The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-04-20
CHAPTER l
SHEEP.

mad ADDED some thousands of head of
sheep TO the possessions of the Rae
coon river range. OF course he might
nave added thousands OF devils to his
stock so far as his right to do so was
concerned; but your cattleman hates
sheep almost as much as he does devils
AND 1t was no time before those sheep
began TO oVerrun the boundary lines of
the two big, ranges. Worthing had pro-
tested N some disdain, and CardroSs
mad grown sore. What We're a few
sheep that they should threaten a long
friendship!
What did any fullblooded cattleman
want with the damned wool sacks, any
way" Worthing had retorted.
Then it was the sheep dogs. There
being no alien flocks of sheep in the
nelghborhood for the occasional sheep
killer to modest, they developed a pred
Election of the Loop calves. After
Worthlng had lost several mavericks in
this way. and again protested, he shot
one OF Blass Cardross' splendid collies.
The depreciation continued, for the
dog has laugh his vicious tendency to
others, and the hard feeling between
the W o ranches grew. To make mat
tiers worse. Earle Worthing was in love
with Cardross' sister. Nance, and the
glrl took sides with he brother.
But all this was nothing to what had
more recently happened.
When Worthing had heard that his
old time chum and friend was dam
ming up the Raccoon river so that the
perennial pools of that portion of it
which ran through the Loop would
probably go dry in the season of
drought when the river bed as a whole
was as bare Of water as the plains of
trees. he realized that CardrosS was no
longer his friend.
The realization hurt even more than
1t angered-at first. There had always
hann q W.. w. -
ross, but it had aiken the sheep 10
make him do SO mean a thing.
That is what they were saying about
him on the Loop.
It's them religious animals what's
made Blass Cardross so contrary
declared Buck Brannon to the foreman
OF the Loop, as q number of the outfit
hung about the barn lot at the dinner
hour. Its like 'tendin' a protracted
camp meetin' an have dealin's with
them solemn critters, an there amt
nothin' like a cann meetin' for stirrin'
up the devil in a man"
Il reckon this last things stirred the
devil Up in Worthing, all right re-
sponded kilrain. Il amt seen him so
white over anything for a long time.
ar when the bass gifts white in the
face an don't say nothin'-he means
that much more. Too bad, too. for Blass
Cardross amt a bad fellow
Its them silly bleaters. [ tell YOU.
kllrain," reiterated Buck Brannon. "A
long'orn steer can be mighty pesky, an
a crazy COW can be worse; but there
amt nothin' like a sheep for spreadin a
cussed influence, iesS'n it be a Wom-
an"
That so, Buck Brarnon!"
1t was Jess Hilrain VINO came up at
the and stood beside her ia
ther.
I'm glad to know what you think of
sheep-an' women!" she added.
The young fellow colored under the
amused smiles of Il ose about him.
Il was just talkin', Jess" he said;
though it's plumb true bout sheep
That's all you're ever DOM" re-
torted the girl. Even eatin' don't stop
you talkin'. Only you. eat good grub
an talk mighty poor sense; but that's
cause your grub's fixed for you by a
pms an your tongues a mans"
Jess" demonstrated the girls ia
ther, when you've rOped an throWed
your steer, jest hold tight. Don't yank
him.
Jess Kilrain tossed her handsome
head.
Some steers don't know when they
is roped, father"
"That'l do now" said Kilrain. speak
ing a little %sternly, for the young COW
puncher was a favorite with him, and
he knew chat his daughter was not al
ways merciful. There's enough dom
without havin' ructions in our own
camp. What's it, my sirl?'
"Nothin'," answered Jess, somewhat
GROSSLY. i seen you talkin', an ] come
over. Any harm in that? What's doin'
father?'
For some reason the girls presence
broke up the lingering group of men.
Perhaps it was the serious nature of
this latest act of their neighbor on the
Raccoon River ranch hat made them
feel rather averSe to talking about it
just then.
Perhaps they had heard enough
about it for the time being. Perhaps
1t was their general knowledge that
Jess kilrain was on very friendly
terms with the Cardross household.
Singly r in pairs they moved to-
ward the stables, and Kilrain himself,
remembering something, left his
daughter abruptly and ollowed them.
Buck sprang down from
the high fence upon which he had
been pe1ched.
"Blass CaTdross is hittin' below the
belt this time he said to the girl, who
turned to him, something of a question
in her fine eyes.
You mean he's gittin' the best of
Earle Worthing?"
Anyway he's tryin' to do him the
worst. He's dammin' up his water
supply. With the summer drought only
u few months off. tllat'n mean hell"
You seem to know a whole lot
bout sheep al women an hell. Buck
Jess said. scorn in her eyes and voice.
Amt a man h right to do what he
pleases on his own land?"
The words swept Buck into a We
hemence that was kindled not alone
by his loyalty to Earle Worthing.
No. he cried, 'he amt with a free
river what means all the difference
tween another mans havin' water an
haVin' none; an l reckon he'll find that
out. The bossll fight now. sure an
plenty"
Il guess two can fight" said the girl,
and smiled at his evident Amusement.
You amt meaain', Jess" he man
aged to say with ON check upon his
establishment. that you sides with
Cardross against the Loep2"
The answer carried evasion. Il al
ways like to make a turkey gobble,
Buck Brannon. You gobbie finel"
Clio a ~, tho nnror 49, ...h;tonal Liz