The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-12-19
Judith of Blue Lake Ranch
By JACKSON GREGORY

ton holly. "Those are orders from
headquarters and it's up to you to
obey them. Get me?"
"If ever do get you, sonny" grunt-
ed Carson, 'there won't be enough OF
You left for the dawgs TO quarrel over.
Orders or no orders. amt going TO do
no such fool thing"
Hampton refined his horse in closer,
staring frowningly at the old cattle
man. The purplish color of rage
mounted in Carson's tanned cheeks.
you'll do what you're told or go
get your time" he announced teIsely.
We've got an order for five hundred
beef cows and we're selling imme-
diately,"
Carson's jaw dropped.
"What?" he demanded. not quite
believing his ears. Say that again,
will your"
Il said it once" retorted Hampton.
Now get busy"
"Who are we selling to? / amt
heard about it,"
All oNtI SiSllls MI SoAS oA1s
laughed Hampton, his own anger risen.
Quite an oversight that you were not
consulted. We are selling to Doan.
Rockwell & Haight. Ever heard of
them?"
who says we're sellingT'
Il say so. And, if you've got to
have all the news, Miss Sanford says
So"
"She does, does she? Hmm. First
| knew of it. What figger?"
Really, does that concern you? If
the price suits me and Miss Sanford.
who own the stock, does it in any way
affect you? / don't want to quarrel
with you, Carson, and / do appreciate
that you are good man in your way.
But just because you have worked
here long time. don't make the mis-
take of thinking that you own the
ranch"
With that he whirled his horse, and
was gone Carson. with puckered
brows, stared after him.
But orders were orders, and Carson
llOuSl tAC "dS SURE, Ddt hCu Out
his commands TO his herders to turn
the cattle back toward the lower
| fields He had been converted to the
new way, he had grown to dream of
the fat prices his cow brutes would
fetch in the winter market, he knew
that prices now were rock-bottom low.
that Doan, Rockwell & Haight were
close buyers who before now had cut
| the throat of the Blue Lake ranch in
sacrifice sales when Bayne Trevors
ran the outfit.
We're standing to lose thousan,s
an thousan's of dollars he told him.
self in disgust. "All we've spent on
| irrigation an fences an silos an
bitches, all gone to heck in a ham
basket. Not counting THOUSANDS of
more dollars lost in selling at what
we can get this time of year Ii
makes me sick, d-n throwin'-up sick"
Riding down a long. winding trail
out through a patch of chaparral into
rocky gorge. Hampton turned east
again toward the high plateau. TAX
| ing the roundabout way which led
/ from the far side of the lake AMI
along the flank of the mountain TO the
| table-land, he came to a scattering
band of horses and Tommy Burkitt.
where's Lee?" called Hampton.
Burkitt grinned at him by way OF
greeting, and then pointed across the
plateau to a ravine leading to a still
higher, smaller. shut-in valley. Hamp-
ton galloped on and quarter of an
hour later came up with Lee. The
| horse foreman was sitting still in his
saddle, his eyes taking stock of fresh
bit of pasture into which he planned
turning his horses a little later. II
was one of dozen small meadows on
| the mountain creeks where the canyon
walls widened out into an oval
shaped alley, less than a haIf-mile
long, where there was much rich
grass.
Hello, Hampton" called Lee pleas
| antly. whats the word?-
The perspiration streaming down
Hampton's face had in no way damp
ened his ardor.
big doings," he cried warmly.
Were cutting loose. Bud. at last and
piling up the shining ducats. You're
to gather up hundred of the most
likely cayuses you've got and shove
them down to the Lower End We're
selling pretty heavily TO Doan. Rock
well & Haightr
A new flicker came into Lees eyes.
Then they went hard as polished
agate.
Il didn't quite get you, Hampton. "
he said softly You say we're selling
hundred horses? Now?s
Hampton nodded, understanding
nothing of what lay in Lees heart.
'On the jump. just as fast as we
can get them on the rum" he said tri-
umphantly. Judith wanted me TO
l. fell Won ;"