Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-05-31

sharply. They did lot look ike any Of
hers, after all. There were five dry
cows and two steers.
One Of the steers stood broadside
to Billy Louise. The brand stared out
from his 0ingy red side, the most con-
spicuous thing about him. Billy LOU
Use caught her breath. There was no
faintest line that failed to drive its
message into her range-trained brain.
She stared and stared. Blue looked
around at her inquiringly, reproach-
fully. Billy Louise sent him slowly
forward and stirred up the hoddled
little bunch. She read the brand on
each one; read the story they shouted
at her, Of bungling theft.
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 it fell sheer to the
river; above them 1t rose steeply, a
blackened tumble, save where the snow
OF the last storm lay drifted.
Billy Louise had never known there
was a trail up this gorge. She eyed 1t
critically and saw where boulders had
been moved here and there to make
its passage possible. Her lips were
set close together and they still bore
the imprint of her contempt.
She thought of Ward. Mentally she
abased herself before him because of
her doubts. How she had dared think
him IA thief? Her brave buckaroo!
And she had dared think he would
steal cattlel Her very remorse was
a whip to lash her anger against the
guilty. She hurried the cattle along
the dangerous trail, impatient of their
cautious pace.
Since she had closed up on the
cattle and had read on their sides the
shameful story Of theft. Billy Louise
had known that she would eventually
come out at the lower end of the Cove !;
and that in spite of the fact that the
Cove was not supposed to have my
egress save through the gorge. What
surprised her was the short distance !;
she had not realized that the bluff
and the upland formed a wide curve.
and that she had cut the distance al.
most in half by riding next the river.
She seemed in no doubt as to what
she would do when she arrived. Billy
Louise was not much given % indie
cision at any time. She drove the
cattle into the corral farthest from the
house, rode on to the stable, and
stopped Blue with his nose against the
fence there and with his reins drag
ging. Then, tight-lipped still, she
walked determinedly along the path to
the gate that led through the berry.
jungle to the cabin.
She opened the gate and stepped
through, closing it after her. She had
not gone twenty feet when there was
a rush from the nearest thicket, and
Surbus, his hair ruffed out along his
neck. growled and made a 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 .30-caliber
bullet from Billy Louise's gun and
dropped back. 1t had been n 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 shrill 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, II 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 gate. He did moi
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 1t YOU"
mo, 1t wasn't Peter; 1t was me-
Billy Louise informed him calmly and
ungrammatically. II shot Surbus,
that's ALL"
"Oh! Why, Miss Louise, you nearly
gave me heart failure! How are you;
l thought"
you thought somebody had gotte1
into h Cove without your knowing ii
Well, somebody did. l rode up from,
below. along the river"
"oh-er-did you? Pretty rough
going. wasn't II? l didn't think 1t couIt
be done. Come in Aunt Martha Will
be"
Il don't think she'll be overjoyed Il
see me-" Billy Louise stood still be
side the gooseberry bush, and she bad