The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1920-03-04


blocks Of building into place, the
conviction grew that he was the
masked bandit wanted by the sheri r.
Red-headed Bob Cullison finished
making the diamond hitch and proudly
called his cousin Kate to inspect the
packhorse.
"You never saw the hitch thrown
better, sis." he Dragged. boyike.
Uncle Luck says ! do II well as he
can"
"It's fine, Bob" his cousin agreed,
with the proper enthusiasm in her
lark eyes. you'll have to teach me
how to do 1t one of these days"
She was In khaki riding skirt. and
she pulled herself to the saddle of her
own horse. From this position she
cave him final instructions before leav-
ing.
II had been on Wednesday morning
that Luck Cullison disappeared from
the f'sc' of the earth. Before twenty
four hours the gossip was being whis-
percd In the most distant canons Of
Papago county. The riders of the
Circle Q knew 1t, but none Of them
had yet told either Bob or Kate.
Now 1t was Friday morning and
Kate was beginning to wonder why
her father did not call her up. Could
1t be that Soapy Stone was pulling off
his train robbery at Tin Cup and her
father so busy that he could not take
time to ride to a telephone station?
hn nj
now, even for few hours. but other
business called her away. Sweeney
was holding down the fort at the Del
Gro against Fendrick's sheepherders,
and his weekly supply Of provisions
had to be taken to him. Since she
wanted to see with her own eyes how
things we're getting along at the canon,
she was taking the supplies in person.
She rode from sunlight into shadow
and from shadow TO sunlight again,
winding along the hill trail that took
her toward the Del ORC. After hours
of travel she came to the saddle from
which one looked down to the gap i'm
the canon walls that had been the com
mon watering place of all mems cat
tie, hut now was homcStcadcd by her
father. She could see the hut. the
fence line running parallel to the
stream on the other side, some grazing
cattle, Swccncy'S horse i'm the corral.
The pteouS blcating of Il lamb float
ed to her. Kate diSmountcd ana made
her way toward the SouGd. \ pathetic
little huddle of frightened life tried to
struggle free ut her approach. The
slim leg of the lamb had become
wedgcd at the intersection of several
rocks in such a way that IL could not
be withdrawn.
Kate pulled the boulder away, and
released the prisoner. She took the
soft, woolly creature In her arms, and
examined the wounded limb. all torn
and raw from its efforts to escape. a
wound, she recalled, ought to be
washed with cold water and bound.
Returning to her horse, she put the lit
tie animal in front of the saddle and
continued on the trail that led down to
the river.
Sweeney came out from the cabin
and hailed her. He was a squat. wealth
er-beaten man, who had ridden for her
father ever since she could remember.
what in Mexico you got therc?" he
asked in surprise.
She explained the circumstances un.
der which she had found the lamb
And what you aiming to do with
itf
'Tm going to tie up its leg and take
II across the river. Some of the G.. +.
herders are sure to find 1t before
night"
"Sho! What are you fooling with
Cnss Fendrick's sheep for?" he
grumbled.
ut isn't n sheep. but lamb. And
I'm not going to see 1t suffer, no mat
ter who owns 1t. I'll just ride across
and leave 1t outside the fence" she
said.
''Lemme go. know the river bet
ter"
Sweeney did not wait for her assent,
but swung to the saddle. She handed
him the lamb. and he forded the
stream.
Sweeney saw some one disappear
into Il wash as he reached the fence.
The rider held up the lamb, jabbercd
n sentence of bronchO Spanish at the
spot where the man had been. put
down his bleating burden. and can
tered back to his own side Of the river
An hour later. Kate, on the return
trip, topped the rise where she had
found the lamb. Pulling up her pony,
to rest the horse from its climb, she
gazed back across the river to the roll
Ing ridges among which lay the G. +.
ranch. Oddly enough. she had never
seen CaSs Fcndrick. He had come 10
Papago county Il few years before. and
had bought the place from an earlier
settler. In the Disagreement that had
fallen between the two men. she was
vi lily on til" sid" of her father. Some.
ti.nCS she had wondered what manner
of man this CaSs f'nlricN might Lr;
diSagrccable, of course. but after pre-
ciS"Iy what fashion,
"Iour property, ] bcl."vr, Miss Cul.
lsUn."
SIn a