Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-01-25

a touch of the spurs, rode close to the
fence and stood in his stirrups while
he studied the bunch.
"Hellr' he said when the inspection
was over and dropped back into the
saddle while he gazed unseeingly at
the canyon wall. 1t was a very real
hell that his mind saw-a hell made
by men wherein other men must dwell
/ in torment because of their sins or the
sins of their fellows.
Seabeck's brand was a big V, bad
brand to own, since 1t favors revision
at the hands of the INSCRIPTIONS.
These cattle were Seabeck cattle, and
| their brand had been altered. For the
right slant of the V had been extended
little and curled into 6, so that in
time the brand would stand casual In
spection as a Y6 monogram-Ward's
own brand. The work was crude, pur-
posefully crude. The V had not been
returned enough to make it look fresh.
and the newly scared had been add
ed with a malevolent pressure that
would make 1t stand out fresh brand
for long time in case of delay In
the proceedings, as Ward knew per-
fectly well.
So he sat there and looked over the
fence and saw himself a convicted
'rustler." There was the evidence all
ready to damn him utterly before
jury. They would be turned loose on
the range near his claim, and they
would be found before the scabs had
haired over. 1t was a good time for
rustling. Roundups were over for the
winter, and the weather would confne
range riding to absolute necessity.
OF course the work was coarse-so
coarse as to reflect against his intelli-
gence-but when brands are worked
over and the culprit has been caught
the law is not too careful to give the
prisoner credit for brains.
Ward stared at the altered brands
and wondered what he had best do.
He bethought him that perhaps it
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 go down and blotch the brands
so that they would not read anything
at all. He had thought of that before
and decided against it. 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
ward with dropping shoulders and a /
mind so absorbed that she gave no at
tention to her horse. But that is mere
ly a trifing coincidence. The thing he
had to decide was far more compli-
Gated than Eilly Louise's problem.
Should he go 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
few words about the weather. Besides,
Seabeck would very soon find out
There it stood at his shoulder. grin
ming at him maleyolently-hisp past. 1t
lied his hands. Buck Olney he could
1eal with single handed, for Olney had
The fear of him that is born of a
guilty conscience. He could send Buck
'over the road" whenever he chose to
ell some things he knew. He could do
{ without any compunctions too. Buck
0lney, the stock inspector, deserved no
mercy at Wards hands and would get
hone If ever they met where Ward
would have a chance at him.
-1Olney he, could deal with alone, but
With the evidence of those rebranded
.attle and the testimony of two men,
ogether with the damning testimony
4 his. pastl Ward lifted his head and
tared heavily at the pine slope before ,
i'm. He could not go to Seabeck and
ell him anything. In the black hour |
f that ride he could not think Of any
IluS lAdl AC NOOA0 0O lAdl nOul0
ave him. I
And then quite suddenly in his des- 6
Grafton he decided upon something. ,
Ie laughed hardly. turned Rather back I
rom the homeward trail and returned I
D the corral in the canyon. "They
tarted this game, and they've put It l
p to me-" he told himself grimly, L
and they needn't squeal if they burn i
leir own fingers L
He hurried, for he had some work S
head of him. and the sun was sliding 4
asst the noon mark already. He re>ca- t
l the corral and went about what ne &
ad to do as if he were working rn- q
ages and wanted to give good meas v
re. u
First he rebuilt the little fire just b
Inside the corral where the cattle b
'uld not trample it, but where one e.
light thrust a branding iron into its Il
idst from between the rails When C,