THE CALL OF THE LAND 



sides and tops of hills, and not alone in 

 favored seasons, but generally. 



Such luxuriance was not aboriginal. It 

 developed with and after the extinction of 

 the wild herbivora. But these, when most 

 numerous, never cropped the prairie as is 

 now done. Indians and the great carnivora 

 seem to have nicely dressed the balance be- 

 tween herbage and herbivor so as to keep 

 the prairie perpetually clad and whole. 

 The "tragedy of the range" opened only 

 with civilization. 



A cowman, locating anywhere, assumed 

 "range rights" to all he could see. When 

 a second came there was, as a rule, a peace- 

 ful division, reminding of Abraham and 

 Lot, water and grass being abundant for 

 both. In like manner the two shared with 

 number three, the three with four, and .so 

 on. The sheepman and the "nester" the 

 man with a hoe had not yet appeared. 

 Occupants were hardly ever owners. The 

 fees of the ranges belonged to the govern- 

 ment, or to railways, schools, or private in- 

 dividuals, but neither the owners nor their 



38 



