“I never saw a sheepman yet that would fight, but you’ve got to”
HIDDEN WATER
By DANE COOLIDGE
With Four Illustrations in Color
By MAYNARD DIXON
A. L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers New York
COPYRIGHT
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
1910
Published October 29, 1910
Second Edition, December 3, 1910
Entered at Stationers’ Hall, London, England
All rights reserved
ILLUSTRATIONS
| ”I never saw a sheepman yet that would fight, but you’ve got to” | Frontispiece |
| “Put up them guns, you gawky fools! This man ain’t going to eat ye!” | 177 |
| “No!” said Kitty, “you do not love me” | 287 |
| Threw the sand full in his face | 462 |
HIDDEN WATER
After many long, brooding days of sunshine,when the clean-cut mountains gleamed brilliantlyagainst the sky and the grama grass curledslowly on its stem, the rain wind rose up suddenly outof Papaguería and swooped down upon the desolatetown of Bender, whirling a cloud of dust before it;and the inhabitants, man and horse, took to cover.New-born clouds, rushing out of the ruck of flyingdirt, cast a cold, damp shadow upon the earth andhurried past; white-crested thunder-caps, piling-upabove the Four Peaks, swept resolutely down to meetthem; and the storm wind, laden with the smell ofgreasewood and wetted alkali, lashed the gaunt desertbushes mercilessly as it howled across the plain.Striking the town it jumped wickedly against the oldHotel Bender, where most of the male population hadtaken shelter, buffeting its false front until the glassestinkled and the bar mirrors swayed dizzily from their12moorings. Then with a sudden thunder on the tinroof the flood came down, and Black Tex set up thedrinks.
It was a tall cowman just down from the Peakswho ordered the round, and so all-embracing washis good humor that he bid every one in the roomdrink with him, even a sheepman. Broad-