Taking

Taking The Herd Out To Ruby

by Dave Rhodes

I'd just got home on furlough from the Pony Express,

hoping for a good rest without duty,

when Father gave me the dark news:

"I want you to take a herd out to Ruby."

With Father, there is no use to question,

just ask the particulars and, "when do we go?"

"Start tomorrow early, everything is all set

and if you make it to Ruby, send word so I'll know."

The cattle were at a ranch south of the city a ways,

being pastured while the outfit was got ready.

I shook off my gloom and made an account

of what it took to take a herd out to Ruby:

One wagon loaded with supplies for the store,

two Indian night herders each with a pony,

a teamster with three yoke of broken oxen,

and myself and mount made up our meager army.

All went well as we started out,

except for the sleet storm that hit with fury

and my thoughts of what I had planned to do

before I was taking a herd out to Ruby.

"Get the beef to Ruby in the best shape possible

and watch them close with all the stealing going on."

Fathers words echoed in my head

as I pictured coming days that were boring and long.

We crossed the Jordan River by noon

and camped on the edge of Cedar Valley

where Lot Huntington rode up and said,

"I hear your taking a herd out to Ruby."

"A most brilliant observation," I said.

"Suppose you wouldn't like to share the load?"

He said he must move on just now,

but may join me later on down the road.

Lot made another visit the next day,

he was dead on the floor of a stage

which was loaded with heavily armed men

and a prisoner looking a little worried for his age.

Turned out Lot and his chums

plotted to relieve me of the cattle,

but Porter Rockwell got wind of the plan

and rounded up help for the battle.

Lot and friends decided to shoot it out at Faust's,

a mistake when Deputy Rockwell is involved

since not many that went up against old "Port"

lived to get away with a crime unsolved.

Who knows what our fate would have been

had the saloon bums stole the cattle from me

and decided to drive on to California . . .

more profitable than taking the herd out to Ruby.

At River Bend we discovered a flash flood

had completely washed away the road,

which was impossible to drive over,

with our wagon and heavy load.

It took several hours to get through

the terrible destruction and debris,

but we finally got the outfit across

and headed the herd towards Ruby

When we reached the desert just east of Fish Springs

the wagon got stuck in the mud up to the hubs and more.

The team and cattle were led to solid ground

where we spent the night thinking of tomorrow's chore.

The next day it would not budge and there it set.

I simply had to get it out there,

So we devised a plan and put it to work

to get free from the slimy mud snare.

We took the double canvas used for the top

and spread them out on the desert floor,

then loaded all the valuables on the tarp

and pulled them through the sea of mud to the shore.

The day after that, we pulled out the empty wagon.

So, with two days of struggle and agony

the battle against the white chalky mud was won

and finally back on the road . . . taking the herd out to Ruby.

We had no more trouble till we passed Butte Station.

‘Bout a mile further there's a steep hill going west.

That's where our team just gave out

at the heavy snow drift over the crest.

Nothin' to do but rest for the night.

Again, the team was unhitched from the load..

We found a good camp off the trail a piece

and just left the wagon setting in the road.

Man and beast slept well that night,

not hearing the stage come through,

the road was blocked, they could not get by

but the driver obviously figured what to do.

Imagine our surprise when we woke up

and found the wagon at the bottom of the run.

The episode was written by tracks in the snow

and we could clearly see what had been done.

The stage team was hooked to the back of our wagon

which was guided to the bottom of the hill

where the road allowed the stage to get around

after which it could get underway at will.

With the animals rested they had the strength

to get over the pass real easy.

So, again, we were back on the road,

taking the herd out to Ruby.

I figured our trials were all passed

since we were about almost there

of course, I was wrong

there was one more burden to bear.

Just before Mountain Springs Station

the road was all staked out ‘cause of deep snow

and a sleigh seemed the only way to get through,

but, I had hungry beef and had to find a way to go.

We lassoed, snubbed and yoked two beef steers,

put them on in front of the oxen row

and used the herd to break the trail

to get us out of the snow.

Just one little stretch and there we were!

I'd never seen a place look more pretty,

After all the trouble and wasted time

we finally got the herd out to Ruby!

I was looking for a rest, being truly spent,

but before my meal and falling into bed

I stopped for a chat with an Express rider,

when it came to me what father had said.

The rider promised me Father would receive

a message which I scribbled in a hurry.

It said: "Nothing unusual worthy to report . . .

oh . . . and we did get the herd out to Ruby."