The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-01-04

so you see, MISS Louise, mere 8 yer.
pretty mystery"
"You think they were driven of
don't your" Billy Louise asked ques
ton with the words and made state
ment of it with her tone, which was {
trick of hers.
Charlie Fox shook his head, but hi:
eyes did not complete the denial. Miss
| Louise, I'd work every other theory tC
death before I'd admit that possibility
| don't know all of my neighbors sc
very well, but should hesitate a long
long time"
1T needn't have been a neighbor
There are lots of strange men passing
through the country. Did you look for
| tracks,"
Il did not / didn't want to admit
| that possibility. | decline to admit ii
now" The chin of Charlie Fox squar-
ed perceptibly, so that Billie Louise
caught a faint resemblance to Marthy
in his face. II saw a man accused of
theft once" he said. 1.-The evidence
was-or seemed-absolutely unassaila-
BILE. And afterward he was exonerat-
ed completely. 1t was just a horrible
mistake But he left school under
cloud. His life was ruined by the
blunder. I'd have TO know absolutely
before I'd accuse any one of stealing
those calves Miss Louise. I'd have to
see them in a mans corral, with his
brand on them-I believe that's the
way it's done out here-and even
then"
where have you looked?" There
were reasons why this particular sub
ject was painful to Billy Louise. "And
are you sure they didn't get out of
that pasture and wander on down the
Cove, among all those willows? It's
perfect jungle away down. Are you
sure they. aren't with the rest Of the
cattle? l don't see how they could
en- out"
Yes, l thought of that-strange as it
may SEEM" Charles voice was unof-
Tended On the contrary, he seemed
glad that she took so keen an interest
in his affairs. 'It has been a week, |
you know, since they few the coop.
did hunt every foot of that Cove twice |
over. l drove every hoof of stock up
and corraled them and made sure these |
four were not in the herd. Then | +
hunted through every inch of that will
low jungle and all along the bluff and
the river Miss Louise, / put in three
1ays at it, from sunrise till 1t was too
III, 10 Than I hnOon ridip0 |
side. There isn't trace Of them any
where. l had just bought them from
Seabeck, you know. / drove them
home, and because they were tired,
and so was l, just left them in that
Upper meadow as 1 came down the
gorge. l hadn't branded them yet. l.
know I've made an awful botch of
he thing, Miss Louise" he confessed,
urning toward her with an honest dis
ress and self-flaying humility in his
yes that wiped from Billy Louise's
mind any incipient tendency toward
But you see I'm green at
his ranch game. And l never dreamed
hose calves weren't perfectly safe in
here. The fence was new and strong,
llu tQe OARS are dDSOlul6ly DdIS 10 ally
took larger than rabbit.
ST hate to bother you with this, and /
don't want you to think | have come
thinning fer sympathy" he said after !,
minute of moody silence. But, see
lg they were not branded yet-with
ur brandt thought perhaps you had /.
IN across them and paid no attention,
linking they belonged to Seabeck."
Billy Louise smiled little to herself. q
; he had not been quite so green at =
le ranch game" he would have men :
oned brands at first as the most i'm I
)rtant point instead of lacking on the :
formation casually after ten minutes
other less vital details. =
"were they vented?" she asked, sup :,
essing the smile so that it was mere T.
a twitch of the lips which might :,
can anything. q,
'T-yes, I think they were. That's q,
hat you call it when the former own II
puts his brand in a different place le
show that his ownership has ceased, n,
1T it? Seabeck puts his brand up d
lie down. r.
Il know Seabeck's vent" Billy Louise a
t in. There was no need of letting 81
ch fine fellow display more ig- ii
rance on the subject. And | should
We noticed it If /. had seen four m
Ives vented fresh and not rebranded. v,
by in the world didn't you stick your so
and ON at the same timer Billy pe
uise was losing patience with his ae
eenneSs. sl-
I didn't have my branding iron with st
J." Charlie answered humbly. II
We done that before, when / bought ul
use other cows and calves. l."
You'd better pack your iron next nc
le," she retorted. IF you can't get dc
title bunch Of calves ten miles with les
losing them" ce
But you must understand | did. / WI
TX them home and turned them into "A
Cove. know-Tm an awful chump
this
The calves may not be absolutely lik
t, you know. Why, lost big ste
er last spring and never found him
l was going to sell few head. tn
en- he turned up, the biggest and fat at
t one In the bunch. You can't tell.
~ get themselves in queer places de
letimes. I'll come over tomorrow fa'
oop op1 foLo a looH q + thaf ra SfT1ro sci