Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-01-17
By HAL @. EVARTS
Copyright by Hal @. Evarts
WNU Service

pany ditch to cover all the filings.
pay, them for working on II anc
charge that pro-rata share OF I'm
provements up against each mans
final settlement When they've made
hnal proof we can buy out those WHIT
went to SELL Let's put the fnts In
hay, girl. and start grading the Three
Bar up. II doesn't TAKE much more
feed TO turn out real beef steer thar
OF those knlfe-backed brothers down
In the fiat. In five years we'll have
straight red brand and the Three Bar
Will be rated al thirty dollars head,
come as they run on the range. In
stead Of round ten or twelve as they'd
figure us now. Wen have good ha,
land that will be worth more by Itself
than the whole brand Is today. Say
the word. girl, and we'll build up the
old outfit that both Of our folks helped
to found"
The girl had closed her eyes as he
painted this picture Of possibilities
and except for the difference Of voice
II might we'll have been old Cal War
rem speaking; the Views and senti
ments were the same she had 80 often
heard her father express. Next to thu
longed-for partnership with old Bill
Harris the dream of his life mad beer
TO see the Three Bar fats q smooth
meadow OF alfalfa
I'll put bunch OF terriers In there
thai will be hard for Slade to uproot.
Harris said. "Whai do you say Billet
Let's give II try"
I'D like to see II DONE" she said
But so much depends on the out
come I'll have to write Judge Col
ton first. lie has all my affairs In
charge"
They mounted and rode back to HE
wagon and the girl went straight TO
Waddfes with the proposition Harris
had urged.
Tell him to 20 his best" Waddles
advised, when she hud outlined Har
ris' scheme Hell put a bunch OF
terriers on the Three Bar that will!
cut SHADES claws. Ii they burn on;
the boys cal Harris puts on the place
then there'l be one real war staged
at the old Three Bar"
Hes been telling YOU" she accused
He did sort of mention It.. Wad
dies confessed.
Then his idea Is to Import a bunch
OF gun-fghters." she said Il went
have bunch OF hired killers living al
the Three Bar"
These boys will just be the sort
that's handy at knowing how to avoid
getting killed themselves" Waddles
evaded. "Yon cant rightly blame any
man for tilat And besides Sinde has
to be met on his own ground
do you think Sade Is III the bot
tom Of the Three Bar losses every
year?" she asked
Every -hoof," Waddles stated.
Every last hendl Maybe the abb
nos layout .rustles an odd bunch Oh
and off. But Slade is the man thaf's
out to wreck your brand" The biz
cock heaved a sigh as he reached b
decision on matter which had hpeu
troubling him fof days THAT'S what
Gal Warren was afraid of-Sade's
branching out our way like he had
already toward the south. And that's
one reason he left things tied up the
way he did"
He tapped much-thumbed docu
ment on his knee and handed II to the
girl.
You and Young Cal have been sort
OF half-hostile," he said. Cast an
eye over that and maybe It'll help
you two youngsters to get along.
Three times the girl read every
word OF the paper while Waddles
| smoked his pipe In silence Then she
sat on the gate OF the wager and
| gazed OF across the sage; and she
was picturing again the Long trail OF
| the Three Bar cows; but this time
she was demonstrating the scene at
| the end OF It. Instead of one man
| scheming to trick an old friend al
| the last crossing OF their trails she
| now visIoned two old men regrcttIng
| that the lifelong hope OF partner.
| SHIP had never been fulfilled and
| planning to cement that arrangement
| In the next generation. For old Bill
| Harris had left her a full halfinier
est In everythingAhe owned on earth
/ with the single stipulation thai she re
| tain her half OF the Three Bar for
tiye years after her TIERS death
."Rut why7' she asked presently
why did he do thnt for mel He'd
/
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS