Show I t The he Settling of the Sage Sageo o By HAL G. G EVARTS a Copyright by Hal Dill 0 O. O Evarts I WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE At the Warren ranch the Three Bar on the fringe ot of the cow country a stranger applies applies ap- ap plies for work as a rider Wil- Wil Ann Warren known to all as Billie Is the owner of the ranch The girls girl's father 0 Cal Warren had been the original original nal owner The Question whether er the territory Is to remain cow country or be opened to settlement Is a troublesome one The newcomer Is put to work Cattle rustlers have been troubling the ranch owners the Three Bar with a girl boss havIng havIng hav- hav Ing suffered more than others The new hand gives his name asCal ns as Cal Harris By his announcement announcement announce announce- ment un In favor faor of squatters he Incurs the enmity of a rider known as Morrow The will made by Cal Warren Marren stipulated that halt half the property should go goto goto to the son of his old friend WillIam Wil- Wil lIam Harris under certain condl- condl The new arrIval Is the theman theman man and he discloses the fact to Billie The girl ts is suspicious of her new rider and takes counsel with her friend the ranch cook He quiets her fears r CHAPTER III 4 Billie Warren heard beard the steady buzz of a saw and later the ringIng strokes of an an anax ax The men had bad departed three hours before to be gone for a week on the horse roundup round but she had not yet Issued from her own quarters The music of ax and saw was ample evl deuce dence that her bel new and undesired partner was making valuable use of his time She went ent outside and he be struck the ax In a cross tross section ot of vine pine log as she moved toward him Well have to get along the best we can cnn she announced abruptly Of course you will have a say In the management of the Three Bar and I draw the same amount for yourself that I do He sat on a log and twisted a cigarette ciga I rette as he be reflected upon this state m ment nt I rather not do that he be decided I 1 dont don't want to be a drain on the 1 I but brand to help build It up Sup I pose pos I 1 just serve as an extra hand and 00 whatever ne necessary essary turns up- up tn in return for your letting me advise on a few v points that I happen to have out while I 1 was prowling through the country Any A y way you ou like she returned Its for you to decide Any money which you ou fall fail to draw now will reo re vert to you tin In th the end so It wont won't matter In the least ms Ills reply was Irrelevant a dellb orate crate refusal to to notice her ungenerous misinterpretation of his otTer offer Do you IOU mind If I gather a few Three Bar colts round here close and amI br break out m my own string before they get back he asked Anything you like she repeated Im not going to quarrel Ive I've made up my mind to that Ill I'll be gone thE rest of the day Five minutes later he saw her rid Ing down the lane She was out not seek lag Ing companionship but rather solitude and for hours she drifted aimlessly across the range ranJ sometimes dismount lag Ing on some poInt that afforded a 8 good view arid abd reclining In the warm spring sun Dusk was when she rude back to the Three Bar She heard the sound iund of saw v and ax lIS as Harris worked up the dry logs into stove lengths At least he was mak lag good gooe his word to the cook ThE sounds ceased when the sun was ant un an t hour high and when she looked out nut to determine the reason she saw him working worl with four colts In one of the smallEr corrals He had fashioned a hackamore for each and they stood tied to the bars He left them there and amI repaired to th the big ga gates tes of the the main corral The two swinging halves sag sagged until their ends dra dragged on nn the ground when oi or closed the expenditure ot of con considerable nero ener energy Jy gy In performing either operation She watched him tear down the old wires and replace them with new ones stretching a double strand from t the he top of 01 t the he tall pivot posts tree ree ends of the gates Placing short stick h between t een the two strands a wire tie lie twIsted until the ai process had harl cle cleared the ends and ond they swung suspended suspend ed moving so EO freely that a rider could lean lenn from hIs saddle and throw them open with h ease This to his satIsfaction he fashioned heavy slabs of wood to serve as extra brake blocks for the chuck wagon Between the perform once ance of each two self appointed duties ne De spent some little time with the colts handling them and teaching them not to fear teor his approach cinch lag Ing his sod saddle die on first one and then the next talking to them and handling their heals heads For three days there was little tittle com cony between the two It was had no Intention or of I. I evident that he forcing tics hIs society upon upun her ber In n the afternoon ot of the third day she saw him swing to the back ot of a it big bay easIng Into the saddle a jar Jat and the colt round the corral rolling roiling his eyes buck th clamped upon but n m making no ef fort to pitch ud He d tm J Jun un ann stripped off tile the st cinched It on oI ona a second horse and let him stand tand reading a thIrd out to a 8 snubbing past near the door of the blacksmith shop where he proceeded to put on his first set of shoes shoe The girl gill went out and sat on the sill of the shop door and watched him The colt pulled back In an of ef fort ort to release the forefoot that the theman theman man held clamped between his lenth clad er-clad knees then changed his ta tat tIcs and sagged his weight against Harris You Babe I the man ordered or Dont you go leaning on me Ill Ile pared down the hoof and fitted the shoe but before nailing It on be released reo re leased the colts colt's foot and addressed the girl If Id I'd d fight him now whilE hes he's and scared half It would spoil him ma maybe be he e explained J I gentle break mine too she saId and to man mun overlooked the InflectIon which as plainly as words was In intended tended to convey the impression that his ways were effeminate If every everyman man used up his time gentling his strIng hed he'd never nc have a day off to work at anything else Why It dont don't use up much time he objected They halfway break themselves standing round with a saddle on and having a wan man bandla them n a little between spells ot of regular regu regu- lar work like cutting firewood and such And Its It's a saving of at time in hi hithe inthe the end Theres There's three hundred bundred odd days das every year ear when a man considerable time fighting every horse he be steps upon upon-It they're broke that way to start So your only reason for not rid tid lag Ing them out Is to save time she said It If you mean that Im I'm timid b his observed why I dont don't know os as Id I'd bother to dispute it It He moved over and sat on his heels facing tier her twist lag Ing the ever handy cigarette Listen Us Lis ten be urged Lets you ou and I 1 ty try to get along Now If you'll only makeup make up your Ind that Im I'm not out to grab ruh the Three Bar not even ven the half balf of It that's supposed to be unless mine you get paid for why it-why were we're liable to get to liking each other real wet wels In the end Ill I'll II give you a contract to that effect Which you know would be worthless worth wurth- less 1 l she returned rhe will twill pe states that any agreements agreement between us prior to the time of division division divi- divi sion are to be disregarded A written writ writ- ten contract t would have no more value than thun your unsupported prowls promis' and In view of what's happened you dont don't e expect me to place a value on ont t that ha t. t He Be pulled reflectively at his cigarette ciga rette and she rather expected another of the Irrelevant remarks with which he so often replied to her pointed thrusts No he said at last But its it's a tact fact that I dont don't want th the Three liar Bar or rather I do If you ou should ever decide to sell I Ineer 1 ne er never will she stated positively positive ly Iy Its always been my home Ive I've been away and hud had a good time I three hlee winters In school and every see second but there always alwa's comes a time tilDe when Im I'm sick to get hack when I know I c cant can't ml stay away from the Three Bar when I 1 want to smell the sage and throw my leg across a horse horse- and ride l I lI II I know Billie he said softly 1 was raised here up until I 1 was eight My reeling Is likely less acute than yours but ve Ive alwa always s 's hankered to get back to where the sage und and pine trees run together I 1 mentioned a awhile awhile while back that flint I 1 was tied up peculiar peculiar liar and stood to lose considerable it If itI I failed to put In t years out her here here- which wouldn't have been heen of any i ar- ar consequence only that I found out that the Three Bar was goIng under un der unless some slime one put a stol stop to what's going on Ill I'll pull it Ir nut of th hole maybe and hand It to you You I she flared Ana what can you Oll do agaInst It-a It nitre that wa was raised in n squatter country behind a II burh wire fence who has hns to gentle I his horses before he can it II up un on one une who ho has hitched a gun un on his 19 belt because he thinks Its it's the thine tu to do and has hns stowed 1 It it Ir a place where hed he'd have to tie himself In It a or knot undress undress-to reach It And then you talk of pulling the Three Bar out of a hole I Why there ther are twenty Inca within fifty miles of here that would kill you the first move you made Theres considerable sound truth In that he be sail al lIe Be looked down at athis athis his gun It swung on his left side In front the butt pointing toward the rIght lilts Its easier to work with It sort ot of out of the way of my hands handshe he explained and smiled She found Cound herself lIking him even evenIn evenIn In the face of the treachery he be had practiced against her father and was correspondingly angry hoth with herself her ter- self and at him She left him without a word and returned to the house bouse lie He finished putting the shoes on the cult colt and as he be turned him back Into the corral he be observed r ed a horseman Jogging up the lane at a trail trot lie He knew the man for Slade whose house ranch lay forty miles rulles to to the I south and a little west the owner ot of I the largest outfit In that end of the state a man feared by his competitors tors quick to resent an Insinuation agaInst his business methods and capable cap cap- able of backing his resentment Slade dropped from his horse borse and accorded Harris only a casual no nod J as asbe ashe he be headed for or the house bouse He walked through the cookhouse and opened the door of the girls girl's quarters without the formality of a knock as If a Ire tre quest quent visitor and sure of his privileges leges How many times have bave I told you to knock 7 she demanded The next time titre you ou forget It Ill I'll go out as you come In Slade dropped Into a chair not knocked in I 1 never have bave twelve years he be said It was somewhat different when I Iwas Iwas was a small swall girl antI and you were only a friend of my father she pointed out But now now now- But now that Ive I've come to see you as u a woman Its It's different he be in- in No reason for that She switched the channel ot of con conver- conver vel and s spoke oke of the coming roundup round round- up of the poor condition of range stock owing to the severity of the wInter but It w s a monologue For Fora t or ora a time the man sat and listened as asIf asIf If he be enjoyed the of her voice contributing nothing to 0 the conversation conversa- conversa tion himself then suddenly he be stirred In his chair and waved a hand band to indicate Indicate in- in the unimportance of the topics Yes yes true enough tie be Inter Inter- Hut But 1 didn't come to tall talk that are you cowing coming borne bome with we me Billie And you ou cant can't come If you Insist on talking about that she countered Ill come cume he be stated Tell me youre you're going to move over to the Circle 1 Not ever she said Id ruttier be a 8 mans man's horse than his wife Men treat women like lIttle tInsel queens before and anel afterward they answer to save a cooks cook's wages and drudge their lives es out feeding a bunch of half half- starved or hands else go to other extreme WIves are either work workhorses workhorses horses or pets J 1 was raised like a aboy aboy boy and I 1 want to have bave a say In fu run rung things m myself Slade ruse and moved over to her ber taking her bands and lIfting her ber bertrom from her chair The girl pushed hum back with a a hand braced agaInst hIs chest Stop It I 1 she said Youre getting get get- ting wilder every time you COllie coute but youve you've never pawed ut at nie me before 1 wont won't have e peoples people's hands on we me and she made a grImace of distaste The man reached out again anddrew and drew her bel to him She wrenched away and faced Slade That will be the last time you'll do that until I give the word she saidI said I I dont don't want the CIrcle or I you When I do Ill I'll let you know ILie i Lie He moved toward her again and she refused refuse to back away uway from him but but stood with ber hands at her ber sides I If you put a linger finger on me Its It's the thelast last time you'll visit the Three Bar I she calmly announced TO BE CONTINUED |