White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-02-15
CHAPTER V-Continued
-12- ..

"We'll try It," she said. II know
that Cal Warren would rather see the
Three Bar go to pieces from its own
pressure, fighting from the inside to
grow, than to see 1t whitfield down
from the outside without our fighting
back"
She crossed to her teepee to write
the letter asking Judge Coltons ad.
vice on this matter which would mean
the turning point in Three Bar affairs
An hour later Horne rode away from
the wagon, his bed roll packed on a
led horse. heading for Brill's with the
message that meant so much to the
Three Bar. AS he left Harris handed
him two letters he had written weeks
past. before leaving the ranch.
Presumably only the three OF them
knew Of the intended move but In the
course of the next few days 1t had
become rumOred among the men that
the Three Bar was to turn into q
farming outfit The girl learned that
Carpenter was the source of these
whispers.
Ever since the departure of Morrow
Carp had been sullen. Twice he had
taken exceptions to some order of
Harris but the new foreman had pa.
tiently overlooked the fact. However.
on the fifth day after the departure of
Horne with the letter to Judge Col
ton, Harris whirled on the man as he
made an nti-sguatter remark when
the hands were gathered for the noon
meal.
"That'll be ALL" he said. "I'll figure
out your time. You took things up
where Morrow left off. Now you can
go hunt him up and compare notes."
Cant a man speak his mind?"
Carp demanded.
"He can talk his head off," Harris
said. But he can't overlook any Three
Bar calves on his circle while I'm
running the layout. Morrow tried
that on while he was breaking you
In"
Carp surveyed the faces OF the men
and started to speak but changed his
mind and headed for the rope corral
"That's going to leave us short.
handed" Harris said to the girl
Morrow. Carp and Bangs-three
short. Horne ought to get back from
Brill's today. We've only one more
week out so guess we can worry
through"
"Elow did you know?" she asked
About Carp, mean?"
"Lanky caught him overlooking q
punch of cows with calves" Harris
explained. "Lanky is worth double
pay"
Horne came back from BrilI's in the
early evening and another man rode
with him.
"Alden," Billie said. II wonder
what the sheriff Is doing out here"
The sheriff stripped the saddle from
his horse and the wrangler swOOped
down to haze the animal In with the
reinuda as Alden Joined Harris and
the girl He was a tall, gaunt man
with slight stop. His keen gray
eyes peered forth from maze of sun
wrinkles surmounted by bushy eye
brows, the dropping gray mustache
accentuatng rather than detractIg
from the hawklike strength of connte-
nance He dropped hand on the
girls shoulder and looked down AT
her. .
"How are things breaking this sea
son, Bilie?" he asked. Everything
running smooth?"
"About the same she said They
we're old friends and the girl knew
that Alden would help her in any pos.
sible way
The sheriff turned to Hurts.
n see you've settled duwn TO a
steady lob. Cal. instead of browsing
around the hills alone run across
Horne at Brlll's and he was telling
me about some one cunning for you
from the brush Morrow he says
DO you want me to pick Morrow npY
III would only waste your time.
Harris said we couldn't prove II on
him the way things are"