Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-07-05

e you have a crowd of eastern friend
due next montls. We want the rang
to ourselves then. But, StillweII, /
you drive those vaqueros OF. won
! they hang around In the foothiIls7
, declare they are a bad lot"
. Hell have to be forced of" reptile,
| Stewart, quietly. 1.-The Don's prettl
slick, but his vaqueros are bad actors
It's Just this way Don Carlos ha
vaqueros coming and going all tn,
time. They're guerrilla bands, that,
oil. And they're getting uglier. Their,
have been several shooting-scrape,
lately. It's only a matter of time til
something stlrs up the boys here. Still
well. you know Nels and Monty and
Nick"
"Sure I know 'em. an you're not
mentIonin' one more particular cowboy
I'm. my outfit" said StIllwell. with q dry
cfuckle and a glance at Stewart.
Madeline OWNED the covert mean
Ing. Stewart, | see you carry a gun
she said. pointing to a black handle
p%rotruding from a sheath swinging low
along his leather chaps.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Why do you carry til" she asked.
swell" he said. "it's not a pretty
gun-and It's heavy"
She caught the inference. The gun
was not an ornament. His keen,
steady. dark gaze caused her vague
alarm. What had once seemed cool
and audacious about this cowboy was
now cold and powerful md mystical.
Both her instinct and her intelligence
realized the steel fiber OF the mans
nature. AS she was his employer, she
had the right to demand that he should
not do what was so chllllngly manifest
that he might do. But Madeline could
not demand. She felt ~curIously young
and weak. and the five months OF
western life were rs II they had never
been. She now had TO do with a ques-
ton involving human life. And the
value she placed upon human life and
Its spiritual Significance was q matter
far from her cowboys thoughts. A
strange idea flashed up. Did she place
too much value upon all human life?
She checked that. wondering. almost
Mortified at herself. And then her
intuition told her that she possessed
a fur stronger power to move these
primitive men than n woman's stern
rule or order.
Stewart. | do not fully understand
what you hint that Nels and his COM
rndes might do. Please be frank with
me. DO you mean Nels would shoot
upon little provocatlon?"
Miss Hammond, as far as Nels Is
concerned. shooting Is now Just q mat
ter of his meeting Don Carlos
vaqueros. AS for Nick Steele and
Monty, they're Just bad men, and look
ing for trouble"
How about yourself, Stewart? Still
wells remark vas not lost upon me-"
said Madeline, prompted by curiosity.
Stewart. | have come to love my
my cowboys. II would be dreadful IL
they were to XIII anybody. or especial
ly IL one of them should be killed"
Miss Hammond. you've changed
things considerable out here, but you
change these men. All that's
needed to start them Is a little trou-
BILE. And this Mexican revolution is
bound to make rough times along some
OF the wilder passes across the border.
We're In line. that's all. And the boys
are getting stirred up"
every well, then, 1 must accept the
inevitable. l I'M facing a rough time.
And some OF my cowboys cannot be
checked much longer. But human life
Is not for any man 10 sacrifice unless
In self-defense or In protecting those
dependent upon him. What Stlllwell
and you limited makes me afraid of
Nels and Nick Steele and Monty. Can
not they be controlled? l want to feel
men. I want to avoid all vlo-
Ieuce. And yet when my guests come
| want to feel that they will be safe
rom danger or fright or even annoy
lnce. May | no rely wholly upon you,
Stewartp"
II hope so, Miss Hammond" replied
Stewart. Ii was an instant response.
nut none the less fraught with con-
'ciousness of responsibility. He wait
ID a moment. and then, as neither
Stlllwell nor Madeline offered further
speech. he bowed and turned~down the
path. his long spurs clinking In \the
-Wal, wal" exclaimed Stillwell.
'thet's no little job you give him, Miss
Majesty"
at was a woman's cunning, Still
WE'LL" said Alfred. Majesty. what.
,ver actuated you, was a stroke OF
diplomacy. Stewart has got good stun Z
n him. He was down and out. Well.
le's made q game fight, and II looks as
[ he'd win. Trusting him, giving him =
responsibility, relying upon him. was
he surest why to strengthen his hold
lpon himself. But, Majesty. remem- Il
he's a composite Of tiger breed d
md forked lightning. and don't mag. (,
ne he has failed you IL he gets into a .
Ight." n