Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-01-22

up the MIL Though he did not know
it. 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 trifiing coincidence. The thing he
had to decide was far more compli-
Gated than Lilly Louise's problem.
SRould he go straight to Seabeck and
tell MIN what he had found outf He
ola 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 it stood at his shoulder, grin
ming at him malevolently-his past. 1t
tied his hands. Buck Olney he could
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
it without any cOmpunctions too. Buck
Olney, the stock inspector, deserved no
ih~hNJ ~ w ulu . anu NOuIo Sct
none if ever they met where Ward
would have 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 pny-
thing that he could do that would
save him.
And then quite suddenly in his des-
peratiOn he decided upon something.
e laughed hardly turned Rather back
from the homeward trail and returned
to the corral in the canyon. "They
started this game, and they've put it
up to me-" he told himself grimly,
land they needn't squeal if they burn
their own fingers"
He hurried, for he had some work
ahead of him, and the sun was sliding
past the noon mark already. He 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 it, but where one
might thrust a branding iron into it's
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 it into heat, led Rather into
the corral and closed the gate securely
behind him. Then he mounted. took
down his rope and 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 hin. 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
| together. He worked fast-no telling
what minute some one might come and
catch him-and he did his work well,
| far better and heater than had his
! predecessors.
| When he lest that corral he smiled
Before he had ridden very far up the
/ blgHf he stopped looked down at the
| long suffering cattle and smiled again
| sardonically. One could read theil
| brands easily from where he sat on his
horse They were not blotched; they
were very distinct. But they were not
Yes within that corral. There were
other brands which might be made OF
a Y6 monogram by the judicious adj
dition of a mark here and a mark
there.
There, hang yuh, chew on that
awhilep he apostrophized the absent
three. He turned away and rode back
once more toward home.
Rather turned naturally into the trai
which ran up the creek to the ranch
but Ward Immediately turned him out
of it. I'VE aren't going to overlooE
any bets, old timer" he said grimly
and crossed the creek at a point where
it was too rocky to leave any hoot
prints behind them. He rode up the
| lower point of the ridge beyond and
followed the crest of it on the side
away from the valley. When he reach
ed point nearly opposite his cabin be
dismounted, unbuckled his spurs and
slipped their chains over the saddle
horn. Then he went forward afoot to
recOnnoiter. He was careful to avoid
rock or gravelly patches and to walk
always on the soft grass, which muf
fled his steps
In this wise he made his way to the
| top of the ridge, where he could look
! down upon the cabin and stable and
| corrals and see also the creek trail fol
good quarter of a mile. The little
valley lay quiet. His team fed undis
/ turbed by the creek not far from the
! corral, which treasured Ward more
| than anything. Still he waited until
he had made reasonably sure that the
bluff held no watcher concealed before
| he went back to where Rather waited
| patiently.
I Il guess they didn't plan to stir
things up till they got those critters
planted where they wanted them" he
unused while he rode down the bluff to
his cabin. But when they visit that
bunch of stock again l reckon things
| will begin TO tighten
! He was wary of exposing himself
| too much to view from the bluff while
| he did his chores that night, and he
/ kept Rather in the stable: also he slept
very little, and before daybreak be
was up and away.
CHAPTER *.