Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-04-26
by
ZANE GREY
Author Of Riders Of
the Purple Sage
Wildhre, Etc.
Copyright by Harper & Brothers.
CHAPTER NIll.-Continued.

#
81 terked on the bride and told him
20 let 60. He held on and rolled his
eyes at me. He seemed sure If con-
quest. One thing was certain, he
didn't know the least bit about horses.
1T scared me the way he got in front
of Jose. I thanked my stars l wasn't
up on Blanco Diable Well, Dad, I'm
a little ashamed now, but / was mad.
] slashed him across the face with my
qHirt. Jose jumped and knocked Mr..
Chase into the sand. didn't get the
horse under control till was out of
sight Of those surveyors, and then l
let him run home"
"Nen, I guess you punished the fell
low enough. i1aybe he's only a con-
ceited softly. But 1 don't like that sort
of thing. It isn't western"
"Tm sorry now, Dad. Perhaps the
fellow was hurt. But what could /
do? Let's forget all about it, and I'll
be careful where l ride in the future.
Dad, what does it mean, this
surveying around Forlorn River?"
81 don't know, Nell" replied Beld-
ing, thoughtfully. ut worries me. 1t
looks good fcr Forlorn River, but bad
for Dicks plan to ,rrigate the valley.
Lord, I'd hate to have some one fore
stall Dick On that I"
mo, no, we won't let anybody have
Dicks rights" declared Nell.
where have 1 been keeping myself
not to know about these surVeyors?"
muttereo Belding. "They must have
just come"
Bedding discovered that he was, In
deed, the last man of consequence in
Forlorn River to learn of the arrival
of Ben Chase and son, mine owners
and operators in Sonora. They, with
q force of miners, had been besieged
by rebels and finally driven off their
property. This property was not de
stfvyed, but held ga4 ransom. And the
Glasses, pending developments, had
packed outfits ana struck for the Dor
der Casita haG been their objective
point, but, for some reason which
Bedding did ndl learn they had ar
rived instead ct Forlorn River. 1t
had taken Ben Chase just one day to
GGC lllC BOESlD1lIL1G5 VI <AAlaA N0ANJ3
and in three days he had men at work.
Bedding returned home without go
ing to see che Chases and their oper-
ations. He wanted to think over the
situation. Next morning he went out
to the valley to sec for himself. Mex
leans. were hastily erecting adobe
houses upon Ladds one hundred and
iolz HoIn3c
Jim Lasf's and Thcrne's. There we're
men stalking the valley floor and the
river bed That was sufficient for
Bedding. He turned back toward
town and headed for the camp Of
these intruders.
He came to big tent with d huge
canvas fly stretched in front, under
which sat several men in their shirt
sleeves. They were talking and smok-
ing.
my names Belding. want to see
this Mr.. Chase" said Bedding, gruffly.
Slow-witted as Bedding was, and alb
sorbed in his own feelings, he yet saw
plainly that his advent was disturbing
to these men. One of them, a tall,
rugged man with sharp face and
shrewd eyes and white hair, got up
and offered his hand
I'm Chase, senior" he said. "My
son Radford Chase is here somewhere.
You're Bedding, the line inspector, ]
take it? meant to call on you.'
He seemed a rough-and-ready, loud
spoken man, withaI cordial enough.
Eyes, I'm the Inspector" replied
Bedding, ignoring the proffered hand,
''and I'd likc to know what in che
HI you mean by taking up land
claims staked ground that belongs
to my ranSRrs?"
LAND claims?" slowly echoed
Chase, studying his man. "We're TAX
ing up only unclaimed land"
That's lie. You couldn't miss the
stakes"
well, Mr.. Bedding, as to that, 1
think my men did run across some
staked ground. But we recognize