Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-01-08


bring In gentle cow that the deacon
wanted on the ranch. We knew where
she was, only she wasn't there when
we went after her. We hunted the
hills for a week and couldn't find q
sign of her or her calf. And she had
stuck down In the creek bottom all the
| spring, so 1t looked kind a funny
He twisted in the saddle and looked
back at the pine clotted ridge
There's a Y6 calf up there that's a
dead ringer for the one we've been
| hunting" he observed, "but it's run.
ming with a cow that carries Junkins
old brand, So He looked apologet.
ically into the calm eyes of Billy
Louise. "Of course / don't mean to
say there's anything wrong up there,
he hastily assured her. but that's
the reason thought I'd ask you about
| that fellow"
"Oh, it's perfectly right to make sure
Of everybody" smiled Billy Louise
I'D do the same thing myself. But
| you'll find everything's all straight Ut
there. We know all about him and
how and where he got his few head OF
! stock and everything. But of course
you could ask Junkins if you have any
doubt"
"Oh, We'll take your word for it. ]
just wanted to know. He's stranger
to our outfit. I've seen him a lew
times. What's his name? Us boys
call him Noisy. It's ike pulling a wis.
dom tooth to get any kind a talk out
of him"
He is awful quiet" assented Billy
Louise carelessly. But he's real
steady to work"
Them quiet fellows generally are
put in Mr.. Birken. "You run stock in
here, too, do you, Miss MacDonald?"
THE big d." answered Billy Louise
| and smiled family. 1--WE been range
herding them back here in these foot.
hills this summer. Do you want to
look through the bunchY'
Mr.. Birken blushed. "Oh, no, not at
all! | was wondering If you had lost
any"
Nobody would rustic cattle from a
lady, l hope At any rate, haven't
missed any yet. The folks down In the
Cove have, though"
Eyes, heard they had. That breed
rode over to see If he could get line
on them. It's hard luck. That Charlie
Fox seems fine, hard working boy,
don't you Think"
'Yes-s," said Billy Louise shyly. she
seems real nice" She looked away
and bit her lip self consciously as she
spoke
| The two men swallowed the bait like
hungry fish. They glanced at each
other and winked knowingly. Billy
Louise saw them from the tail of be-
dowTcast eye and permitted herself q
little sigh of relief They would be
the more ready now to accept at its
face value her statement concerning
Ward, unless they credited her with
the feat Of being in love with the two
men at the same time.
We'll, I'm sorry Charlie Fox has
been tapped off too. He's a mighty
fine chap" declared Floyd, with trans.
parent heartiness, his round eyes
dwelling curiOusly' upon the face OF
Billy Louise
Yes, l must be going" said that
young woman self-consc!ously. 1--WE
! quite a circle to ride yet. | hope Won
| locate the rustlers, and If there's any.
thing l can do-if see or hear any.
thing that seems to be clew-I'u LET
you know right away I've been keen.
ing my eyes open for some trace of
them, and so has Char-Mr. Fox. ~
Then she blushed and told them good.
by very hastily and Hoped off I'D the
ridge.
Bark up that tree for awhile. YOU
two!' she said, with a twist of her
lips, when she was well away from
them. "YOu-you darned idiots. to go
proving around Wards place, just as
! IL Ward'll take shot at them if
he catches them nosing through his
stock" She Scowled at a big d COW
that thrust her head out of an alder
thicket and sent Blue in after her.
browning, she watched the animal 60
numbering down the hill toward the
Wolverine. Just because he's a stran-
ger and doesn't mix with people and
minds his own business and is irving
TO get start they're suspicious. as if
man has no right to- Well. | think
l managed to head them off anyway"
SioFonNiAy,
to the next ridge Then the little
devils of doubt came a-swarming and
a-whispering She had said she knew
all about Ward. Well, she did to a
greater extent than others knew. But
she wondered If she did not know too
much or il she knew enough. There
were some things
She headed Blue down the slope and
as straight for the Big Hill as she
could go. There was no trail that way.
and the ridges were steep and the can
yons circuitous But Blue was a good
horse. with plenty of stamina and
much experience He carried his lady
safely, and he carried her willingly.
Even her impotence could find no
fault with the manner in which he
climbed steep pitches, slid down slopes
as steep, jumped narrow washouts and
picked his way through thickets of
quaking aspens or over wide stretches
Of shale rock and lava beds. He was
\, ct TO his ears when finally he shut
fed into Wards trail up the creek bot
tom, but he breathed evenly, and he
carried his head high and perked his
ears knowingly forward when the cor