The Ely miner., 1924-10-17

father had come here the last time to
gether
Its big, big thingy" she whis
pered, and her eyes were very bright
with it all, her cheeks flushed big =
Passing one of the great barns, she
heard the trumpet call of stallion
From the instant her eyes filed to the
massive beauty of him, she knew who
he was: Might Shade, sprung from
the union of Mountain King ant
Black Empress; regal-blooded, ebon
black from Silken fetlock to flowing
name; splendid four-year-old .des
tined to tread his proud way to first
prize at the coming state fair ar Sac
ramento, horse many stock fancierS
had coveted.
At the store, where ten-by-ter
room was partitioned off to serve as
office, she swung down from the sad
die and, leaving her horse with drag
ging reins, went in.
Hello, Charlie. You're still left to
us, are your" she said, as she stepped
| forward to shake hands with Miller
the storekeeper and general utility
man of the settlement. "Pm glad to
see you"
"So'm l. Miss judy" grinned Char.
lie, looking the part. "HOwdy."
81 wanted to see Johnson and Den.
niGgs. Are they here yet?"
NO" answered Miller. johnson
the ditch man, you mean? He's some
where at the Upper End. Has got a
crew of men up there making a new
dam or somethin'. or other. Been at
| 1t purity near a week, now, / guess.
They camp up there"
"How many men are with him?" she
asked quickly.
About a Dozen" and he looked
hard at her. Judith frowned. But
instead of saying what she might be
thinking, she inquired where Den
nings was
"Out in the olive orchards, l guess.
What's this 1 hear about Trcvors
Canned him?"
/ "Yes."
UNI" said Miller. "Well, Miss
Judy, amt sayin' it wasn't purity
near time he got the hooks. But,
lemme tell you something. While
you're riding around this afternoon,
if l was you I'd pike over to the
milking corrals."
She looked at him sharply.
'What is it. Charlie?"
you just ride over," said Miller.
1T amt more'n step an I'll just
shet up store an mosey along after
you"
Vaguely uneasy because of Charlie
Miller's manner, Judith galloped down
toward the four corrals where the
cows were milked. From a distance
she saw that there were a number of
men, ten or twelve of them, standing
in a close-packed group. She Won
dered what it was that had drawn
them from their work at this time of
day; what that big, bull-voiced man
was saying to them. She heard the
muttering rumble of his words before
the words themselves meant anything
" "A qulIh SldhCC oNCI ilCl SHOul-
der showed her Charlie Miller hasten
ing behind her. pick-handle in hand.
Her way carried her by a long,
narrow building standing out like a
great capital e, the COW hospital She
was passing on to the men at the
milk corrals, when the breeze, blowing
lightly from the west, brought to her
nostrils a whiff of sulphur.
A quick tide of red ran into her
cheeks; that fool, Ed Masters, had not
fashioned, deadly treatment! Almost
before her horse had set his four feet
at the command of a quick touch
upon the reins, the girl was down and
hurrying into the middle of the three,
calling out as she went:
"Crowdyl oh, Crowdyv'
Bill Crowdy, heavy, squat figure
of a man, shifty-eyed, with hard
mouth and a nervous, restless air,
came down a long hallway, smoking a
cigarette. His eyes rested with no un-
certain dislike upon Judith's eager
| face.
I'm Crowdy," he said. Want me?'
II told Masters to tell you to stop
the sulphur treatment for the lung.
worm calves. Hasn't he told you?"
"Mr. Trevors said was to give ii
to them," said Crowdy. II can't be
taking orders off'n every hop-o'-my.
thumb like that college kid"
''Then Masters did tell you?"
"Sure, he told me" said Crowdy in
surly defiance But if l was to listen
to everything the likes of him says
| Judith's eyes were fairly swapping
You'll listen to the likes of me
Bill Crowdy!" she cried passionately
small fist clinched. ''You get those
calves out into some fresh air just as
quick as the Lord will let you! Int
Il pen by themselves. Doc Tripp will
attend to them in the morning"
"Tripp's gone"
He's on his way back, right now
And you're on your way off the ranch
| Understand? You can come to the
Office for your pay tonight"
Crowdy shrugged his shoulders and
turned away.
IF I'm fired" he growled in that