The Arvada enterprise., 1918-04-11

touch Of the spurs. rode close to the
fence and stood in his stirrups while
he studied the bunch.
"Hellr' he said when the inspection
was over and dropped back into the
saddle while be gazed unseeingly at
the canyon wall 1t was . very real
he'll that his mind saw-a 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 Y, Q bad
brand to own, since It favors revision
at the hands Of the interruptions.
These cattle were ssabeck cattle, and
their brand had bean altered. For the
right slant Of the v had been extended
q little and curled into q 9. 10 that in
time the brand would stand casual In
spection a . 70 monogram-Ward's
own brand. The work was crude, pur-
posefully crude. The v had not been
returned enough 10 make 1t look fresh.
and the newly scared Q had been add
Cd with . malevolent pressure that
would make It stand out . fresh brand
for long time In case Of Q dslay In
the procssdinu, % Ward knew per-
fsctly well
30 be sat there and looked over the
fence and saw himself q convicted
hustler" There was the evidence all
ready to damn him utterly before q
Jury. They would be turned loose on
the range near his claim, and they
would be found before the scabs had
haired over. Il was Q good time for
rustling. Roundups were over for the
winter. and the weather would connns
range riding to absolute necessity.
OF course The work was coarseso
coarse - to reflect against his intelli-
gencs-but when brands are worked
over and tie culprit has bssa caught
the law y not too careful to dive The
prisoner credit for brains.
Ward starsa at the altered brands
and wondered what b had best DO.
He bsthousht him that perhaps II
would b - well to put little scsnsry
between himself and that particular
locality. and hs started back up tie
hill. Once be pulled up % II ~ would
20 back, but b thought better Of Il.
It was out Of the question 10 turn
those cattle loose. He could not kill
them and dispose Of the bodies, not
when there wsfe seven Of them. He
might % Gown and blotch the brands
20 that hey wo1A not read anything
at all He had thought Of that before
and decided against It That would
put those three O. their guard and
would probably 1oe benent him In the
long IN. They would work the brands
on other cattle.
He hunched forward IN the saddle
and 1t Rather choose his own trail
up The hill Though h. did not know
n, troab,s had caught Billy Louise In
that SANE place and had sent her for
ward with dropping shoulder and
mind % absorbed that she gave NO st-
tentioo b her horse. But that = mere.
" . tsiains coincidence. Ths thing b
had b decide was far more compli-
Gated than Eilly Louiss'e problem.
shouA he 30 straight to seabeck and
tell hin what b. had found outi He
did not know esabsck, except - hs
had INST him once Of twice On the trail
and exchanged trivial gPeetings and .
few wceds about the weather. Besides.
seabsck would very soon nnd out
There II stood at his shoulder. grin.
ming ct him maisvoisntly-his past. II
tied his hands. Buck Olney be could
deal with single handed, for Olney had
tho fear OF him that y born Of Q
guilty conscience. He could send Buck
lover the road" whenever b chose to
tell some things be knew. He could do
It without any compunctions too. Buck
Olnsy, ths stock inspector. deserved no
mercy at Wards hands and would get
none u ever they INST where Ward
would have Q chance at him.
Olney b could deal With alone. but
with The evidence Of thoss rebrsndsd
cattle and the testimony Of two mea.
togsthse with the damnins testimony
Of his past! Ward lifted his head and
stared heavily at the pine slope before
him. He could not 20 to ssabeck and
SOSA ukao my tAA8s ~ wv Oe8SA uOoI
Of that ride he could not think Of any.
thing that be could do that would
save him.
And then quite suddenly In bis des.
psration be decided upon something.
lie laughed hardly. turned Rather back
from the homeward trail and rsturned
to the corral In the canyon. They
started this game. and they've put II
up to ma" he told himself Grimly.
and they needn't squeal II they burn
their own dnsers."
He hurried. for - bad some WORT
ahead Of him. and The sun was sliding
past the noon MARI already. He reach.
I'd the corral and went about what be
he'd 70 % % II b wsss woskins for
wages and wanted to givs good meas
IRE
First b rebuilt the little ars Just
outsade The corral Whsfo IL cattle
could ~ trampls Il. bat whsfs oos
Aighe thrust Q branding Iron into it,
ni1se hon bstWssn tAs rails. when
Il was 0elng pee9ssiy - esaseAsA CT.
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