Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-03-21
The Settling Of the Sage
CHAPTER x-Continued


3 I'm sort of expecting maybe the
Three Bar will make up the deficit
Alden said. ITS cheaper than paying
rewards. That's another reason /
don't think Cal had hand in this
blacklist report"
The storekeeper grfnned.
"SureIy not. Surely not. I'd never
suspect him of that" he said. "But
nil the same It's working just as we'll
rs II he really had"
The first warm days Of spring had.
drawn the frost from the ground. Bill
lie rode beside Harris down The lane
to the lower field A tiny cabin Stood
completed on every filing. Two men
were digging post holes across the val.
ley below the edge Of the last falls
plnwing and the mule teams were
steadily breaMing out another strip.
almost year." she said. referring
to the commencement of the new
work.
Just year today" Harris correct
ed. and he was thinking of the day
he had first met the Three Bar girl.
This ! our anniversary. sort Of
She nodded as she caught his mean.
Ing.
1.-THE anniversary of our partner
ship" she said. "You told me there
were millions OF miles of sage Just
Out side. And millions of cows-and
girls
Later told you something else"
he said. And I've been meaning II
ever since The road to the oul side Is
closed II was to start now I'd lose
the way"
She pointed dow the valley as a
drove of horses moved toward them
under the guidance of dozen men
The hands would start breaking out
the remuda the following day. The
spring work was on.
"0ff to running start on another
year," he said. And sure to hold our
lead From today OH out. you and
I'll be busy par" he pronhesied
His prediction proved true. The
Three Bar was beehive Of activity
and II seemed shat the hours bel cen
dawn and dark were all too short for
the amorn on work Harris wished to
crowd inte them.
The cowhands were breaking out
the horses In the corras while the
acreage of plowed land In the lower
fields steadily increased.
The day TINT Evans led the men
ont on the calf roundup, the mule
teams made their first trip across the
plowed land with the drill
The fields were being seeded to al
fa,fa and oats SO that the faster grow
Ing grain might shade and protect the
tender shoots of hay. Before the ain
rIpened 1t would be cut green for hay,
cured and stp.ked.
Early rains had molstened the
fields and they were family green with
tiny shoots OF oats. These thickened
into rank velvety carpet while the
homesteaders we're hauling hundred
loads OF rocks TO form a crude dam
across the stream below the take-out
The water was gradually raised till II
ran almost flush with the top OF the
head gate. The gates were lifted and
the diverted waters sped smoothly
down the new channel to carry life TO
a portion Of the sagebrush desert
As the tangible results Of the work
became more apparent Harris Wig
iIEnce increased. There was now
more than plowed ground to work on;
crops to be trampled nj time when
they would not lift again to permit
or moving; fences to be wrecked so
that range stock might have free &C
cess to the fields 4 single night could
unset the work of many months. But
az he stood with Billie at the mouth
OF the LAM he allowed none OF his
thoughts TO be reflected In his speech.
Billie Warren half-closed her eyes
and We've the broad expanse OF rip
ping green In the bottoms. How many
times she hal stoou here In the. past
with old Cal Warren while he vIsIoned
this very picture which now I'm.
rolled before her eyes In reality: the
transformation OF the Three Bar fiat
from q desert waste to scene of
abundant fertility ,nder the reclaim
ing touch of water.
II was a quiet picture OF farm life
II one looked only upon the blooming
Hel1s and took no account OF the raw.
hnrren foothills that flanked them
hAgaunt, towering range behind She
found II difficult to link the scene be-
fore her with the devlltry OF few
months past. The killing Of Bangs
md Rifle Fosters consequent grim re-
taliation the raid ON Three Bar bulls
and the -tampede OF her trail herd ;
III those eeemed part Of some life so
tong In the past as to form no part OF
her present.
No man In the field ever strayed far
from the rifle which was part of his
equipment. But even this was an evil
| Gence OF vigilance which had met her
eye every day. for months and had
ceased to Impress.
They walked to ! the neaf edge oil
the field and Harris dropped hand