The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-12-02

The walls had crUmpIed down '-s
 place and she had been trying 10
 RII the gaDs.'
 CContinued fro-l yesterday.) Presently he stepped into the opn. 1 a bucEe. on his arm. and stood gaz.ns | through the yellow she=n to where ! white spiral of smoke. Goated waver- ! tngly. The cover of wagon Iurched ! into view and moved CIowly, like ! monster beetle crawling on the prai- 1 rei, ere pt along the divide an.s ! dropped from sight. Sttmer walked 1 along a stone wall toward a canon ! that gashed the prairie like a req , wound. turned down trail and van ! ished in it's depths
 Here a spring burst from a patch . of fern and bushes with scarlet flow CTS. and surgl=d dowon a ravine with 1 a dr0wsy tiukla. 4 knot of butter i hies clustered tremulously about a i puddle. Cap trotted pautirU down the . trail and sgLashed into the water. A ! paw struck among the butterflies ! with tragic results. One foared away . on the stream like @ tiny Crarr, ! anofher's vi.= was pasted 10 the mud, ! where 1t lay Tapping the other help . Ie=a.v. Cap snlned it. He had no . sense of the tragedy. only a pleasant 1 sensation of cool water against his side Sinner 1lIed inc bucket. the ! tin cup striking the rocks with a hoI- ] low click. Reaching 4he open above. l Ee stopped to watch Cap roll in the ! grass.
 ' "Ouce more. or fellow. an-scan' on l yer head" Th= dog stretched out hrs ! legs and looked mp puizztncalIy. i stan" on yer head. That's what he 1 said Cap-an' fore her. Yer more modester n that atn't you, oF fellow? 1 stan on my head-dern 'im!" He entered the cabin and pre- l pared his breakfast, fippIng cap portion by the piece to a smooth rock ! just outside the door. The meal fin ] fshed. he lighted his pipe and walked toward the sheds. a LendOus cloud drifting about his head. He moved Iei=ureIy. Fifteen years on the plains l had taught him that there was no nGed to hurry.
 Time was something ofteuer to be killed than improved. It was largely ! a matter of waiting for cattle to grow ana the herd to increase. True there were the round-ups the river to ride, and the trip two or three times a year to Wichita for supplies, but there were long stretches between that often dragged monOtonOUsIy. He mounted General and rode to ! guided him in the night lay a white l heap. girrIfuG it was band of traupIed grass where Ruth had walked preparing the meal. He got down and stood there striking ab- stTaCtedly into the ashes with his ouirt, staring at the trampIed grass. the turueI-up dirt the circle of cropped herba@e. Suppose he had not come over last night He found ! rsa .rr .E -r z E, he had not. he would now he over on the river looking after his cattle in stead of trampluE around on ash heap like a hoy Uryiug about de- serted circus ground. He stopped and picked a piece of ribbon from the ground. He exam ined ft crlucally-it was as blue as the sky.
 Likely he didn't mean to leave this" ne unused. Looks like It aIu'r never been used. I'll take it to her maybe.'
 His eyes followed the lines Of bent grass that marked the course of tho wagon wheels. Approaching hcu was a wagon piled ht~h with furniture. and some distance behind a man drove H0cE of sheep.
 He rode out to meet them.
 .'HeIlo.' he called to the man on the wagon.
 Hello. yerseIf."
 (Which way -ou traveIn' ?''
 smiths ranch"
 "Thts ou-@t fr the folks at camp i cE were Ias- 0.ghu9''
 An oT man a daisy of a girl. an a young hvena-that who you mean 2'' i
 "T-T reckin -"
 Well this yer'z ther pIurder D,r Tom turs-duce hisselfe" asked the man g-r5nrEuE.
 "T-r-er-I say i'm -''
 Tons worse n circus Ter n~a~Es- You want 10 kill i'm o7z mint an the neSt ve feel like Ee owed i'm dollar"
 Where they from %
 "T5nhs-a to Be0vauue- Come from A-Ea~~aw year CT two ago. Kinda queer outfit Brought -hz oP man our were fer his health That's all any body knows bout lem. But that girl seems able ro take care Of herself -
 Mss Ruth -'
 "Tez: -e heard the n=ws?'' the man broke of.
 NO. amt seen nobody fer a week CT two"
 "or man yvhalsy's been urdered-"
 .Yss. zom-5ody kilt i'm rood-I suck 4 butcherknife clear through | lis v:tals They say hes killed fer | his money That's what he E5-s fer | he.-' a mis1r an hidiu' away from | civilization Night as well lived over 1 % Wichita an blowed h.sseIt to a | good time"
 '.FEo killed him 9"
 Guess the sheriff would like to | know -"
 Amt there no clue?"
 .'Eo-uothln but Q spur BUd Ha-erS four'."
 What kind Of q spur?' said Slime interested. looking quickly 10 his |