The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-02-21

1850 Wv NA
here and there, and so on. We got
wind Of it first when we went out to
bring In a 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
bills for a week and couldn't find a
sign Of her or her calf. And she had
stick down in the creek bottom all the
spring, sc 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
dad 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-
icany into the calm eyes of Billy
Louise. "Of course 1 don't mean to
say there's anything wrong up there"
he hastily assured her. But that's
the reason I 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 up
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 a stranger
to our outfit. I've seer him a few
times. What's his name? Us boys
call him Noisy. It's like pulling a WIS
dom tooth to get any kind a talk out
of him"
"He is awful quiet" assented Billy
Louise c~arelessly. 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 Ds," answered Billy Louise
and smiled family. i've been range
herding them back here in these foot
hills this summer. Do you want to
look through the bunch?'
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, l 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 a line
ON them. It's hard luck. That Charlie
Fox seems a fine, hard working boy,
don't you think?"
"Yes-s," said Billy Louise shyly, "he
seems real nice" She looked away
and BIT her lip self consciously as she
spoke.
The two men swallowed the bait like
a hungry fish. They glanced at each
other and winked knowingly. Billy
Louise saw them from the tail of her
downcast eye and permitted herself a
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.
Well, 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.
Eyes, | must be going" said that
young self-consciously. 1--WE
quite a circle to ride yet. 1 hope you
locate the r~ustlers, and If there's any,
thing / can do-if | see or hear any
thing that seems TO be a clew-In let
you know right away. I've been keep
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 loped off up the
ridge.
Bark up that tree for awhile, you
twor' she said, with a twist of her
lips, when she was well away from
them. "You-you darned idiots, TO go
prowling around Wards place, just as
If Ward'll take a shot at them If
he catches them nosing through his
stock" She scowled at a big ID COW
that thrust her head out of an alder
thicket and sent Blue in after her.
FTOWlluS, sue WdlCueu lut dnlilul 30
numbering down the hill toward the
Wolverine. Just because he's a stran-
ger and doesn't mix with people and
minds his business and is trying
to get a start they're suspicious, as if
a man has no right to- Well, l think
l managed TO head them off anyway"
Her satisfaction lasted while she rode
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 OF if she knew enough. There
were some things
She headed Blue down the slope and
as straight for the Big Hill as she
could 60. There was no trail that way.
and the ridges were steep and the can
v0nS ~cirpuitOuS Rut Rlla was a good