Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-02-12

SuEUuS, HIS mar FuIeQ out alOHS MS
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 a .3O-caliber
bullet from Billy Louise's gun and
| dropped back. 1t had been a snap shot,
without any particular aiming; Billy
Louise retreated a few steps farther,
| watching the dog suspiciously. He
gathered himself slowly and prepared
to spring at 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 a shrilI 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 pistol in his hand,
came running down the path from the
cabin. He saw Billy Louise and stopped
abruptly, his mouth half open.
From a shed near the stable came
Charlie, also running. Billy Louise
waited beside the gare. He did not
see her until he was close, for a tan
gled gooseberry bush stood between
them.
"What was 1t, Peter? Somebody In
the Cove? Or was it you"
mo, 1t wasn't Peter; it was me-"
Billy Louise informed him calmly and
ungrammatically. 81 shot Surbus,
that's ALL"
ooh. Why, Miss Louise, you nearly
gave me heart failurel How are you?
thought"
You thought somebody had gotten
into the Cove without your knowing it.
Well. somebody did. rode up from
below. along the river"
"Oh-er-did you? Pretty rough
going wasn't it? didn't think 1t could
be done. Come in; Aunt Martha will
be-"
81 don't think she'll be overjoyed to
see me-" Billy Louise stood still be-
SAuC IIhC SOOoCbCAAS DoSAIs SIZE udu
forgotten to put away her gun. 81
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 a man
steals cattle by working over the
brands, it's very bad form to keep
them right on his ranch in plain sight.
Tf--iSnf hnpn nv tho
know" Her voice stung with the con-
tempt she managed to put into it. And
though she smiled, it was such smile
as one seldom saw upon the face of
Billy Louise.
whats all this? Worked brands |!
Why, Miss Louise. II wouldn't know
how to"
II know. You did an awful punk
job. A person could tell in the dark
1t was the work of greenhorn. Why
didn't you let Peter do it, or Marthy?
You could have done better job than
that, couldn't you, Marthy?"
Poor old Marthy, with her rheumatic
knees and gray hardness in her
leathery face, had come down the path
and stood squarely before Billy Lou
Use, her hands knuckling her f1abby
hips, her hair blowing in gray, stray
Cling wisps about her bullet head.
Better than what? Come in, Billy
Louise. I'm right glad to see We back
and lookin' so well, even If yuh do
pear to be in one of your tantrums.
How's yer maw?
Billy Louise gasped and went white.
"Mommie's dead" she said "She died
the ninth" She drew another gasping
breath, pulled herself together, and
went on before the others could begin
the set speeches of sympathy which
the announcement seemed to demand.
"Never mind about that, now. I'm
talking about those Seabeck cattle you
folks stole. l was telling Charlie how
horribly careless he is, Marthy. Did
you know he let them drift down the
river? And a blind man could tell a
mile off the brands have been worked w
Billy Louise's tone was positively ven
omous in its contempt. "Why didn't
you make Charlie practice on a cow
hide for while first?" she asked Mar
thy cuttingly.
Marthy ignored the sarcasm. Per-
haps it did not penetrate her stolid
mind at all. Charlie never worked
any brands, Billy Louise" she stated
with her glum directness.
ooh, l beg his pardon, I'm sure
Did your"
"No, Il never done such thing, nel-
Their l don't know what you're talkin'
about"
"Well. who did, them Billy Louise
faced the old woman pitilessly.
Il d'no." Marthy lifted her hand and
made futile effort to tuck in few of
the longest wisps of hair.
well, of all the" The stern gray
eyes of Billy Louise few wide open at
the effrontery of the words. If they
expected her to believe thatl
That's 1t. Miss Louise. That's the
point we'd like to settle, ourselves. l
know it sounds outrageous, but it's
fact. Peter and found those cattle
up in the hills. with our brand worked
| over the V. On my word of honor, not
one of us knows who did It."
But you've got them down here"
well" Charlie threw out a hand
helplessly. His eyes met hers with ap-
pealing frankneSS. 1--WE couldn't rub
out the brands; what else could we
do? l figured that somebody else
would see them if we left them out in
the hills, and it might be rather hard
TO convince man; you see, we can't
even convince you! But, so help me,
not one of US branded those cattle.
Miss Louise. l believe that whoever
has been rustling stock around here
deliberately tried to fix evidence
against US. I'm stranger in the coun-
try, and 1 don't know the game very
we'll; I'm an easy mark"
Yes, you're that. all right enough -
Billy Louise spoke with blunt disfavor,
but her contemptuous certainty of his