DROUGHT
had changed the green sage into a thirsty land, peaceful ranchers into desperate men.
The milk of human kindness had dried up, along with the grass.
A good sprinkle would have settled the dust as well as the animosities that were stirring up gun trouble on the range.
A cloudburst would have made it unnecessary for the big outfits to battle for the little water that was left....
But no rain came and the gun trouble blossomed out in range war.
Blood instead of water flowed over the land...
and home-coming Dan Ballard found himself daubed with it.