The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-01-24
CHAPTER VII.

NNb udy ldle Ill lhS Aoh 'oAN ""S
riding the hills off to the north
and west of his claim, looking at
the condition of the range there and
keeping an eye out for Y6 cattle. He
had bought another dozen head or
mixed stock over toward Hardup. and
they were not yet past the point of
straying off their new range. So, hay
ing keen eyes and the incentive to use |
them, he paid attention to stock tracks
in the soft places, and he saw every !
thing within the sweep Of his vision, |
and. since the day was clear and fine, |
his range of vision when he reached |
high point extended to the Three Buttes
away out in the desert
BY sheer accident he rode up to the |
canyon where the little corral lay hid |
den at the end and looked down. And |
since he rode up at an angle different |
from the one Billy Louise had taken
the corral was directly beneath him
SO directly. in fact, that half of it was
hidden from sight. lie saw that there |
were cattle within it, however, and
two men at work there. And by
chance he lifted his eyes and saw the
nose of n horse beyond jutting ledge
sixty yards or so away and the crown
of hat showing just above the ledge.
A lookout, he judged instantly and
pulled Rattler behind the rock he had
been at some pains to ride around.
Ward was a cowpuncher. He knew
nF In ca hn
did not wonder what was going on
down there. lie knew. He was tempt
ed to do as Billy Louise had done
ride on and rass up knowledge which
might be disagreeable, for Ward was
not one to spy upon his fellows, and
the man whom he would betray into
the hands of a sheriff must be guilty
Of a most heinOus crime. That was
his code-to let every fellow have a
chance to work out his own salvation
or damnation as he might choose.
don't suppose there was anything he
hated worse than an infOrmer.
He got behind the rock, since he had
no great desire to be shot, and he dis
covered that his view of the corral
was much palmer than from where
he had first seen it. He looked behind
him for an easy retreat to the sky
line, and then before he turned to ride
away he glanced down again curiOuSly.
A man walked out into the center of
the corral and stood there in the re-
vealing sunlight. Wards eyes bored
like gimlets through the space that di-
vided them. Instinctively his hand
went to the gun on his hip. 1t was a
long pistol shot, and he was afraid he
might miss, for Ward was not wiz
ard with gun, much as l should like
to miSrepresent him as a dead shot.
He was human, just like yourself. He
could shoot pretty well, a great deal
better than lots of men who do more
boasting than he ever did, but he fire.
quently missed. He measured the dis
tance with his mind while the man
stood there talking to some one un-
seen. To look at Wards face you
would have sworn that the man was
doomed. but something held Ward S
finger from croOking on the trigger.
The man had his back turned squarely
toward the gun. Ward waited. The
man did not move. He waited another
minute, and then he opened his lips to
shout. And when his lips parted for
the call that would bring the fellow
facing him Wards tricky brain snap
ped before his eyes the face of Billy
Louise.
Il kEn n
shoot when he knew that the bullet
would split a gulf between himself
and the girl-a gulf that would sep
arate him forever from that future
where stood his air castles.
He let down the hammer with his
thumb, slid the gun back into Its hol
ster and dismounted, with glance to
ward the place where the lookout was
stationed. He was sure he had moi
been seen, and SO he crouched behind
a splinter of rock and watched. He
had no plan, but his instinct impelled
him to closely watch Buck Olney.
Another man came into view down
there in the corral. He also stood
plainly revealed, and Ward gave g
little snort Of contemptuous surprise
when he recognized him. After thai
he studied the situation with scOwlint
brows. This other man either upset
his conclusions or complicated hi
manner of dealing with Buck Olney
Ward would not have hesitated ont
second about putting the sheriff OF
the trail of Buck, but If the seconC
man were implicated he could not be
tray one without betraying the other
And If the business down there in tn
corral were lawful, then he must thinl
of some other means. At any rate, tn
thing to do now was to make sure.
The two in the corral came out AM
closed the gate behind them, and tn
first man kicked apart the embers o
q small FIRE and afterward busted him
self with the ground, either looking 70
tracks or covering them up The
rame little way along the side OF tn