Show I I j t I I 1 Judith of Blue Lake Ranch RanchI I j By JACKSON GREGORY i Copyright by Charles Scribners Scribner's Sons STICK OR QUIT Dud Ot Bud Bud Lee Lee horse foreman of the Blue Lake ranch convinced Bayne manI manager man man- I ager Is id deliberately wrecking the owned by Judith Sanford Sanford Sanford San San- ford a n. young woman her eo cousin Pollock Hampton n. n and Timothy y Gray Gra decides to throw up p his lils job Judith arrives arid and announces she has bo bought Gr Grays Gray's ys sh share re Inthe in inthe the ranch arid and will run it Sh She discharges after aCter shooting shootIng shoot- shoot I Ing him him twice in self defense The tieh en on th tits the ranch dislike taking orders from a girl but by s 's subduing a vicious vicious' horse and nd proving her thorough knowledge of ranch life Judith wins the best of them over oven CHAPTER Continued Cont II Continued nu d' d J 3 3 tW 4 r remember hearing about Luke Sanfords Sanford's girl be he said simply This K Is her all right Old M Man n Carson Carson so so c called l d r through lack of ot courtesy courtesy and because of ot the sprinkling of f gray t through his black hair a m man n of ot perhaps forty- forty filled v fill filled d an n. n unthinkably kably disreputable i s. s table pipe with his Ms 0 own I concep conception lon of real a a and d c chuckled so that the second m match cb was required 1 before I be he was ready to say his sa say f J You Just listen to me you boys he said a None of you fell fellers rs ever I j saw aw old Luke Sanford J Id be been n working here close to two to tor r weeks when he got killed Bud said ti ns AS Carsons Carson's twinkling e eyes es went from face face to face I got my job straight i 1 t I from him not Tr vors 4 so so said Carson Well VeIl a Bud knows the sort Luke Lake San Sanford ord was lIe He was dead an and buried burled when I I come cometo to the Blue Lake but Id I'd saw him twice and Id I'd heard of him more times ry than that Quiet man mail that tended to his own business and didn't sa say so all- all fired much less he was stirred up And then then then- 1 I He whistled his mean mean- ing IngA A fighter All he ever eyer got he fought for All he ever held on to o heS he S fought for He bu bucked ked Western Lum LumI Lumber Lumer Lum Lum- I ber er for a dozen years first and last i. i And by y cripes crapes he na na led their d d-d d d 5 5 5 hides on his stable door too Well I heard tell about this same S. S S Luke Luk Sanford ten years ago and v t more mor about him and his little girl gIr From what folks said I guess there o nev never r was a n man an wanted a a boy baby f r worsen Vorsen Luke Sanford before Judith co come come i And I r I guess es S th there re never leVer was as a t loan man put pur more stock In uis us lS own flesh f and blood blOOd u than I Luke did In her as soon soon as ps he got used to to her being a ashe n a she I dont don't know just exactly y how old she was ten years ago ngo wom women i. i folks being so d d- d n d n tricky anthe I In the loc looks ks ot of their ages but Id I'd say she was eight or nine or ten or eleven years old Anyhow Luke had took her in J hand alread already Why that girls girl's rid real horses since she was the size ire of ofa s' s a I pair of ot boots Luke took her e e everywhere ery 1 r he went up In the moun moui mountains moun over v r the Big ridge do down n valley valley- t w ways ys Into town when hen he went ot off on onA A his yearly And the they 1 say Luke Lule wasn't OJ no o. o poky rider r either Youve You've rode his z i string Bud What are those for tor T horses huh huhM Im a a. a little particular when It ft comes conies to a saddle-horse saddle Bud ad- ad 1 But I never asked any any better better bet bet- ter than old Sanfords Sanford's string S. S You hear him I said Carson Well that Jud Judy girl has rid horses like them for fOI a dozen years I guess and he S spoke with slow thoughtfulness that she's a real chip the old block Its It's m my guess number two that she aint just shooting of oft off her face tace promiscuouslY promiscuously pro pro- when hen she s says s 's theres there's something crooked In the deal has lIDs been handing her And third bet th theres there's res re's most likely going t to be seven kinds of h h I 1 popping around this end of the woods for a spell I What are you doing about It Carson Carson Car Car- son asked the man whose unusually S vacuous vacuous expression gave him the name name of of Poker Face Stick on the Job or quit Me Carson arson sought a match and when he had found it held It long ingals In his gals grimy fingers lingers staring at It t thoughtfully Me stay an let a 1 she- she girl boss me Well It aint the pla play a aman man man might look toab to rne me to make un an I aint saying saIng Its It's the trick Id I'd do every everyday day In the week put But here ere there's theres some things to set 6 a man s scratching I his Liss ls head sheu she's a winner whiner all rl right ht an anIm anIm Im I'm the first man to up an an sn say soI so I She's got the sand an she's hes got the savvy Take Vrn ern together an they make what you yon call gumption I S SS S might wight g go trailing ng g my luck some sale other- other here if I dl J the tile first fool thing that popped Bopped Into uy arty nut But pl playing fair 1 Im Jm going to stick an nn do m my d d to see L Luke e Stanford's girl put up her scrap Yes sir What did she want to fire file for as asked ed Benny th the cook Carson Curson looking at him contemptuously spoke In contemptuous answer er w about the stem of ot his pipe An Any man manon f on t th the Job cars can answer yon jou J CI that than Cook Its It's been open lap 11 shut the thelast thelast last month Is IR either r crazy or I J sa said hi didn't I I. I W e Lumber o 0 get It Its fish devil-fish I hs h's v 1 Blue I Lake hake timber Th- Th j f t e more than one rancher I U uj ul In ho hr h mountains Is In InA 91 A m u u u- uman man on tai tt- tt the r ranch that dont don't k know ow that don dont t want to know it He Be removed his pipe at last and his look upon Benny was full of ot meaning Benny growled an answer but did not take up the quarrel He knew w Carson Capon well enough to know that there was no no man nian living readier f for r. r a fight or abler to to conduct his own o part of I it It I e Que Quo hay Bud caned called a voice and o old Jose Jose his his his' lace face ac sh shining I with his his Joy joy Bud Bud was vas certain that Judith hud had actually 1 leathery cl cheek eek an and anal wondered h how hod she could do It I came cam came down the knoll I La a senorita wants out 3 O t Haw 1 gurgled Bandy Dandy ONell ONeil race race- i ce- ce Its your manly manly ben beast t- t idl B You oh ol 01 son gun of a lady lady- killer l Bud Lee suh swung about upon UlOn his heel at Bandy But suddenly sUddenly conscious con con- conscious clous of a flush creeping up hotly under his hilt tan tau he turned his back and strode away to the e h house nse H His s face was flaming when he entered the of fice What d do you want with fu me me he he lle saI said shortly angered d' d dat at Bandy J Judith I U Sanford and himself now Bow wow I retorted Judith look lookup look look- up up p from 1 vors table On your high horse are Ire you jou ou 1 All right stay th there eJ What I l' want ant Is some na I How ow long Jong have you ou been on the Blue Lake pay roll I A i little over oyer six months months he answered answered answered an an- colorlessly Over six months A quick look II of interest came into tier her eyes Tre Tre- evors e- e vors hired you jou ou Or dad Your fa father her lI Then Then and und m and a sudden swift smile came carne for the first time that morning into the girls girl's eyes eyes youre youre square I Thank God for one man to be sure of She had risen with a quick ImpetuosIty impetuosity impetuosity ant ami put out her hand rand Lee took it into his hIs' two own a and d felt It shut hard like a mans J Just st how do you k know ow Im I'm square he asked slowly Dad was human she replied softly He made some mistakes But Buthe Buthe Buthe he never made a mistake in an a horse i foreman yet et He has hns said to m me a dozen times Imes Judy watch the he way a aman aman man mrm treats his horse if you want to size him up I And never put your horses horses into the care of a man who Isn't white clean through Dad knew w Bud Lee 1 Lee made no answer For a n little lIttI Judith back at th the long table an and looking str strangely sm small U In the big bare room before this massive piece of furniture stared into vacancy with reminiscent eyes ees Then with a little shrug of her should shoulders rs she turned turnell again to to the tall all foreman I Why did you ou tell l lors ors this I morning that you were going to quit work she site asked with abrupt d directness direct direct- r ct- ct ness ness Because he answered and by now nol his flush lad id td subsided and his grave humor good-humor had cOBle come back to him with his customary serenity I III felt like moving on 1 Because she Insisted you knew that there was some dirty work afo afoot Jt and did not care to be messed up in it Now here most positively Bud Lee said within himself was a person to reckon with How did she know all that What business did a kid like this have of knowing so blamed much 7 Youve got your rope on the right pair of horns he said after atter his brief pause How did you know that was working the double double- double cross ross on this deal she demanded I 1 didn't know he said stiffly I just guessed The same as you He Hewus was spending too much money he Ire was getting too little to show for it he ile was selling too much stock too cheap the lh mat matter er with you ou cried the girl surprising him with the heat of ot her words and the sudden darkening o of her eyes Wh Why do you jou OU Insist on being so downright standoffish stand stand- offish and uT stiff stilT and aloof What have I done to you that you cant can't be decent decent decent de de- de- de cent Here I am only pu putting foot on my land and you your make me feel teel like an hn Intruder I Iam I I am urn answering your our questions I Like e a u half animated trained Iceberg iceberg Ice- Ice berg beig yes jes es Cant Can't you OU act lIke like a Ihu hu hits human man nian being Oh Ive I've got your our num number ber Bud iee Lee and you are just us as narrow between the horns as the rest rest of the he outfit You are narrow and prejudiced and blindly unreasonable unreasonable unreasonable unreason unreason- able 1 I know as much about ranchIng ranching ranch ranch- Ing as os any of you ou I know more about this outfit because the best man that ever set foot oot on It and that's Luke I Sanford taught me every crook and fiend bend of It and now just because Im I'm Ima a u girl and not a boy you stand off oft like lIlee I 1 laud hud the small pox Just when I need loyalty and understanding and when the Lord knows Ive I've already got a 8 double handful of trouble I cant can't count for foi a minute on men that have been taking my pay for months I Get some of ot the mildew ew and cobwebs out of ot your head bead and tell me this What reason In the world Is there why you Vou I choose to think I haven't any bu business l ess w wearing ray my own s. s I sure putting It straight said Lee slowly y You Just bet Its It's putting it straight she sho announced vigorously And you'll find that its it's a U way I have putting Jutting things straight I was trained to th the business by a better beher plan man than you'll 11 eV ever er r be Bud Lee Maybe so so he admitted without hc heat Ill IU take off ofT my hat to Luke Sanford for a man And Ill Ill I'll take takeoff takeoff off lff my hat to you If you want t to know now But training or r i no no training this Is no j Job b for tor a Iad lady and shooting shootIng shoot shoot- Ing up and riding the Prince isn't isn't going to so o. o What youre you're looking for sniffed 1 Judith co contemptuously t u li is js d a l f female ma e being extinct this this on one d yeats yeal's years 1 You'd You'd have hate every wear Ii wear tails t ther tp her g gowns a arid and d duck k Mind and dodge dodie g beg behind be be- hind fans n and d faint y etie-y e time Ume she lie jabbed Jt tier her r thumb with a 1 pin I II I cant can't see that a womans woman's place Is riding bucking broncos and ramp- ramp sing around j i i A womans woman's place she sCoffed Her IIer place where a ti headed blunder man puts her herl I How now do you know where her place is I How ow would would you like to be told Just what your place is To be jammed jan for Instance into n a little mUe bungalow In a city to be he squeezed Into a suit dress and told Stay here and look sweet to be commanded not to tl get up a natural sweat nor to I kici over o the traces with which some oan had bad hitched you ou to the cart of convention Howd How'd you like it Bud L Lee c Bud Lee grinned and a new look crept into his liis ey ees es Being Bud Lee he answered frankly I 1 wouldn't stand It for one tick of the clock Id I'd say theres there's two kinds of men too Theres There's my kind theres there's the Dave Burrill Lee kind You see hes he's a sort of relation of mine Is Dave Burrill Lee and Im I'm not not exactly proud of him Hes He's the thel l kind that wears suits dress-suits and sticks In- In in-a in a bungalow Hes He's proud of his name Burrill and Lee both because i iIII r 1 l 1 it t 1 I III Was Trained by a Better Man Than You'll Ever Be Bel big men down south wore em before he did and they were relations Hes He's swelled up over the way he can candance candance i dance and ride after a n fox and over the coin hes he's got in the bank banle Then theres there's Bud Lee who ducks out of that sort of a scrap-heap scrap and beats It for the open I get you I 1 broke In Judith her eyes ees very bright And you OU men here m my men want me to be the sort of woman that your precious cousin Dave e Burrill is a man Is that it 1 Wheres Where's your logic this morning Meaning l horse sense he Sol smiled lied Its In these fe few little words right for a man JUan l may lay be dead wr wrong ng for a woman Oh scat she cried Impatiently What am i t wasting time with you for She swung back to her table tuble What was Tre latest excuse for selling belling at a 11 sacrifice she asked fold rold me nie he lie Just had a u wIre last night from young ung Hampton asking for three thousand dollars he explained explained explained ex ex- In a a. a similar tone though his hise e eyes es were twinkling at it t her hel Pollock Hampton has bus his nerve I j she he snapped She took up the telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone Instrument Instalment at her hel elbow elbo mid and demanded the Western Union at nt Rocky speaking she Bend Judith Sanford said suld crisply Hep lit ut the message e of last night for fOI the general manager Blue Lake Luke ranch In a u a moment she had hall it t So Tie Tie- vors VOlS wasn't 1 lying about that hut part rt of It she said reluctantly And to the Western Union agent Ta Take ce this message Pollock Hampton Hotel Glennl n San Francisco Impossible send end money now or for some time Have Un fired Tremors RunnIng Running Running Run Run- ning outfit m myself self Need every cent we can raise to pay Interest on on loans men's mens salaries and keep going This is final Judith Sanford General Manager That may start his gray matter working she ended as she clicked up i f I the mow fow Lee Lep will you yon stick with m me ten days or BO so and give ghe me me time to get A d man mai In your place Yes Ill I'll do that Miss diss Sanford Yo You will help belp me In every way you can while you are with me When I work for a man man or or a n woman he be added gravely I dont don't hold h back anything All right Then start In right now and andl tell me about the gang ors Tre has taken on Are they all crooks I |