Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1906-12-28


said Lew. Il could handle that |
bunch over there
What he meant by this she could |
not OF would not let herself under |
stand. But she thanked him rather |
CURLY and declined the offer. II
He smiled at her confidently Al
she rode away. On what did he base
his confidence?
The spirit of the range was strong
In May. Her blood mounted warmly
and her horse pressed sharply upon
the sheep. while her voice rang loud
and clear.
But when the rapidly moving mass
of white backs scurried through the
, scrub pines, near the top, not half
mile away over the hill, she heard
faint sounding "Coo-ees!" that were
growing nearer and coming up the
ridge.
"Madden's herders for money!" she
heard Uri yell. But we'll git In
ahead. They won't dast come much
nearer-they won't risk a mix-up."
The "W's" were bounding up the
slope and the advance line was all
but topping the ridge From little
knoll ON that part of the hog-hack
farthest from the meadow, May, out
of breath from her hard ride and her
cries, sat her horse for moment of
triumph.
Suddenly she heard a great rustling
among the trees and brush on the
west side of the ridge, opposite that
on which the first great billow Of
"W's" was beginning to appear.
From below came whooping yells,
the barking of dogs, wild beats and a
low roar as 10000 little feet beat the
ground and 5000 little round heads
were poked out from among the pines
A great wave of ms" doomed for a
moment from over the way, ready to
rush in and become one with the bill
low of Tvs" which had charged up
the east side of the ridge Just in time
to meet it.
"Stop EN-! Stop EN-! Head 'em
OF! Can't you stop emf" was Mays
frantic appeal to Zeke.
The old sheep man said nothing,
but reached back on his saddle for his
rifle, and, raising it quickly and point!
ing along the hundred-foot gap that
remained between the two great
herds, sent bullet whizzing low over
: it. May had heard of this trick
before. Sometimes, she knew, it had
succeeded in preventing a hopeless
mess of two bands.
Zeke fired shot after shot, but the
two lines, forced by the fatal up
sweep from behind, neared each Other
| - WI
an m" sheep leap into the air and
:, fall fiat. She rode over to Zeke and
made him stop his shooting.
When she looked again the two
great tides of sheep had met and min
gled. The "W's" were scamperins
wildly about among the MS" and the
MS" were threading through ant
through the VS." SO that 1t seemed
in one wild moment, the dreaded, thu
tragic, mix-up was as complete as thu
mix-up of wellshuf1ed pack o
cards.
Lew Madden rode over to wher.
May stood leaning against q pine
crying. The rest had all run up thu
ridge chasing the sheep toward tn
meadow. Lew got off his horse AM
was close to her before she say
him.
"Oh. it was mean of you" she de
clared, with wet cheeks and f1amin
eyes, mean, meant"
This mix-up?" he said, smilin
softly. "Oh, don't know. They can sta
mixed for all | care. It's all right.
why, what makes you say that?
she cried. dabbing her eyes with
hand kerchief. I'VE can't separat
them until the end of the season, III
less" she added, little more hop'
fully, eve could rig up corral an
a foot-gate here somewhere. / wol
der If we could?"
but ! don't want to- said h
Ig 1T would take a months work, an
IS. it isn't worth while, anyway"
Id Well" she said. with forced firn
Id ness. "Fll do it, then"
III But you don't want to, either"
J." "Why don't ] want to?"
,g Because you're going to marry m
tn Little Bopeep hasn't lost her shee
e. They've just strayed in among b,
e. lovers. And they are going to sta
there and never be separated. Come
" | am yours, and so are all my sheep
ID He held out his arms to her. New
tie had she seemed SO weak in the fa'
of the fine, strong, insistent master
~ of his presence. But she summont
the protesting word at last. thout
ed it came out family.
ed mol"
He came nearer and put his gre
as arms about her.
You're taking me for granted. a