The Lamar register., 1917-12-19

so he sat there and looked over the
fence and saw himself a convicted
''rustler." There was the evidence all
ready to damn him utterly before
jury. They would be turned loose on
the range near his claim. and they
would be found before the scabs had
haired over. 1t was Al good time for
rustling. Roundups We're over for the
winter. and the weather would contine
range riding to absolute necessity.
or course the work was coarse-so
coarse as to reflect against his intelli-
gence-but when brands are worked
over and the culprit has been caught
the law is not too careful TO give the
prisoner credit for brains.
Ward stared at the altered brands
and wondered what he had best do.
He bethought him that perhaps 1t
would be as well to put a little scenery
between himself and that particular
locality, and he started back up the
hill. Once he pulled up as II he would
go back, but he thought better OF II.
Ii was out OF the question to turn
those cattle loose. He could not kill
them and dispose OF the bodies, not
when there were seven of them. He
might go down and blotch the brands
so that they would not read anything
at all. He had thought of that before
and decided against 1t. That would
put those three on their guard and
would probably not benefit him in the
long run. They would work the brands
on other cattle.
He hunched forward in the saddle
and let Rather choose his own trail
up the hill Though he did not know
1t, trouble had caught Billy Louise in
that same place and had sent her for
ward with dropping shoulders and a
mind SO absorbed that she gave no at
tention to her horse. But that Is mere
ly trifing coincidence. The thing he
had to decide was far more cOmpli-
Gated than Billy Louise's problem.
Should he go straight to Seabeck and
tell him what he had found outl He
did not know Seabeck, except as he
had met him once or twice on the trail
and exchanged trivial greetings and
few words about the weather. Besides,
seabeck would very soon find out
There 1t stood at his shoulder. grim
ming at him malevolently-his past. 1t
deal with single handed, for Olney had
the fear of him that is born OF
guilty conscience. He could send Buck
"over the road" whenever he chose to
tell some things he knew. He could do
1t without any compunctions too. Buck
Olney, the stock inspector, deserved no
mercy at Wards hands and would get
none II ever they met where Ward
would have a chance at him.
Olney he could deal with alone, but
with the evidence OF those rebranded
cattle and the testimony Of two men.
together with the damning testimony
OF his past! Ward lifted his head and
stared heavily at the pine slope before
him. He could not go to Seabeck and
tell him anything. In the black hour
of that ride he could not think Of any
thing that he could do that would
save him.
And then quite suddenly In his des-
peration he decided upon something.
He laughed hardly. turned Rattler back
from the homeward trail and returned
to the corral In the canyon. They
started this game, and they've put 1t
up to me-" he told himself grimly,
ana tney neeun slueal IL tney puih
their own fingers"
He hurried. for he had some work
ahead of him, and the sun was sliding
past the noon mark already. lie reach
ed the corral and went about what he
had to do as If he were working for
wages and wanted to give good meas
ure.
First he rebuilt the little fire just
outside the corral where the cattle
could not trample 1t, but where one
might thrust a branding iron into its
midst from between the rails. When
it was going properly he searched GER
tain likely hiding places and found an
iron still warm from previous service.
He thrust 1t into heat, led Rather into
the corral and closed the gate securely
behind him. Then he mounted. took
down his rope apd widened the loop.
while his angry eyes singled out the
animal he wanted first.
Ward was not an adept with run
ming IRON" He was honest, whatever
men might say of him. But he knew
how to tie down an animal, and he
sacrificed part of his lariat to get the
short rope he needed to tie their feet
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