Show I ho r RA 1 ANCH l e- e ile il I 1 7 r ri I 1 1 t I v I I i i 11 f 1 J f o-mt o HT 1 tr tri ot i I acV I MII W The TIle stock Inspector ector stopped again on oa his bis way WilY back to the Uie railroad Billy Louise w was s so anxious that she smothered ered rod her ber dislike and treated him nicely nicely nice nIce- ly Jy winch which thawed the man to an au alarmIng alarm- alarm Ing amiability She questioned him art art- trust fully t Billy Louise for or that and that and she decided that the stock inspector was wall either a very poor detective or a ft avery avery very Rood good actor actor- He lie did not for tor Instance In- In instance instance in in- stance mention any corral hidden In ht a blind canyon a away way back In the hills hUts and ad nd Billy Louise did not mention t It either cither He Lie had bad not found any worked brands he said And ha he did not appear to know know v. anything further about Ward than tiie a mere fact of his existence e Theres heI 8 a a fellow holding down a claim tt way vay over on Mill JUIll cr creek k ho bo had bad reu Ill look him up when 1 I come comeback orne hack though Seabeck says he's hes J h WarI Ward V ks aU all u right a. a asserted Billy Louise UI unwisely i lt a 4 d doubt of ot It I thought maybe maybe ua ho might have hav seen something that that might give glYe n ua a clew Perhaps the stock Inspector Inspector was wiser than she gave him credit for tor being He did not at any rate 1800 pursue the subject any further fur fur- further ther ibel until he be found an opportunity to talk tali to Mrs Mm MacDonald herself Then Thene pe be e artfully mentioned th the tbd fellow on Mill rill creek creel and md because she did not bow know any reason reMon for caution he got aUthe all aU the Information he wanted and more for tor mommio was in one o of her g gar garrulous humors After Alter that the days drifted quietly for a month and grew nippier at each end And lazier lacier In the middle which meant that the short summer sommer was over and that fall all was getting ready rendy to paint the wooded slopes with her gayest gayest gayest gay gay- est colors color and that one must prepare siege of winter whiter It It- was some Borne time in the latter part of September that Billy Louise got up op In the middle of a frosty cost night because she heard Jew her mother moaning mooning That was the beginning She sent John oft off before daylight for tor the doctor and before before be be- fore toro the next night she stood with her herU U lips hips pressed together and watched the doctor count mommies mommie's pulse and take s 's temperature and drew In her bel hr bre breath s th Ji hardly wl when en she saw saw how long longhe longhe longhe he studied the thermometer after after- ward There Thero was d tL month or so of going to and fro on ou her toes and o of watching the the clock clock with a mind medicine to givIng ing There were nights and nights and nights when the cabin window winked a star fallen fallen Into the coulee from rom d dusk dock t to red ced dawn wn Ward rode over once stayed all night and went home fen In a a. silent rage because he could not do a thing There was a week of fluctuating hope Dope and a time Ume when the doctor said must go to a II hospital hospital Boise Boise since she had bad friends there And there w i Ho Wrote a Letter Lettel to tu Billy Louise Lourse was waa a terrible nerve racking Journey to the railroad And when Ward Nard rode roda next to the Wolverine ranch there was wag waso 0 o BUly Louise to taunt or tempt aim nim John John Pringle and Phoebe told him In lu stolid sentences of ot the later de de- and und gave him a meal and offered him Wm a bed which he declined I When the suspense became maddening maddening madden madden- ing after that he be would ride down to toe the he e Wolverine for Cor news And the lie news new s was monotonously scant Phoebe could Read and write after a fashion an and d i Dully Dilly Louise sent her a letter now and L then saying Baying that was WIlS about abou the same Bame and that she wanted Joh John l to do certain things about the rant ranc ranch h b the could not leo leave ve mommie she sol sold said IWard Ward gathered that she would not Once when he be was at the ranch ho In p 3 wrote a n letter to Billy Louise and nod tot told d 1 her ber that he would come to Boise 1 If it there was vas anything he lie could do and ana au d c cher d. d her to let him know If U sh aha a any MY mo money ey Beyond worked and worked and tried tiled to v cro crowd the lonesomeness out of or his days and an anthe the buu hunger el from his dreams with complete com com- IJO bone weariness He lie did not expect expect expect ex ex- an au answer to his WS' letter letter letter-at at least he be told himself that he did not but not but butone one day clay Phoebe gave him a n thin little letter Billy BUly Louise did not write much She explained that that she could only scribble a u line or two while white mommie slept was about th the same Imme She did not nol think there was anything Ward could do and she thanked ed him hin for offering to help There was nothIng noth noth- tug Ing sho she said pathetically H that anybody could do Even the doctors did not seem able to do much except tell her het lies ices and charge her Iter for them No she kid ld Id not need nn any mone money Thank yon you Just the same Ward That was vas about agent all aU It did not sound In the least like Billy BUly Louise Ward answered the note then and there and called her mine mine which was WIlS an awkward name namo to write and cost him five minutes of ot cogitation over the spelling But he be wanted I it down on paper where she could see It and remember how bow it sounded when he said It even If It did look queer Far liar ther Cher along he be started to call her B BLoo Bill Loo but rubbed It out oot and substituted Lady Girl with capitals Altogether he did better than he knew for tOl he made Billy BUly Louise cry when she re read d dt It t and he be made her say Dear Ward under her breath and remember how his hair waved over his left temple and how he looked when that smile hid Just behind his Ws Ups lips and his eyes and he lre made her ber forget that she sho had lost faith In him She needed to cry and she needed to remember ber and also to forget torget some things for life lite was a hard bard dull drab In Boise with nothing to lighten It save sae a n vicarious hope that did not comfort Billy BUly L was not stupid She saw paw through the vagueness of ot the doc doe doctors doctors tors tore and besides she was so hungry for tor her hills that sho slip felt like Uke beating the doctors with her fists because they they did not nothing lIng t to make her mommie well enough ough to go o home She grew to ha hate the nurse and her neutral cheerfulness I That Is 18 how the fall tall passed for Billy and the earl early part of oC the win wing er l' l I J h I m o CHAPTER VIII You Wont Won't Wont Won't Get Mo Again day ay late in In the taU fall Ward was ONE ON riding the hills bills off 00 to the north and imd west of at his claim looking ing atthe at the condition of the ranee there and k keeping an eye ere out for tor cattle He had bou bought ht another dozen head of ot mixed stock over toward Hardup and they were not yet past the point of ot straying off oa their new range So havIng having hav hav- having J ing keen eyes Ces and the incentive to use them tem be he paid attention to stock tracks f w. w iii 1 the soft places and he be saw everything everything every every- everything thing within the sweep of ot his vision and since the day was clear and fine his range of or vision when he reached a high point extended to the Three Buttes away awny out In the desert By sheer accident he rode up to the canyon where the little corral lay hidden hidden hidden hid hid- den at the end and looked down And since be he rode up at an nn angle different from the one BIU Billy Louise Louls had taken takes the tho corral was directly beneath bim- bim n h O 0 directly In fact tact that half halt of or it was hidden from sight He lie sa saw w that there were cattle within It however and two men at work there And Aud by chanco chance he ho lifted his eyes and saw the nose of a horse beyond a n. Jutting led ledge e sixty yards or go so a away way and the crown of ot a n. hat showing just above the ledge A lookout he Judged Ins instantly tautly on and ank pulled Rattler Hattler behind the rock he had bad been at some pains to ride around Ward was a cowpuncher He knew the tricks of the trade so well that he did not wonder what was going on down there He knew He was tempt tempted ed to do as Billy BlUy Louise had bud done dealt i iride ride on and pass up knowledge which might be disagreeable for tOr Ward was not one to spy upon his fellows and nod the man mun whom be he would betray Into the hands bands of a sheriff must be guilty of a most heinous crime That was his Ws code cod code to to let every fellow tellow have hu a chance to work out his own salvation or damnation as he might choose I dont don't suppose there was anything bo ho hated haled worse than thon an Informer lie He got behind the rock since he had no great desire to be shot and ho he discovered discovered dis- dis covered that his view the cf of corral 0 lla 1 was much plainer than from he had first seen It t. t Lie looked behind him for tor an easy retreat to the skyline sky- sky line and then before he turned to rl ride away he glanced down again curiously A man walked out Into the center of the corral and stood there In the time revealing re- re sunlight Wards Ward's eyes bored like gimlets through the space that divided dl dl- vided them Instinctively his bis hand went to the gun on his lets hip It was a 0 along long pistol shot and he was afraid ho might miss for tor Ward was not a wiz wiz- with a n can cun much aa us I d like to mID mm as ns a dead snot shot He was human Just like yourself He could shoot pretty well a n great deal better than lots of ot men V who ho do moro more boastin boasting than he ever did but he frequently fre tre- fre- fre missed lIe He measured the distance dis UR- tance lauce with his mind while the man stood there talking to some one un un- seen To look at Wards Ward's face you would have sworn that the man was Willi doomed but something held beld Wards Ward's finger er from crooking on the trigger The man hud had his back turned squarely toward the gun Ward waited The Theman Theman Theman man did dill not move He waited minute and then be he opened his bis lips to shout And Aud when his lips 1115 parted for tor forthe forthe the call can that would bring the fellow facing him Wards Ward's tricky brain snapped snapped snap snap- ped before his eyes the face of ot Billy Louise He lowered the gun He could not shoot when he knew that the bullet would split spilt a R gulf gult between himself and the tho girl gIrl u a gulf that would sep sel separate state arate him forever from that future where stood his air castles He Ue let down the hammer with his thumb slid the gun back into Its holster holster hol hol- ster and dismounted with a t glance toward toward to to- toward ward tho the place where the lookout was stationed He was sure he had not been seen and so he be crouched behind a splinter of ot rock and watched lie He had no plan but his Instinct impelled him to closely watch Buck Olney Another man came Into view down there in La the corm corral I. I lIe He also stood plainly revealed and Ward gave a n little snort of surprise when he lie recognized him Alter After that he studied the situation with scowling his conclusions or complicated h his bL manner of dealing with Buck Duck Olney Ward would not have havo hesitated on oa one second about putting the sheriff on the trail trall of Buck but if It the second man were Implicated he be could not betray betray betray be be- tray one without betra betraying the other And Ild If It the business down there in th tha corral were lawful then he must think of ot some other means At any rate the thing to do now was to make sure Bure The two in the corral came out and closed the tho gate behind them and the first man kicked apart the embers of ot ota ofa a n small fire and afterward busied hImsel himself himself him hIm- sel self with the ground either looking for tracks or covering them up They came a little way along the side of the bluff mounted and rode up toward where the lookout waited And one of ot them rode a dark bay and was sum slim and tall and wore a gray hat Ward glant glanced ed at Rattler standing half halt asleep with reins dropped to the ground He reached ou out took tho the reins and nud led the horse farther tarther down under the shelter of or the led ledge e. e Rattier Rat Rat- tier lieI pricked up his ears at the sound o of those other riders but he did not show how enough Interest to nicker a greet greed lug ing lIe He was alwa always s 's a n self centered beast and was content to go his way war alone like his master Ward Nord stood up where he be could see seethe seethe seethe the rim of or the bluff over the ledge of ot lava laTa rock He lie might get a closer view and see who was the lookout and he ha might be seen For that contingency he kept hl hii fingers close to his gun He Ho heard their scrambling progress progress Now and then one of ot the horses sent senta sent senta a little rock bou bounding dlug down into the canyon whereat the cattle In the corral corrol moved restlessly around the small Inu In In- closure u They camo came closer after atter they had gained the top Ward leaning against the dull gray rook rock before him heard beard the tho murmur of their voices Once he 1 c 1 a kf y f Ward Leaned Against the Dull Gray Rock caught the unmistakable tones of at them theman the tho thoman m man n be lie would like to kilL LUL Ill keep cases casc and git him Plotting against some poor 1001 devil de as ns usual Ward ard thought and wondered if the man knew ho he lived in this part of ot the country If It the lie did It might easily beIll beIll be beIll be- be Ill keep cases some myself you OU reptile be Ile muttered mutinied under wader his bis breath You wont won't get me again oain If that's what youve you've got ot in mind The They went on and presently Ward was looking at their backs as they rode over o the ridge Ho lIe stood for some time staring after alter them with what Billy Louise called his gimlet look Ho He was breathing shortly from rom the pressure he be hall had put upon Ullon his self sel control and auel he was thinking thinking The silence came creeping In on the heels of or the faint interrupted sound of ot their voices Word Ward took tool a long breath discovered that he was grip grip- plug ping his bis gun as though his life depended depend depend- ed ed on hanging banging to It and rubbed his hla numbed fingers absently After a minute min ute or so he be mounted and rode down downto t to the corral Five dry cows and two steers snorted snorted snorted snort snort- ed at his hla approach and crowded against the farther rails raiL Ward Word gave Jave Rattler Hattler a touch of ot the spurs rode close to the fence tence and stood in hi his bis stirrups while he studied the bunch Hell he said when the Inspection was over and dropped back Into tho the saddle while he lie gazed unseeingly at atthe atthe atthe the canyon wall It was a very real bell hell that his mind saw saw saw-a a hell heU made by men wherein other men must dwell in torment because of or their sins bins or the sins of ot their fellows Seabeck's brand was a big V a bad brand to own since It favors revision at the tho hands bonds of ot the unscrupulous These cattle were Seabeck cattle and their brand had been altered For the tho right slant of ot the V had bad been extended a little rind and curled c into loto a rt 6 so HO that In time the brand would stand ca casual ual in inspection |