Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-01-03

CHAPTER v
g.

billie Warren rode with Harris on
flle last lap Of the circle There we're
out two men remaining with them.
Moore" Harris called, and the
man turned his horse down tile bend
OF draw that Woul6 lead him out
into the bottoms a triffe less than d
mile above the wagon. Harris heard
shrill whistle behind him and
turned sidewise In the saddle to look
back, saw that Moore had regained
The ridge and was signaling. They
turned and rode back to him.
There's another Moore said,
pointing down the gulch. tits get.
ling to be a habit"
A dead COW ay on little fiat a
hundred yards below. For three con.
Eecutive days some rider had found n
fresh-kitled Three Bar COW. Every
animal had Been shot.
I'll look this one over myself. 7
Harris decided. There's only two
more gulches to work. Each one or
YOU boys take one"
The girl followed him MS he turned
down the first steep ditch They
pulled up their horses and sal look
Ing al the cow. trickle OF blood
pozed out Of hole between her eyes
Harris rode In circle round fhe
spot.
lie doWned her from some poni
above" he said mot sign any.
where close at hand" lie surveyed
The ridges thar fanked either side OF
The draw and the little saddle-lke de.
preston at the head of Ii from which
they had just descended From be !
yond this gap came the shrill nicker
OF horse, the sound chopped short
as II man had clamped his hand on
me animaI's nostrils to silence II
Harris turned swiftly to the girl.
ITS plant" be said. "Rlde-
hardl"
He suited his action to the words
and jumped his horse Off down the
bottoms. He waved her over to one
side.
keep we'll away from me |" he or.
dered. They don't want you"
They hung their spurs into thei,
mounts and the horses plunged dcwn
the steeply-pitching bottoms, ynnItinp
sage clumps and bounding along the
COW trails that threaded the brush
Two hundred yards below the COW
the draw made an elbow bend. The
girl rounded II and MS Harris fol
lowed jump behind he felt n
Earring tug at the camille OF his
saddle and the thin, sharp crack OF
rifle reached him. The guch made
reverse bend and as they sweep
around II Harris swung sidewise n
the saddle and looked back. The,
were entirely sheltered from an,
point on the divide six hundred yards
behind them. He pulled his horse 10
swinging trot and they rode down
the sloping meadow that led straight
to the main valley.
I'VE didn't get started any too
soon." Harris said His horse wasn't
more than hundred feet beyond the
notch when he blew Off and warned
us-not time for me to get cached
and drop him rs he topped the ridge
The girls eyes suddenly riveted on
a small round hole In the canie OF his
saddle where the ball had entered
On the Inside end far to the left OK
tremty Of the cantle ragged cash
showed where II had passed out. The
ball had moi missed his left hin TO ex
coed an inch
She started her horse so sudtlenI,
that before he realized her purpose
she was we'll In the lead and going
at dead run toward The mouth of
the gulch where II opened our Into
the main bottoms two hundred yards
beyond
FrenT the opposite slope riders were
hazing cows Out of their respective
dfaWs Fhe running hrse caught CIV.