White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-05-10

The girl had seen Harris draw
merely single pull from left t.
right and by his quartering pose the
gun had been trained on Slade at the
instant 1t cleared the holster; not one
superfluous move, even to the
Strengthening of his wrist. The
drivers voice reached her.
Easiest draw In the world for the
few that can use it." he said.
The guard opened the door. The
girl was sitting with her head bowed
in her hands.
"Don't take 1t that way. ma'am.'
he counseled. "He was hard one
-Slade."
But he had misread his signs. She
felt no regret for Slade, only wave
of thankfulness, so powerful as al
most to unnerve her, over Harris' es
cape, untouched. She accused her.
self Of callousness but the spring OF
her sympathy. usually SO ready
seemed dry as dust when she would
have wasted a few drops on Slade.
The next day, in the late afternoon
Harris looked up and saw chap-clad
rider on the edge Of the valley. She
had ridden over unannounced on q
horse she had borrowed from Brill
She answered the wave of his hal
and urged the horse down the slope
He met her at the mouth of the lane
and together they walked back to the
new buildings of the ranch. The men
breaking horses in the new corrals
were the same old hands. The same
old Waddles presided over the new
cook shack. Her old things, rescued
from the fire, were arranged In the
living room Of the new house. A row
of new storerooms and the shop stood
on the site of the old. And in the
midst of all the improvements the
old cabin first erected on the Three
Bar stood protected by a picket fence
on which few vines were already
beginning to climb.
After the men had quit work to
greet the returning Three Bar boss
she went over every detail Of the new
house. The big living room and fire
place were modelled closely along the
lines Of her old quarters; heads and
furs were on the walls, pelts and In
dian rugs on the floors. Running
water had been piped down from
sidehil spring. The new house was
modernized. Then Harris saddled
Calico and Papoose and they rode
down to the fields.
AS they turned into the lane they
heard the twang Of Waddles' guitar
from the cook shack, the booming
voice raised in song in midafternoon
thing heretofore unheard Of in the
annals of Three Bar life.
''There'll be one real feast tonight"
Harris prophesied. "Waddles will
spread himself"
They rode past the meadow, GOV
cred with a knee-deep stand of al
falfa hay.
ut was only trampled down." he
said. "She came up in fine shape
this spring. Well put up thou
sand tons of hay"
He held straight on past the
meadow, turned off below the lower
fence and angled southwest across
the range. The calves and yearlings
along their route gave proof that the
grading-up of the Three Bar herds
was already having it's effect. Ninety
per cent were straight red stock with
only few throwbacks to off-color
strains. The two spoke but little and
near sunset they rode out and dis
mounted on the ridge from which, al
most year before, they had viewed
the first move of organized law In
the Coldriver strip.
white-topped wagon came toward
them up the valley along the same
route followed by the file of dust,
riders on that other day. A woman
held the reins over the team and a
curly-haired youngster jostled about
on the seat by her side. A man wran
gled nondescript drove of horses
and cows in the rear.
THAT'S the way we both came into
this country first, you and l." Harris
said. "Just like that little shaver on
the seat"
Twill they find place to settler
she asked, with sudden hope that
the newcomers would find suitable
site for home.
Maybe not close around here" he
said "Most of the good sites you can
get water on are picked up. But
they'll find q place either here OF
somewhere else little further on"
He slipped an arm about her shoul
ders.
ITS been right lonesome planning
without little partner to talk 1t all
over with at night" he said. "Have
you come back for keeps to help me
make the Three Bar the best outfit
in three states? l can't hold down
that job alone"
She nodded and leaned against
him.
"That's what they wanted-old Bill
and CAL" she said. "But it's nice
that we want 1t too. I've come 70,
keeps; and the road to the outside is
closed"
They stood and watched the sun
pitch over the far edge of the world !;
and down in the valley below them
the hopeful squatters were looking
for place to camp.
1.-THE END.]
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