Show r 01 I rhe Settling of the Sage WHAT HAS HAS' GONE BEFORE At the Warren ranch th th thi S Three Bar on tha fringe Cringe ot th cow country II stranger cr plied piled for eor work aa ns a rider Wll Wil Ann known Walen-known known t till I ill as Billie It U the owner o othe 0 the ranch The girls girl's father ather Cal Warren had heen the original nal owner The question whether er the territory Is Ia to cow country or r he opened t t. t ea rant IB is a troublesome o on nt The ne newcomer comer Is la put put to work Ca Cattle rustlers ha have ve bEel S troubling the rhe own owners rs Th new hand haud gives hi his hie name as as' as Ca Cn Harris By fly hi his announcement ii h favor or a of or squatters he the enmity of or a rider r known a 8 aS S M Morrow trow The will m made de by Cn Ca Warren that tin Hit property should go to the son ot 01 othis othis his old friend erlend William Harris under certain conditions conditions' The new new arrival Is It th the man and h lu hE 1 the fact tact to Billie The girl is suspicious uW Slade Hule a with an nn unsavory rep rep- as ns a bad man man S BlIlIe Billie n He Be has Iorg wanted to marry her ner but she and tears tear J M lr n. n t Sl de endeavoring to t B lIe Is Interrupted by Harris halt half Jestingly props that Jt the gin marry him blip and so 80 tattle settle the matter mutter of or the ranch Ownership S CHAPTER III Ill Continued Continued S 6 61 55 S l 1 reckon that'll be Blue mue Harris asked of qt Evans and azid the lanky one nod nod- tied fled The men scattered round the cur cor corral curral ral ml and e each cb watched his chan chance e to toS S put iut Ut bis bs rope on on some chos chosen n horse borse The rhe roan kept others rs always between between S ll himself tiD und and J any man with a rope bat b but bui at last lie passed Harris wl with h but hul one on tm borse e b between tween Harris Hipped flipped his n noose se across the back o of the Intervening ing borse horse and over ocr the bine roans roan's bead bend S 5 Youve been busted busted an and rope rope burnt burnt ii 8 a tithe time or t two lards Harris rem remarked rl ed ami be he led the Horse orse out to s sad saddle le hIm T The le big blue leaned back crouching on Em on bis his as the Ulan man put on IOU the hackamore ore His Us' Use e eyes s rolled wick e edly fy as I- I Harris arrIs smoothed the tile saddle bJ blanket and he lie flinched ed away away with a u whistling snort of fear bis his nostrils O flaring as as the helVY heavy saddle addle vas was I thrown on Ills hIs back Harris tightened ned the the front cinch In band the blu blue bind horse braced himself himsel and drewIn in a ft long d deep p breath i J S right Blue you swell up un and Inflate yourself Harris UarI sai said ill Til have to lO squeeze It tut ut ot you He le fastened the h hind nd cinch loosely y U then cn returned to the frit Ut and nd hauled c on the tile latigo until the pressure pressure forced force the horse to to r rel release release- l ase the f I Indrawn breath ari and It leaked leake out of with witha a 8 gr groaning sigh S S Iwon 1 wonder er now why Morrow Is s whet whetting whetting ting bI his wk for tor me Harris remarked as be he Inspected the big roan Youre u u. hard one Blue Ill I'll II let lel that saddle warm warm up o on y you u before I J top you off oft S Well step up UI on him and lets let's b be going Morrow ordered Harris took took tooka a a short hold bold on the rope rope reins of the hackamore with hi his left hand hund cramped the horses horse's head toward him ant and gripped the mane inane lila his right hand band on the horn and swung gently to the thc saddle smIllie easing Into nto it If without a Jar S l Easy Ea Blue 1 be tie sal said holding up th the big roans roan's h head Dont Don t you hun bans your head with 01 me niti He lie eased th the horse to a jerky y start sturl and they y were werl off off for LUIIs at Lit a a shun shuttling ng trot tro Three times in II the tle lust mile utile HI Blue u bunched d himself nervously un and made madea f a a. a few stiff Jumps but bUI each cach time time Liar ris Ml held him steady ste S have bave ma made e one good little littlehorse horse borse Blue Ulue he s said d. d if some sport hadn't spoiled you u on the start The They left the horses drooping at tilt tile several witch Itch rails ralls before the post und bud crowded crowde In S S Some detached themselves hes from the Hit group and nud occupied themselves with writing c til started a 0 game anie ot of stud poker at fit one of the he many tables Harris wrote a U few letters h before rore Join JoinIng lug Ing in the p play ay and us UIl tie lie tie looked cJ up from taom tIme lime to time tinie he lie c caught r curious glances leveled upon tipiti him Morrow lIu had 6 been D I spreading the file tidings that lint H It would be summer wl wn among them nm and tIie they y were ur us to tr see the man mun who wh had bad deliberately do lIl tied fled the unwritten lii III of at the Void Cold old river S u Waddles bad bud Instructed ted Evans an to tu start stan the men buck back before th the had progressed to to u II point where the tiny would refuse e to leave Brill und anti so leave r the H Three Bar lr sh short n pd ATthe At Atthe Atthe the end of or If two hours bours he looked at al hi hl his watch and snapped Il It- It shut Turn furn out I I b be he shout shouted d. d On rout horses borses I 1 i l' l I I S SIV SS S l' l CHAPTER IV It IB Is said that there comes H- H day a-day Y 11 In the life of ot ery e handler r. r of f ha horses when he lie will wilt mount mourn one and ride him out master him and mount und for forever ver after Her to lt ride another Riley Poster hoster r rUS was US evidente evl evi dente of or this thia For three e years mf RUe Rile situ and Bangs had len heen inseparable ri rid ridIng J Ing together on every ecey Job and ond the shaggy youth topped off ofT the rhe animals In posters poster's string before u older than m WOuld woold mount them theta As Bangs about his work his faded f blue c eyes e s I were ever c turned toward the Three liar Bar boss who stood In the door ol of 04 the Ibe blacksmith shop ship S The Tho was vaguely tiled a n nAhe as I ahe she nied this Bungs u und Jl Foster OSter hud hUI returned for their season at th Three Bur nur All through th tb ure By HAL G G. EV EVARTS ARTS I Copyright by Hal lIal O. O s J summer l the hoy had evidenced hIs ils il silent adoration d HI his e eyes es follow In lag nj hoi her e every ry ulof e. The Tile scene scene found BUlle Billie was one ol of strenuous activity ery e every effort Tort bent beni toward whipping the be I Into t foj I rUe rile calt D Up p In tb least east pHe it t jl i Jb Green horses horse out one another r to ro ti tie be saddled J ed for tOT the time Mme ma nit those hose sty previously n reS re S 5 5 ff 4 Jt 5 5 S' S f 5 1 b do r a f 3 Bangs Wa Was Topping a Horse That st Str Strenuously Refuted Refused to Be Conquered I S red red- reda a few workouts to knock the L wire edge edge- oft off their un unwillingness ness to o oI I cu curry y a a rid r after a winter of fr I dom dons b on ori tire Ure S Three Thre riep were were shoeing b horses harses tl tied d to snubbing nul posts s' s at yard ten Intervals Interval's Inter Inter- val's vals before r the i 1 shop One One animal that bad hail fought foughi t. t viciously against this thIs' treatment had ag been thrown and str stretched hi his III'S s four ur feet roped to con cOh posts o and while he lie struggled and heaved heave on the ground Rile me Foster calmly c im y title tilted fitted and nailed the Ote shoes on him Cal eal Harris finished shoeing the thc colt he S. was the last touch be he said sald My string Is ls all set to go S S You have five colts ur gentled for y your ch circle circle- Jer bun bunch h. h she said But Bur you n pick q single gle cow horse bOIse The h hbo bo boys s 's have ha sorted dItel out Ut the best ones ores and the few that are are left eft wont won't an answer I for u ii man marr that a 8 gen tied string Cre Creamer m-e m and Calico Galleo do tor torme for forme me he said sald I t 1 broke theta them my myself elf an and ma I mayhe be I 1 can Worry ng Did nid 1 tri like that p she hi asked Bangs was topping topping a a 4 horse hoie tH that suJe refused ed te to to tobe be c conquered n a-n and as s on 00 the animal threw himself Like that Well wehr ho no- no pr ike w lr flO iy Th y re t breakIng break break- lug Jug hor horses s leyre c r l' l that II 1 they're pe peelers bronc-peelers lers that can cm ride em before they're l Yr broke broker A A horse e started out Jilt that t JY wj J be bea a a. a br bronc m till the dD day inS inS' he dies lies dies S Three e r men were were lashing their bed hed bedrolls I rolls und and hags on op oft three pJ pack pitk k horses hores Clr s and ard when 11 en this J tusk I was WIS com completed t they fie rode the larie In each elich leading his pa nal it k animal animal- Harri Im knew w tills his as ilS evidence l f h hie J would st start affer r the calves on liD the following I day The custom was to to exchange n representatives to 10 ride wit with tinch each wag wagon ng on Oil within n ii a reasonable ble distance I t he the reps reis r to look after the he Interest of or rill ih the br brand lIHI for h the they r rode cle I How many mallY r reps epa do do you trade i he hf asked usIe r t. I IS Three the she said Halfmoon f t f S V L n and nd v with lItie i The I D j In lay laj mills mill's s eastward along the JI fool ur of rill tiu II hills Ills the fhe he V V l I L the rile sanie 3 l jt distant distant- to to the we west hul hUI 11 a V In Ill a U lI that thaI led ledell ell sehl buck butk Into Ino the rhe base of iJu iii ringe u a I c I mil 11 fit hy by rh flie J III I four sons Oll who EilIO linde eVery o tr Ii fr- fr keep keill the hulk of tin their cow cows In t their hel r own WI hone home lione basin ri ii lid nt nid ex changed reps only with tl the flie e TIre l Liar Bar ar V H Slades Slade's ho life pI 1 lay wiles lIet l nuth unda west and his mIs grazed for over O II n tulles miles re requiring quiring three Wl to to cover ocr bin range S J S During Durin lIP yio three r. r reps I h i came corne In to replace the Ule men who had left The surplus SUr horses had 1 been tn-en cn cut out and thrown back on r the he range only tho those required ired for tor the remaining In the pasture l lot t. t The ThO chuck wagon was wheeled heeled before th the cookhouse door dour an and packed for hon an on early erly start Before ih th- th first str streaks of dawn the tue men inca had bad saddled and breakfasted It Ii was turning gras gray In Inthe Inthe the east cast when four horses horse hating the attentions attentions' of four Cour oen nen I were booked to the wagon A man hUll hung on the bit of each arh wheel h horse another the bits bUs of the feud team as us s Wartimes Vadies made on on last lust I ha hasty lY trip Insi Inside e. e This will be e 4 V rocky y ride for a amil amile amile mil mile or oi- t two o he heI prophesied I as he mounted the seat scat RUe and braced elm elm- Im- Im se sel self f. f These willow-tails willow ha haven't en t had hadin hadon un on in a n a strap of ot harness for wany many a n month All AU set sel Turn loose I v- v lh Thi r men stepped back hack and nUll the four horses hit the collars raggedly One wheel horse reared and ond jumped Jumped for tor The Tile off leader dropped d his head hed and pitched himself as ns if It struggling snuggling to no a n rider then the tile four settled into a n Jerkey run and the tho heavy hel wagon clattered an and lur lurched ed down the thc lane ane The TIie TangIer whose duty It was wa to toI to I tend tile the horse herd by day daYi and ond the the nighthawk who would guard It II at otril ot ril night tit sat sat on th lr horses horses' at atthe tue tar far far of erid the corral and urged the herd berd out as the the gates swung back bock The remu a streamed down own the the va valley l y the the two first riders swinging wI wide e to to etI either r flank while the nighthawk wk add and rid wrangler r brought op up the rear Sh Shortly Itly before ac noon the wagon was baited halted in a a broad bottom threaded by bya byn 11 a n tiny spring fed stream The tei teams lUE were were ere u unhitched mounts were unsaddled a 1 riled and anel thrown into the horse herd which was ws then headed into the thc mouth of a br branching draw and und allowed allo we to graze raze dumped o off 1 the b bed bedrolls bedrolls d rolls that were piled plied from fLom the broad broadI lowered ow r tail gate to the wagon top I and each man sorted out opt his own spread It upon some som domel spot h b struck him n Il as a likely ber her ground It ll was not long before Waddles w was dispensing nourishment nt fr from m the lowered low low- tired ered tail gate l ladling food and hot hot- coffee Into the plates and cups which h 1 itlie tie Ie men juen out OUI They dl w away and sat at legged cross-legged on 00 the ground The The Tue meal was almost finished nn fin fin- hailed when sl six horsemen ro rode e down the and pulled up before forc the wagon S 'S oJ L l u L the chance for scraps the leader iader asked aked S si du Waddles Invited Stet Step p down And throw a feed teed in you She's a a- steaming S your Pour of the men differed In no material ma ma- way from the Three Bar men men arance The fhe fifth was was a ruf- ruf linn flan with little forehead nd ad a n face of ot go gorilla cast ast stamped with brute ferocity fe ta te- te rocity and small Intelligence The last of oC the six s wasa wasn n striking figure a bis bisman lg man nian with white hair and brows his pale pf eyes eye ye peering from a red far face 1 The roasted albino Is Harper our I leading heading bud bad man in these parts Evans E uns remarked to Harris BarrIs And And the human ur ape els Is I Lang an Fisher Coleman B Barton and Canfield are tb the rest test Nice la layout of murderers and such suc-h. Harpers Harper's rs r's men ate ute unconcernedly llly conscious that they were marked marled 09 ns men meu who ha had violated every law on rOD the th calendar ar b but I knowing also mat Hint I no IJU man would take e exceptions to to their pres presence e on that general ground alone lone und and us as they had lind neur neared the wagon each man had scanned the rhe ru faces of ut the round up crew to make walta lain cm-lain that there elc vc vere none Done am ing thew theiu wu wild who might lJ beat beai al' al sonic some more specific specific spew dill and aud personal Jeison l dislike The e Bar Har men chatted sad them them as us they rileY would c done with the riders of tiny any le- le le legitimate outfit praised the food fond that Wail dies tendered them BIllie Warren forced u a smile SUllie as she nodded d to In the them ii t then len moved moved off oft ur und arid d sat sal upon u rock iLIC Mime le fifty yards r from oi UlD the ui L n the six men who ho ate ale her fare and Inwardly IH raging irl at ati I ilie i he conditions which forted forced her ber to e ex- ex the tile hospitality of If thi the Three lIar Bar Barlo lo to mica men of their breed whenever they chanced by by Harris er jund und sat sot down facing tier her sifting tobacco Inti a abrown brown r huH and j deftly r rolling his ills f r smoke I I Hus Has It U lJ been en on fin you mind min what what I II I l was t telling y you ou u a a few nights ls hick back t v hi how I was loving you yu I 1 he tie u asked kt lI You had ad your chance to prove piove It uy oy going uy u she site said lIl and alit re ra- fused rl so why log bring It up again The next two ivo WI years will he be hu hard rd enough i vit hir 1 n to ru listen to In that thaiL Jo S TO TO BE OB CONTINUED COr |