Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-22
The Ranch
at the
Wolverine
By B. M. BOWER

-
1copyr,sht BIZ Little. Brown and Company
Ward stared at the altered brands
and wondered what he had best do.
He bethought him that perhaps 1t
would be as well to put little scenery
between himself and that particular
locality, and he started back up the
hill. Once he pulled up as If he would
go back, but he thought better of It.
1t was out Of the question to turn
those cattle loose. He could not kill
them and dispose of the bodies, not
when there were seven Of them. He
might 60 down and blotch the brands
so that they would not read anything
at all. He had thought of that before
and decided against 1t. That would
put those three on their guard and
would probably not benefit him in the
long run. They would work the brands
on other cattle.
He hunched forward in the saddle
and let Rather choose his own trail
up the hill. Though he did not know
it, trouble had caught Billy Louise in
that same place and had sent her for
,ard with dropping shoulders and a
lind SO absorbed that she gave no at
ention to her horse But that is mere.
" trthing coincidence. The thing he
ha decide was far more compli-
Gated than Billy Louise's problem.
Should he 60 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 a
few words about thefweather. 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 a
guilty conscience. He could send Buck
lover the road" whenever he chose to
tell some things he knew. He could do
it without any computations too. Buck
Olney. the stock inspector, deserved no
mercy at Wards hands and would get
none II ever they met where Ward
would have Q 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 not 60 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.
He 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 1t
up to me-" he told himself grimly,
land they needn't squeal II 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 1t, but where one
might thrust branding iron into its
midst from between the rails. When
it was going properly he searched GER
tain likely hiding places and found an
iron still warm from previous service.
He thrust 1t into heat, led Rather into
the corral and closed the gate securely
behind him. Then he mounted, took
down his rope and widened the loop,
while his angry. eyes singled out the
animal he wanted first.
Ward was not an adept with run
ming iron" He was honest, whatever
men might say Of him. But he knew
how to tie down an animal. and he
sacrificed part of his lariat to get the
short rope he needed to tie their feet
together. He worked fast-no telling
what minute some one might come and
catch him-and he did his worR well,
far better and heater than had his
predecessors.
When he left that corral he smiled.
Before he had ridden very far up the
bluff he stopped, looked down at the
long suffering cattle and smiled again
sardonically. One could read their
brands easily from where he sat on his
horse. They were not blotched: they
were very distinct. But they were not
Yes. within that corral. There were
other brands which might be made of
q Y6 monogram: 81 the jua:c!oas ed
dition Of q mark here and mark
there. IL b 4 Y.
..rhsra. hang yuh chew on that