White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-03-01

that of providing her with shelter
against all the rough corners of life
Shelter! And what she wanted was
to be part of things-to have hand
in running her own affairs.
81 don't want shelterl" she said
"And | can't think of anything else
till after the Three Bar Is going
concern"
The two went back and sat with the
others round the dying fire, then all
turned in for the night, Billie In her
teepee and the men in their bed rolls
with no other overhead shelter than
the trees.
Near morning Deane was once
more awakened by a clammy damp
ness on his face. fine drizzle was
falling Slade was on his feet SHOW.
ing a few sticks of wood inside the
flap of Billie's teepee.
Breakfast was cooked under the
dripping trees. The outfit was packed
up and the little procession filed away
toward the next valley-and Carlos
Deane proved his real caliber to Har.
ris.
Throughout the day they rode In q
fine drizzle; in the timber the wet
branches whipped them and sprayed
water down the necks of their slick
ers; in the Doggy meadows of the bot.
toms the mosquitoes lowered round
them in humming swarms. At night
they made camp and slept In damp
bed rolls with the clammy mist chill.
ing them. The next day was the same
Deane's neck was raw and chafed
from the wet neckband Of his flannel
shirt and his hands and cheeks were
puffed with the bites of the buzzing
pests. But he had been cheerful
throughout and had uttered no com
plant.
Toward evening Of the second
gloomy day Harris rode up beside
him.
you'll do" he said.
FLOWS that?" Deane asked.
"There's maybe one man out OF
every two hundred that can 60 along
like this and not get to blaming every
| one In sight for what's happening to
him. don't know as I'd have blamed
you any If you'd been GUESSING us all
out for the past two days."
Deane laughed and shook his head
| "Iye been rather enjoying it," he
said.
you're just plain, old-fashioned
liar. Deane," Harris returned. "Yor
haven't been enjoying 1t any more
| than the rest of us-which is mighty
little; but you've got insides enough
to let on like its's considerable sport
which is whole lot"
mo one else has done any beeting,
Deane said. $50, why should II"
"This is everyday business witt
u.s." Harris pointed out. "And RICH
unusual for you. There's likely {
number of things you do every da!
back your way. but that doesn't sig
nifty that could amble back ther'
and perform as we'll as YOU"
81 suspect you'd make out all right,
Deane said. "Anyway-I'm mucl
obliged for the Endorsement"
They camped again in the drizzl
but by noon of the following day tn
sun peeped through. The range
pulled up his horse as they struck
game trail in the saddle of low d
vide. A bunch of shod horses ha
been over 1t few hours past.
"Some of the albino's layout" Wi
ton surmised.
They rode out on to spur an
looked down on the low country
Slade and the ranger were going OF
the others returning to the Three Bal
Harris pointed to the country sprea
out below them.
"That's the Breaks" he told Dean
"1ll point out the albinos strong
hold"
"While they're looking want
talk to you," Slade said to Billie.
Lets get together" he said, whe
the others had passed on. "Why al
you SO dead set on making squatt
outfit of the Three Bar? Don't "
know the nesters will flock in he
and cut the range all up as soon
, they see q chance?"
Mot my range" she said. "Or
side of the v L. and the Halfmoon
there's not another site they can 6
J water for, except maybe a couple
spring gulches where flood reservoi
will hold back enough to water
forty So we'll still control our hor
range"
"But there's dozen sites down
my range" he said.
"And dozen small outfits would
run any more COWS than you do nov
she said. "Why don't you have m
file on all those sites?"
3 (TO BE CONTINUEDD
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