Show The e 1 Settling of the Sage Sage- By HAL G G. EVARTS Copyright by Hai Bai Hal o O. O WHAT HAr HAS AS GON GONE BEFORE At the Warren ranch ranch th th the the- Three a stranger api rip ap- ap i 1 plied d for work as' as as-a as rd rider r Wll- Wll Ann War Warren Wren Wren-k n known flown to Is la tho the of ot all as owner the ranch The girls girl's father Jal al Warren h had d been the original nal ial owner The que question or er r ilie the territory rY Is la to to r Ic Icv v co country or be opened to O i settlement Is a troublesome one one The newcomer r IB Is put puts to work wor Cattles Cattle's Cattle f rustlers f r h h hY ve yel t tr troubling g the the ranch owners T The e new hand give gives his name as Cal Cat Harris By his ann announcement announcement u t In fo favor of ot squatters he In u 8 th the enmity of or a r. r known as Morrow lorro V The Th will L ado by Cal r a Warren stipulated that half the property should go to the the son of ot his Hold J friend tild under udder certain conditions The Th new arrival Is the man and he discloses the mho fact to Billie Slade a ranchman ranch man with an ait unsavory ry reputation visits Slade e ed en endeavoring endeavoring en- en d a to embrace embra o Billie Is 18 ht h interrupted in- in by H Harris The reg regular ular calf up round la IB begun bogun While th the riders art at at their t evening n meal eal f far r out opt on ri oJ the t tl range sit sta outsiders loin Join th them them m I 1 pows them to be ru rustlers rust t. t lers who und under th the leaders leadership li i st of t Sl Sla e and a man man named amed Harper Harp Harp- er er have in the past stolen tol n Three Bar Barage C U A r v f r. r ag ago v u test Harris Harris' CUu j N the Ir girl t tJ appoints aop him temporary temporary tem temp foreman suggesting nJ that he he order the ta ta visitors to leave Somewhat to tD her surprise he does so ISO CHAPTER IV IV-Conti IV Continued N-Continued Continued 8 8 Harris Harris Dorris and the girl worked 1 the last ast draw themselves and aner when th they y drove their cows out auf of the mouth of ot It Ii they found a a herd alrea already y milled two hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred yards above th the wagon Harris left her and circled th the bunch estimating estimating esti estl mating It ft When the last rider appeared with his bunch and threw It Into the the- herd Harris signaled l d alj hands to change mounts Half the men repaired to the rope corral and caught up cow horses while the balance of ot the crew held held the the herd each one relieving g some other as soon as as' as he bad had saddled a afresh afresh lr fresh sh horse borse r 4 4 A sag sagebrush brush fire was burning fifty fifty- yards above bov the wag wagon n a and d each man manrode man r rode l past It leaned from his big gaddie saddle a dle and dropped bis his running Iron In tile the eThe f e flame The men worked ro round nd tI the edge of ot the bunch and slipped a noose on every calf that h t was thrown to the edge of the constantly shifting mass Morrow v roped the first calf palf I and dragged It fire i j p jv v 74 11 1 As As much as stiff she l v J roundup up up many times as she had bad seen It Wan Warren en had never become calloused to td- td the brutalities perpetrated on the calves aires She withdrew and sat In Inthe In the shade of the wagon She was downwind downwind downwind down down- wind and the dust raised by the trampling hoofs hoots floated down to her mingled with th the odor of steaming cows the acrid smoke of the sage fire Gie and the taint of ot scorched hair and flesh In a short space of ot time the herd had bad been worked the last calf branded brand brand- ed and Harris Barris led the men up the bottoms Five miles up the valley at th the spot where he had crossed It a afew afew afew few hours before they found the wagon waiting at the new stand the corral refashioned and the inside Inside In side it IL It was but ten o'clock but the first circle had commenced at four tour The noon meal on the roundup round was served whenever the t first st circle was completed The men fell tell ravenously ravenously raven raven- o sly on the hot bot meal changed to fresh circle horses and s started arted again It was falling failing dusk when the thre herd gathered In the third cIr circle le had had been worked and the last calf brn branded fled forthe forthe for the day At the end of at the thc first week out out from the ranch Harris pulled up his horse beside the girls girl's and showed her ber his tally taUy book Ve e run Slades Slade's mark maik on more calves than we have our own he said one way he works But nut that's not his fault nult and It doesn't doesn t mean anything she said sad Ills IUs cows are arc sure to drift This first strip weve we've worked Is the south edge of ot our range runge and anti his north north wagon works the strip right south o of us Were We're sure to find a 11 number Dumber of his cows As we double back on our next lap lup well nell not no find the same proportion Not quite quite but but plenty he predicted pre pre- I dieted Weve mat marked Led more calves calvestor for tor Slade I In to on one week than all his three wagon crews clews will mark for the Three Bar Dar In a year The first three weeks of ot each season your men do a n little more work for Slade than titan they do for tor you Its It's a safe sate bet that the D does doe the same and so on through every brand that Joins his range That puts him way off art ahead But that is pure accident she said sald It Us pure design he Le stated His are busy shoving his cows from the middle Ill fill ware ways so that when t fall corer come he has bas a good od Inside b block Inck Iud that's only been lightly fed over They toll full back on that for winter feed Last winter when cows were d dying like ilke rats his men were out drifting Shades Slade's stuff back buck toward his bis middle range true enough she site admitted d But nut But But you ou thought he was doing It 11 ns as a 8 favor to you you getting getting hits surplus stir sur plus off your territory so your own cows would have a II better That's the same ame kind of ot talk he lie n Hunt hunted cd ed all aU round the line i nr the T neighbor nerg-libor when l In ri-IHry ri the old pirate had deliberately ply planned year after year to o your range and fc feed d you out out out- But his bis men would know she oh nh Je i t H y t j 0 Not many of them would whole scheme of at It It he said suld You hadn't thought of or it yourself arnd tJ I-tJ II d'- d' wh what J if It a few tew of them did l ls 1 They're riding for Cor his brand The girl nod nodded ed That nWe COd code again the again the religion n of b bein p lu I lo al nl to ones one's brand brand Not Nol Not one of bide m would men n wo would ld balk at nt attl It im j ly Jy i each would do anything thing f vance bi his bis int Interests rest as long long a as Jie lie dr WI his his' from from Slade f Ii 5 f As they talked Harris detailed nr ri for draw but when they ther r d th the p point t where th they y were duo frol GOWn flown and nd cr crass ss the valley vall y tit j l up his horse g 0 f f t r r You Yo take the re rest t of t HII liter flier circle Carp earp he instructed Carpenter 1 f going to ride off ort up the a rp p plane e. e girl r regarded him him curi curio curiously ly No less Tess than n three times titles In the lu lI d i wear he ile had stopped midway y of circle Je and a asked ked b her r to JO complete it It Now VJ he had turned it ov over r to and ho hp signaled ed her to remain w with what iH lI D r m j I 4 Where are arc we gong going slie she h n la Ked Kedas d as she J e ey watched y ed the men ride r 11 toward th the bottoms And Arid why Back the way w we came Hal ti said And 4 maybe e I can an show you Iy He lie headed back the divide 1 t they had just ColI followed wed until be he cane le came to to the saddle at t the head bend oj of u n e i- i rna 1 l r that h lCd ed d down tS' tS tr valley l' l earl r t tut tr they could coul see a rider h. h hazing 0 n a butch bunch of ot cows out Into the b bottoms High on n the right hand slope pf pr Of the gulch lay a notch a little blind basin wat watered red by the seepage from a side Sille bill spring and there on the green gleEn bed bed of ot It t a dozen cows with their calves grazed undisturbed For fior per perhaps I r haps five minutes Harris lolled J sidewise side sille sidewise wise In n the saddle and watched them Then a rider appeared on the ridge that divided that draw from flom the next dropped In below the cows and beaded head bead headed ed them back over the ridge Into the time draw from which he be had appeared ared Even at that distance she recognized rec this last m man n as Lanky Evans c Barris Harris Darris Dar Bar ris resumed his way down th the the divide and she knew that he had discovered ered some irregularity for he bad been see seeking lei ag r Who was the man that ov overlooked rl ol ed those cows cows she asked Who WIto worked that draw e T d k l Morrow v he said iIi t Is getting bad That's the s second time this week and week and the last l Then Morrow IB is a an sl fan nan for I. I inside r Jor Harper she sire said Drawing Three Bar nar pay m and g gugal ugal against r rY d-rY too Yes he sold said Only hest hes he nii n Inside inside Inside In In- side man for Slade But how bow could his leaving those c calves calve's iv s behind hind benefit sI site deri de- de e mAn c ri- ri rA How dc could u It If benefit Harper he Can tell that i countered Can you me that T 1 She could d. d not a and d motioned d. d for him him tu tv go on None of ot Harpers Harper's men has hns a n brand of at his bis own wn he said T eyre living Iving on the move They cant can't w wait U for calves to grow up up- The way they work Is to torun run run a bunch of ot beef steers across into Idaho They'll pick up another bunch there and shove thema them a across ross the Utah line and repeat repent by moving a drove of some Utah bi brand and up In here bere Only beef steers quick steers quick turning stuff You know about the reputation of ot the 0 O V and the time Lazy H Il Four She knew all too well There was wasa a half feud a smoldering distrust displayed displayed dis dis- played between cowmen on e each rh side of ot the three state lines a R triangle of ot ill ill feeling It was current rumor that the 0 Vand the Lazy H D Four our ranging rangIng rang rang- Ing far southwest of the Three Bar would traffic In to any steers that came from flora across either the Utah or Idaho line In the corner of rho those e states were ere similar smilar outfits that were nere reedy Ing lag stations for rustled sto k from front the opposite sides The triangular feud had been fostered to a point where the thieves were Immune Even en If a direct complaint should be brought against them they had but to ride rid across Into another state and amid n a sheriff following them would he be helpless ess the Inhabitants resenting this Intrusion Into their affairs affair's by t an tin officer from u. u u U u oh o state rul truly having it hf 1 there ther and refusing to aid him even n If they did not actually oppose bl his bla passage But But how liow would It benefit shade she repented repeated Why suppose that Morrow w overlooked over over- over over- looked a 11 nice bunt bunch of ut Three Bur Bar all nIl along this this' first strip ne next t tto sale sola Then to Slides Ilde's range Harris once Shade rider happens to drop tun after our wagon n has m moved med ed OB on mind he he hazes hazes' then oft of south letter mother picks them up anti and sho shoves sho s 's them along ur another r huH huH-du half days driveway drive drive- drha way nay beyond where our hoys s rs er e work ev even en ri beyond the strip co covered by y SInde north wn oric the thc pi only ly one Del that thai ranies carries carries' a a Three i Bar Bac rei rep what then th 1 5 The ilie calves 5 would wont still Mill be be with It mothers wearing time the Three Bar liar marks murSu she sold snit After y thi-y the a c cows rn's ms m's ur the nr t they're slicks f fair lr game for S wimp J that puts hl s i II pp nn find litem-find Slade wouldn't risk k running one pC f his own brands tH is on on them 1 rc lJ before tor they cows t fr the cow ow t I i Not i-Not P on one of his l ov on rh no nov Harris s snit said only one that's going to be e hi hil his l laTer f rl on on If IP J ever ver strike dd as J W whose M. M 1 nay WIY Is sf to totI tI crush ciu h very e f new outfit outfit SI should l suffer a a hc s soft i J ak eVery ery seer year or or orso so and befriend some party that tha had hild him right elected to start up for Jor himself r fn the tie r r dl of of Si Slade's Slades des de's range range f r And Antl infer J t buy i him out i f That's That's the vH Way the he came Into l nearly uly every e he I runs cuns Several of those dinky little own owners Bove have moved maven out right sudden udden t with wit If n a a dozen riders from some other outfit fanning along close v b M r didn't even even get moved for fM rn went nt on air on the war trail before be b fore he he had time to to start tart But It I transpired that he was J all II set to go go O because Slade showed t bill of sale for tor torra Macs ra s 's holdings dated only the time day h before of That's how o J came nt to o myn own every everyone one of those brands that match up p sot Jt 9 e tt i l t that ny o fl c. c hIRr m rT t ri t i 11 r Th nr that r e l tt r Ji vO I l Oc i a long o g that l leil to tile w on Inthe In Inthe the b t r ifs r b r f Ill mention t to tire tIle boys that Morrow Moms Mor row sold out the Interests ts of Qt the Three Bar Dar while he was drawing down your your pay The They'll 11 pass puss sentence rice on him hm right light sudden Four hours bouts from now they'll have hn dry diy him so 50 far nr from Cram nowhere that ev even n the coyotes coyotes coy coy- otes c cant can't n t fi find ld him Not that sh she said Turn him over to 0 the sheriff You c caught him himIn himIn In the act act In the act of at missing a 8 few cows cowson on his hi's detail The Tile sheriff would I hold him almost an hour before re belet be belet be he let him go Then gh give e him his che check k and and send him off cr th tine the Three Bar Dar range she ahe sa said saki let Harris waited till un the herd had luid been worked and the had men ered round the wagon Then be he handed Morrow a check Heres Iner s 's your time Ume he said suid You Youcan Youcan Youcan can be leaving heaving almost olmos' any time no v v. v Every man man knew that Morrow had been c caught nt at some piece of work troTt contrary to the Interests of ot the Three TIree Bar Dar The discharged sch h hand ga gave a T T short ugly laugh Into As Aa soon as as' you pussyfooted the foreman's foremans Job I knew It was ns only a a- a question n of or r time he lie said sad r Harris upa Pack Exactly returned k your stuff I r A tor foreman n has a 1 sr scattering e. e ot of n It I dozen or or so 50 amen men to back him up Morrow l observed with a a shrug of ot in one shoulder toward the tle rest of the he men en Harris turned to the girl I 1 resign for ab about ut sixty slaty seconds he said and swung b back ck toward Morrow Mor Mor- row tow and ond again all nil hands n noted ted his bis queer quartering stand Im not foreman foreman fureman fore fure- man right at this minute he said sold So If It you had hud anything in particular to address to me In lu a u personal vein you yon cata car CUI st start now Otherwise you'd better be packing your B stuff Morrow turned his back back and header heade for fur the rope corm corral When he had hud saddled one horse and packed his hlf effects ef el effects on another ha he turned to 0 Evans You helped frame fin mute me I this his on me he said suid I thought I saw saw you mewing messing m s. s over o Into tubo my detail a n r few rV V days bark |