The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-01-29

SlQeWlSe IN his saddle beside the we'll
worn trail which led up to Sky Line.
He was not too close, being ensconced
in little thicket of maple about fifty
yards back and above. He had spent
many an hour here before.
1t afforded good view of the trail,
and better still, splendid chance to
hear.
Twice In the last month he had
heard and seen bunch of Hates
riders coming home from Cordova
where they had gone to gamble. But
this fact had been unproductive of
anything sinister.
They had ridden boldly, as behooves
innocent men, their horses climbing
slowly with rattle of spur and bit
chain. the squeak and whine of sad
dies.
Selwood had reached hand to his
horses nose to preclude its neighing,
and had seen them pass on up and dis
appear.
Next day he had unostentatiously
made sure that these men had played
a. ~hNNdhS S--iA UOtu INSTANCES.
And now he waited again, seemingly
in foolish quest.
He knew it would seem so to an
observer. 1t seemed so to him when
he regarded it with reason. But rea-
son was not actuating him. 1t was in
stinct-hunch.
So Sheriff Price Selwood-whom
Kate Cathrew quite frankly hated
sat in the darkness and watched and
listened beside her trail, lost little
thread on the vast expanse of the
wooded slopes.
A long hour passed. filed with the
soundful silence of the wilderness. He
heard an owl call and call in mournful
quaver from far below, another an
swer. He knew that some hunting ami
NAL was abroad in the manzanita to
his right, for he caught a thud and
rustic. the pitiful, shrill scream of a
RABBIT. night bird gave out sweet
alert note from time to time and an
insect drummed In pine tree.
And then he heard, or thought he
did, another sound.
1t was so far off and faint that he
could not be sure, and for a time he
fancied he might have been mistaken.
Then Ii came again-the crack of
hoofs on stone, and once more silence.
He held his breath, listening.
Once again he heard that cracking
| of hoofs-and this time he knew them
| for cloven hoofs. A cattle-brute was
coming up the trail toward him. There
was nothing in that fact to cause un-
| due excitement--eXcept one thing.
Under ordinary conditions that steer
would be lying in some snug glade
chewing it's cud. In no natural case
would 1t be coming up a trail at a
smart pace-with horse behind it!
Selwood leaned forward, gripping
his own mounts nose, and strained
his eyes in the Elusive half-light. Pres
emily he saw what he knew he would
sea rider. driving one lone steer up
the trail to Sky Line.
1t was too dark to see anything else
who the man was, or what manner
of steer he drove, or what horse he
rode.
And though he waited till the cooler
breath of the night warned him of
coming day he saw nothing more.
He spent the next day at Cordova,
listening, but though several cattle
men came in. there was nothing said
of loss among them.
~, al
was in and fit for durance
| He threw his ragged hat on
McKane's floor and jumped on 1t, re-
Wiling the law and all it stood for.
1.-TWO morew he beloved with a
break of tears in his old voice. "By
-! eff this amt tn limit! 1 only
had sixteen left an tn two best out
| tn lot come up missin' this mornin' !
Amt no trail agin. They's tracks all
over, sure-but tn other stock Is on
tn slope an this time there just amt
nothin'p'
at the store and he and McKane tried
to calm the old man down. though the
cattleman's own blood was rolled.
| at is id dirty shame!" he said
| Indignantly, shave you told Selwood p
"Himw grunted Conlan. "H-lp
Hes here now" said McKane,
"just getting down."
Price Selwood entered In time to
hear the last of the old mans TRADE,
to catch the drift of what had hap
pened land his eyes glowed for sec
ond
He laid hand on Conlan's arm.
| "Jake," he said. "hold in a little
longer"
Hold HI! !" said the other shaking
off the hand. "rll be ready for the
county house in Bement in another
| three monthsi"
II don't think so, jake" said the
sheriff quietly, "tell me-were those
two steers branded?
Course. Plain as day. JIG. on right
hip, swaller-fork in left ear. One was
roam an tother bay-spot."
Selwood turned without word, left
the store. mounted and rode away.
"Jest like him. said Conlan bit
terly. ''goes a'ridin' off all secret-like
an snappy-'s If he knowed somethin'
| or wanted us to think he did"
"Mebby he does" said Barman.
Sheriff Selwood rode straight up to