The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-05-22


the other How are things down here ?"he
asked anxiously.
"Al right, thanks to that drenching rain
we had last Sunday. You'll find yore range
lot better than when you left. Curley said
some of yore COWS are drifting-saw bunch
on our outlying, range. Wait an I'll square
our account" and he walked briskly to the
house, followed by Ball, who was eager and
impatient to get home to his wife and to help
his partner round up the strays.
Waf1es reappeared holding out a bag of
money: "There, S67.5o. Month an half"
"Much obliged-let me know when you
want me again." Ball said hurriedly, pocket
ing his money uncounted. "Do you know
how Joe's been getting on?"
"No, but he shore had big job on his
hands out there"
'"Yes; an Pm off to help him-so long"
and the dust followed him westward
Waff1es leaned in the doorway and looked
after him, musing. When the distant rider
sank out of sight over ridge he turned to re-
enter the house: "Yore blamed fine teller,
Ned-but d-n yore partner"
1t was past noon when Ball saw the first
straying group of his cattle, but he would not
to see his wife first-to-morrow would do for
the strays, for he and Joe could round them up
in no time. When he entered the mouth of
the pass he noticed that the rain mentioned by
Waffles had washed sand across the narrow,
slanting trail and that it was marked only by
the tracks of COWS. Six days had passed since
the rain and no one had used the pass.
Sometime later he turned the last bend and
saw his log cabin, and he arose in his stirrups
and hailed, noting in one quick look that no
smoke came from the chimney and that sand
had been washed down before the closed door.
Janet janet Joel" he shouted, spur
ring forward. Only the echoes of his own
voice replied and he saw that the sand was
devoid OF tracks-no, mountain lion had
crossed, it had shifted at the door and gone on
without increasing its stride.
"My Godl What has happened! Can
that cougar have" he dashed open the
door, afraid of what he might find He ran
to Joe's room and the kitchen and then re-
turned to the room used by himself and his
wife. No signs of them, no sounds save those
made by himself. The ashes from the fire
place were caked on the hearth, washed there
by the rain of six days before He paused in
CONSERVATION, dismay, almost terror What
uncanny thing had happened? Where was
his rifle, his wife's clothes? Another look in
Joe's room showed him that his partners
rifle, clothes and the few other things of value
were not there. Was there theft and murder
to be solvedl
Running to his trunk he drew his cash
box from under 1.-THE few dollars it had con-
tanned were gone. He picked up piece of
paper which he found on the bottom and
opened it mechanically. AS he read it his
blood went cold and, letting the note futter to
the floor, he staggered to chair and fell
Imply into it.
God! Gone together! Gone together"
and strong man sobbed in the throes of a
sorrow almost unendurableahis huge frame
shaking convulsively. Jane, the love of his
with the man he had known since boy, the
man whose Life he had twice saved at the risk
of his own!
In the bunk house of the O-Bar-O Waf1es
smiled in his sleep and Tenspot Davis snored
mighty. Then the foreman's dream was
rudelyshattered and he awakened to find him
self roughly shaken, and he lost no time in
surmises, but grappled, and the snores
ceased.
ats Ball-Ball!" cried the foreman's op-
ponent as Waffles's hand gripped his throat
Ball was strong, but Waffles was fighting for
his life for all he knew.
Ball be i'd" he gritted. ~ know his
voice! Strike light, you fools" he yelled
When the light fared up it revealed a
strange scene. Two men were struggling in
corner, and three others, very much awake,
and clad in over patched under-garments,
each held long barreled Colt pointed in
quiringly at the noise. Then they dropped
their weapons and leaped to their foremans
aid, although he could have dispensed with it.
He had scored early by landing lucky blow
on his antagonists wind. And Ball didn't
wish to fight him, anyway.
For Gods sake-what's tn matter"
cried Waff1es, slowly recognizing his noe
turnal visitor
Jane an Parker has left me-went off to-
gether. / want a fresh cayuse an a rifle,
quick!" There was no doubling the truth of
his words, for his eyes, his whole bearing
burned with it
"What!" yelled four men in unison
"Ain't got time to talk-gimme rifle an a
fresh cayuse. My COWS are yourn if you get
'em."
why did you waste time waking US? You
could took 'ern without that" Wafles ex-
cl2irccd.
7e