A FRESH START 7

for two days the storm raged. wind rain and cold just above freezing. big puddles accumulated in the yard. the only time bill went outside was for more fire wood. but the pile was dwindling fast. his horses came to the corral every morning for a feed of grain. then they returned to the pasture . on the morning of the third day the sun made a brief appearence. bill was on the way to the barn to grain his horses when he looked up at the mountain trail and saw a string of cattle slowley drifting back to the flat land.behind them he could make out the ridges and canyons farther up the mountain. they were caked in snow. the cows that filed down into the yard showed some snow caked to their backs.bill was glad he hadnt closed off that trail. these cows might have died up there.upon closer look he realized these wernt his cows. they were kearny cows . they drifted on past the cabin and began grazeing out to the west. the next day it warmed up a bunch. draws off the mountain were running little streams of water from the melting snow. the puddles in the yard were being soaked up fast.bill puttered around the ranch mending the corral fence and other meinial chores. the mud wasnt very think which surprised him. one thing he hadnt seen on the range or anywhere he had been was salt blocks. he knew that those salt blocks would help locate cattle and possibly help gentle them. he decided that he would take his pack horses and go get some salt blocks. that night he sat at his table counting his money. the canvas bag lay flat on the table next to him. altho the pile of money was smaller he still had a sizeable poke. he folded the cash and put it back in the bag. before he used it all up he better sell his calf crop next fall. every morning he told himself he was the luckyest man alive. bought this good little ranch, have ing it rain like crazy. everything was going just the way he needed.