The Raymer enterprise. (New Raymer, Weld County, Colo.) 1910-19??, 1922-05-25
Storm Country Polly
BY Grace Miller White
it'll. Browns
while you belong to Oscar. Miss Eve
il.
Copyright by Little, Brown & Co.

| while you belong to Oscar. Miss Eve
she ventured gravely.
swell, know It; Of course know
It." retorted Evelyn, resentlng the
censure In the others tones: "but I've
got to be free. Tn so frantic. ! don't
much care how. That's the way Os'
cars got to help me Anyway make
him understand he's got to walt: he
must be quiet and not bother me. Then
come tonight, and let me know what
he says. VIII you. Polly?"
The squntter girl nodded She would
rather have been switched than see Os.
car Bennett again.
yep" she assented. "Tll hunt him
up late this afternoon and then hus.
tie right over to you. got to 80 now |!
For some moments after Evelyn
left her. Polly watched the slim fig.
ure on the path to the woods. Then
she suddenly remembered Marcus Mac.
Kenzie and without backward
glance hurried swiftly toward the
south.
Meantime three sauatters from the
Silent City were In the Bad Mans
ravIne. dressing the fish they had net.
ted the night before. One enormous
man was seated on fiat rock. his bare
feet almost touching the water rs Il
hurried by to the lake. On his shout
ders. with his legs wound tightly
around the mans neck, sat small
boy. little more than baby. He was
shiverlng with cold, and, as the spring
rain shot Its drops upon his face. he
lifted small hand and brushed them
away. Seemingly oblivious Of the
weight against his swarthy head, the
man picked up fish and contemplated
It with n scowl. Then he proceeded to
clean It deity.
The silence was unbroken for long
time except by the rushing Of the wa
ter. the gruesome running Of the
knives over the fish scales and little
whimper. now and then. from the child
astride the mans neck.
~ heard In town." broke forth 1--we
Braeger, "that Old Mare MacKenzie's
comm home. Here's where lis squat
tiers get hi flung at us good and
plenty"
Jeremiah Hopkins stopped his work
and frowned at the speaker.
"He'd best be a-lookin' out for his
self" he muttered. "Mebbe he'll get q
taste Of the hot place if he does any
struttin' around the Silent City"
"Mebbe," repeated Larry Bishop
and no more. Marcus Mackenzie
handsome, SNUG and rich, had been the
instrument that had moved the hands
Of the law to swing open the prison
doors and shove Larry Bishop inside
just when his young wife needed him
most.
Once In sight Of the roaring water
rushing In torrents from the Bad Mans
ravine. Polly sent out peculiar little
trill; and the hoarse answer Of a
mans voice mingled with its echo as
it struck the enormous. up-roaring
rock slabs.
Polly's heart bounded and lost Its
heavy weight Of fear. Daddy Hop.
klns had responded ponderously to her
first call. In another moment she was
crawling up the jagged sides Of the
deep gulf, As she came up to them,
Hopkins companions waved her q
greeting. but stopped their work at
the sight Of her sober face.
whats up, lassle?" demanded Hop
kins. "You amt seen a ghost. have
you?"
"Worser'n that, Daddy" she replied
''Afuch worser'n that! Old Mares
home, an ! heard him say he's goin'
to root us squatters out Of the Silent
City"
A brute-like glare flashed into Lar.
ry Bishops eyes.
did he, now, bratw he muttered,
taking up his knife and looking at 1t.
Polly sq'iatted down beside her faith
err, slipping one hand under his arm.
The other she gave to the child, who
grasped 1t eagerly.
"Did he. now?" came In repetition
from Bishops throat.
"Yep," asserted Pollyop, with an
emphatic bob of her head, IAN come
to tell you all you'd best be a-lookin'
out for I'm. Daddy, he says you're
the worst man In the settlement, but
everybody knows he's a liar"
"He'd best be lookln' out for his own
hide" Hopkins shot back like flash
Of steel. II amt in any mind to stand
much of his guff, the dirty duffer."
Withdrawing her arm from her faith
er's. she leaned her chin on her hand.
She wanted to urge them not to worry
too much, to tell them of the other
man. rich like old Marc, who had ex-
pressed In tender tones q kindly In
terest In their welfare. Somehow,
though, the words would not come. The
peaceful figure did not fit In with the
secret understanding that expressed II.
self in the frowning, furtlve glances
that passed from one to the other Of
her men-f0lks.
Hes awful, powerful strong" she
ventured In answer to the look she
had intercepted. "an' powerful rich r
can moneys what makes the mare