White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-04-26
CHAPTER XI-Continued


that she must die Of sheer grief as
she witnessed the complete devasta-
ton Of the fields she had watched day
by day with such loving care The
stampede swept the full length of the
meadow and held on for the house.
The foremost cows struck the cor
rails and they went down with splln-
tering crash under the pressure from
behind. She looked out on sea of
tossing horns and heaving backs as
the herd rushed through, the heavy
log buildings shaking from the mass
of animals jammed against them and
squeezing past.
The force of the run was spent on
the steep slope back of the house and
the herd split into detachments and
moved off through the hills.
The west side of the house was
windowless, blank wall built against
the standing winds. Waddles was
busily engaged in knocking out patch
Of chinking and endeavoring to work
loophole between the logs. Harris
was similarly engaged.
He pointed down the valley to the
south and she turned mechanically
and crossed to that window. A few
riders showed on the ridges on either
flank of the valley.
'They were cached up there to pick
us off If we rode down to try and
turn the rum" he said.
She nodded without apparent inter-
est. What might transpire now
seemed q matter to be viewed with
Indifference.
tits time for me to co." Harris said.
''Tll hold the bunk house. Good luck,
Billie-we'll hold 'em off,"
he turned to Waddles who still
worked to make loophole through
the blank wall.
IF 1t gets too hot put her outside
and tell her to give herself up. Even
Lang would know that the whole
country would be hunting them tomor-
row If they touched her. They won't
If they can help it. But this is their
last hope-to trust in one final raid.
They'll go through with 1t. Make her
go outside If 1t comes to that"
He opened the door and leaped
across the twenty yards of open space
which separated the main building
from the bunk house, barred the door
and looked from the south window.
The riders along the valley rims had
descended to the bottoms. Smoke was
already rising from one homestead
cabin and they were riding toward
the rest. Two men had dismounted
by the head gate.
Harris cursed himself for not hav-
ing anticipated this very thing. The
whole plan was clear to him. Slade
would hav, known that when the cow
hands came In from the roundup there
would follow the inevitable night at
Brill's. Morrow had mapped out the
raid long in advance, engaging Lang
to gather the cows throughout the
first night the roundup crew was In
from the range and hold them few
miles from the ranch. Lang could not
know that Slade was locked up and
that Morrow was dead so the raid had
gone through as planned.
Smoke was risinE from two more
cabins in the flats and Harris re-
preached himself for another over
sight in allowing the wagons to pull
out before the others arrived. The
crop would have been ruined In any
event but with the hands at home they
could have prevented the destruction
of the cabins.
He transferred his attention to the
long line of log buildings a hundred
yards to the east. The row afforded
perfect cover for any who chose that
route of approach. They could walk
I'D to them in absolute safety, screened
both from himself and those In the
main house.
dows for sign of movement within q
voice hailed them from the shop.
"You might as well come out" 1t
called "We're going to fire the plant"
Harris stretched prone on the floor
and rested the muzzle OF his life on
a crack between the logs. 1t was hard
shooting. He was forced to shift the
butt end of the gun, moving with 1t
himself to line the sights instead of
swinging the free end of the barrel.
He trained 1t on a crack some two
feet from the door of the shop. Be-
hind the aperture the light of win.
dow on the far side showed family.
"Come out y the voice ordered. "Or
we'll cook you inside. We've no time
to lose. Rush tt
The light disappeared from the
crack nd Harris pressed the trigger
With the roar of his gun shape
pitched do N across the door of the
shop. Some unseen hands caught the
man by the feet and as he was
dragg { back from sight Harris saw
the red handkerchief which had
served as mask.
From all along the row of buildings
q fire was opened on the bunk house
Harris threw himself flat against the
lower log which barely shielded him.
Shreds of 'dobe chinking Uttered the
room. The balls which found an en-.
trance splintered through the hunks
and buried themselves in the logs OF
the far wall. One marksman worked
on the lower crack. Puffs of 'dobe pull.
verified before Harris eyes as the sys.
tematic fire crept toward him down
the crack In six-inch steps.
The shooting suddenly ceased. Bill
lie Warren, dazedly Indifferent as to
wha. should happen to the Three Bar
since the wreck of the lower field. had
reused to action the instant she saw
the spurts of thinking fly from the