The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-04-05

lhc ulHtF. llOW are lnlngS down ncIcF nc
asked anxiously.
All 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.
Waflles reappeared holding out bag OF
money: "Ihere, $3.50. Month an half.
Much obHged-let me know when you
want me again" Ball said hurriedly, pocket
ing his money uncounted "Do you know
how Ioe's been getting on'"
No but he shore had big job on his
hands out there"
Yes; an I'm off to help him--so long,
and the dust followed him westward
Waffles leaned in the doorway and looked
after him, musng. When the distant rider
sank out Of sight over ridge he turned TO re-
enter the house: "Yore a blamed fine feller
Ned-but dn yore partner"
II was past noon when Ball saw the first
straying group Of his cattle, but he would not
take the time to turn them then He wanted
to see his wife first-to-morrow would do for
the strays, for he and Zoe could round them up
in no time. When he entered the mouth Of
the pass he noticed that the rain mentioned by
Wafiles had washed sand across the narrow,
slanting trail and that il 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
Jane! Janel 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, a mountain lion had
crossed, il had shifted at the door and gone on
without increasing its stride.
My God What has happened Can
that cougar have he dashed open the
daor, afraid Of what he might find, lie ran
to Ioc's room and the kitchen and then re-
turned 1.-The room used by himself and his
wife. No osigus OF them, no sounds save those
made by himself. The ashes from the FIRE
place were cakcd 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 vile s elothes2 Another look in
Ioc's room showed him that his partners
rifle, clothes and the few other things Of value
were not there Was there theft and murder
10 be solved
Running TO his trunk he drew his cash
box from under il the few dollars il had con
tanned were gone lie picked up piece OF
paper which he found on The bottom and
opened il mechanically As he read il his
blood went cold and, letting the note llutcr to
the iloor. he staggered 10 a chair and fell
Imply into it
Cod Gone together Gone together"
and strong man sobbcd ia the throes oi a
sorrow almost uncomfortable, his huge frame
shaking ccnvulsiyely Jane, the love OF his
heart, his vic, gone with Parker Gone
with the maa he had known since boy, the
man whose bic he had twice saved at the risk
oi his own.
In the bunk house Of the O BarO Walilei
smiled in his sleep and Ienspot Davis snorcd
mighty. Then the foreman; dream was
rudely yshattered and he weakened to find him
sell roughly shaken, and he lost no timc in
surmises, but grappled, and the snorcs
ceased
It's Ball-Ball" cried the ioreman's op-
ponent as Wafles's hand gripped his throat.
Ball was strong, but Wai1lcs vas fighting lor
his lie for all he knew
Ball be id" he griued Il know his
voice. Strike light, you fools" he yelled
When the light aared up it revealed a
strange scene Two men were struggling in a
corner and three others. very much awake,
and clad in over patched under- garments.
each held long harreled Colt pointed in
quiringy at the noise. Then they dropped
their weapons and leaped to their foremans
aid, although he could have dispensed with il
He had scored early by landing lucky blow
on his antagonists wind And Ball didn't
wish 10 fight him, anyway
For Gods sake-what's IT, mstter!p
cried Wafles, slowly recognizing his noe
tirnal visitor
lane an Parker has left me-wcnt Of TO
gether want fresh cayuse an . rifle,
quck.' 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 a rifle an
fresh cayuse My cows are yourn ii you get
3em"
"Why did YOU waste time waking us2 You
could a took 'em without that" Waffles ex-
daim:d
ld egMN& .