The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Ranch at the Wolverine, by B. M. Bower

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Title: The Ranch at the Wolverine

Author: B. M. Bower

Release Date: March 19, 2009 [EBook #28356]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RANCH AT THE WOLVERINE ***

Produced by Al Haines

[Illustration: Cover art]

THE RANCH AT

THE WOLVERINE

By B. M. BOWER

Author of "The Lonesome Land," Etc.

A. L. BURT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS

114-120 East Twenty-third Street ---- New York

Published by Arrangement with Little, Brown and Company

Copyright, 1914,

BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

_All rights reserved_

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. LET US START AT THE BEGINNING
II. A STORM AND A STRANGER
III. A BOOK, A BANNOCK, AND A BED
IV. "OLD DAME FORTUNE'S USED ME FOR A FOOTBALL"
V. MARTHY BURIES HER DEAD AND GREETS HER NEPHEW
VI. A MATTER OF TWELVE MONTHS OR SO
VII. WARD HUNTS WOLVES
VIII. HELP FOR THE COW BUSINESS
IX. WHEN EMOTIONS ARE BOTTLED
X. THIS PAL BUSINESS
XI. WAS IT THE DOG?
XII. THE LITTLE DEVILS OF DOUBT
XIII. THE CORRAL IN THE CANYON
XIV. EACH IN HIS OWN TRAIL
XV. "YOU WON'T GET ME AGAIN"
XVI. "I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU OUT AND HANG YOU"
XVII. "SO-LONG, BUCK!"
XVIII. FORTUNE KICKS AGAIN
XIX. THE BRAVE BUCKAROO
XX. "WE BEEN SORRY FOR YOU"
XXI. SEVEN LEAN KINE
XXII. THE BILLY OF HER
XXIII. BILLY LOUISE GETS A SURPRISE
XXIV. THE HOOKIN'-COUGH MAN
XXV. THE WOLF JOKE
XXVI. "HM-MM!"
XXVII. MARTHY
XXVIII. ALL RIGHT AND COMFY

_The Ranch at the Wolverine_

CHAPTER I

LET US START AT THE BEGINNING

Four trail-worn oxen, their necks bowed to the yoke of patient
servitude, should really begin this story. But to follow the trail
they made would take several chapters which you certainly would
skip--unless you like to hear the tale of how the wilderness was tamed
and can thrill at the stern history of those who did the taming while
they fought to keep their stomachs fairly well filled with food and
their hard-mus