadian government
But It Is as a poet that Mr. tead
Is best known; he is the author
of "The Empire Builders and
many uncollected poems.
Zen of the Y.D. Is the girl of
the story. The Y.D. ranch Is so
big and so well known that Y.D.
Is the only name current In the
country round for the ranch, old
Y.D. himself and his daughter.
There are four men that Zen has
to manage—Transley. dominant
and efficient; Under, substantial,
hut not self-assertive; Drazk, Ir-
responsible and vicious; Grant,
erratlo. but lovable. And Zen has
her troubles doing that managing.
1
CHAPTER I
"Chuck at the Y.D. tonight, and n
feed under the shingles," shouted
Transley, waving to the procession to
be off.
Linder, foreman and head teamster,
straightened up from the half load
of new hay In wlilch he had been
awaiting the final word, tightened the
lines, made a clucking sound in his
throat, and the horses pressed their
shoulders into the collars. Under
glanced back to see each wagon or
implement take up the slack with a
Jerk like the cars of a freight train;
the cushioned rumble of wagon wheels
on the soft earth, and the noisy chat-
ter of the steel teeth of the hay-
rakes came up from the rear. Trans-
ley's "outfit" was under way.
Transley was a contractor; a mas-
ter of men and of circumstances. Six
weeks before, the suspension of a
grading order hud left him high and
dry, w;th a dozen men and as many
teams on his hands and hired for the
season. Transley galloped all that
night Into the foothills; when he re-
turfed next evening he had a con-
trol with the Y.D. to cut all the hay
fri.m the rnnch buildings to the Forks.
Transley traded his dump scrapers
for mowing machines, and three days
later his outfit was at work In the
upper reaches of the Y.D.
The contract had been decidedly
profitable. Not an hour of broken
weather had interrupted the opera-
tions, and today, with two thousand
tons of hoy In stack, Transley was
moving down to the headquarters of
the Y.D. The trail lay along a broad
valley, warded on either side by
ranges of foothills; hills which In any
other country would have been digni-
fied by the name of mountains. From
their summits the gray-green up-tilted
limestone protruded, whipped clean of
soli by the chlnooks of centuries.
Here ant- there on their northern
slopes hung a beard of scrub timber;
sharp gufleys cut Into their fast-
nesses to bring down the turbulent
waters of their snows.
Some miles to the left of the trail
lay the be'd of the Y.D., fringed with
poplar and cottonwood and occasional
dark green splashes of spruce. He-
yond the bed of the Y.D., beyond the
foothills that looked down upon It,
hung the mountains themselves, their
giant crests pitched like mighty tents
drowsing placidly between earth and
heaven. Now their four o'clock veil
of blue-purple mist lay filmed about
their shoulders, but later Ihey would
stand ont in bold silhouette cutting
Into the twilight sky. Everywhere
the silences of the eternal, broken
only by the muffled noises of Trans-
ley's outfit trailing down to the Y.D.
Linder, foreman and head tepmster,
cushioned his shoulders against hts
half load of hay and contemplated the
scene with amicable satisfaction. The
hay fields of the foothills had been a
pleasant change from the railway
grades of the plains below. Men an«1
horses had fattened and grown con-
tent, and the foreman bail reason to
know that Transley's bank account
had profited by the sudden shift In
his operations. Under felt In bis
pocket for pipe and matches; then,
with a frown, withdrew his fingers.
He himself had laid down the law that
there must be no smoking in the hay
fields. A carelessly dropped match
niJght In an hour nullify all their
labor.
Liner's frown had scarce vanished
when hoof-beats pounded by the side
of his wagon, and a rider, throwing
himself lightly from his horse, dropped
beside him In the hay.
"Tho"ght I'd ride with yon a spell,
Lin. That Pete-horse acts like he was
goln' sore on the off front foot. Chuck
at the Y.D. tonightV
"That's what Transley says, George,
and he knows."
"Ever et at the Y.D.?"
"Nope."
"Know old Y.D.r
"Only to know his name Is good on
a check, and they say he still throws
a good rope."
George wriggled to a more comfort-
able position In the hay. He had a
feeling that he was approaching a
delicate subject with consummate
skill. After a considerable silence he
continued:
"They say that's quite a girl old
Y.D.'s got."
"Oh," said Linder, slowly. The
occasion of the soreness In that Pete-
horse's off front foot was becoming
apparent.
"You better stick to Peter," Linder
continued. "Women is most uncer-
tain critters."
"Don't I know It?" chuckled George,
poking the foreman's ribs companion-
ably with his elbow. "Don't I know
It?" he repeated, as his mind appar-
ently ran back over some reminiscence
that verified Llnder*s remark. It was
evident from the pleasant grimaces of
George's face that whatever he had
suffered from the uncertain sex was
forgiven.
"Say, Lin," he resumed after an-
other pause, and this time in a more
confidential tone, "do you s'pose
Transley's got a notion that way?"
"Shouldn't wonder. Transley al-
ways knows what he's doing, and why.
Y.D. must bo worth a million or so,
and the girl is all he's got to leave It
to. Besides, no doubt she's well worth
having on her own account."
"Well, I'm sorry for the boss,"
George replied, with great soberness.
"1 alius hate to disappoint the boss."
"Huh!" said Linder. He knew
George Drazk too well for further
comment. After his unlimited pride
In and devotion to his horse, George
gave his heart unreservedly to wom-
ankind. He suffered from no cramp-
ing nicencss In his devotions; that
would have limited the play of his
passion; to him all women were alike
—or nearly so. And no number of re-
buffs could convince George that he
was unpopular with the objects of his
democratic affections. Such a conclu-
sion was, to him, too absurd to be en-
tertained, no matter how many ex-
periences might support It If oppor-
tunity offered he doubtless would pro-
pose to Y.D.'s daughter that very night
—and get a boxed ear for his pains.
The Y.D. creek hail crossed its val-
ley, shouldering close against the base
of the foothills to the right. Here the
current had created a precipitous cut-
hank, and to avoid It and the stream
the trail wound over the side of the
hill. As they crested a corner the sli-
ver ribbon of the Y.D. was unraveled
before them, and half a dozen miles
down Its course the ranch buildings
lay clustered In a grove of cotton-
woods and evergreens. All the great
valley lay warm and pulsating In a
flood of yellow sunshine; the very
eurth seemed amorous and content In
the embrace of sun and sky. The
majesty of the view seized even the
unpoetic souls of Linder and Drazk,
and because they had no other means
of expression they swore vaguely and
relapsed Into silence.
Hoof-beats again sounded by the
wagon side. It was Transley.
"Oh, here you are, Drazk. How
long do you reckon it would take you
to rWe down to the Y.D. on that Pete-
horse?" Transley was a leader of
men.
Drazk's eyes sparkled at the subtle
compliment to his horse.
"I tell you, boss," he said, "If there's
any Jackrubblts iu the roud they'll get
tramped on."
"I bet they will," said Transley,
genially. "Well, you Just slide down
and tell Y.D. we're coming In. She's
going to be later than I figured, but 1
can't hurry the work horses. You
know that, Drazk."
"Sure I do, boss," said Drazk, spring-
ing Into his saddle. "Just watch me
lose myself In the dust" Then, to
himself, "Here's where I beat the boss
to it."
The sun had fallen behind the moun-
tains, the valley was filled with
shadow, the afterglow, mauve and pur-
ple and copper, was playing far up the
sky when Transley's outfit reached
the Y.D. corrals. George Drazk had
opened the gate and waited beside It.
"Y.D. wants you an' Linder to eat
with him at the house," he said as
Transley halted beside him. "The rest
of us eat in the hunkhouse." There
was something strangely modest In
Drar.k's manner.
I "Had yours handed tt\?ou already?"
' ' „
,} [h '..v ' •,
THE CASS COUNTY SUN
Linder managed to banter In a low
voice as they swung through the gate.
"H—II" protested Mr. Drask. "A
fellow that ain't a boss or a foreman
don't get a look-In. Never even seen
her. . , . Come, you Pete-horse!"
It was evident George bad gone back
to his first love.
The wagons drew up In the yard,
and there was a fine Jingle of harness
as the teamsters quickly unhitched.
Y.D. himself approached through the
dusk; his large frame and confident
bearing were unmistakable even in
that group of confident, vigorous men.
"Glad to see you, Transley," be said
cordially. "You done well out there.
'So, Linder I You made a good Job of
it Come up to the house—I reckon
the missus has supper waltln'. We'll
find a room for you up there, too; It's
different from beln' under canvas."
So saying, and turning the welfare
of tbo men and the horses over to his
foreman, the rancher led Transley and
Linder along a path through a grove
of cottonwoods, across a footbridge
where from underneath came the
babble of water, to "the house,"
marked by a yellow light which poured
through the windows and lost Itself
In the shadow of the trees.
The nucleus of the bouse was the
log cabin where Y.D. and his wife had
lived In their first married years. With
the passage of time additions had been
built to every side whirfi offered a
point of contact, but the log cabin still
remained the family center, and Into
it Transley and Linder were immedi-
ately admitted. The poplar floor had
long since worn thin, save at the knots,
and had been covered with edge-
grained fir, but otherwise the cabin
stood as It had for twenty years, the
whitewashed logs glowing in the light
of two brocket lamps and the reflec-
tions from a wood fire which burned
merrily In the stove. The skins of a
grizzly bear and a timber wolf lay on
the floor, and two moose heads looked
down from opposite ends of the room.
On the walls hung other trophies won
by Y.D.'s rifle, along with hand-made
bits of harness, lariats, and other In-
signia of the ranchman's trade.
The rancher took his guests' hats,
and motioned each to a seat "Moth-
er," he sold, directing hi- voice Into
an adjoining room, "uere's the boys."
In a moment "Mother" appeared
drying her hands. In her appearance
were courage, resourcefulness, energy
—fit mate for the man who had mnde
"Do You Suppose Transley's Got a
Notion That Way7"
the Y.D. known In every big cattle
murket of the country. As Llnder*s
eye caught her and her husband in the
same glance his mind Involuntarily
leapt to the suggestion of what the off-
spring of such a pair must be. The
men of the cattle country have a
proper appreciation of heredity. . . .
"My wife—Mr. Trunsiey, Mr. Un-
der," said the rancher, with a courtli-
ness which sat strangely on his other-
wise rough-and-ready speech. "I been
tellln' her the fine Job you boys has
made In the hay fields, an' I reckon
she's got a bite of supper waltln' you."
"Y.D. has been full of your praises,"
said the woman, as she led them Into
another room, where a table was set
for five. Linder experienced a tang
of happy excitement as he noted the
number. Linder allowed himself no
foolishness about women, but, as he
sometimes sagely remarked to George
Drazk, you never can tell what might
happen. He shot a quick glance at
Transley, but the contractor's face
gave no sign. Even as he looked Lin-
der thought what an able face It was.
Transley was not more thnn twenty-
six, but forcefulness, assertion, ability,
stood in every line of his clean-cut
features. He was such a man as to
capture ut a blow the heart of old
Y.Dm perhaps of Y.D.'s daughter.
"Where's Zen?" demanded the
rancher.
"ghe'U be here presently," his wife
replied. "We don't have Mr. Transley
and Mr, Linder every night, you know,"
she added, with a smile.
"Dolling up," thought Under, "Trust
a woman never to miss a bet."
Bui at that moment a door opened,
end the girl appeared. She did not
burst upon them, as Linder had half
expected; she slipped quietly and
gracefully Into their presence. She
was dressed In black. In a costume
which did not too much conceal the
charm of her figure, and the nut-brown
luster of ber face and hair played
against the sober background of ber
dress wltn an effect that was almost
dazzling.
"My daughter, Zen," said YI>. "Mr.
Transley, Mr. Linder."
She shook bands frankly, first with
Transley, then with Linder, as had
been the order of the Introduction.
She gave the impression of one who
has herself, and the situation, in
hftnd.
"We're always glad to have guests
at the Y.D." she was saying. "We
live so for from everywhere."
Linder thought that a strange peg
on which to hang their welcome. But
she was continuing:
"And you have been so successful,
-haven't you? You have made quite a
hit with Dad." '
"How about Dad's daughter?"
asked Transley. Transley had a man-
ner of direct and forceful action.
These were bis first words to her.
Linder would not have dared be so
precipitate.
"Perhups," thought Linder to him-
self, as he turned the incident over In
his mind, "perhaps that Is why Trans-
ley is boss, and I'm just foreman."
The young woman's behavior seemed
to support that conclusion. She did
not answer Transley's question, but
she gave no evidence of displeasure.
"You boys mus' be hungry," Y.D.
was saying. "Pile In."
The rancher and Ills wife sat at
the ends of the table; Transley on the
side at Y.D.'s right; Linder at Trans-
ley's right In the better light Linder
noted Y.D.'s face. It was the face of
a man of fifty, possibly sixty. Life
In the open plays strange tricks with
the appearance. Some men It ajrea
before their time; others seem to tap
a spring of perpetual youth. Save for
the gray mustache and the puckerlngs
about the eyes Y.D.'s was still a
young man's face. Then, as the ranch-
er turned his head, Linder noted a
long scar, as of a burn, almost grown
over In the right cheek. . . . Across
the table from them sat the girl. Im-
partially dividing her position between
the two.
A Chinese boy served soup, and the
rancher set the example by "piling
In" without formality. Then followed
a huge Joint of beef, from which Y.D.
cut generous slices with swift and
dexterous strokes of a great knife,
and the Chinese boy added the vege-
tables from a side table. As the meat
disappeared the call of appetite be-
came less insistent.
"She's been a great summer, ain't
she?" said the rancher, laying down
his knife and fork and lifting the
carver. "Transley, some more meat?
Pshaw, you ain't et enough for a
chicken. Under? That's right, pass
up your plate. Powerful dry. though.
That's only a small bft; here'B a bet-
ter slice here. Dry summers gen'ral-
ly mean open winters, but you can't
never tell. Zen, how 'bout you? Old
Y.D.'s been too long on the Job to
take chances. Mother? How much
did you say, Transley? About two
thousand tons? Not enough. Don't
care If I do"—Helping himself to an-
other piece of beef.
"I think you'll find two thousand
tons, good hay and good measure-
ment," said Transley,
"I'm sure of It," rejoined his host
generously. "I'm carryln' more steers
than usual, nnd'Il maybe run In a
bunch of doggies from ManltoDa to
boot I got to have more hay."
The Chinese boy served a pudding
of some sort and presently the meal
was ended.
"She's been a dry summer—power-
ful dry,' said the rancher, with a wink
at his guests. "Zen, I think there's a
bit of gopher poison In thsre yet, ain't
there?"
The girl left the room without re-
mark, returning shortly with a Jug
and glasses, which she placed before
ber father.
"I suppose you wear a man's size,
Transley," he said, pouring out a big
drink of brown liquor, despite Trans-
ley's deprecating hand. "Linder, how
many fingers? Two? Well, we'll
throw In the thumb. Y.D.? If you
please, Just a little snifter. All set?"
The rancher rose to his feet, and
the company followed bis example.
"Here's ho I—and more hay," be
suid. genially.
"Ho!" said Linder.
"The daughter of the Y.D. I" said
Transley looking across the table at
the girl. She met his eyes full; then,
with a gleam of white teeth, she raised
an empty glass and clinked It against
his.
HEADACHES GONE
TIRED NO MORE
Gives Credit to Lydia L Pinkham's
Vegetable Compound. Hopes
Other Women Will Benefit by
Her Experience
Skowhegan, Me.—"I was sick most
of the time and could not get around to
do my work without
being all tired out so
I would have to lie
down. One day when
I was reading the
iper I saw the Lydia
. Pinkham's Vege-
table Compound ad-
vertisement and saw
what it did for other
women, so I thought
I would try it. I
have taken three
bottles, and cannot
begin to tell you what it has already
done for me. I do all my work now
and keep up the whole daylong without
lying down. I have no more headaches
nor tired feelings. I hope every woman
who takes the Vegetable Compound will
get as much benefit outof it as 1 have."
—Mrs. Percy W Richardson, R.F.D.
No. 2, Skowhegan, Maine.
You have just read how Lydia E. Pink-
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That best becomes a man which is
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For trne blue, use Red Cross Ball
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—Advertisement.
Motto of the bunko man-
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-When In
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Money back without question
auesti
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SHOW CASES
Soda Fountains Store Fixtures
Hay Direct From Manufacturer
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Here's the time-old situation—
two eligible men and an attrac-
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herf
TRY A BOX OF THE
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One of the best on earth. Been on the
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3. HARDY, 4*11 Kenwood Ave.. CKtcago. til.
(TO BE CONTINUES!*.)
China has abolished Hie old law ut>-
Cer v.-hlch a men codid divorce his
wife for talkatlveoraa
Baby Loves
A Bath With
Cuticura
i & i
Mi'1;.*' '
■K|l
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Banger, J. E. A. & Erwin, W. L. The Cass County Sun (Linden, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 26, Ed. 1 Tuesday, June 24, 1924, newspaper, June 24, 1924; Linden, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth341339/m1/3/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Atlanta Public Library.