Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-05-17
.ANCE AT IL WC-.CaT..

HEIR ne said when the inspection
was over and dropped back into the
saddle while he gazed unseeingly at
the canyon wall. 1t was q cry real
hell that his mind saw hell made
by men wherein other men must dwell
In torment because of their sins or the
sins of their fellows.
Seabeck's brand was . big v, Q bad
brand to own, since 1t favors revision
at the hands Of the interruptions.
These cattle were Seabeck cattle, and
their brand had been altered. For the
right slant Of the v had been extended
. little and curled into a 8, so that in
time the brand would stand casual in
spectiOn as 4 Y6 monogram-Ward's
W brand. The work was crude, pur-
posefully crude. The v had not been
returned enough to make it look fresh.
and the newly scared 6 had been add
ed with a malevOlent pressure that
would make it stand out a fresh brand
for a long time in case of a delay in
the proceedings, az Ward knew per-
fectly we'll.
So he sat there and looked over the
fence and saw himself a convicted
'fustler." There was the evidence all
ready to damn him utterly before a
jury. They would be turned loose IN
the range near his claim, and they
would be found before the scabs had
haired over. 1t vas a good time for
rustling. Roundups were owe for the
winter, and the weather would cOnf1ne
range riding to absolute necessity.
OF 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 lot 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
bill. Once he pulled up as If he would
go back, but he thought better of 1t.
1t was out Of the question to turn
those cattle loose. He could not kill
them and dispose Of the bodies, not
when there were wen Of them. He
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
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 a 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 out? He
did not know Seabeck, except as he
had met him once or twice on the trail
and exchanged trivial greetings and a
few words about the weather. Besides,
Seabeck would very sOon find out
There 1t stood at his shoulder. grin
ming at him malevolently-his past. II
tied his hands. Buck Olney he could
deal with single handed, for Olney had
the fear OF him that is born Of q
guilty conscience. He could send Buck
cover the road whenever he chose to
tell some things he knew. He could dc
1t without any cOmpunctiOns too. Bucl
Olney, the stock inspector. deserved nc
mercy at Wards hands and would gel
none If ever they met where Ward
would have a chance at him.
Olney he could deal with alone, but
with the evidence of those %rebrandet
cattle and the testimony Of two men
together with the damning testimony
of his past! Ward lifted his head an(
stared heavily at the pine slope before
him. He could not &c to Seabeck anf
tell him anything. In the black houl
of that ride he could not think Of any
thing that he could do hat would
save him.
And then quite suddenly in his des
peratiOn he decided upon something
He laughed hardly, turned Rather bacl
from the h0meward trail and returne,
to the corral in the canyon. 1.-The.
started this game. and they've put !
up to me- he told himself grimly
land they needn't squeal II they bur-
their wi fingers"
He hurried. for he had some worI
ahead Of him. and the sun was slidinI
past the noon mark already. He reach
ed the corral and went about what h
had to do as II he were working 70
wages and wanted to give good meat
ure.
First he rebuilt the little IRE Jus
outside the corral where the cattl
could nOt trample II, but where on
might thrust a branding iron into 1t
midst from between the rails. Whel
It was going properly he searched Gel
tain likely hiding places and found a
Iron still warm from previous service
lie thrust II into heat, led Rather int
the corral and closed the gate secured
behind him. Then he mounted, too
down his rope and widened the iooY