The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-19
THE 100000 OF
 THE CROSSBAR
nY rzor.A U. FoRREsTER.

the CrosSoar.
 The Crossbar had been white elephant on tfe hands of several until Trayers took it in hand. He sold off the old herd at a sacrifice, and filled up the ranch with fine, new picked stock. His ideas of breeding and grazing were somewhat ahead of Sunrise, and It's eavircns. bat he persevered, and prespered In the face of the Crossbar hoodeo.
 You may come out fair and square the first year, sonny" old Hickson told him the first time he showed up in the social circle on the front stoop of the Rough Diamond" "We'll get an easy winter anyhow. but wait tin an eight-day bliz- gard strikes you in that shack, with hun dreds of your finest dropping under the drifts, you'll wish the whole Crossbar in Tunket, There ainst a decent weather shed on the place. and the last two fels lows there settled the hoodoo on it for sure. Rocky Davis ana his brother Jims We found Jim frose stiff with the cattle last March and Rocky's going to the dogs. Better look out for Rocky. He isn't very sweet on the Crosshar.
 Travers nodded with grin of deter mination. He had brought up the ranch cheap from Rocky Davis and believed modern methods would so far towards chasing the hoodoo. The pasturage was good, He made new fence divisions on his own judgment. against the advice of Rocky, and cut down the stock 300 head the first year. to run no risk of over crowding.
 when he went to KansasCity the second year he took along the finest herd Sum- rise section had ever seen. and 1t brought his own price. Rocky heard Of the sais with sullen moroseness, but HGkson and : the rest averred~ mildly that the youngster ! had mighty good stuff in him. 1 So when along with his business en- ! terprises Travers returned with pretty wife, public opinion sided with Hickson, and admired the hustiing qualities or 1 TraverS, without feHaFd TOT hocAy oS "'e | failure.
 As for Betty herself, she was more than pretty. There was a poise to her car- riaee and a style to her dress that set the pace among the feminine element of Sunrise. '-.. '. = At first she was said to be ''stuek up Bunny Pierce said 50 when she suggested that he lift his hat when he said good- morning, but when she pitched In and made Minnie Hickson's wedding dress by the pattern of her own, and sent her off to Sioux Fafs on her wedding trip with Bunny, looking like somebody, the ver- diet was reversed, and she was held to be worthy of TraVers.
 | If WAS in February that the big bliz- gard came. After a week of clear skies, and wind-swept wastes, the clouds closed in, and by the first nightfaIl, old ranch- CTS were driving in all they could of their lherds.
 Travers watched and waited. hoping the worst was over It was well into the third day when Rocky Davis brought word of over a hundred deaths the night lbefore in the northwest division of the ranch, The boys had tried to bunch the cattle, and drive them south, he said, but the snow was too deep
 Betty watched him as he stood by the kitchen stove. one foot on the hearth. She had never liked the boy. Travsrs had l found him one night down in sunrise, few months after his marriage. going to the devil as fast aa an empty purse would lot him. He had heard himself cursed ] at the bar of the Rough Diamond" and the novelty of 1t had struck him un-
 pleasantly when he found that Rocky was the curser.
 With a variety of side compliments on the subject delivered in his own peculiar style, Rocky was declaring to the worio at large his undying hatred of one Trav- CTS, an outsider who had come in, and dared to make money out of the ranch lthat had been the death of his brother and the ruin of himsel.
 Whereupon Travers had promptly offer ed him all the help in his power, and had given him work at the Crossbar. and tried to brace him up.
 You won't be afraid, will sou. Betty" Travers asked, anxiously: Tt may be for all night"
 The previous winter he had been. out with the boys. sharing the hardships and danger and enjoying the fight for suc- cess but now the charm of her face and the fear for her safety held him back.
 Rocky can stay and look out for you he added.
 I'm going along with you," said
 Rocky, carelessly.
 Something in his tone made Betty turn land look him in the eyes. His glance fell shiftily, before the steady question ing of her own, but Travers did not notice It, and she hesitated to tell him of her suspicion.
 I'm not afraid" she told him. "Just
 be careful"
 After the two had gone. she barred the
 heavy door and stood at the window, try ling to see in the bIackness outside. Il
 was several miles to the northwest div1s'
 ion If Travers' horse. Chance, shoule
 give out, or they should lose their way
 or if Rocky were treacherous. She shud
 dered and thought of poor Jim Davis. Nt
 wonder Rocky was grim and sullen. Sh' could not sleep, and as she sat by th' fire listening and waiting the silence grew
 terrible The thoughts surged througl
 her mind with almost nightmare fear Isomeness.
 Since the coming of the Davis boys t'
 the ranch she could remember countless
 mishaps, insignificant, but annoying
 which could be laid to his influence. Guar
 rels among the other boys, the supposed accidental shooting of Charley Hickman
 over cards one night in the bunkhouse
 cattle gone astray. and even the pollution
 of one of the wells, which had been laic l to the sheep herders. She had nevel
 thought of connecting Rocky with tht Iiu luck Travers had laughed over it 1T his happy way, but she had heard th' boys talking of the old hoodoo, and nov , she worried over her suspicious until she l could stand the suspense no longer. It was daybreak, The gray light stole , dully in at the two small windows. Sh'
 wrapped a heavy shawl about her. ana
 steped out into the woodshed that wa
 built close against the back of the house
 The three dogs parked and whfned fl r a chorus of greeting at sight of her, ant
 she unloosened their chains and let then Q ronp into the house. All at once thu - largest, Travers's favorite. stopped shor - on the door sill, with uplifted nose an l. forepaW and howled anxiously. The ohe ,- two had crouched gracefully beside tn # stove. "Go in, Tramp" said Betty It Tramp howled louder and longer. an' r. turning from the door, pushed her out
 doors and plunged into the snow. ol For an instant she hesitated, her hear