Show I 1 BLUE LAKE FUNCH Ey JACKSON cor COPYRIGHT uye CHARLES SONS synopsis ClIt APTER I 1 bud lee horse tore fore man of tho iti blua e lako lake eq chiv viria d bayne manager is dill d tin the property owned by judith ganford banford a woman her cousin pollock and timothy aray decides to throw up his lob job iti clith strives ai and announces she has bought grays al share are in tho tb ranch and will run it site sho CHAPTER 11 II the men on the ranch daelke taking orders from it a girl but by subduing a vicious hoss horse ho ss and proving her thorough 0 of f ranch life wins the best of them over le lee decides to stay the others can call wait then now im ill taking a gain loic on you aal lee you lieve nil all kinds or of chances chance to coulle eross tile inc hut but ive pot got to tell ion something is 13 trying to ivil me out to the lie western lumber people lie Is one of their cro arod d and lins has been since they bought him up six months ago the ranch outside the stock weve got cot running on it is worth a cleant clean million dollars if it Is worth n 1 nickel weli wc li the western lumber company lias has offered us lis ex I 1 aptly ati y I 1 two n 0 11 undred and fifty thousand mand one quarter of what its worth they know were teased aged they know th the interim interest t we ie have to pay Is heavy they hey know that pollock ila for one is a spender who knows know nothing I 1 n about big bi business they think thin that hut 1 I because im a girl uni um si it fool it looks loohs to them like a imeloa easy casy to 0 o cut tied aad ripe for the sli chig she poured paused a nim moment pent frown ins at the lie floor then su evail lie ho lifted ter her eyes eye to carsons ci sains I 1 au in erl crisply silly took time thile nt lit ill alir end to tell me something so methin that was wait that lie he was soini going to me sell ile he even if I 1 lindet come to my illy senses lefore before the die ran l 11 ob as dry la the tha bu summer nimer to burn me tile the duro dura u i boic t ed the ile bittl colel nov ill alii I 1 i ij Tri youie got cot wr nr fir i 1 i i 1 1 fur for you yon let evne triv tr v i i i if Ms his san ping rot abot foot foet on niu 0 1 i i 1 arill ill te tey I 1 you whit what I 1 tit clr ot nt it 11 carron irson or Is the jot joh ti i lit too blo b for you arn arn ar n il 1 iri r I 1 eniy ly td llie to lo see i 1 I id d in diat soft ri well imn iino 1 I oe oc calon ca lon at i 1 I ir v nf mill him III 1 I sure aulo 1 1 I in hi 1 11 till all i i t 11 rang arnn ir nn C carson irskin site she SIKI aid i aik i in irr wiy lont to iw li 1 ii on ur fiield 17 1 eriv r C r in 1 I 1 i 1 3 1 doan the erdl his r t juill li aa ci jofh ive at 01 i r nl ill lee LC all ill li 1 il 11 ol nl iain binl p i lit liow ahn a ro r it il li lit il bt li i sir I A n t r in if qt i rip rap valinh tuii ih oruill V e P V i 1 1 1 ire venron ill ii rl ni A i i r ng is for a ur or ii i i tn Esqui esquiel jiel cl CA 2 in B D arz agns gns s the hc vc lure fare and ami no ml ill tl aili il to a the til ln lb ailt her hr r slip she was fiolle in tin till hi bl r 11 in h bouse not bein ing 1 i il 0 oi 01 lion inn im koin going to take lake u snow vivid lilo blo orn om that lie was upon he tough li baran ril 11 of lier her pioneer I 1 anci sarv arv erp crp ciare i are if f argent flame and ill ter mood blood and her life i in tin the open had lot made her she was not devaill of 0 the understanding of the limit of physical endurance last night through the late moonlight likht anti and later starlight through the he thick dark riess which lay across tile the mountain trails before the coming coining of day on into the dawn she bad ridden forty milts miles front from the railroad at rocky baud certain of treachery on oil the part of bayne she had bad arrived only to find blin plotting i i blow at her interests she lilt had ridden a road brute of 0 a horse whose i rebellious struggle against her author 1 ity had taxed lier her to the last ounce I 1 of her ter strength she had bad shot a man in the right shoulder boulder anti and the left forearm and now efow with no one to lee eee her she was pale and shalan shaking a little suddenly faint from the heavy healing beating of her ter own heart she hail bill had virtually no sleep last night IS she I 1 i e was glad of it for now site she would won sleep sleep 1 I am not to br be called no matter what happens tile she said to jose who came trotting to tile the tinkle of her bell slipping out jut of lier ter clothes she drew the sheet up lip to her ter throat and tossed tosti il for it wretched elied hour before sleep came to her A restless sleep filled with broken lilts ailts of unpleasant dreams at two bat ek swiftly dressing aeter a leisurely hath bath she went out into tile the court arl where she foi found ind 41 icse making n nrc p tense ot of gardening whereas her cas in truth for a ip matter litter of hours he be had lone done little but watch for her C coming 1 J jose 0 se slie she said or as lie swept of ills his reson bened ed for la in senorita and to la senorita alone 1 I nm am going to telephony telephone into town for a woman to do my cooking find housekeeping arid and be a nuh nuisance stance around generally while I 1 do that will you scare up something tor for tile me to eat and then saddle a horse for mo me site she went to the office arranged over the wire with mth sirs mrs simpson of rocky bend to come out on the fol lolling day and then spent fifteen minutes studying tile the pay roll taken from tile stife safe which fortunately had left open As jose came in with a big tray she was running through it a file of rie reports ports made at tile the month end two weeks ago by certain of the ranch foremen tut put it loin on the table jose thank you lind and she found time tor for a smile at her ber demoted servitor now have a horse ready I C ady will you anil and waiting tor for joses answer taking up the telephone she asked for the ilice at the lower end as the frith r rich I 1 valley land of the western portion of the ranch was aas commonly lI known noNn Tr triefly briefly lefly making herself known to the owner of the boyish voice which answered she asked for doe doc tripp and was informed that eliat the rinch ranch veterinarian eri narlan was no longer with the outfit judith frowned where Is lie fie I 1 rocky bend I 1 think biml said judith who has taken his place bill bili crowdy Is sort of acting yet vet right now thanks she said clicking off she lie put in a call for doe doc tripp lei in rocky bend get him for we me as quickly as you on can will you please she asked of the operator in town for five minutes she munched at A sandwich and an pored over the papers before ber hc r alien at last her tele phone bell rang site she found that it was tripp hello doc she sold said cordially 1 I 1 seen been you for so long I 1 almost have haire forgotten how you comb your hair tripp laughed with ler her at that th at across the miles she could picture him running his big hand through tile the rebellious shock yes im back to stay and from the looks of it I 1 come dittly any too soon what was the trouble with you and tn tie vors what was nas the excuse tor for cunning canning you case of lung worms lie told her some of the calves I 1 dont know just how many yet ile he insists Insist td on n my tr enting them the old vav slaked time or sulphur athe sill quietly ly and you roll inister InIs teJ on chloroform youve youe lilt it lie he el emla almed lined wonderingly derin gly howd you know 1 I been loafing on tile tiie job the alst 1 abt six months v she he laughfeil laugh laug hett fil ive been at ill the school at davis and hobnobbing hobnob bing etli some of tile lie university men at berkeley dying some great work n orfa there doe ill wont want to talk to you about it youre coins down chete expenses paid to brush up with a course or two this year now kow flow soon can you get hack back here herc T devors oil oh Is fired im running the ranch ni eilf lf and all el lf 11 I 1 7 I 1 ill youve hit it how did you know knoer doc I 1 need a few men like you I 1 cm cat you come early tomorrows tomorrow tomor rowl 7 tonight youre a god blessed brick I 1 yes IT ill slop that hint murderous so sulphur lilt treat merit ment if it too late gl she lost no time in calling for bill crowdy tile the man whom had put into place 1 by the way she said when the iman ann with the voice which had sounded bounded so boyish in her ears answered again who are you ed masters he told her electrician tr you know what are you doing this afternoon she demanded sharply lust just hanging banging around tho rho office ill tell you one tiling thing ed masters it if yu you are one of the loaf around kind better call for your time tonight if theres anything for you to do go do it dont wait for Tr trevora evorg lies iles gone yes for good you can report to me here the first thing in the morning now send me crowdy hes down in the hospital and the hospital phone is 13 out of order and youre on an electrician hanging in g around for orders your first job send the first man you can get your hands on to tell crowdy I 1 say not to touch one of those calves with the lung worm and not to do on thing else but get ready to talk with roe me ill be down in half un an hour As she rode the five miles down to the office at the lower end her thoughts were constantly charged with an appreciation of the wonders which lind had been worked about her everywhere since that day ten years ago when she had first come with luke sanford to the original blue lake ranch then there had been only a wild cattle range ten thousand acres of brush timber and uncultivated open spaces but luke sanford had seen possibilities and had bought the whole ten an thousand acres counting from the first sight of it upon acquiring as soon as might be those other thousands of acres which now made blue lake ranch one of the biggest ol of western ventures it was late slay may and the afternoon air was sweet find and warm with the passing of spring the girls eager ees traveled the length of the sky seeking cliff almost at the back door of the ranch house which stood like some mighty barricade thrown up in that mythical day given over to the colossal struggle of a contending race of giants and she found that there alone time had shown no change elsewhere improvements at every turn were living monuments to the tireless brain of her father stock corrals sturdily built outhouses out houses spotless in their gleaming white whitewash monster aarns fenced off fields bridges bridge across the narrow chasm of the river telephone poles with their wires wirer binding into one sheaf the numerous activities of the ranch a broad graded road over which she sal and her fattier father had conic come here the last time together its a big big thing 1 she whispered and her eyes were very bright with it all her cheeks hushed flushed big bialt lt 1 passing one of the great barns bams she heard the alie trumpet call of a stallion from the instant her eyes filled to the massive beauty of him she knew abo he was night shade sprung from the union of mountain king and block black empress regal blooded ebon black from silken fetlock to flowing mane a splendid tour four year old destined to tread his proud way to a first prize at the coming state fair at sacramento a horse many stock fanciers fan clera had ad coveted at the store where a ten ayten room was partitioned off to serve as ollice she swung down from the saddle and leaving her horse with dragging relna reins went in hello charlie youre loure still left to us are you she said as she stepped forward to shake hands with miller vie fie storekeeper lieper and general utility man of the settlement im glud glad to see you som 1 I miss judy grinned charlie looking the part howdy 1 I wanted to see johnson Jo linson and den nines are they here yet no answered miller johnson the ditch man you mean lies iles somewhere at the upper end has got a crew of men up there them making a new darn dam or liln or other been lit it near a week now I 1 guess they camp up there how many men are with him she asked quickly about a dozen and he be looked hard at her judith frowned but instead of saying what she might be thinking she inquired where den 1 was out in the olive orchards I 1 guess this I 1 heur haur about canned him res um I 1 said miller well miss judy I 1 aint sayin it near time he got the hooks but lemme tell you something while joure riding around this afternoon if I 1 was you id pike over to the milking corrals she looked at him sharply what Is it charlie you just ride over said bald miller it aint moren a step an ill just shet up store art an mosey along after 3 ou oil vaguely uneasy because of charlie millers lil lers manner judith galloped down toward the me four corrals where the cows were milked from a distance she saw raw that there were a number of men ten or twelve of them standing in a aiom packed group she ab wondered what that it was wag that had drawn them from their work at this time of day what that big bull voiced man was saying to them she sh heard hard the muttering rumble of his hl words word before the words themselves meant anything to her A quick glance over hr her ghoul about tier der showed her charlie miller hasten ins ina behind her pick handle in hand band to be continued |