Newbrassky

[Delmonico]

As Delmonico is eatin' roast duck with wild rice stuffin' and 'spargus tips, he wonders what Slim is up to.  Delmonico figgers he's finally going to roundup some steers and take them to Dunning to ship.  As Delmonico orders a piece of cherry pie fer desert he wonders what kind of a fix Slim will get himself into over that.

[Delmonico]

Delmonico goes back to the Lincoln Hotel and picks up the Lincoln Star and starts to read about a prairie fire out in the sandhills that is burnin' accross the hills.  He reads where it was started by a roundup foreman who got careless with his brandin' fire out west of Dunning.

Delmonico knows:

IT'S ALL SLIM'S FAULT!!!!

[Ozark Tracker]

as the sun disappears beneath the horizon, the men start their rounds of the cattle,  they look in the direction of the ranch and see a bright blaze in the distance. 

I reckon Trinity decided to cook outside tonight.  I heard him say something about carving out a spam hog and roasting it.  but he sure did build a big fire.

[Ozark Tracker]

(Trinity's carved spam hog herd)

[Trinity]

Trinity enjoys playing with his Spam hog herd.  His favorite part is when he lines them up and herds them into his mouth.  Looking up in the direction of the roundup, Trinity notices the light of a very large fire.

"Hmm!  Mus' be Slim's fault."

[Lucky Irish Tom]

While Trinity is playing with his Spam Hogs, the burglar, who can't read, return the cookbooks cause there aint no pictures, and then goes to the fridge and steals all of Trinity's potted meat product.

[Delmonico]

Delmonico is sure glad he plowed firebreaks around the ranch and burnt the grass in-between.  Of course folks who get burnt out in the wake of Slim's prairie fire might just be lookin' fer some rope.

Delmonico goes to the Livery Stable at 13th and M (where the 20 story bank is today ) and rents a buggy and heads out to the University of Newbrassky Ag-ri-culture Collage out Northeast of town, he has a great idea he wants to check on.

[Stoney Pete]

Stoney was carefull to keep his "medicine" jugs clear of the fire.  The resulting explosion could...an idea strikes him. 

Pete grabs the open jug and takes on long pull of liquid courage, then he rides strait for the fire.  Kissing the remaining jug goodbye he hurls it toward the flames.

The resulting explsion knocks him from his horse.  When the dust settled it had worked.  The explosion had consumed the air so fast the fire was snuffed out.

Stoney turns to see Slim, Tom and Ozark turning the herd as the sound had caused a stampeed.

"This resembles verk.  I shoulda stayed home on the porch."  Stoney opens another jug to soothe the burns.  He returns to camp sayin', "Let's git these beast to market afore we all get kilt."

[Delmonico]

<Authors Note: Ya been watchin' John Wayne in the "Hellfighters again.">

[Delmonico]

Delmonico finishes up at the Ag collage and leaves with a package, he takes his buggy back to town and leaves it back at the Livery Stable.  He goes to the hotel, packs his back anfd goes to the depot and catches the west-bound train.

His plans was to stop in Grand Island for the night, but he figgers he'd best get home and try to protect Slim from being lynched.

[Silver Creek Slim]

<Authors Note: Ya been watchin' John Wayne in the "Hellfighters again.">

<Arthur's Note: I saw it years ago. Good movie.>

[Stoney Pete]

<Authors Note: Ya been watchin' John Wayne in the "Hellfighters again.">

<I ain't seen it in years, but that's where the idear came from. >

[Ozark Tracker]

After getting the steers turned and settled down, Slim, Tom & Ozark go to check on the hole left by the explosion,  Well we got a new watering hole to use on the way to Dunning now, when that thing fills up water, it'll be a pretty good swimming hole too.

Hitting the trail again, the steers settle into a steady pace, Ozark takes out his jew's harp and begin's to twang away,Slim starts to hum along, then Stoney and Tom start to sing,

Well, I hit the trail in 69, with the herd strung out behind me, I never thought I'd get back again to the girl I left behind me

[Lucky Irish Tom]

Stoney and Tom's singing eventually starts another stampede, and Slim, Tom, Stoney, and Ozark are mighty tired by the time the get things calmed down again.  They might need to make camp and head for Dunning in the morning.

[Delmonico]

Delmonico's train stops at Grand Island and then pulls out of the station with Delmonico still one it.  It heads up the Middle Loup Valley for it's stop in Dunning later in the evening.

[Ozark Tracker]

That coffee is sure good after a long day on the trail,  Ozark gets another handful of saltine crackers to go along with that hugh block of cheese that Slim brought. he goes over to his saddlebag and asks if anybody would like a can of the potted meat,  I brought along a few cans just in case we needed it.

maybe tomorrow evening we can be sitting down to a big ole steak dinner,  we should have them beeves in the stockyards early tomorrow. then they be sombody else's problem!

I reckon I'll  rest a bit afore it comes my turn to watch them steers.

[Delmonico]

Delmonico's train pulls into Dunning
And he got him a room for the night
He lay there in silence too much on his mind
Still hopin' that he wasn't right.

He found Slim that evenin' in a tavern in town
In a quiet little out of the way place
He smiled to himself as Delmonico walked through the door
And Delmonico took away all his matches.


<Author's Note:  My 'polagies to Willie.>

[Delmonico]

Delmonico goes to the resteraunt and gets eggs and pork chops fer breakfast.  He goes down to the freight office and make 'rangements to haul his goods out to the ranch when they arrive.

He gets his bag and his gun cases and heads to the livery stable and gets Reuben out of hock.

He ties the cases to the saddle and heads toward the ranch.   After takin' away Slim's matches, he tolt Delmonico that the rest of the guys was bringin' a herd to Dunning.  By careful plannin' Slim had made sure they would have to do the herdin' cause after his supper and drinks, Slim had headed to Wissy-consion.

[Delmonico]

Delmonico sees a herd from the rise of a hill.  He figgers that it is The Rance With No Name herd by the way it is all strung out and scattered.    Delmonico checks it out with his field glasses and sees Stoney Pete ridin' along eatin' a samwhich.  He figgers it Potted Meat Product.


Delmonico has things to do back at the ranch so he drops back down and heads down a different valley.    They're close enough to town by know they ought to make it.

Of course what they are going to do with the cattle once they get there is beyond him since the CB&Q shippin' pens are futher south-east of them at Anselmo.

[Delmonico]

Delmonico comes to a very large place of several thousand acres that is burnt bare.    He skakes his head and is glad he took the matches away from Slim.   As he rides though the burnt area, he is surprised to see a hole several acres in size, slowly filling up with groundwater.