Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-01-31
CHAPTER VI-Continued
IS

wa = Ne0tALl Va uOOld dliO
rafting u grxvel as five horsenen
put their sure-footed mounts down
the steep slope two hundred yards
back OF the house and followed along
the feDre OF the corral The five
Brand0ns had cut across the shoulder
OF the mountain. The girl wondered
at this visit as she heard Lafe Bran
don, the father and head OF the, tribe,
ask Harris to put them up for the
night
An hour later Harris and LATE
came to her door and she let them In
The Brandons are riding down u
IDLE on a quarter apiece" Harris said
Fart quit the wagon below their piuce
as we came In and told the rest thai
we're going to farm the Three Bar"
"Then you're doing the same?" she
asked LATE with sudden hope that her
brand would have company in the
move.
Old man Brandon shook his head.
mot right off," be said Until we
see how you folks pan out We can't
fix to handle II the way you do. We're
filing to protect ourselves before some
hester outfit turns up al our front
door"
but the other small outfits feel the
same way" Harris said III two OF
w start the rest will join In"
Maybe So" the old man said
doubtful'7. but noways likely.
They're too set on the other side"
The thought was deep-rooled and be
could not be moved.
"Well let ilsout It's only for pro
lection that we all are fling" be said.
And that we don't aim to prove up
The outfits that don't file now will
lose out. This will always be open
range, more than ninety per cent OF
1t, and those who file on their water
Will control the grass AS soon as
the squatters see one outfit starting.
they'll luke out papers on every piece
Of dirt they can get water to. They'll
have SIX months to move on, then a
six months stay. They'll hang round
waiting for things to open up SO they
can rush In here. The brand owners
who haven't hedged themselves before
hand will run down to tile and find
that nesters have had papers on all
the good pieces right In their door
yard for months. They'll have only
the plots left that their home ranch
sets on. and likely no water even for
that"
The Brandons stayed for the night
and rode or at daylight the next
morning, while the Three Bar men
prepared for trip to Brils. AS the
rest we're saddiing for the start Har.
ris saw old Rle Foster seated BY
himself, gazing off across the hills.
Better come and ride over with
us. Rile," he urged. Bangs would
want you to try and forget"
The old man shook his head
I'm drifting today he said "1'n
likely be back before long. back.
tracked Blue to their camp and trailed
them twenty miles to where they
Joined another bunch II was some
of Harper's devils-l don't know
which four One way or another.
whether get the right -four or not
I'm going to play even for Bangs
There were less than, dozen 9th
ers In Brill's, store when the Three
Bar men crowded through the door
Five ufen sal al one OF the tables In
the big room and INDUCED In casual
game Of stud Harper and Lang were
among them Two OF them, Harris
kney as men numed Hopkins rand
Wade. The fifth was nnknnwu To MIN
The aIhlnos eyes met Harris stead
ily-as he entered al the head of the
Three Hat men
The news tiiat=the Three fiar trnt
turned into o squntter outiii had been