The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-03-12
SYNOPSIS.

CHAPTER I-Marthy, low-browed, I'M
combed, harsh of voice and speech and
nature. with her shiftless husband Jase,
journey over desert trail. driving four
oxen and are the pioneers whose lurching
wagon first fords the Wolverine stream.
Jase is ready to stop at the first green
spot. but Marthy insists on Flooding along
another full days journey. That night.
through natural instinct. two of the oxen
stray into a narrow gorge and feast on
the rich grasses of the Cove. where they
are found by Marthy who recognizes the
little, hidden Eden as the place OF her
session. Later they are Joined by an
other couple who are impressed with the
wolverine and also establish a home. To
them Ia born q daughter. christened Billy
Louise.
CHAPTER u-After a visit TO Marthy,
Billy Louise on her horse Blue reaches
home late, In a snow storm, having met
. stranger riding over the same trail. He
10 invited TO stop for the night and is well
coined by Billy Louise's mother. Intro
duces himself as Ward Warren who has
. claim on MIL Creek.
CHAPTER Trr-Marthy is horrifed 10
and that Jase has died during the night.
the main ditch. she wheels Jaso's body
buries her dead Charlie Fox, her nephew
arrives.
CHAPTER Iv-Fox rides to Billy
OAh@ ~ -.
anything of o of their calves which
Disappeared; theft is discussed. ana 1uly
Louise starts in search
CHAPTER v-Spring has comS. Sut
Billy Louise Ia not affected by the beau
ties Of Wolverine canyon. for she Is brood
ing over her discouragements and is on
the brink of nervous breakdown when
she finds one of her finest cows dead.
and she has a machinery note ane: Two
missing stock. She rides to Wards cabin.
but he 10 not there.
CHAPTER vr-Riding along a hat-bot-
toned canyon she sees a horseman resem-
bling Ward disappear In the hills and later
discovers a hidden corral such as she re-
members being told about by her father.
She 10 late in arriving home and finds
her mother Ill. and a physician Is called.
CHAPTER vII-Biiiy Louise does not
hold ~changeless her broken faith In Ward.
although ske has learned to love MIN:
Ward NETS her on the trail and Is puzzled
at her apparent GOODNESS toward MN.
Ward writes her Offering any assistance
he can give.
CHAPTER vIII-Riding over the hills
looking for cattle branded Y6 Ward dis
covers a hidden corral and sees three men,
one OF whom he believes to be Buck ol-
and nnds stock on which the brands ave
been changed TO his own mark.
CHAPTER Ix.-After celebrating the
brands Ward deduces that Buck olney
will become suspicious OF him as knowing
about the plant, He cautiously Keeps out
OF the way until his patience frazzles out
under the strain. He discovers Buck OIL
ney hiding behind rock and takes him
prisoner.
CHAPTER x-with Buck bound TO a
chair. Ward cooks a mess OF prunes.
sweeps the moor. shaves himself. keeping
close watch on his prisoner through a
mirror. Buck Is conveyed to q cotton
wood tree where Ward fashions a hang
mans moose pins the prisoners writer ndes
Ward rides away, having slit the rope SC
II would not hold any weight.
CHAPTER xI-Returning. riding down
a steep slope near his cabin. his horse
Rather steps into a pile OF rock. throw
ture his leg. Riding to his cabin he splints
and bandages the broken leg, realiz.
ing he will be helpless for some time, and
prepares for any emergency; Buck oihes
discovers he was not TO be hanged.
CHAPTER xII-Bliy Louise writes
The Brave Euckaroo" a CHEEKY Christ.
illness, not expecting an answer before
New Years. but II was not delivered
Another letter also undelivered told oil
Billy LOuise's "Mommie's" death.
CHAPTER xIII.-Biily mounts Blue and
rides to the bottom In search OF cattle
which she finds. learning for herself the
shamefu story OF theft. and driving then
TO the Cove corral. facing those she &C.
cuses OF theft. later Offering apologies and
riding away.
Finally she swung Blue on the down
stream side and shouted the range
cattle cry. The animals turned awk-
wardly and went upstream. as they
had been going before Billy Louise
stopped them. Blue followed watch
fully after. content with the game he
was playing. Where the bluffs drew
close again to the river, the cattle
climbed to a narrow, shelving trail
picking their way carefully along the
bluff. Below them 1t fell sheer to tbs
river; above them IL rose steeply, {
~blackened tumble, save where the snow
of the last storm lay drifted.
Billy Louise had never known Their,
was a trail up this gorge. She eyed |
critically and saw where boulders haC
been moved here and there to max,
its passage possible. Her lips were
set close together and they still bor'
the imprint of her contempt.
She thought of Ward. Mentally she
abased herself before him because o.
her doubts. How she had dared thinl
him a thieff Her brave buckaroo
And she had dared think he woul'
steal cattlei Her very remorse wa
a whip to lash her anger against tn
guilty. She hurried the cattle alon
the dangerous trail. impatient of thei
cautious pace.
Since she had closed up on tn
cattle and had read on their sides tn
shameful story of theft, Billy Louis
had known that she would eventual
come out at the lower end of the Cove
and that In spite of the fact that III
Cove was not supposed to have an
egress save through the gorge. VIII
surprised her was the short distance
she had not realized that the blu
and the upland formed a wide curv'
- - a. A