White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-04-26

sage ana plunged neaQlOng between
two rocks.
Waddles pumped rifle and covered
Harris flight as best he could. drilling
the center of every sage that shook or
quiverc1 back of the house.
Two men turned their attention to
the one who handicapped their chances
of locating the crawling man and
poured their fire through the window.
He dropped to the floor and peered
from a crack. The firing had sudden
Iy ceased. He saw hat moving up a
coulee, a mere flash here and there
above the sage as the owner Of 1t
ran.
The smoke hurt his eyes and the
heat seemed to crack his skin. he
crossed over to see If Harris was
down; that would account for the sud-
den cessation Of shooting from the
hills back Of the house.
The raiders in the lower field were
riding swiftly for the far side Of the
valley. One man knelt near the head
gate, then mounted and jumped his
horse off after the rest. Waddles put
the whole force of his lungs behind
one mighty cheer.
Far down along the rim Of the val
ley, outlined against the sky, four
mules were running as so many
startled deer under the bite of the
lash and six men swayed and chung
to the wagon that lurched behind.
Three men unloaded from the wagon
as 1t came opposite the cluster of men
riding far out across the flats. They
opened long-range fire at thousand
yards while the others stayed with the
wagon as it rocked on toward the
burning ranch.
Billie was running to the brush at
the spot where Harris had disap'
peared. He rose to meet her.
"Cal, you're not hurt?" she asked.
"Not scratch" he said. "ThanFs
to you"
In her relief she grasped his arm
and gave it a fierce little squeeze.
"Then it's all right" she said.
Waddles burst from tie door OF the
burning house, his arms piled high
with salvage.
"We'l save what we cam" Harris
said and started for the house. AS
he ran the valley rocked with con-
cussion which nearly threw him flat
and a column of fragments and trash
rose a hundred feet above the spot
where the head gate had been but 9
second past.
A dozen running horses Tipped over
the edge of the hill and plunged dowr
| toward the ranch. The men were
back from Brill's.
Harris held up his hand to halt thu
riders as they would have kept OF
past the house. He knew that tn
raiders stationed behind the ranch hat
long since reached their horses an
were lost in the choppy hills. 81
waved all nands toward the building
and they swarmed inside, carrying ou
load after load of such articles al
could he moved and piling them ou
of reach Of the flames.
The Cir sat apart and watched then
work. Her lethargy had returned.
seemed small matter to rescue these
trinkets when the Three Bar was {
total wreck.
Harris caught two of tho saddle'
horses that had carried the men fron
Brills and crossed over to where tn
girl sat.
"Let's ride down to the field" h
said. "And see what's got to be done
expect weeks work will repai
that part of it all right"
She ga. ed at him in amazemen
He spoke of repairing the damag
while the Three Bar burned before hi
eyes. But she rose and mounted tn
horse and they rode off down wha
had once been the lane, the fenc
flattened by the rushing horde OF ca
tie that had swept through.
The homestead cabins smoked br
still stood intact.
"Lookl" he urged cheerful,
"Those logs were too green to burr
We won't even have to rebuild. They
look a little charred round the edge
maybe, but otherwise as good as ney
We're not bad hurt. They can't hui
our land. I'd rather have this fl
right now-the way it stands-tha
three thousand head Of cows on tt
range and no land at all. We can r.
build the place this winter while wor
is slack. Build better than before
His enthusiasm failed to touch he
For her the Three Bar was wrecke
the old home gone, and her gaze kel
straying back to the eddying blae
smoke-cloud at the foot of the hills.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)