the
Vermejo--swing down the main street of the town, return again to the
enclosed area, flow once more past the grandstand, salute the judges of
the coming events, and the Fifth Annual Independence Rodeo of Eagle
Butte would be officially opened.

Special excursion rates had brought thousands from all parts of western
Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. Hundreds of tourists, sight-seeing the
West, had so arranged their itineraries that they might be present at
the big exhibition of riding, roping, racing, bull-dogging and other
cow-country arts,--arts rapidly becoming mere memories of a day too
quickly passing.

Moving-picture machine operators were seeking advantageous locations for
their outfits; pedestrians dodged, indiscriminately, high-powered
automobiles and plunging bronchos; the old and the new were slapped
together in an incongruous jumble in the streets of Eagle Butte.

The best range men and women of the West were gathered in the western
Texas town.

New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon, Texas
herself, were represented by their most famous riders, ropers,
bull-doggers, cow-experts, and noted outlaw horses.

There were many masqueraders.

Imitation cow-people, they were, made up in fancy wild-west costumes,
long-haired chaps, mammoth black sombreros, gaudy neck-cloths,
silver-spangled saddles, spurs and bridles--typical moving-picture
cowboys, cowgirls and rough riders. But there were, as well, hundreds of
real range people. People whose business it is to work every day at the
"stunts" they were, for the next five days, to play at for the pleasure
of proving their skill and winning the applause of the multitude of
spectators packed each day in the grandstand behind the judges' box at
the Eagle Butte Rodeo.

Every outfit in western Texas sent its most clever riders.

Indians and Mexicans, in picturesque attire, sprinkled the milling mass
of humanity with a dash of rainbow color.

Dance-halls were running, fare layouts were operating, roulette wheels
were spinning. For the time, with the consent of the sheriff and other
reformed authorities, Eagle Butte tried hard to be as Eagle Butte was
twenty--thirty--years ago.

The entire Quarter Circle KT crowd left the ranch early Tuesday
morning'. Parker had surprised Old Heck, and filled his mind with
misgivings, by calling him to one side after breakfast and stammering:

"I--I--reckon you'd just as well go ahead the rest of this wee