The Ordway new era., 1908-05-08
"Hellity damn! I live at the rhre.

"Hellity damn! live at the Thres
Bars ranch" ~ 'e
In kemah county?"
1T sure is."
What Is your business. Mr.. Mum.
SOM" A'' ''"n'
inns shorter. Dick. Well, l work
'or the boss. Mr.. Paul Langford."
In what capacIty?"
III you mean what do | do. why
ride the range. punch cows. | always
20 on the roundup. I'm a fair bronco.
breaker and make up hunks and
cleah lamp chimblies between times"
he rccited. glibly. bound to be terse vet
explicit. by advice OF the boss.
Ihere was a gale OF laughter In the
par Even the court smiled.
On. Jim Jim. You have periured
yourself already" murmured the boss.
Clean lamp chimneys-ye gods,"
wen. grin away" exploded Jim,
MS quick ire rising. He had forgotten
that Judge Dale's court was not like
Justice McAllister's. His fingers fair.
iy lched to draw pistol and make
the scofiers laugh and dance to a little
music oi his own. But something in
Gordons steady though seemingly
careless gaze brought him back to the
playing-without guns.
The examination proceeded. The
air was getting sitting Windows
were thrown open. Damp.looking
clouds had arisen from nowhere seem.
ingly and spread over the little prairie
town. over the river and the hills. 1t
was very warm. Weather-seasoned
inhabitants would have predicted
storm had they not been otherwise EN-
gagged. There was no breath OF air
stirring. Mrs. Higgins had said It
was a sorry day for the cattle when
the river was running In December.
Others had said so and so believed.
but people were not thinking OF the
cattle now, One big-boned, long. horned
steer held the stage alone.
The state proceeded to Munson's
After many and searching questions.
toruOn asked the witness.
Jim would you be willing to swear
that the steer you had held over at
the stock yards was the very same
steer that was the mascot OF the
Three Bars ranch"
This was Jims big opportunity.
Know Mag? Swear TO Mag? Dick.
| would know Mag Of met him on the
golden streets OF the eternal city or
cf my eyes was full O. soundin' cat.
aracts. Yep"
Il am not asking such an impossible
feat. Mr.. Munson.' cut in Gordon. net.
tied by the digressions OF one OF his
most important witness. Answer
briefly. please. Would you be willing
to swear
Jim was jerked back to the beaten
track by the sharp incision of Cor
dons rebuke. No. this was indeed not
Jimmie Macs court.
Yep" he answered. shortly.
Billy Brown was called. After the
preliminary questions. Gordon said to
him
Now. Mr.. Brown. please tell the
the steer
We'll. | was shippin' n couple o car
loads to Sioux City. and was drivin'
the bunch myself with n couple o
hands when | meets up with Jesse
Black here. He was herdin' likely
little bunch o a half dozen or So
among 'em this spotted feller. He said
he wasn't shippin any this fall. but
these were for sale-part OF n lot he
had bought from Yellow Wolf. So the
upshot of the matter was took 'em
OF his hands | was just lackin' bout
that many to make a good. clean. two
cars full"
You took a bill-of-sale for them. OF
course. Mr.. Brown"
Il sure did. I'm too old hand to
buy without bill-o sale"
The document was produced. mark
ed as an exhibit. and offered In evi.
dence.
(To BE CoNTINUEDJ
---,< ,,,o o,a,A, conM onnaER