The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-02-14

whip to lash her anger against the
guilty. She hurried the cattle along
the dangerous trail, impatient of their
cautious pace.
Since she had closed up on the
cattle and had read on their sides the
shameful story of theft, Billy Louise
had known that she would eventually
come out ut the lower end of the Cove !;
and that in spite of the fact that the
Cove was not supposed to have any
egresS save through the gorge. What
surprised her was the short distance; !;
she had not realized that the blum
and the upland formed a wide curve,
aD6 ;%at she had cut the distance al
, c,ost in half by riding next the river.
She seemed in no doubt as to what
she would do when she arrived. Billy
Louise was not much given to indie
cisiOn at any time. She drove the
cattle into the corral farthest from the
| house, rode on to the stable, and
stopped Blue with his nose against the
fence there and with his reins drag
Sing. Then. tlght-lipped still, she
walked detcrmincdly along the path to
the gate that led through the berry
| jungle to the cabin.
She opened the gate and stepped
through, closing it after her. She had
not gone twenty feet when there was
rush from the nearest thicket, and
Surbus, his hair ruffed out along his
neck, growled and made leap at her
with barred fangs.
Billy Louise had forgotten about
SurbuS. She jumped back, startled
and the dog missed landing. When
he Sprang again he met .30-caliber
bullet from Billy Louise's gun and
dropped back. 1t had been snap shot
without any particular aiming; Billy
Louise retreated few steps farther
watching the dog suspiciously. He
gathered himself slowly and prepared
to spring ut her again. This time Billy
Louise, being on the watch for such a
move, aimed carefully before she fired
Surbus dropped again, limply-a good
dog forever more.
Billy Louise heard n Shrlll whistle
and the sound of feet running. She
waited, gun in hand, ready for what
ever might come.
Hey! Charlie! Somebody's come
the bell, she don't reeng." Peter
Howling Dog, a pistol in his hand
came running down the path from the
cabin. He saw Billy Louise and stopped
abruptly, his mouth half open.
From q shed near the stable came
Charlie, also running. Billy Louise
waited beside the gate. He did not
see her until he was close, for tan
gled gooseberry bush stood between
them.
"What was it, Peter? Somebody In
the Cove? Or was it YOU"
mo, it wasn't Peter; it was me-
Billy Louise informed him calmly and
ungrammatically. II shot Surbus
that's ALL"
"Oh! Why, Miss Louise, you nearly
gave me heart failure! How are you
I thought"
"You thought somebody had gotten
into the Cove without your knowing it
Well, somebody did. l rode up from
below, along the river"
"Oh-er-did you? Pretty rough
going, wasn't it? didn't think it could
be done. Come in; Aunt Martha will
be"
II don't think she'll be overjoyed tC
see me-" Billy Louise stood still be
side the gooseberry bush, and she haG
forgotten to put away her gun. az
drove up those cattle you had down be
low. You're awfully careless. Charlie
l should think Peter or Marthy would
have told you better. When q mar
steals cattle by working over the
brands, it's very bad form to keeI
them right on his ranch in plain sight
It-isn't done by the best people, you
know" Her voice stung with the con
tempt she managed to put into it. AnG
though she smiled, it was such a smile
as one seldom saw upon the face OF
Billy Louise.
whats all this? Worked brands
Why, Miss Louise, IL wouldn't know
how to"
81 know. You did an awful punk
| Job. A person could tell in the darE
it was the work of greenhorn. Why
didn't you let Peter do it, or Marthy'
You could have done better job thar
that, couldn't you, Marthy?"
Poor old Marthy, with her rheumatic
knees and gray hardness in heI
leathery face, had come down the patti
and stood sQuarely before Billy Lou
Use, her hands knuclSling her fiabby
hips, her hair blowing in gray, strag
Cling wisps about her bullet head.
'Better than what? Come in, Billy
Louise. I'm right glad to see ye bacl
and lookln' so well, even If yuh d.
pear to be In one Of your tantruEls
How's yer nav"
Billy Louise gasped and went white
''Mommie's dead" she said. "She diet
the NINTH" She drew another gaspinI
breath, pulled herself together, an(
went on before the others could begiI
the set speeches of sympathy which
the announcement seemed to demand
"Never mind about that, now. In
talking about those Seabeck cattle yoV
folks stole. / was telling Charlie hov
horribly careless he is, Marthy. DiI
you know he let them drift down tn
river? And blind man could tell
mile off the brands have been worked |!
Billy Louise's tone was positively ven
omous in its contempt. "Why didn'
YOU make Charlie practice on a COW
hide for O while first?" she asked Maj
thy cuttingly.
Marthy ignored the sarcasm. Pei
haps it did not penetrate her stoll
mind at all. "Charlie never worke
any brands, Billy Louise" she state
with her glum directness.
"Oh, beg his pardon, I'm sure
TNld Won 80