The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-04-05
CHAPTER I
Grit,


his weighty bulk in the chair that he
dared not tilt. gazing dreamily at the
saw-toothed mountains shimmering In
the distance. shifting luxuriously the
scent of sage.
''They oughter spell Arizona with
three 'Cs,'" he said.
"Why?" asked Sandy Bourke, WHIP
ing tire superfluous oil from the re-
volver he was metlculously cleaning.
"'Count of Climate, Cactus, Cattle
an Coyotes"
MAXIM four, stead of three" said
the managing partner Of the Three
Star ranch.
Came a grunt from SODA Water"
Sam as he put down his harmonlca. on
which he had been playing "The Cow
boys Lament" with variations.
1t was Sunday afternoon on the
Three Star .rancheria. The three part
ners, saddle hums for years, ever
seeking mutual employ. known through
Texas and Arizona as the Three Mus
keteers of the Range" sat on the
business anS lighter matters. One
year before they had pooled their
savings and Sandy Bourke, youngest
Of the three and most aggressive, cool
est and swiftest of action, had glori-
ously bucked the faro tiger and won
enough to buy the Three Star ranch
and certain rights Of free range. The
purchase had not included the brand
Of the late owner. Originally the
holding had been called the Two Bar-P.
AS certain cattlemen were not want
ing who had knack Of approprlating
calves and changing the brands of
steers Sandy had been glad enough,
In his capacity of business manager,
to change the name Of the ranch and
brand. Two-Bar-P was too easily al
tered to H-B. UP, U-B. O-P, or b;
a score of combinations hard to prove
as forgeries.
4. There had been lengthy argument
concerning the new name. Three Star,
so Saltwater lSam-whose nickname
was satirical--opined, smacked Of the
saloon rather than the ranch, but 1t
was finally decided ON and the brand
Ing irons duly made.
Sandy Bourke had dark brown hair,
inclined to be curly, tendency he
Offset by frequent clipping of his
thatch. The sobriquet of SANDY" re-
ferred to his grit. He was broad
shouldered, tall and lean, weighing a
hundred and seventy pounds Of we'll
strung frame. His eyes were gray
and the lids sun-puckered; his deeply
tanned skin showed the freckles on
face and hands rs faint inlays; his
long. timber legs were slightly bowed.
: Not SO the curve of Soda Water
Sans legs. You could pass small
keg between the latter's knees with
out interference. Otherwise, Sam,
whose last name was Manning, was
mainly distinguished by his enormous
.urooping mustache. suggesting the
horns Of Texas steer. inverted.
AS for Mormon, disillusIoned hero
Of three matrimonial adventures,
woman-soft where Sandy was woman
shy. he was hlgh-stomached, too stout
for saddle-ease to himself or mount,
-sun-rouged where his partners were
burned brown. His pate was bald
save for u tonsure-fringe of grizzle-
red.
Mormon. with stubby fingers won
derfully .deft, was plating horsehair
about stick Of hardwood to form the
handle Of quirt. He stopped sud-
denly, staring at the fringe of the
waving mesquite.
Look at that ornery coyotel" he
said. got his nerve with him. the
NANCY calf-eater. comm up to the
ranch hathaway"
Mormon. you need glasses TO- yore
old age. That amt a coyote. it's a
dawgs" pronounced Sandy.
The creature left tn cover of the
mesquite and came slowly but deter
minedly toward the ranch house, past
the corral and cook shack; its daring
proclaiming 1t anything but a coward
ly. foot-hill coyote. Its brush was
down, almost trailing, Its muzzle
dropped, 1t went lamely on all four
legs and occasionally limped on three.
Collier proclaimed Sandy. Pore
devils plumb tuckered OUT