Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-29

tto ufcW up ana nOu0eu. COnfOr0,
Just turning away. turned quickly back
and came forward. -,
'Howdy," he said
The man, tall lean. dark, returneo
the salute with another nod
lie was covered with dust, as IL he
mad ridden far and been a long time
coming. His clothes were much the
worse for wear, but they were mostly
leather which takes wear standing, as
" were. The wide hat, pulled low over
his piercing dark eyes, was ornamented
with vanity of silver.
The riding cuffs at his wrists were
studded profusely with the same metal
as was the wide belt that spanned his
narrow waist
He wore a three days beard. and n
black mustache dropped its long points
TO the edge Of his jaw. Black hair
showed beneath the hat. He was a
remarkable figure. even in Lost Val
ley, and he commanded attention. .
He carried the customary two guns OF
tne country. and he bestrode a horse
that was as noticeable as himself,
=, inns horse was no denizen Of Lost
cn,nry, vS,l,ey, n was an utter alien. Its
recently been through fire. its coat
rough and unkempt.
M, lts long head was heavy and slug
IKE. It's nose Of the type known among
built. raw-boned and angular, and OF
SO stuDendous a size that the man atom
who was six foot tall himself, seemed
small by comparison.
However, for all it's ugliness, It pos
sesseu seeming of vast power, a sug-
sesJion OF great strength,
,,., Inc stranger looked the group over
WIN MS Keen, hard eyes, and spoke in
slow drawl 80
,rIn II reckon" he said, I'm a-ridin' tn
AND turning abruptly. without an
other word, he logged away around
tne mouse and started down the long
siope already graying with the coming
The foreman and the five p,ncbers
cianped over to the corner of the
kltchen and watched him In speculative
sIence; Tharon came along and stood
py Biiiy. her hand on the boys arm.
u 2 blily That sober touch confused the
distances, set the stranger rider dane
ing on the slope.
Him." said Conford his gray ewes
narrow, narrow, come from far ans goin'
,somewheres. III watch that duck He
iooks IKE he's record man to me-"
AT supper there was much specula-
tion about the stranger.
III lay a months pay he came from
Iexas. said Billy, casting a side glance
,,sra1,,, at MS pal pal Curly. rthem long iankys
their sur''S sve 90 A An somehow it shows In
blIiy, said Tharon severely, "ft 1,
was Curly I'd take a fall out of you
Enou! he can y, do 1t, you know that an /
Thanks, Miss Tharon," said Curly in
MS soft southern drawl, "if you feel
that-a-way about II, wy. I don't care
what no little Yellow headed whipper-
snapper from up Wyomin' way says TO
tn contrary"
Billy was a bit abashed. but be
stubbornly supported his contention
Texas i'oii'
Plenty bad-men right here in Los,
hhaisy SAID the girl quietly. IAN tn
settlers need new leader--now that
Jim Lasts gone" And she fell to play.
lhs aosently with her fork upon the
The boys changed the subject hur-
found dead brandin' fire In tn
| Sup Him yesterday. Burt" said Masters.
quite scrabbled space around A.
Looked like some one'd branded several
Don't doubt It," said the foreman.
Careful as we are there's always likely
to be stragglers. An to be a stragglers
10 be goner in this mans land"
un.ess he belongs Z Lasts" said the
every calf branded by Courtrey's gang
we'll get back two"
Billy" said Tharon again. "Jjm
Last wasn't thief. Neither will his
people be thieves For every calf
branded by Courtrey. one calf wearin'
IN J. Ian one calf only. We don't
| steal, but We won't lose"
| =. You bet your boots ant spurs
throwed in' we won't" said the boy
As they rose from the table with sIr
the racket of outdoor men there came
once more the sound of a horses hoofs
on the hard earth outside.
Lasts Holding was a vast sounding
BOARD. NO one on horseback could come
near without advertising his arrival far
| ahead A"'
This time It was no stranger Tharon
Went TO the western door to bid him
II was John Dement, from down at the
rolling Cove. He was thin worn
man, who looked ten years beyond his
forty, his face wrinkled by the constant
| fret and worry Of the constant loser
Tonight he was strung UP like a
wire. his voice shook when he re-
turned the hearty greetings that met
| him.
m Boys" he said abruptly, "an'
Tharon--I come T. tell ye ali good-by'"
rrGood-by! John. what you mean?"
ihaIoIl went forward and put a hand
his face. S''eN
The man stood by his horse and
sSuck tragic fist in a hard palm.
That's 1t. I give up. I'm done. I'm
my woman an tn two boys. Got our
duffie ready packed, an Lord knows,
five year."
There was the sound of the hopeless
tears Of masculine failure in the mans
tragic voice. His fingers twisted his
fabby hat.
Hold up" said Conford. pushing
nearer nearer |straishten out a bit. Dement,,
Now. tell us what's up"
''Ih' last hea1-th' last hnnf r,,.
last night as we was comm in with EN-
leetle mite late. Had ben up Black
Coulee way, an 1t got dark on us. Just
as we got abreast O. tn mouth Of tn
men come a-boilin' out They was on
rast horses-o' course-an' right into
tn bunch they went hell-bent. Stam-
peded the hull lot. You know my
bunch,d got down { about 100 head
don't know what ben a-hangin' on fer,
only a man hates { give up an own
hisselt beat out, an my woman-she's
fighter,
She KEEP standin at my back like.
oh, like-well she KEEP a-sayin Wen
evry time You see we are just ready
TO get tn patent on our land. She
couldn't give that up, seems like. All
this time gone an nothin' gained. SO
from bad to worse Th' herds been
a-goin' down an down. Calves with
their tongues slit SOS they'd lose their
mothers-fed UP In some coulee by hand
an branded Knowed 'em by my own
color cattle, witch | drove in here five
year ago-th' yellers.
Mothers killed outright an tn
calves branded, On. know it all
but what could l do? Keep gettin'
poorer an poorer. Couldn't afford
enough riders t protect 'em, Then
couldn't afford any an tried L make IL
20 al tn boys got older. Courtrey,