Show The Settling of the Sage J HAL G. G EVARTS j I vl tm r Copyright t by bf Hal Hat O. O WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE At the Warren ranch the Three Bar Dor on n the fringe of the cow country a stranger applied applied ap ap- plied piled for tor work worle as a rider VII Wll- Ann Warren Warren known known to all as Billie Dillie Is the owner of the ranch The girls girl's father I Cal Warren had been the original nal owner o The question n whether I or er the territory Is to remain cow cow country or be opened to toI I settlement Is IB a troublesome one The rhe newcomer Is put to work J I Cattle rustlers have bonI boon bon t I troubling the ranch owners The Thea he heI I a new hand gives his name as Cal CalI I Harris By his announcement In t favor vor of squatters he Incurs I the en enmity of ot a rl rider or known R ns as M Morrow The Tho will made by Cal Warren stipulated that half halt the i property should go to the son of ot I his hilt old friend William Harris I under certain conditions T The he I new arrival ls Is the man and and he discloses the fact act to Billie e rh The girl I Is suspicious auspicious Slade a n ranchman with MUt an unsavory reputation reputation reputation rep rep- as a bad badman man visits gillie Billie Ha has long tong v. v wanted to marry marry her but she dislikes es and fears tears him Slade endeavoring to toj embrace Billie Is Interrupted by Harris lIa Harris half Jestingly proposes that the girl marry him hm and so settle the matter of the tho I ranch ownership The rhe regular regulars calf calC up round is begun While the riders are at their evening meal far tor out on the range range six outsiders join them Billie knows them to be rustlers I CHAPTER IV Continued IV-Continued Cont Continued 1 17 7 7 Our families must wust have been real rea set on throwIng us together h he ob served I 1 was cut off oft without a dimp unless self u myself unless I spent two full years on the Three Bar Bur She Slie was angry with herself herselt for tor believing be lie- lIe lieving him dim sincere for being convinced convinced con con- vinced that tie he too as lie he hud several se times Intimated was tied In much the same sanae fashion as us herself The explanation tion Lion came to her In an Illuminating flash The elder r U Harris arris must have nursed a lifelong enmity against her father who had believed ed him the tile most mOSI devoted friend on earth She had often heard beard the the tale tille of of Low how her ber parent had bad In all friendliness frIendliness frIendliness' ness ness' followed old oid Bill BI Harris step b by step step from Dodge City I 16 to the Platte to old Fort La Laramie ramie and finally to the present Three Bar nur range Perhaps Pet haps the one so followed had hud felt that Cul Cui Warren arren was but the time limited hated s symbol of or orthe the whole clan of squatters who ho timid had J driven him from place to place and eventually e forced him to relinquish his hope of ot seeing the Three Bar Bur brand on a hundred cows caws that his friendliness bad had situ his eness nursed and und finally consummated h b by leaving leu his hi of at I fairs Cairs' In such suda fashion that his son must carry carryon on the work his trickery hn had d begun Harris resumed where he had broken broken bro ken Q off of And A d Id I'd d 1 tossed have l off of It ns 1 told fold you once If the Three e Bar Bur girl rl had land turned out but to be any except you Youve You've had a B tough problem to work put girl he be said I sold out my lit little kit tIe tle Box i. i outfit for more than It was war worth worth and figured to stop stol the emik Il Ilot nt ot the rhe Three Bar and put the old brand on Its feet Ills His calm cairn assurance on this point exasperated the girl How H she demanded What can caa you do She pointed toward the six men near the wagon During the th time you spent prowling the stills hills did you ever e come across arross tho those e men Nut Not to pal ru round with lItI them he hl confessed But nut I 1 did cut their trail now v and then They're not the rhe outfit that's going to be hardest to handle when the the time arrives What do you ou m mean meart an 7 she asked No one tins Jias ever er been able to handle hundle them to up to date date Did It ever strike you as queer qUIt that Slade could come Into luto this coon conn try twelve years years bark back with nothing but a n lon long Ions rope and a 8 running Iron and he owning thirty thousand head Henri today 7 lIe He has the t knack knuck u ick to protect hi his own and increase Inc she said suld afraid of or Shade Slade The girl shook shank her head heart inpatient Impatient Impatiently ly Iy and looked rl across acres at the time six men own who ate ote her fare fure Look ook at or them she flared d. d Rating Eating my y food foud and In a few v I they'll be he h hazing a hunch of Three Bur Bar steer t r toward the Idaho dalio line Why d i some sOllie man runn that is 18 s a 8 man mun k kill ll that rhu I al 91 albino bino n fiend nd and ell alt his whelps and rM rid the country of his breed I Even Ien en Smile Slade lets them put up at 81 his place If It they're pestering pp you Ill I'll II order ordel them off nIT he said And what effect would that have she Inquired scornfully Time The effect of causing them to 10 their horses and off orr down the time countr country he returned lIe fie sprawled on the grass gruss his head propped prepped 11 on one hand as ns he regarded them theft Then probably you'd old better order them theun off miff she sU suggested l. l ted Y You iu bu lummy have but t my permission In Now's your jour chance e t tn make Rood cor the tie lordly brag of at f helping I the he Th Three Bar Rai out nut of th the hole She Rill I In Instantly regretted having said It U A d dozen n tunes times tUI S e 11 late she hp hind had n cI If she were wert bitter Turning and wn wasp p Ish sh if It she he would ever a again h be tw this I even tempered even Billie Warren n u II good word word and n smile fur for every en lUll vu W was S as always a I undisturbed by her words Far down dow tiie the bottoms she could see a point of ot light which she knew for a white sign that t read Squatter dont don't let sundown sun down find you here The man before be tore fore her had dt defied ed these sinister warnings scattered about the range and publicly pubU ly announced that he would woul put In bay hay on his filing knowing that he was a marked man from tram the hour he fie turned the first furrow Whatever his shortcomings lack Inck of ot courage was was' not not one of ot themI them I Ii tule take that t h hat t back she said referring re re- fen terming ferring lug to her words of a few t moments model OI is s before Harris straightened to a a Sitting Sit Sit- Sitting ting position In n his surprise at this impulsive e retraction and as he smiled smiled smile ac across ss at at her her she divined that that it this this- ls' ls man man seemingly so Impervious lous to h her het p sarcasm could be easily moved mo by a a single kind word Thanks Billie he sold sald That iTi was wa real white of or you yuu He pe rose al and 1 sauntered toward YH the he wagon and Billie Warren felt a s. s sad sadden den clutch of fear as he halted bif before be bi- f fore le Harper and und she realized that that that-he lie had taken tolen tier her words literally ant and In Intended tn tended ordering them off oft Ive bc been n made temporary foreman of or the time Three 1 Bar just Bar Just so the boss could try me out on that Job for an hour or or two he the remarked conversa D c So Tin Im putting In a new rule that hat goes Into effect right lt off When you ou boys beys ride away In a few minutes minute from now JOw you can ca'n can tell folks s that that- the grub tine line Is closed close 1 as far as ns the Three Bar Is concerned Lang too took a step half step toward him his face reflecting his gathering rage rages as Lis s hrs his slow brain comprehended the thet t ra r ry y r rr r a 1 4 tw 1 r i They h. h Ascended the First t Slopes fact that this speech was but another way of announcing that he and his men would find Ond no welcome at the time Three Bur Bar from frum that moment on Harper HUrer caught his arm and oud Jerked him bark back The Time albino was an old hand and aud could rightly rend read the signs The gentleman was remarking to tome tome me he said to Long Lang not you yuu He tie turned to Harris Barris Theres no law to make you feed any uny num he said I From now on well we'll pay our way as way as asfar far as the Three Bar Is concerned Ills His tones taxies were ens casual un I only his Iris pale Jule Julee e eyes es fastened ned on ul Harris Harris' face fUle betrayed his r real ul feeling to toward the time man mon who notwithstanding the roundabout nature of ot his announce announcement ment hud had practically ordered him to stay away from 1001 mom the lime Three Bar nul for tur nil all time Cut But even en In the tw face of or that he resumed re ra- well you oU any tine time you oU happen to Ide down dawn our way way Every r man nian within earshot understood understood under under- stood the he threat plat hat In lay beneath the casual words Then IllIn Ill I'll likely drop In to some sume time rime Harris said suld If you'll send word rd It Is And Ill I'll bring fifty men along Th The albino motioned his men amen toward to ward their horses ses and und they mounted cI and rude rode off down tt the bottoms Ii Ha n- n rig walked hawk back and resumed ills his 8 sent seat Ut near the he girl who sat nI 1 looking at nl him himas as us If It she he could nut not believe helle what I she had Just witnessed You see ste It was JU Just I u us as easy eusy as Id I'd cJ counted commuted he said suld ua on CIU ItU be a n considerable con so saving lri on un toad food But how did you know she sheIls atai Ils ui Why Is s Harper afraid of ot you fOll ties Hes out not Harris Burris said suld Not tar fur tara fora a single second But hes he's an old uld hn hand nd and has bus left a 8 tr r few w places on the Jump before he came callie out here And he thinks you OU know It I she guessed lie He dont don't care cUIe what I l know Its It's what he tie knows hImself that himself that the wild bunch I Is always s 's roosting on un time the ik pow hm powder der can con en even when It II appears like they're sitting pretty pretty that counts with him hi III You Yuu thought I 1 was taking u a fool foul e cluce e ot of him mint In r reality I n was lens taking almost an nn unfair advantage of ut him providing he had time the brains he must possess possess' to have lived to his Ids age Sue She h could no made MII nn wen UM W to III this surprising I 1 nt you know knuty that lh the nl ln will III kill you fur Cur 1 the she n J 1 Not unless he ha h ran can stage It as os a personal personal per per- quarrel be said sold Hell HeU never follow Collow It up as os coming out of ot what happened today by taking It t out on me the as temporary foreman of ot the Three Bar for Bar for ordering off Theres There's a good majority of folks that dont don't relish seeing Harpers Harper's bunch ride up that up-that that feed them through policy pol pol- 1 Icy But whenever you make It It plain poin to a man that hes he's compelled to do o a athing athing thing whether he be likes it U or not Dot Its It's ten to one hell he'll balk out of sheer human hUeman hu hUe man Ulan pride If It Harper kills the tile Three Bar Bur Bar foreman on the grounds that he refused t to feed feed feed- all aU his bis men why men why I then right oft off every foreman und and owner within a hundred miles mUes starts to resenting the possibility that that- m may may- y bb he the albino feels the same va way toward to to- ward him l B Harper rp r k knows o s that But B But t If It your theory h ory Lad bad been wr wrong Dg she persisted What then 1 Then he said then en there'd b have ve i been heen h h l 1 and repeat I wasn wasn't t lust Just u acting as me a personal affair but I as I 1 I took pains to tor r remark mark aloud as the foreman of ot t the e Three Bar Every Every Ev Ev- Ev ery Three Bar man would have g gone ne Into action the second l Harper arper made madea a move at me You know that that that- and Harper knew It She realized the time soundness of ot this statement The one unalterable code of ot the time country a 8 code that had been fostered till It eclipsed all others decreed decreed de de- de creed that a man should be loyal to the brand for which he rode The whole fabric of ot the cow business was based on that one point But now flaw they'll work their deviltry deviltry devil try all the stronger against the Three Bar she predicted They cou coui j wreck us If they tried You couldn't get a conviction In five years Not a 8 aman aman man would testify against one of Harpers Harper's Bar Har pers per's outfit Then well we'll put on a fighting crew and anel hold them off ho ho said But that's not the layout that will be hardest hard bard hardest est to ha handle dle In the tho long run Slade Is the time one real hard nut for the Three Bar nar to crack He can work It a dozen different ways and you couldn't prove one of ot them on him to save your soul Hes He's one smooth hombre hombre Slade Harris rose and headed for his bed bedroll bedroll roll rolt and the girl sought the shelter of her teepee for a rest Ber Her mind was busily going over the events of the time day She Site reflected that Cal Barris Harris Bar Har rl ris was at least possessed of self con and that procrastination was certainly not to be numbered among his failings It came to her that his bis Interests for the present were Id Identical identical Iden iden- n. n with her own As owner half in inthe inthe inthe the Three Bur It would be be as much to his advantage as to her ber own to build It up Waddles Waddle's warped legs prevented pre his acting as foreman on I the job and It might be that the other other oth oth- ier er man would find some way to prevent prevent pre pre- vent the leak that was as sapping the life Ute from the time Three Bear His half half- ownership entitled him to the place Billie Warren loved her brand and her personal distrust of or Harris was waK submerged tai I the thee hope that his sharIng sharing shar shar- ing log the full responsibility with herself a st step p toward toward- putting It U back buck backon buckon on the time old plane of ot prosperity She Sire f fell U asleep with the crooning I voice o of the nighthawk drifting to b be bey l ears It seemed but a few fleeting moments moments mo mo- ments meats before Wadd e voice roused her Roll noll out 1 be he bawled I Feet In Inthe Inthe Inthe the trough trough There Ther- was Instant activity the j Jin- Jin n. n plo gio Io of I helta and spurs and tn to five i minutes every man was waa fully and ond splashing at the creek It was Tras showing rose and gray In the time east when the meat meal was finished When most utmost of the men were mounted Billie urged Papoose over Dver near Harris Harris' horse Do you know how to throw a cir clr cl cle cleT she ns n's asked ed After A fter a fashion he said sald Ive bossed one or two In the past Then wed we'd better be of ot she sug lug Since youre you're the Three Bar foreman Its for you to say wh when l I only pre-empted pre that Job for tor tera ten minutes or so so he explained with evident evl evi dent embarrassment You surely didn't think k I was tr trying to boost m my myself y self Into the time for foremans foreman's muns mun's Job jab for tor k keeps No r she said But nut youre you're half halt owner owner and and you oU can handle hundle men Im I'm giving you free rein to to- show what You vou can do Morris Harris straightened In his saddle and motioned to the time pen men Lets go I he ordered and headed his hor horse e for the left-hand left lank flank of ot the valley They ascended the first slopes picked a long ridge and followed |