Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-09-05

right, I'll get off'n the ranch -
That's two down." said Judith.
"Now, take this horse back to the
stable; Pm going up to the office. You
men come there in five minutes. If
you want to stay, and are worth your
salt, you can. Or I'll give you your
time. It's up to you: it's free
country. But" and she said it
slowly, confronting them-'if you all
throw me down and leave me short
handed without giving me time to
take on another set Of men, you are a
pretty low-lived bunch!"
Then, without turning, she went
swiftly to the ranch-house. Old Man
Carson wiped the sweat from his fore
head
II remember hearing about Luke
Sanford's girl" he said simply, This
is her, all right"
"Old Man" Carson-so called
through lack of courtesy and because
of the sprinkling of gray through his
black hair, man Of perhaps forty
fve-filled an unthinkably disrepu-
table pipe with his own conception Of
real tobacco" and chuckled so that
the second match was required before
he was ready to say his say
you just listen to me, you boys /"
he said. "NOne of you fellers ever
saw old Luke Sanford?"
"Pd been working here close to two
weeks when he got killed." Bud said
as Carson's twinkling eyes went from
face to face. Il got my job straight
from him, not Trevors."
That's so," said Carson WELL
Bud knows the sort Luke Sanford was
He was dead and buried when / come
to the Blue Lake, but I'd saw him
twice and I'd heard of him more times
than that Quiet man that tended to
his own business and didn't say so all
fired much less he was stirred up.
And then-W He whistled his mean
ing. "a fighter. All he ever got he
fought for. All he ever held on to he
fought for. He bucked Western Lum-
Der for dozen years, first and last.
And, by cripes, he nailed their ID
hides on his stable door, too!
"Well, 1 heard tell about this same
Luke Sanford ten years ago and
more-about him and his little girl.
From what folks said l guess there
never was a man wanted a boy-baby
worse'n Luke Sanford before Judith
come, And guess there never was a
ctr IN ,,ia nVryn
and blood than Luke did In her as
soon as he got used to her being q
she. I don't know just exactly how
old she was ten years ago, women
folks being so d-n' tricky In the looks
of their ages, but I'd say she was
eight or nine or ten or eleven years
old. Anyhow, Luke had took her in
hand already. Why, that girls rid
real horses since she was the size Of
a pair of boots. Luke took her
everywhere he went, up in the noun
tains, over the Big ridge, down valley
ways, into town when he went off on
his yearly. And they say Luke wasn't
no poky rider, either. You've rode his
string, Bud? What are those for
horses, huh?"
I'm little particular when it
comes to a saddle-horse," Bud ad-,
mitted. But I never asked any bet
ter than old Sanford's string"
"You hear him |" said Carson. well,
that Judy girl has rid horses like them
for a dozen years. I guess" and he
spoke with slow thoughtfulness, that
she's real chip off'n the old block.
It's my guess number two that she
amt just shooting of her face pro-
misegously when she says there's
something crooked In the deal Trevors
has been handing her. And, third bet,
there's most likely going to be seven
kinds of hi popping around this end
of the woods for a SPELL"
What are you doing about it, Car
son" asked the man whose unusually
vacuous expression gave him the name
Of Poker Face. "Stck on the Job or
quit?'
"Me" Carson sought a match, and
when he had found it, held it long in
his grimy fingers, staring at it
thoughtfully. me stay an let She
girl boss me? Well, it amt the play
man might look to me to make, an
amt saying it's the trick I'd do every
day In the week. But here there's
some things to set a man scratching
his head: she's winner, all right, an
I'm the first man to up an say so.
She's got the sand an she's got the
savvy. Take 'em together an they
make what you call gumption. l
might go trailing my luck some other
where, If 1 did the first fool thing that
popped into my nut. But playing fair,
I'm going to stick an do my d-nedest
to see Luke Sanford's girl put up her
scrap. Yes, SIR"
What did she want to fire Trevors
for?" asked Benny, the cook.
Carson looking at him contemptu-
ously, spoke in contemptuous answer
about the stem Of his pipe. "Any man
on the job can answer you that
Cookie. It's been open an shut the
last month Trevors is either crazy or
ny