The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-31
Oontinued.l
 CHATTER XII, Silent Saundora.

W X Siisu& Saunders.
 EN NE4 after, another, in the course
 of the two years following Col NY ne'ss arrival, the cid riders of & the Moonstone rancho drifted Rway. { but .Brand-Wil- y2iams, the foreman; Collie and the ibturdy,. hard riding Miguel, young E6panish vaQuero, who was devoted to fbut two things in life, his splendid pinto pony and the Moonstone ranch. The others; had been lured to the new oil fields up north-to the excitement Ecf Goldheld or to Mexico City, where even more excitement promised In their stead came new men-Bud Light AParson Long, Billy Dime snd one Si lent Saunders.
 Louise became acQuain<pd with the snew men while riding with her uncle. She was his constant 'companio0,1n the hills. One by one the~new arrivals be- eame devoted to her. Her sincere in- ferest in the ranch. work pleased them, hnd naturally, for it was their work. waiter Stone was also pleased with
 
 ranch work. She was as a daughter b him. Some day the property would De hers.
 Fully conscious from within herself ef her dependence upon her uncle, Louise managed to be of inestimable Service. She performed her self al- 1lotted tasks without ostentation. She thad that rare quality of stimulating ienthusiasm among the men-enthusi- jasm for their work and pride in giving Faithful and energetic service pride an accomplishing a little more each day than was asked or expected of 8hem. Louise's youth, her beauty, her Bincerity and. above all, her absolute ampIicity of manner commanded ad- inlsak4ensand respect among the hard Hiding Moonstone boys. She was to them . lady," yet lady they could understand. Hers was a gentle tyran- ny. A request from Ter was deemed . great compliment by its recipient. An of them, with the exception of Collie, openly praised her horseman- 1hip, her quiet daring, her uniform Kindness. Her beauty had ceased to be commented upon. It was accepted by them as one accepts the fragrant beauty of a rose, naturally. silently gratafuIly.
 Collie had gained in height and breadth of shoulder. He no longer needed instruction in managing bron cho stock. He loved the life of the hills-the cool, invigorating mornings the keen wind of the noon peaks, the ;placidiy of the evening as the stars multiplied in the peaceful sky.
 He became that rare quantity among c0wmen, a rider who handled and mas tered unbroken horses without brutal fly. This counted heavily for him, bott with Louise and Walter Stone. MeI new to the range laughed at his meth od of "gentling'' horses. Later theil laughter stilled to envious desire. Lack ing his invariable patience, his con sistent magnetism, they finally resum a their old methods and earned domi nance by sheer strength of arm -"mair strength and awkwardness," as VII Hams put it-
 "Its easy-for him." commented Brand Williams, discussing Collie's al most uncanny Quelling of vicious, un tbitted mustang. Its easy. You fella' expect boss to buck and bite and kicl { and buffalo you generally. He don't He don't expect anything like that ant s 'he don't let 'em learn how."
 Can you work 1t that way" asked Billy Dime.
 Nope. learned the other way, ant the hosses knows 1t. always had t. sweat He's born to it natural, like { good COW pony is."
 And Collie looked upon his work a. . game-a game that had to be played hard and wen, but a game neverthe Jess. Incidentally he thought often o IOveriaad Red. He had searched tn papers diligently for a year before h. received the first letter from Overland The news 1t contained set Collie t. thinking seriously of leaving the Moon < stone rancho and joining his old com panion in this new venture of gold dig ging, which, as Overland took pains t explain. was paying big" But ther was Louise. They were great friends They had even ridden to town togethe end attended the little white church il { the eucalyptus grove. He thought o their ride homeward late that Sunda, afternoon.
 Once and once only had Overland name been mentioned in the bunl house. Saunders, discussing horse aud riders in general, listened to Col He's account of Overland's escape iron the deputy, Tenlow. Then he spok slightingly of the feat, claiming tha any man who had ever ridden rang could do as much with the right pony Brand Williams tried to change tn subject, for shrewd reasons of hi own, but Collie famed up instantly "I got little saved up," he said smebbe $500. She's yours if you das to walk horse. comin' or goin, owe that drift that Red took on the juml
 Are you game?
 'Tm not on the bet" replied SauT O - >----- = - =