White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-01-18

the old pirate had deliberately
planned, year after year. to overcrowd
your range and feed you out"
"But his men would know" she OBJ
jected
"Not many of them would grasp the
whole scheme of It," he said. "You
hadn't thought of 1t yourself, and
what If few of them did surmise
They're riding for his brand"
The girl nodded. That unalterable
code again-the religion of being loyal
to ones brand. Not one of SHADES
men would balk at doing 1t knowing
ly; each would do anything to adj
vance his interests as long as he drew
his pay from Slade.
AS they talked Harris detailed men
for each draw but when they reached
the point where they we're due to drop
down and cross the valley he pulled
up his horse.
"You take the rest of the circle.
Carp" he Instructed Carpenter. "I'm
going to ride off up the rise piece"
The girl regarded him curiously. No
less than three times in the last week
he had stopped midway Of the circle
and asked her to complete 1t. Now
he had turned 1t over to Carp and he
signaled her to remain with him.
"Where are we going?" she asked
as she watched the men ride down
toward the bottoms. "And why?"
"Back the way we came" he said.
"And maybe can show you why"
He headed back the divide they
had just followed until he came to
the saddle at the head of a draw that
led down to the valley. Far below
them they could see rider hazing q
bunch of cows out into the bottoms
High on the right-hand slope of the
gulch lay notch, little blind basin
watered by the seepage from side.
hill spring, and there on the green
bed of 1t dozen cows with their
calves grazed undisturbed. For per
haps five minutes Harris lolled side
wise in the saddle and watched them
Then rider appeared on the ridge
that divided that draw from the next
dropped in below the cows and head
ed them back over the ridge into the
draw from which he had appeared
Even at that distance she recognized
this last man as Lanky Evans. Har
ris resumed his way down the divide
and she knew that he had discovered
some irregularity for which he hat
been seeking.
"Who was the man that overlooke,
those cows?" she asked. "Who worke,
that drawn.
Morrow" he said. Ellis eyesigh
is getting bad. That's the second tim
this week-and the last"
"Then Morrow is an inside man fol
Harper" she said. Drawing Thre,
Bar pay and working against us, too
eyes," he said. "Only he's an in
side man for Slade."
"But how could his leaving thos,
calves behind benefit Slade?" she de
manded.
"How could it benefit Harper?" h,
countered. "Can you tell me that?"
| She could not and motioned for hin
t. go on.
"None of Harpers men has bran,
4 of his own" he said. "They're livin
on the move. THEY can't wait 70
calves to grow up. The way the
work is to run q bunch of beef steer
across into Idaho. They'll pick u
another bunch there and shove ther
across the Utah line and repeat b.
moving q drove of some Utah bran,
up in here. Only beef steers-quicl
turning stuff. You know about thu
reputation of the o v and the Lac,
Fl Four"
She knew all too we'll. There wal
half-feud, smoldering distrust dis
played between cowmen on each sid
of the three state lines, triangle o
i'll feeling. 1t was current rumor tina
the o v and the Lazy Fl Four, rang
ing far southwest of the Three Bal
would traffic in any steers that cam
from across either the Utah or Idah
line. In the corner of those state
were similar outfits that were receiy
ing stations for rustled stock from tn
opposite Sides The triangular feu
had been fostered to point wher
the thieves were immune. Even If
direct complaint should be brough
against them they had but to rid
across into another state and sheriff
following them would be helpless, tn
inhabitants resenting this intrusio
into their affairs by an officer fror
another state, truly having no RICH
there, and refusing to aid him eve
If they did not actually oppose hi
passage.
"But how would 1t benefit Slade?
she repeated.
"Why, suppose that Morrow ovel
looked a nice bunch of Three Ba