Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-06-14

up the hill Though he did not know
it, trouble had caught Billy Louise in
that same place and had sent her for
ward with dropping shoulders and
mind so absorbed that she gave no at
tention to her horse. But that is mere
ly trifling coincidence. The thing he
had to decide was far more compl1-
Gated than Lilly Louise's problem.
Should he go straight to Seabeck and
tell him what he had found out? He
did not know Seabeck, except as he
had met him once or twice on the trail
and exchanged trivial greetings and
few words about the weather. Besides,
Seabeck would very soon find out
There it stood at his shoulder, grin
ming at him malevolently-his past. 1t
tied his hands. Buck Olney he could
deal with single handed, for Olney had
the fear of him that is born of
guilty conscience. He could send Buck
"over the road" whenever he chose to
tell some things he knew. He could do
it without any compunctions too. Buck
Olney, the stock inspector, deserved no
mercy at Wards hands and would get
none if ever they met where Ward
would have chance at him.
Olney he could deal with alone, but
with the evidence of those rebranded
cattle and the testimony of two men,
together with the damning testimony
of his past! Ward lifted his head and
stared heavily at the pine slope before
him. He could nor go to Seabeck and
tell him anything. In the black hour
of that ride he could not think of any
thing that he could do that would
save him.
And then quite suddenly in his des-
peration he decided upon something.
lie laughed hardly, turned Rather back
from the homeward trail and returned
| to the corral in the canyon. ''They
started this game, and they've put it
up to me-" he told himself grimly.
land they needn't squeal if they burn
their own fingers"
| He hurried, for he had some work
ahead of him, and the sun was sliding
past the noon mark already. He reach.
ed the corral and went about what he
had to do as if he were working for
wages and wanted to give good meas.
ure.
First he rebuilt the little fire just
outside the corral where the cattle
could not trample it, but where one
might thrust a branding iron into its
midst from between the rails. Wher
it was going properly he searched Ger
tain likely hiding places and found al
iron still warm from previous service
He thrust it into heat, led Rattler int
the corral and closed the gate securely
behind him. Then he mounted, tool
down his rope and widened the loop
while his angry eyes singled out thl
animal he wanted first.
Ward was not an adept with run
ming iron" He was honest, whateve
men might say of him. But he knew
how to tie down an animal and b
sacrificed part of his lariat to get tn
short rope he needed to tie their fee
together. He worked fast-no tellin
what minute some one might come an
catch him-and he did his work wei
far better and neater than had hi
predecessors.
When he left that corral he smiled
Before he had ridden very far up th
. bluff he stopped, looked down at th
long suffering cattle and smiled agai
sardonically. One could read the
brands easily from where he sat on hi
horse. They were not blotched; the
were very distinct. But they were M
Yes within that corral. There wei
other brands which might be made
Y6 monogram by the judicious a,
dition of a mark here and a MAJ
there.
There, hang yuh, chew on thi
awhiler' he apostrophized the absel
three. He turned away and rode baC
once more toward home.
Rather turned naturally into the tra
which ran up the creek to the ranc
but Ward Immediately turned him o.
of it. I'VE aren't going to overloC
any bets, old timer" he said grim
and crossed the creek at point whe
it was too rocky to leave any ho
prints behind them. He rode up Il
| lower point of the ridge beyond al
followed the crest of it on the 81,
away from the valley. When he reac
ed point nearly opposite his cabin
dismounted, unbuckled his spurs al
slipped their chains over the sadd
horn. Then he went forward afoot
reconnoiter. He was careful to avo
rock or gravelly patches and to wa
always on the soft grass, which mt
fed his steps.
In this wise he made his way to t
top of the ridge, where he could To-
down upon the cabin and stable al
y corrals and see also the creek trail t
a good quarter of a mile. The lit
NJ valley lay quiet. His team fed und
IN turbed by the creek not far from t
n corral, which reassured Ward me
= than anything. Still, he waited un
r he had made reasonably sure that t
N bluff held no watcher concealed befC
h he went back to where Rather wait
A patiently.
at Il guess they didn't plan to S
I'd things up till they got those critic
in planted where they wanted them"
r. unused while he rode down the bluff
his cabin. "But when they visit Il
be bunch of stock again 1 reckon thi1
ed will begin to tightenr
Ill He was wary Of exposing hims
a too much to view from the bluff VII
on he did his chores that night, and
ey kept Rather in the stable; also he 81,
ad very little, and before daybreak
or was up and away.
he