Show jQ S 01 1 f V tf- tf 1 r Z A if SETT 1 i J G L f. f OF F r THE THEBy 5 By HAL G. G EVA COP c COPYRIGHT D by r L HAL HALO 6 EVARTS WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE At the Warren ranch the Three Bar on the fringe of the cow country a stranger applied applied ap plied for tor work as ns a rider 7 Ann Warren known Warren known to all as s Billie is the owner of the ranch The girls girl's father Cal Warren had been the original origl nal owner The question whether er the territory Is to remain cow country or be opened to settlement is fe a troublesome one The newcomer is put to work Cattle rustlers have been troubling the ranch owners The new hand gives his name as Ca Cal Harris By his announcement in favor of ot squatters he incurs the enmity of a rider known as Morrow The will ma made e by Cal Warren stipulated that halt half the property should go to the son of or his old friend William Harris under certain conditions The new arrival t. t the man man and he discloses the fact to Billie The girl is suspicious auspicious Slade a ranchman with an unsavory reputation rep rep- I as a bad man visits Billie He has long wanted ted to marry her but she dislikes and fears tears him t CHAPTER III Continued III-Continued Continued 5 5 He Ie stood so close as almost to touch p f her but she failed to lift a hand band or ort orI t I move back an nn Inch and Slade knew that he faced one whose spirit matched his the with with- own perhaps one person pelson ID in a hundred miles who did not fear tear hInt him He had tamed men and horses horses- find and women be he raised his arms slowly slowly slow slow- ly Iy deliberately to see if she would flinch away or stand fast and outI out out- I game him She knew that he was harmless to her her and and he knew It He Hem m might penetrate p almost any crime on the calendar and come cl cleat clear 31 but In InthIs Inthis this land where women were wele few they were honored One whisper from th the theS S t Three Bar girl that Slade had raised his hand against her and powerful as asbe ashe c he be was the hunt for him would be on with every mans man's hand against him ills His arms had half halt circled her tier when be he whirled catlike every ery faculty cool and alert as a voice sounded from r the door Both had been too en engrossed engrossed grossed to notice Its noiseless opening Ive I finished cleaning up round found the ther r shop and corrals Harris Barris said Is there any rubbish round the house joud you'd like to have e out and piled d In a dry gulch out of ot sight He Ue stood In the door half halt facing them his left side quartering toward r Slade To the girl it appeared that J the strange pose was for the purpose of enabling him to take toke a quick step stepto to the right and spring outside If Blade Slade should make a move moe and she shed d fell a tinge of or scorn at his precaution even cven though she knew that it would avail n him nothing If It Slades Blades deadly temper were roused by the Insult Shide who had killed many would add Harris to his list before he could S' S move uio Slides Slide's understanding of ot the quart quartering t position and the odd sling of t t Harris Harris' gun Jun was entirely different and W ashe he shifted his feet teet until he I faced I the he man In the door his movements mo 1 w were ere re slow and deliberate nothing that run hi hE be misconstrued Who summoned you In here here he be demanded Harris did not reply but stood stolid wait wait- lug big for some slime word wOld from the girl She Sheh h hud had d a 8 sudden sick sIrk dread that thul Slade would kill him and was surprised atthe at ai the sentiment fur for no longer than thun an nn hour b before rore she had wished him dead She Slie made belated answer to his on oris' oris orist g gi t. t i hull question II N No CI i. i she he said Go 00 on nut out please Wile tf He Ile turned his bis back on un Slade and went out And you she said sold to Slade bead be going too Weve We've been too tali gaud upI neighbors to quarrel unless quarrel unless s you ou name come O over Or r again with the same sume Idea Ide r you jou did today t i At sunset et time tile girl called to L mid and he repaired to the house and andr andt t r found I et her putting a hot meal for two on the end of nt the tong pine table fable the tint first lime time she had hod d deigned to eat with him Theres no use of our going on like lt bald sidd Weve two years ol ot olIt t. t It Ii to face bo so Its It's best to g get t on some sowe kind of fir ri n neutral footing Far Tor r her own peace pence of or mind she h had ad tried to smother r her dislike of ot him 7 anti h he very ery careful to ro avoid 3 any uny anys' anys s' s topic that th t r rekindle IL It Till The i wn the dishes together and ond from that hour their relations to nil all outward out 1 ward ard were friendly or at least devoid de of open ho But nur he knew V that she was WIS merely guile IIII to III make muke the b best st qt of a 8 matter t that was distasteful th that t her opinion of him wog unaltered Her bitterness could not be entirely concealed conceal d and r she frequently touched on s some me fresh tresh I point that added to her ber distrust of or his present nt motives mothes and confirmed her belief bellet in his doul In the past nat There were no 0 o many of ot these points bill 11 refusal to accept her offer to i. i 1 give ulve I e him his half Interest half interest If It tie lIe would stay off the tile place his weak weal that there was some reason wh why he must spend two years on the Three Bar nar his prowling the country for a 8 year spying on the methods she fol tol followed followed lowed In running the outfit half oi of which would soon be he his hl his buying the school section and filing on a n guarter guar quarter quarter ter of land the location blocking the lower end of the Three Bar valley Whenever r she mentioned one of the these p phe he refused to lO take Issue with her herAnd And Anil one nl night ht she touched on still another point What Whar was the reason for tor your first Idea Idea nfl of coming here under another name she demanded I 1 thought maybe others knew Id I'd been left a 8 part pan Interest he said uJ Tr V tJ r b. b i s. s She Knew That He Was Harmless to Herand Herand Her and It might be embarrassing The way It is Is with only the two of ot us knowing the Inside I can cnn stay on asa usa us as usa a regular hand until the time Is up Youre so plausible she said You put Jut it as a favor foor to me Did Old It ever eyer strike you that if the rhe truth were ere known It might also b be uncomfortable for you He lIe smiled stalled across at her and once more she frowned as she site discovered erEd that he was likable for all his bis under under- handedness Worse than that that suicidal suicidal he ad ad- If you mentioned what you tl think of me that Ive I've framed to rob you by law law you wouldn't be bothered with me for long He laughed soft softly softly ly Iy and stretched his feet toward the IbE fire Look at ot It any way you Ilk like and Im I'm in bad shape t to 1 deal you tn any misery he pointed ll out If It y jd drop u a hint him that Im I'm un unwelcome addition It would only be a 0 matter ot of days until Id I'd tall fall to show up tom rot meals If U you view It from that angle le you can cnn see Im I'm setting ou the powder can She did see it but hud hall nut not so clear clearly clearly I nr ly Iy realized if it till tUl he lit pointed it out ut and for fur the first time she wavered in her conviction that thaI he lie hud had come situ Im Imply ply to III deprive her lIer ot of her hei rights Bui But the that thought that her liei father r would not mint easily nave willed u away the h hw mr place to lu another without being Influenced served sei to reinstate her ills trust along with a le for his having shaken it h b. b by throwing himself so openly on her mercy You probably thought to 10 U that by reaching th the point th the whole thing so patently aims ainis for tor she said uld And you calculated well well weli arriving ata ai at aiu u a titHe time when wed we'd be alone for fer n rt wem wel week k The Time whole scheme was bused 1 on that Idea den and Ive I've Teen been patient wondering wh why you yuu dont don't rush mattern matters mat tern tera me and me to marry you He rose rost and picked the ash from his cigarette Ue into the fireplace i 1 do eto you you right right now he be said and in her surprise she left letl tier Jer choir and stood toeing facing him film Id like r real aJ well to have you Billie the final pi proof she said Im lm surprised that t you jon didn't tell HIP mp methe the first day Soam I 1 he be said suld She found o nd no nu answer for this but hUI stood silent knowing that site she bad bud suddenly become afraid of ut him And that's the living truth he ne at ai firmed Other men have loved lo you the first da day You know men well enough to to tobe be certain that hut 1 wouldn't be tied to one woman for tor the sake oi of owning a 3 few head of ot cows not cows not It ItI ItI ItI I H It It didn't want her tier for tor hers herself lf waved an arm toward the door dool Th Theres res re's millions of 01 miles of or sage nisi ills outside he said And million of f cows cows and and girls He moved to her and und stood t I 11 lOst touching tier filer looking down into her face When Slade had stood so a f few w days dus past she bad hod been cold coldly I ly Iy In indifferent except for a D shiver of distaste at the thought of his touch touching ing her Before Harris Barris she felt u a weakening a need of support and she leaned back from flum him and nud pia placed red redone one hand behind her bel on the table You judge for yourself whether a aman awan wan man wouldn't he be right foolish with foolish with till nil those rouse things I mentioned being right outside to call him him to to marry many a 8 woman h he 11 didn't dUI want for herself because because be lie- cause e she had bad a few hundred head of cows lIe He smiled down at her Iter Don Donl pull back buck from me Billie I wont won't lay laya l la la a finger on you But now do you yon think Its It's you ou 1 I want want want-or or the little old Th Threw IF Bar nar You can prove pro it ft she said at last Prove Trove It by going away for six months months or or three I He e shook his head Not ot that he said Ive told you 1 was sewed up In a right peculiar way which myself myself which wouldn't matter mattei mattera a d n d-n n if it wasn't for forth this is Id I'd have hav tossed It off In a 8 second If It the girl girlon Irl Irlon on the Three Bar had turned out our to tn tobe he be any other than you Now Im I'm going go ing to see It through The Three Bar Baris Baris Baris is going guing under under the the brand both ow out folks helped to found unless found unless s II me meone I Ione one pulls it out of ot the hole nell Believe e eme me If you iou can and If It you cant can't why cant why you know that one remark about my being unwelcome here heie will clear the road for you like I 1 mentioned a few minutes back He turned away without touching her and she had not had not moved mo when the thedoor thedoor door closed behind him An hour past noon on the following day a drove droe of ot horses borses appeared at the thelo lo lower lover er extremity of the valley ant anti s' s swept pt on toward the ranch As Barris Bar Har Harris ris threw open the gates ot of the hl big corral he saw her standing In the thedoor thedoor thedoor door of the cookhouse watching th the oncoming drove droe Riders mers flanked the bunch well out to each side to steady it There was a roar of hoofs and anci H tI stifling cloud of dust as three hundred wild half horses clattered cluttered past and crowded through the gates gutes scattering swiftly across the pasture lot back of the corral A dozen sweat streaked riders swung from trow th their ir There was no chance to distinguish color or kind among them theta through the dust caked In the old weak growth of beard that covered every face One man remained on his mount and followed the horses Into the pas pasture os ture titre lot cutting out fifty or more inure anti hending them brick back Into the curIal corral for Waddles had decreed that they could have the r rest SI of the afternoon ofT off for tor a 1 Jaunt to Bi Brills Brill's Ills Ill's store and they waited only to change mounts mount before the tte start Calico talico stood tood drooping hooping sleepily In to ono one ot of tl the e smaller maller corrals cOIras and Harris Barris moved toward him trite Intending in to rid rid over with the rest of r the menThe menThe men lIen The boss said fur for you to rid ride Blue 1 Morrow stated an nIi Harris Barris passed s 1 the group ai UI the gates gate of the rhe corral Hes clear cleur gentle gentl gentle Blue Is ts The men looked honked up In surprise e M Mar r row had hadnot not been heen near the house to fo receive Instructions from train the girl Irl I firlie fir he helie lie had hall been heen so apparent as liS to ron Ion on a direct direct challenge challenge e to the other order man Harris Barris stood looking at al him him then lIum shrugged hi his shoulders Whatever r the rile hugs boss hll s says goes with me he returned evenly e A blue roan rom suc-pt suc r past n r with the fir fifty y or so o others At Ai least once oats every round of lIf the corral he laid baCk bark his ears ms and md squealed d us as he scored some other with hl tats Ills teeth reeth then lashed out wll with h wicked heels TO BU E CONTU CONTINUED |