Show oaf 1 I he BARS E TE AND VIRGIL jl by A mcclurg co CHAPTER I 1 the island with a mystery he said positively to dattlo ax hla scraggy buckskin cow pony that they would ride to the summit of this ono bluff and that it should be the last but he had said the same thing many times since striking the barren hill region flanking both sides 0 the river hump after hump had been surmounted since the sound of the first prom ise had tickled abs tbs ears ot the tired broncho humps as alike as the two humps ot a camel the onous continuity of which might very well have confused contused cont used the mind of one less at home on these ranges than george een he riding a blind trail since sunup sitting his saddle with a heavy indifference born ot heat and fatigue began to think it might be that they were describing a circle and the sun was placing them strange tricks still he urged his pony to one more effort just so much farther and they would retrace their steps giving up for this day at least the locating of a small bunch of cat tie branded a lazy S missing these three days had not untoward circumstances intervened he might still have gone blindly on for laying aside the gam blang fever that was on him he could afford to lose the ten or twelve steers somewhere wandering the wide range or huddled into some sate place there to abide the time when a daring rustler might conveniently play at witchcraft with the brand or other wise dispose ot them with profit to himself and with credit to his craft moreover what might possibly never have been missed from the vast herds of langford his neighbor of the plains country was of most serious import to devil take you battle ax but youre slow muttered Wll liston id give a good deal to sit down this aln ute to some of my little girl s flap jacks and caffee but nothing tor us lazybones till midnight or morning more likely do walk up as it you had bome little standing in the world of cow ponies you of a surety but you might make an effort all things are possible to him who tries you know which Is a tremendous he of course but perhaps it doean doesn t ap ply to poor devils like us who are has beens here we are ah there were no more hills almost directly at hla feet was one of those precipitous cutaways cuta ways that characterize the border bluffs of the missouri river A few more steps in the dark and horse and rider would have ed over a sheer wall of nearly feet As it was gave a gasp of involuntary horror which almost simultaneously gave place to one of wonder and astonishment ho had struck the river at a point absolutely new to him it was the time of low water and the river in bosl of its phases muddy and sullen looking gleamed silver and gold with the gilt ter of the setting eun making a royal highway to the dwelling place of phoebus A little to the north of this sparkling highroad lay what would have been an island in high water thickly wooded with willows and cot ton woods now a long stretch of sand reached between bluff and island dismounting with the thought that yonder island might bold the se cret of his lost cattle ho crept as close to the edge as ho dared the cut was sheer and tawny entirely do y void ot shrubbery by means of which w one might hazard a descent tha sand bed began immediately at the foot of v the yellow wall even though one managed to gain the bottom one would hardly dare risk the deceitful sands ever chit ting fair and erous baffled he was on the point of remounting to retrace his steps when he dropped his toot from the stirrup amazed was the day of miracles not yet passed it was the sun or course twelve hours of sun in the eyes could play strange tricks and might even cause a dancing black apeck to assume the semblance of a man on horseback picking hla way easily though may hap bit warily across the waste of sand he seemed to have sprung from the very bowels of the bluff whence else many a rod beyond and above the ghostly figure frowned the tawny wicked cutaway path tor neither horse nor man appeared 30 tar as eye could reach it must be tho sun but it vas not the sun intent a figure cast in bronze as the sun went down the lean ranchman gazed steadfastly down upon the minature ml nature man and horse along so far below not un 1 the object of bla fixed gaze bad been swallowed by the trees and un der brush did hla muscles relax this man had ridden as K unafraid u K ran allons ll ons and ath no idea of abandoning his search unlit he hid probed the avs tery ho mounted and tode northward closely examining the edge 0 the precipice as be went along for any evidence ol 01 a possible descent presently he came upon a cross ravine devoid of shrubbery too steep for a horse but pres enting possibilities for a man with unerring instinct he followed atie crosscut westward scon a scattering of scrub oaks begin to appear and dumach sumach already streaked with crimson A farther and the trees began to show wreaths of woodbine and wild grape yet a little farther and doubtless there would bo outlet for horse as well as man but was growing ampa alent besides the thought came to him thit he had best not risk his buckskin to the unknown dangers of an untried trail what it ha should go lame accordingly be was left behind la a slight depression where be would be well hidden and wll allston scrambled down the steep in allne alone when foothold or hand hold was lacking ha simply let himself go and slid first root or branch that presented itself in his dare devil course arrived at the bottom be found his clothes torn and his hands bleeding but that waa nothing with grim de termination he made his way through the ravine and struck across the sand trail with a sure realization of his danger but without the least abatement of bis resolution the sand was firm under his feet the water had receded a sufficient length of time be fore to make the thought of an idle fear no putt ol 01 cloudy smoke leaped from a rifle barrel if as he more than half suspected the island was a rendezvous tor cattle thieves a place surely admirably fitted by nature for such unlawful oper athons the rustlers were either overconfident of the inaccessibility of their retreat and kept no lookout or they were solent ly indifferent to espos expos ure the former premise was the more likely A light breeze born of the afterglow came scurrying down the river bed here and there where the sand was finest and driest it rose la little whirlwinds whirl winds no sound broke the stillness of the summer evening what was that coyotes barking over yonder across the river that turned and faced squarely the spot which held the watching man alien sound A mans laugh a curse a heartbreaking bellow of pain ton parted ever so slightly tha thack foliage 0 underbrush that separated him from the all to familiar sounds and peered within in the midst of a small clearing man made for several stumps were scattered here and there two men were engaged in and belcas ing a red steer similar in all essential respects to a bunch of three or four huddled together a little to one side they were all choice well fed animals but there were thousands of just such beasts herding on the free ranges he owned red steers like those but was there a man in the cattle country who did not they were impossible of identification without the aad ot their brand and it happened that they were so bunched as to complete baffle in his eager efforts to decipher the stamp that would disclose their ownership that they were the illegitimate prey of cattle rust lers he never for one moment doubt ed the situation was conclusive A bed of glowing embers constantly replenished pleni shed and kept at white heat served to up the weird scene growing dusky under the surrounding cottonwoods cotton woods thought he recognized in one of the men the one who seemed to be directing the procedure of this little affair choso whoso wide and dirty hat rim was so drawn over his eyes the solitary rider whose un expected appearance had so startled him a short time before both he and bis companion were dressed after the rough nondescript manner of cattle men both were gay laughing and talkative and seemingly as oblivious to possible danger as if engaged in the most innocent and legitimate business A little to the left and standing alone was an odd creature of most striking appearance a large spotted steer with long peculiar looking horns it was quite impossible to mistake such a possession if it had once been yours its right side was turned and in the center of the hip stood out distinctly the cleanly cau three perpendicular lines that were the identifying mark of the three bars ranch one of those same ble opulent self centered outfits multiplying abigil was bo coming such a veritable and prophetic writing on the wall for ana his kind who tren had dared to drive before him an animal BO branded the arold ness of the transgression and the inso i lent indifference to the enormity of attendant consequences held him for the moment breathless ills attention was once more called to the movements of the men the steers with which they had been working was led away still surprise and pain and another brought forward from the reserve bunch the branded alp if it was a band was turned away from willston WIlH ston the bewildered aal mal cleverly roped and thrown tc the ground tho man wh was plain ly directing the affair ha of the drooping hat and lazy shoulders stepped to the alro held his breath with the intensity of his interest the man stooped and took an iron from the fire it was the rod of a wagon and it was red hot in tha act of straightening himself from his stooping position the glowing iron stick in his right hand he flung from hla head with an easy swing the flop ping hat that interfered with the of sight in the work he wad about to do and faced squarely that quiet innocent looking spot which held the watching man in its brush and in the moment in which drew hastily back the fear of ery beating a tattoo of cold chills down his spine recognition of the man cams 0 him in a clarifying burst of corn but the man evidently saw nothing and suspected nothing ills casual glance was probably only a manifesta alon of his habitual attitude of being never oft his guard he approached the prostrate steer with indifference to any meaning that might be attached to the soft snapping of twigs caused by involuntary drawing back into the denser shadows Y don t suppose now do you that any blamed interferon officer la a round where he t to bea said the second man with a laugh s t much relieved again peered cautiously through the brush lie was confident a brand was about to be worked oer he must see what there was to see easy now boss said the second man with an officious warning he was a big beefy fellow with a heavy hardened face sounded the depths of his memory but failed to place him among ahli acquaintances in the cow country gamble on me returned the lead er with ready good nature make it as clean as a boiled shirt I 1 take it you dont know my reputation pard well you 11 leam you re all right only a trifle green that s all with a firm quick hand he began running the searing iron over the right hip of the animal when lie bad finished and the steer released staggered to its beet staw the brand clearly it was J R it it had been worked over another brand it certainly was a clear job he could see no indications of any old markings whatsoever too clean to be worked over a lazy S thought but not over three bars there were six reds said the chief surveying the remaining bunch with a critical eye one must have wandered off I 1 was gone get out there in the brush and round him up alee while I 1 tackle this long horned gentleman Wll liston turned noiselessly away from the scene which EO suddenly threatened danger both men were fully armed and would brook no eaves dropping once more he crossed the sand in safety and found his horse where he had left him up the ravine he vaulted into the saddle and gal loped away into the quiet night TO BE CONTINUED |