New Britain herald., 1923-04-12
CHAPTER I, B9linc Buys a Ranch

Boslfnc Buys Ranch
 The seorching rays Of the noon .da, sIn beat down upon the Nevada desert.
 Across the waste two tiny specks moved. Save for them all life seemed dead Both horses and men were gray with dust. The mems throats were bricky dry; and yet the taller Of the two hummcd song, 4 Ahead of them green trees beckoned
 Abruptly they began climbing the bench lands The country of the Little Washoe burst upon them. Paradise Valley spread out in a gi- eantic horseshoe. A range, the Santa I,osas, banked three sides Of it, the never-failing willows marking where Rebel Creek came tumblng out of the hills at the apex of the horseshoe
 Tired and thirsty as he was, the tall man stopped for brief second to appraise that wonderful valley.
 '.Ain't that sweet country. Shorty?" he murmured to the short, bandy-legged man. hard of face and slow of speech. who rode beside him.
 Shorty's answer was q grunt. He glanced with trace of annoyance at the suave, whimsical Buck.
 The grass was good in the buttes. They camped there. For two nights they had watched the twinkling lights which marked the little town of Paradise. The lure was insistent and on the third evening they rode into the town and to Benavides' bar,
 Buck and Shorty edged to the bar and waited. One-eyed Manuel, the Mexican bartender, was busy else where. The delay irked Rodine. Catching the butt of his glowing cigarette between thumb and fore finger, he shot it straight as bullet into Manuel's face.
 Mannelss hand trembed as he set out the glasses for the two strangers. He smiled evilly.
 The incident had passed quite un- noticed by the crowd. Wash Taylor a ragged old mule skinner. had been one of the very few to observe it. He laughed immoderately. When Buck bade him drink, he acquiesced with alacrity.
 Bodine drew from the old skinner the complete history of the valley.
 "I'm sort of lookin' round for place. Buck was saying. "lf could find a small ranch hereabouts at the right price. I might be inter- ested.''
 The only place for sale in this hull valley is the old Webster rancn' No water there at all now. Used to be plenty in the old days
 Wash drained his glass.
 .T1sed to be some place then. Hank owned due west from where Rebel Creek forked into the Webster. He had all the water. cloudburst changed that in one night. When 1t was all over. Hank found the mouth of the Webster damned up like mason had done the job. Repel Greek has been some stream ever since"
 What happened to Hank?" Buck demanded
 "Oh, Hank gave up the ship. Hes runnin a store down in Golconda, ac- ccrdin' to last reports
 Shorty and Buck came down from the hills and camped at the deserted ranch On the morning of the second day Buck called Shorty to his side.
 ..I,m going into Winncmucca and havea look at the county records. If old Webster made a filing on h1s water rights, I'm going to buy him out If II go to Golconda to sec Web ster, may be gone week You wait a week. If I don't come back by then, you find Gloomy and go over to the Malheur Lake country
 Five days later Bodine returned. Behind him numbered freighter. bringing the tools and necessaries Of life. Shorty shook his head. No need to ask Bodine had done as he had said he would.
 CHAPTER II.
 Ackljn Buys a Ranch
 Tn a thinly settled country, where every mans movements are marked, ews spreads quickly. People talked and wondered about Bodine.
 Of all those who watched and won iered. no one was more interested han Dick Acklin, the Big Boss of the Double A. He had been quite con ent to see old man Webster go. For .en years the Double A had taken both it's own and his share of water rom Rebel Creek.
 He stood it as long as he could; ,nd then, instead of boarding Bodine, 1e rode to the Rancho Buena Vista o see the Senor Arrascada. Jose vas the most powerful of the Basque ,ente.