Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-06-21

II!
-
She Went Straight to the Hay Corral
and stepped.
to q corner Of the hay corral and
stopped with her hands clutching the
top wire.
"Ward Warren, for heavens sake.
what are you doingr You couldn't
have told from her tone that she had
been crying, q mile back, from sheer
anxiety, OF that she "loved him to
pieces" She sounded as II she did not
love him at all and was merely disgust
ed with his actions.
"rm trying to sink my loop on this
b~uzzard-head Of a horse" Ward re-
torted glumly. i've been trying for
about an hour" he added, grinning q
little at his own plight.
"Well, it's q lucky thing for you he
won't let you," Billy Louise informed
him sternly, STOPPING to crawl under
the bottom wire. you've got about as
much sense as" She did not say
what. "Give me that rope and you
take yourself and your clutches out
of the corral, Mr.. Smarty. l just had
a bunch you couldn't be trusted to be-
have yourself"
Brave Buckaroo got lonesome
Ward said, looking at her with eyes
alight, as he hobbled slowly toward
her. you'll have to open the gate fol-
me, William. RattlerM make a break
for the open If he sees a crack as wide
as your little finger"
BY then he was near enough to
reach out an arm and pull her close to
him. "Oh, William girl. I'm sure glad
to see you once more. l got scared. !
thought maybe l just dreamed you
were here; so l tackled"
"You tackled more than you could
handle. You ought to know you mustn't
try to ride Rather, Ward. What II he'd
pitch with your"
I'm that case, I'd pile up. I reckon
Say William, a broken leg does take a
deuce of a time to get well. But all
the same. I'll stop old Rather, all right.
I'd top anything rather than spend an.
other night in that jail"
you'll ride Blue" Billy Louise told
him calmly. I'm going to ride Rather
myself"
"Yes, you are-not !" )
"Do you mea to say l can't? Dc
you think"
"Oh, I guess you can.a all right, but
well, II l can, I'm going to. II you
think / can't handle a measly old skate
like that"
Hes been running out for nearly
two months, Wilhemina-"
"And look at his ribs! II you'll Just
kindly go In the house while I sad.
de"
"Tll kindly stay right here, lady.
girl. You don't know Rather"
"And you don't know Billy Louise
Macdonald" She wrinkled her nose
at him and turned back to unsaddle
Blue. Il really didn't intend to 20
back right now" she said, 'but seeing
you've got your heart set on 1t l sup
pose we might as WELL" Then she
added: "We're only going as far as
the Cove, anyway; and l really ought
to hurry back to look after Marthy.
Charlie Fox and Peter pulled out and
left her there all solitary alone. I've
been staying with her overnight. ]
told her we'd be down there, and stay
ti~ll--further notice."
Billy Louise did o give Ward much
opportunity for argument. He was too
awkward with his crutches to keep up
with her, and she managed to be on
the move most of the time.
When she had helped Ward upon
that was not easy, either,
that he only had one leg
At to stand on-and had gone to the
cabin for her bag of nuggets and
Wards roll of money which he had for.
and had exhausted every other
excuse for delay, she picked up Rat.
reins and wound her fingers In
his name, and took hold Of the stirrup
as nonchalantly as II she were mount.
Ing Blue.
"Now we're all right and comfy" she
announced breathlessly. when the first
light was over and Rather, like his
master, had yielded to the inevitable.
And we know who's boss. and we're
III Of rs squindiciously happy. because
we're headed for home. Aren't we,
vuckaEooi"