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Show SOUTH CACHE COURIER. HYRUM, UTAH Judith of Blue Lake Ranch - np By Jackson Gregory Copyright by Charlea Scribner's Sons CHAPTER XII is Burning Memory As June had slipped by, so did July and August. On Blue Lake ranch life flowed smoothly. Men were too busy , breast. He Imagined her contempt of a man who by his strength had forced her lips to wed his; he pictured her scorn, her growing hatred. He told himself that he should go, rid the ranch of his presence, take his departure without a word with her. -For, already, he had fitted her Into his theory of the perfect woman, lifting her high above himself and above the human world. It was a continued Insult for him to remain here. But, after careful thought, he remembered what Judith had already told him; he was one of the men whom she could trust to do her work for her. one of the men she most needed, a man whom she would need sorely If Bayne Trevors were lying quiet now but to strike harder, unexpectedly, later. Judith did not dismiss him, as at first he had been sure she would.' So he stayed on, remaining away from the ranch headquarter, sleeping when he could in the cabin above the lake, spending his days with his horses, avoiding her but keeping her personality In his soul, her interests In his heart. When the winter had passed when she had made her sales and had the money In hand for the payments upon the mortgages, then he would go. Whereat, no doubt, the high gods with each days work to sit Into the nights prophesying trouble ahead. And In truth It seemed that If Bayne smiled. As time passed, there came about a Trevors had ever actively opposed the success of the Sanford venture he had subtle change In the attitude of the by now accepted the role of inactiv- outfit toward Pollock Hampton, whom had been at the beginning prone ity forced upon him by circumstance, they lie was with the Western Lumber to accept as a city guy. It began company, as director and district su- to appear that under his lightness there was often a steady purpose; perintendent, seemingly giving all his afthat If he didnt know everything dynamic force to the legitimate about a ranch, he was learning fast; of the company. fairs But there were those who placed no that in his outspoken admiration of faith In the obvious. Bud Lee kept things rough and manly and primal In touch with Rocky Bend and learned there were certain lasting qualities. that Quinnlon had not come back; Whereas formerly his being thrown that no one knew where he had gone. from a spirited mount was almost a Carsons man, Shorty, was sought by dally occurrence, now he rode rather Emmet Sawyer and his disappearance well. With tanned face and hard was like that of a pricked bubble; It hands, he was, as Carson put it, "growseemed that Shorty had no actual ing up." He came to Judith one day seriousphysical existence or that, if he had, corner faced, thoughtful-eyed- . he had taken it Into some other Look here, Judith." he began abhad friends of the world. Qulnnlons also gone from Rocky Bend, like Quln-nlo- ruptly, Im no outsider Just looking on at this game. Youre the chief leaving behind them no sign to owner, and the boss and Pm not kickhad gone. show where they at that any longer. Your dad Knowing Quinnlon as he did, and ing raised the you to this sort of thing and of having his own conception a way of getting by with It. have you Lee Bud of Trevors, character Bayne on the other hand, Im part ownBut, a quiet said to himself that too great er and got to consider me. youve If come. Quinnlon to portended strife Judith smiled at him. was the man to carry In his breast the she asked. What Pollock? of now, murder hate that drove him to the Youre the boss, he repeated man was the he then Judiths father, But Ive got a right to be stoutly. to remember the humiliation he had next In Under you, you remember to authority. suffered at Lees hands, I go around and to strike back when the time was know. asWhy, by crlpes, if I had to take crders from feeling ripe. Tripp or any other of the Judith had heard of the night In Carson or I foremen Rocky Bend, a lurid and wonderfully Is good laughed By crlpes distorted account from Mrs. Simpson, Go ahead." who had received It In a letter from Judith. Thats all," he insisted. You can her daughter. So that was what Bud Lee did tell them, when you get a chance, that man. I am your little old right-han- d after he kissed me! mused Judith. that he vaguely, Carson Suppose, for suggested She sent Immediately so. Or and forced from him the full story. you left the ranch a day or even longer,' some time. Theres got Dismissing Carson, she remained for reto be some one here who Is the head one Only alone. while a long when there Is need for It." forecattle mark had she made to the the from Judith mirthfully acquiesced. Hampaside little a man, and that tons Interest was sufficiently htvy issue occupying his mind: ome con"Keep your weather eye open for for him to be entitled to come to had him told she sideration. she Besides, wind, in the whats and the Is a for boy Trevors, experience liking briefly. Behind Qulnnion the for in seen him the had over change Isnt yet. and the year The ranch was stocked to Its ut- better which his new life was workCarson had bought ing In him. Further, she meant to most capacity. another herd of cattle ; Lee had added make It her business that she did not to his string of horses. The dry sea- leave the ranch for a day or so, or son was on them, herds were moved an hour or so, when she should be fresh within a week higher up the slopes into thenow to there. Consequently, was known humorPollock converted Hampton Carson, pastures. ously from on a end to the other of the silos, was a man with one Idea . althe big ranch as the and that Idea ensilage. Again the so that falfa acreage was extended, Marcia Langworthy, visiting In each head of cattle might have Its now Carson fodder. southern California, wrote brief, sundaily auxiliary of ny notes to Hampton, Intricate letmatter the in Judith with agreed prices ters to Judith. The mystery of Bud holding back sales for the high of die Lee of which she had had a glimpse which would come at the heels when the artist, Dick Farris, and Lee lean months. had who brought man recognized each other as old friends Donley, The to the ranch the pigeons carrying had piqued her curiosity In a way cholera, wns tried in Rocky Bend. The which allowed that young daughter of evidence, though circumstantial, was Eve no rest until she had made her wrote at strong against him, and the prosecution own investigations. he She How been was had Lee. It little of But hard. quite length was pushed when the rage, my dear. Oh, tremendousranch the one at to any surprise ly rich, with a great ranch In the the trial resulted in a hung jury. The dehad in the South, a wonderful adobe haciend.. of county ablest lawyer AuIn old Spanish days, where, like a late the and finally, fended Donley, man young king, he had entertained lavThe his acquittal. secured gust. himself did not have ten dollars In ishly. now, believing in his friends, the world; the attorney taking his he had lost everything, then had lawyer. Ob- dropped out of the world, content case was a at least, equally to allow that world to believe Sanford viously, to Judith back of him soldiering In France or dead In was standing Trevors Bayne made. the trenches and to take his wage as every play his hirelings common laborer. Wasnt It too roin cholera the had hog Doc Tripp for anything? mantic the hand. And every day, out with was his course, following p her letIn due whose live stock herself came back to the as he had Marcia worked he ters, responsibility, Judiths guest now. Lake Blue ranch, never worked before, watchful, eager, Mrs. Langwotthy were and The major suspicious. If theyll drop cholera down on us visiting in the East It seemed that out of the blue sky," he snapped, Id they always visited somewhere and Marcia would stay at the ranch Inlike to know what they wont try. definitely. Hampton drove Into Rocky Bend for her and held the girls the few first For the days following dance Bud Lee had within his soul breathless admiration all the way room but for one emotion: he had home, handling the reins of his young held Judith In his arms. He had set team In a thoroughly reckless, shivery his lips on hers. He went hot and manner. "Isnt he splendid?" cried Marcia cold with the remembrance. Being a of when she slipped away with Judith to man, he made his the amotions that .. rankled In her her room. n 1 Foreman-at-Large- high-price- d well-bein- g Under the bright approval of Marcias eyes Hampton flushed with pleas-ure- t Could Mrs. Langwonhy have seen them together she would have nudged the major and whispered lu his ear. During the two months after the dance. Bud Lee and Judith had seen virtually nothing of each other. When routine duties or a necessary report brought them for a few minutes Into each others society there was a marked constraint upon them. Never had the man lost the stinging sense of his offense against her; never had Judith condescended to be anything but cool and brief with him. While no open reference was made to what was past, still the memory of It must He in each heart, and though Lee held his eyes level with hers and drank deep of the warm loveliness of her, he told himself angrily that he was beThe chivalry neath her contempt within him, so great and essential a part of the mans nature, was a wounded thing, hurt by his own act The old feeling of camaraderie which had sprung up between them at times was gone now; they could no longer be pardners as they had been that night In the old cabin. He told himself curtly that he did not regret that; that now It was Inevitable that they should be less than strangers since they could not be more than friends. That the girl was ready to forgive him, that she had never been as harsh with him as he was himself, that there was a golden, delicious possibility that she should feel as he did so mad an idea had not come to Bud Lee, horse foreman. A few days after Marcias arrival there came to the ranch a letter which was addressed: Pollock Hampton, Esq., Geneal Manager, Blue Lake Ranch." It was from Doan, Rockwell & Haight, LIg stock bujers of Sacramento, submitting an unsolicited order for a surprisingly large shipment of cattle and horses. The price offered was ridiculously low, even for this season of low figures due to the fact that many overstocked ranches were and range throwing their So low. In horses on the market fact, that Judiths first surmise when Hampton brought It to her was that the typist taking the companys dictation had made an error. Judith tossed the note Into the waste-baskThen she retrieved It to frown at It wonderlngly, and, finally, to file it. It began by ha- lng for her no significance worthy of speculation. It soon began to puzzle her. Finally, It faintly disturbed her. Here were two points of Interest. First: Doan, Rockwell & Haight was the company to which Bayne Trevors, when general manager, had made Because the many a sacrifice sale. Blue Lake had knocked down to them before, did they still count confidently upon continued mismanagement? Surely they must know that the management of the ranch had changed. And this brought her to the second point: How did It come about that they had addressed, not her, but Pollock Hampton? Was this Just a trifle? Long ago Judith had told herself that she must keep her two eyes wide open for seeming trifles. In spite of her, though she scoffed at her nerves," the girl had the uneasy conviction that this offer had been prompted by Trevors; that Ti;eors, for purposes of his own, had given Instructions that the letter be addressed to Hampton; that this was the first sign of a fresh campaign directed against her from the dark; that trouble was again bebeef-cattl- e et ginning. Thoughtfully she smoothed out the letter, impaling It on her file. Pollock Hampton, Foreman-at-Largcame and went on the ranch, carrying orders, taking always a keen Interest In whatever work fell to hand, an Interest of a fresh kind, In that It was born of a growing understanding. The men grew to like him; Bud Lee tactfully sought to acquaint him with many ranch matters which would prove of value to him. Carson, however, grown nervous over the new method in stock raising still In Its experimental stage, was given to take any suggestion from Hampton In the light of a personal affront D n him, he growled deep in his throat when Hampton had ridden out with word to shift one of the herds Into a fresh pasture, an act on which Carson had already decided, some day Ill just take him between my thura an finger an him. The greater bulk of the stock had been steadily shifted higher in the hills. The hogs grazed on the slopes at the north of the Lower End; cat-tl- e and horses had been pushed eastward to the little valleys In the mountains about the lake. Even the plateau, where the old cabin stood, was now stocked with Lees prize string of horses. Then one day Hampton came galloping through the herds of shorthorns, seeking Carson. Crowd them down to the Lower End again, he shouted above the din. Cut out the scrawny ones and haze the rest Into the pens. e Carsons eyes Bnapped, his teeth showed like a dogs. e, annl-hilat- e steel-blu- Drunk? he sneered. Whats eating you?" Do as youre told," retorted Hampton hotly. "Those are orders from headquarters and Its up to yon to obey them. Get me?" If ever I do get you, sonny," grunted Carson, there wont be enough of you left for the dawgs to quarrel over. Orders or no orders, I aint going to do no such fool thing. Hampton reined his horse In closer, staring frownlngly at the old cattleman. The purplish color of rage mounted In Carsons tanned cheeks. Youll do what youre told or go get your time," he announced teisely. Weve got an order for five hundred beef cows and were selling immediately, . Carson's Jaw dropped. What? he demanded, not quite Say that again, believing his ears. will you? I said it once," retorted Hampton. Now get busy. Who are we selling to? I aint heard about It" An oversight, my dear Mr. Carson," laughed Hampton, his own anger risen. Quite an oversight that you were not consulted. We are selling to Doan, Rockwell & Haight Ever heard of them? Who says were selling? I say so. And, If youve got to have all the news. Miss Sanford says not mentioned a sale to him, and now she sent Hampton and did not even come to him with a word of explanation. It was quite as if she had said: You are Just a servant of mine, like the rest. Bud Lee, and I treat yog accordingly." Until Judith had come, there had been nothing that this man loved as he did his work among his horses. He watched them as day after day they grew Into perfection; he appraised their values ; he saw personally to their education, helping each one of them individually to become the true representative of th proudest snecies f animal life. Had he turned his eye now to the herd down yonder he could have seen the animal he had selected for a brood-mar-e next year, the destined to draw all eyes as he stepped daintily among the best ol the In Golden Gate Park, the rich red bay gelding that he would mate for a splendid carriage team. . . . Oh, he knew them all like human friends, planned the future for each, the sale of each would be no sorrow but rather a triumph of success. And now, to sec them lumped and sold to Doan, Rockwell & Haight even that hurt. But most of all did Judith's treatment of him cut, cut deep. Youre a fool, Bud Lee, he told himself softly. Oh, G d. what a so." fool I" clean-bloode- three-year-o-ld single-foote- . First She does, does she? I knew of it What Agger? Really, does that concern you? If the price suits me and Miss Sanford, who own the stock, does It In any way affect you? I dont want to quarrel with you, Carson, and I do appreciate that you are a good man in your way. But just because you have worked here a long time, dont make the mistake of thinking that you own the ranch. With that he whirled his horse, and was gone. Carson, with puckered brows, stared after him. But orders were orders, and Carson though the heart was sore, barked out his commands to his herders to turn the cattle back toward the lower fields. Ha had been converted to the new way, he had grown to dream of the fat prices his cow brutes would fetch In the winter market, he knew low, that prices now were that Doan, Rockwell & Haight were close buyers who before now had cut the throat of the Blue Lake ranch In sacrifice sales when Bayne Trevors ran the outfit Were standing to lose thousan's an thousans of dollars," he told himAll weve, spent on self In disgust. Irrigation an fences an silos an ditches, all gone to heck In a Not counting thousans of more dollars lost in selling at what It we can get this time of year. makes me sick, d n throwln-u- p sick. Riding down a long, winding trail, out through a patch of chaparral Into a rocky gorge, Hampton turned east again toward the high plateau. Taking the roundabout way which led from the far side of the lake an! along che flank of the mountain to the table-lanhe came to a scattering band of horses and Tommy Burkitt Wheres Lee? called Hampton. Burkitt grinned at him by way of greeting, and then pointed across the plateau to a ravine leading to a still valley. Hamphigher, smaller, shut-iton galloped on and a quarter of an The hour later came up with Lee. horse foreman was sitting still In his saddle, his eyes taking stock of a fresh bit of pasture into which he planned turning his horses a little later. It was one of a dozen small meadows on the mountain creeks where thu canyon walls widened out into an ovale shaped .alley, less than a long, where there was much rich grass. Hello, Hampton, called Lee pleasWhat's the word? antly. The perspiration streaming down Hamptons face had In no way dampened his ardor. he cried warmly. Big doings, Were cutting loose, Bud, at last and piling up the shining ducats I Youre to gather up a hundred of the most likely cayuses youve got and shove them down to the Lower End. Were selling pretty heavily to Doan, Rock- Lees face. It was early In the afternoon when look on Hampton carried his messages to and Lee. It was after dark when Lee, his work done, his heart still sore and heavy, came Into the mens bunkhouse. It was very still, though close to a dozen men were In the room. Lees eyes found Carson and he guessed the reason for the silence. Carson was In a towering rage that in his eyes; under the t flamed of his dominating emotion, the spell men sat and stared at him. Well, whats wrong? asked Lee coolly from the door. Good goddlemighty I growled Car- You stan there an son snappishly. ask whats the matter. If theys anything that aint the matter an youU spell Its name to me Ill put in with you. The whole outfits going to pot, an I, for one, dont care how soon It Car-so- n rock-botto- m red-ho- ? t. , goes. Rather a nice way for a cattle foreman to talk about his ranch. Isnt it? asked Lee colorlessly. Cattle foreman? sniffed Carson with further expletives. Now, will you stan on your two feet an explain to me how in blue blazes a man can be a cattle foreman when there aint no cattle! "So thats it, is It? I didnt know how close you were selling off Dont say me selling Why, I got winsilage to run my cow brutes all them in feed the with what dry ter, canyons " Lee didnt hear the rest. It had been his intention to come in and smoke with the boys, and perhaps to play a game of whist Anything keep from thinking. But now, moving on Impulse, he turned and left the shack, going swiftly up the knoll to the Just stepping Into the courtyard soft under the moon, tinkling with the play of the fountains, stirred his heart to quicker beating. He had not set foot here for over two months, not since that night which he knew he should forget and yet to whote memory he clung desperately. This was the first time In many a long week that he had gone out of his way to seek Judith, And now words which Judith herself had spoken to him one the day were now at least a part of her. with to him cause sending speak She had said that he was loyal, that she needed loyal men. He still took her wage, he was still a Blue Lake ranch-hanhe still owed her his loyalty, though It came fron a sore heart. 1 n - half-mil- well & Haight" A new flicker came Into rs The buyers will be here the first thing tomorrow," said Hampton. Judith says were to have everything ready for them. Ill not keep her waiting," answered Lee quietly. And with a quick touch of the spur he whirled his horse and left Hampton abruptly, going straight to the plateau. Round em up, Tommy," he said Every d n hoof of them. sharply. They go back to the corrals. Though quick questions surged up in Tommys brain, none of them was asked just yet, for he had seen the Hm-m- han-baske- d ranch-hous- e. . Lees eyes. Then they went hard as polished agate. I didnt quite get you, Hampton," he said softly. You say were selling a hundred horses? Now? nodded, understanding Hampton nothing of what lay In Lees heart On the jump, Just as fast as we can get them on the run," he said triJudith wanted me to umphantly. tell you. I see, answered Lee slowly. His eyes left Hamptons flushed face and went to the distant cliffs. It was no way of Bud Lees to hide his eyes from a man, and yet now he did hide them. He did not want Hampton to see what they showed so plainly, in spite of his attempt to master his emotion. He was hurt. Long ago he offended Judith, and she had waited until now to repay his rude Insult with this cool little slap In the face. She had not consulted him, she had (TO BE CONTINUED.) Frog That Liked Eggs stupes birds made the discovery that a frog will eat a blackbirds eggs, the London Morning Post reports. She found a nest with two eggs, one having a small hole at the big end. Next day she found, a frog on the nest, Its tongue flicking In and out of the hole. Either the noise of the grass under my feet, or the gasp I let out, ,she relates In a kind of affidavit, frightened the frog On the third day she found away. both the eggs with holes and empty. Unlike toads, frogs boast teeth, but are not usually reckoned among eg $ thieves. A little girl who low-bui- lt i |