Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-05-25

In this he succeeded In various ways,
nor at first did they at the Loop sus-
pect the source of the Cat
tie rounded up for a certain purpose
overnight would be found scattered in
wild disorder in the morning.
They suspected the Raccoon River
sheep dogs, but not as melted thereto
by a human marauder.
The milk COWS turned out overnight
IN the home runs would come UP in the
morning to their calves wild eyed and
with scan milk, as though they had
been chased and terrified, and again
suspicion fell on the dogs. Now and
then, as of old, the slaughtered carcass
of a calf would be discovered, sure sign
OF the presence on the Loop of a MUIR
dering collie.
Then other things happened for
which a dog could not be blamed. A
border burned down. Barbed wire
fences Yfre cut and ruined.
The Obnoxious sheep again began
their invasions; and in one conflict, en-
suing between a vicious old ram and
q longhorn bull more p~ugnacious than
wary. The bull had been left dead on
the field of battle, and his companion
nerd stampeded across the Owl creek,
where a steer, breaking over the low
bank, had plunged to his death in one
OF Bucks sunken hogsheads.
1t was Jess Kilrain who first defin-
ltely connected Grange with these and
other similar happenings.
Ihat autumn morning the girl had
ridden out into the woods about the
creek where the persimmons, touched
by successive frosts, hung luscious
ripe to the ground. Pecan nuts, too,
had rewarded her search; and Jess.
glorytng in the crisp day. happy in her
self imposed solitude, hitched her pony
to a sapllng. and, seating herself by the
runll of a cottonwood, cracked her pc
cans in a dreamy leisure.
n was nursing these days to her
heart.
Xix a ripening flower, her own love
was coming to it's perfection. She
guarded it jealousy as yet-guarded it
for the fulfillment of it's promise She
still held herself aloof from Buck. not
In coyness, nor in coquetry, blu as one
fingers on the threshold OF a Joy, all
most afraid to profane it by a glimpse
within.
She knew she could not continue to
hold herself SO for long.
More than once she had encountered
a look of determination in Bucks eyes
that had rendered her resistance as wa
ter In her veins. Since that day when
she had lain in his arms, there would
now and then come into his face a hint
OF conscious mastery that, had he but
~ 'Sto So o"CCI CS lll0 10 lnR
glrl-Was life in it's tremulous delight
N foreshadowing of a glad surrender.
Jess paused with the half Of a pecan
on the way to her lips, and turned her
head slightly.
She could almost have been sure she
mad heard a step in the dead leaves of
the woods above her. Her pony. with
dropping head, stood immovable. its
ears, which had been Indicating the ha-
bltual apathy Of the COW pony when
not IN movement. now alert.
what Is 1T, Buster" she asked, and
saw the ears answer at the name.
Il reckon it's a rabbit, or a coon, or
a possum that can wait till night to
get some of them sugary simmons. But
1T amt, thought"
There was more than surprise in the
sudden decision which, at the same
time, brought Jess to her feet,
There might have been nothing nm
usual or to be startled by in the fact
or a man being in those woods at that
hour, but intuitively the girl felt there
was something to cause both surprise
ana concern in the sudden turning
run almost upon her and her pony be-
fore aware of their proximity.
something f~urtive, too, about the
mans action in quickly shifting the OBJ
)ect ne carried across the saddle horn,
and his slouching body, gave less an
unpleasant shock.
Bill Grange!" she called sharply.
What are you dom in these woods
with that brandin' rod?"
The man swung the long iron over
his shoulder and spun around.
WHAT'S that to you. Jess Kilrain?"
ious land to ride over it?"
Jess climbed the slope that Law be-
tween them.
I'm not so ure that you amt, Bill.
Somebody's been soilin' it pretty often
lately. That's a Racoon River iron"
branding rod to the mans face. "What
does you need it over on the Loop for?"
The man laughed with a covert in
%solence.
Time was" he retorted, when YOU
was more interested bout the Raccoon
Tother way about now, eh, Jess? 9th
er chips to burnt"
The girls face flushed with anger.
"You hound!' she cried below her
breath. You sneakin cayute!"
He laughed again.
he sneered. Didn't work no how did
It, JESSE" He put his horse in motion.
Il must be movin' on" he said. "Tm
bound for Shanley's forge"
You're bound for a halter bout your
neck" declared Jess. That's what
VICE. pouIlu LOT. OuVc stole
that brandin' rod from the Raccoon
liver. l wonder why!"
Keep on wonderin', damn u
Grange cried in sudden fury. "But keep
your wonder to yourself, Jess Kilrain.
I owes for certain things already. Don't
you force me to pay. There amt no
love lost tween me an any n on he
Loop. let alone Buck Brannon an your
father!"
He rode on at that, leaving the girl
not a little %perturbed and vaguely UNI
easy. Slowly she went back to her
waiting horse.
Jess did not dream any more that
day. For a time she sat thinking, more
and more convinced that Oranges pres
ence on the Loop BODIED no good for
it's interests.
He might have been taking that iron
to the forge at the fork of the public
roads, but for some reason Jess doubted
it.
Suddenly it occurred to her that she
might ride that far to see if he had
been telling her the truth. She would
miss her dinner, but that did not mat
ter. The service she might be render
ing her father and Earle Worthing far
outweighed that.