It was three o'clock in the morning when the men were roused by
the cook's triangle calling them to the "chuck wagon" for
breakfast. It was still cold and dark as the boys crawled from
under their blankets and squatted round the fire to eat jerky,
biscuits and gravy, and to drink cupfuls of hot, black coffee.
Before sun rose every man was at his post far up on the Squaw
Creek ridges ready to begin the drive.
Later in the day Helen rode to the parade grounds, toward which a
stream of cattle was pouring down the canyon of the creek. Every
gulch tributary to the creek contributed its quota of wild cows
and calves. These came romping down the canyon mouth, where four
picked men, with a bunch of tame cows in front of them, stopped
the rush of flying cattle. Lunch was omitted, and branding began
at once. Every calf belonging to a Lazy D cow, after being roped
and tied, was flanked with the great D which indicated its
ownership by Miss Messiter, and on account of the recumbent
position of which letter the ranch had its name.
It was during the branding that a boyish young fellow rode up and
handed Helen a note. Her heart pumped rapidly with relief, for
one glance told her that it was in the handwriting of the Ned
Bannister she loved.
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