The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-04-23
CHAPTER xX-Continued

little farther over toward Sky Line.
He altered his course bit toward
the west.
"What do you meanT said Arnold
sharply, would you kill her before
she signs the paper2 Or after-and
have the finger of the law point at
the new owner of the flats? Use your
wits"
"Kill her-and the old woman will
take the boy and co." said Kate. "she's
the stubborn element. / warn you
now-she must never go out of this
place alive. She knows us now"
"Unless she goes down the Pipe with
this mornings drive-the boys should
soon be here to start"
"She will come back"
"Not If 1 send Basford to take her
over the Line"
"Enough!" said Kate. "Pm uneasy
about the whole thing-the brushed
out tracks at the mouth of the Pipe"
"a trif1e. And the boys will soon
be here. Hark-they're coming now"
There was a sound in the rock face
a shout and a rumble Of horses feet
hurrying.
The man and the woman looked that
way-to behold Big Basford come boil
ing from the narrow opening with a
string of men behind him.
Ills firel" whispered Cattle Kate
Cathrew.
Like Nemesis, Bossick and the
ranchers behind him pushed Big Bas-
ford down the sloping floor Of Rain
bows pot.
"a plant! 7" screamed the latter,
"we're caughtll We're caught!"
A hundred feet away Bossick
stopped.
His angry eyes flashed over Arnold
and the woman beside him, then
scanned the green basin where the
peaceful cattle lay.
Bossick threw back his coat. A star
shone family in the light.
you can thank Sheriff Selwood's
tireless work for this" he said, land
so can we. The whole country's dep
utized. Your work is known. You
may as well give up without fuss
for we"
He stopped. for an odd sound had
become apparent-a deep, echoing
sound, as of many waters beating on
hollow shore.
The roar of waters became the rum
BILE of hoofs and up from the bowels
Of the earth came Brand Fair and his
men.
"Good morning, Katherine Fair" he
said
your screamed Cattle Kate, "You !!
You'll 1t was you who did the trick
not that fool Selwood! I might have
guessed"
"Sure you might have guessed" he
said. "When you and your paramour
there robbed the Consolidated and
wound the coils of guilt around Jack
Fair-you might have guessed that
his brother would follow you to the
ends of the earth to get you. And
he's got you-got you dead to rights"
He, too, showed deputy's star.
sack Fair died In prison-of shame
and of a broken heart. For three
years l worked In New York to get
the goods on you, Arnold, and never
could-defnitely. Then l hired bet
ter man who could-and did. have
precious package In safe place
with enough proof In it to have sent
you over long ago-but / wanted you
both-together-a grand finale. 1t has
been a long trail-long-for me-and
for Sonny, the child whom you aban-
doned, Kate, five years ago.
"I've lived for months in Blue Stone
canyon. 1t was / who found where
the willows blow out from the wall.
It was Sheriff Selwood who took his
life in his hand to help your men drive
Bossick's steers into Rainbow cliff 1t
was all of us together, as you see us
here, who put two and two together
and determined to get you-and to get
you good-you and all your outfit of
rustlers-all of whom owe something
to Lawrence Arnold yonder. We've
picketed the mouth of your passage
into Blue Stone and would have caught
you there-or rather at Marston,
where have had arrangements made
for some time. We've been holding
off for Selwood's word-he's worked
too faithfully all these years to lose
the credit now"
Not once had Fair taken his eyes
from Kate Cathrew's face, else he
might have seen the tragic figure by
the wall at the right, the grotesque
woman whose blood-stained features
worked with hysterical laughter.
"Brother!" whispered Nance Allison
to herself, .'it was his brother-not-
not-himselfl Oh. Lord, THANK
Theei'
Neither did he see the newcomers
streaming through the cut into the
basin-the men from Cordova under
Rod Stone.
There was one other actor In the
small drama whom no one noticed
Bud Allison, on foot now, since Big
Dan stood at the base of the last rise,
completely done-Bud Allison dragging
his lame foot YEARLY, his pappy's old
gun on his shoulder.
The boy stood between the last rid
ers and the wall. looking at them all
with puzzled eyes. Brand Fair con-
tinued:
"While we are about this Wen finish
1t completely. want the men of
Nameiess and the Upper Country to