BOOKIITHERANGER
CHAPTERXV
WestofthePecosRiverTexasextendedavastwildregion，barreninthenorthwheretheLlanoEstacadospreaditsshiftingsands，fertileinthesouthalongtheRioGrande。A
railroadmarkedanundeviatingcourseacrossfivehundredmilesofthiscountry，andtheonlyvillagesandtownslayonornearthislineofsteel。UnsettledaswasthiswesternTexas，anddespitetheacknowledgeddominanceoftheoutlawbands，thepioneerspushedsteadilyintoit。Firsthadcomethelonerancher;thenhisneighborsinnearandfarvalleys;thenthehamlets;atlasttherailroadandthetowns。Andstillthepioneerscame，spreadingdeeperintothevalleys，fartherandwiderovertheplains。Itwasmesquite—dotted，cactus—covereddesert，butrichsoiluponwhichwateractedlikemagic。Therewaslittlegrasstoanacre，butthereweremillionsofacres。
Theclimatewaswonderful。Cattleflourishedandranchersprospered。