The Dolores star., 1918-02-22
CHAPTER vill.
sWe0 Won't Get Me Again."
ANE day late In the fall Ward wa

sHeu Won't Get Me Again"
NNE day late In the fall Ward was
riding the hills on to the north
aud wast OF his claim, looking at
the condition OF the range there and
keeping an eye out for Y6 cattle. He
had bought another dozen head Of
mixed stock over toward Hardup. and
they were not yet past the point Of
straying OF their new range. 30, hav-
ing keen eyes and the incentive to use
them. be paid attention to stock tracks
In the soft places. and he saw every
thing within the sweep Of his vision,
and. since the day was clear and fine,
his range OF vision when he reached a
high point extended to the Three Buttes
away out in the desert.
BY sheer accident he rode up to the
canyon where the little corral lay hid
den at the end and looked down. And
since he rode up at an angle different
from the one Billy Louise had taken
the corral was directly beneath him
90 directly. in fact, that half Of It was
hidden from sight. He saw that there
were cattle within It, however, and
two men at work there. And by
chance he lifted his eyes and saw the
nose Of q horse beyond . jutting ledge
sixty yards or 20 away and the crown
II q hat showing just above the ledge.
A lookout, he judged instantly and
pulled Rather behind the rock he had
been at some pains to ride around.
Ward was q cOwpuncher. He knew
fhe tricks Of the trade SO well that he
did not wonder what was going on
down there. He knew. He was tempt
cd to do a. Billy Louise had done
ride ON and pass up knowledge which
might be disagreeable, for Ward was
not one to spy upon his fellows, and
the man whom he would betray into
the bands Of . sheriff must be guilty
of Q most heinous crime. That was
his code to let every fellow have a
chance to work out his own salvation
or damnation "a he might choose.
don't suppose there was anything he
hated worse than an infOrmer.
He got behind the rock, since he had
no great desire to be shot, and he dis
covered that his view Of the corral
was much palmer than from where
be had nrst seen IL. He looked behind
him for IN easy retreat to the sky
line, and then before he turned to ride
away he glanced down again curiously.
A man walked out into the center of
the corral and stood there In the re-
vealing sunlight. Wards eyes bored
like gimlets through the space that d.
vided them. Instinctively his hand
went to the gun on his hip. It was a
long pistol shot, and he was afraid he
might miss, for Ward was not wiz
ard with gun, much as I should like
to misrepresent him as a dead shot.
He was human, just like yourself. He
could shoot pretty well, q great deal
better than lots of men who do more
boasting than he ever did, but he fire.
3uently missed. He measured the dis
tance with his mind while the man
stood there talking to some one un-
seen. To look at Wards face you
would have sworn that the man was
aoomed, but something held Wards
dnger from crooking on the trigger.
The man had his back turned squarely
toward the gun. Ward waited. The
man did not move. He waited another
minute. and then he opened his lips to
shout And when his lips parted for
the call that would bring the fellow
facing him Wards tricky brain snap
ped before his eyes the face Of Billy
Louise
He lowered the gun. He could not
shoot when he knew that the bullet
would split q gulf between himself
and the girl-a gulf that would sep
arate him forever from that future
where stood his air castles.
He let down the hammer with his
thumb, slid the gun back into its hol-
ster and dismounted, with glance to-
ward the place where the lookout was
stationed He was sure he had not
been seen, and 10 he crouched behind
. splinter Of rock and watched. He
had NO plan, but his instinct impelled
him to closely watch Buck Olney.
Another man came into view down
there In the corral. He also stood
plainly revealed, and Ward gave q
little snort Of contemptuous surprise
when he recognised him. After that
he studied the situation with Sowing
browH. This other man either upset
HI conclusions or complicated his
nannsr Of dealing with Buck olney.