White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-02-22
CHAPTER VI-Continued
49,


put their sure-footed mounts down
the steep slope two hundred yards
back of the house and followed along
the fence of the corral. The five
Brandons had cut across the shoulder
of the mountain. The girl wondered
at this visit as she heard Late Bran
don, the father and head of the tribe,
ask Harris to put them up for the
night.
An hour later Harris and Lafe
came to her door and she let them in.
"The Brandons are riding down to
file on quarter apiece" Harris said.
cart quit the wagon below their place
as we came in and told the rest that
we're going to farm the Three Bar"
"Then you're doing the same?" she
asked LATE with sudden hope that her
brand would have company in the
move.
Old man Brandon shook his head.
mot right off," he said. Until we
see how you folks pan out We can't
fix to handle it the way you do. We're
filing to protect ourselves before some
hester outfit turns up at our front
door,"
''But the other small outfits feel the
same way" Harris said. "If two OF
us start the rest will join in"
Maybe So" the old man said
doubtfully. But noways likely.
They're too set on the other side"
The thought was deep-rooted and be
could not be moved
"We'll let 1t out it's only for pro
lection that we all are filing" he suid
And that we don't aim to prove up.
The outfits that don't file now will
lose out This will always be open
range, more than ninety per cent of
1t, and those who file on their water
will control the grass. AS soon as
the squatters see one outfit starting.
they'll take out papers on every piece
of dirt they can get water to- They'll
have six months to move on, then q
six months stay They'll hang round
waiting for things to open up so they
can rush in here. The brand owners
who haven't hedged themselves before
hand will run down to file and find
that nesters have had papers on all
the good pieces right In their door.
yard for months. They'll have only
the plots left that their home ranch
sets on. and likely no water even for
that"
The Brandons stayed for the night
and rode off at daylight the next
morning, while the Three Bar men
prepared for trip to BrilI's AS the
rest were saddling for the start Har.
ris saw old Rifle Foster seated by
himself. gazing off across the hills.
"Better come and ride over with
us, Rile," he urged. Bangs would
want you to try and forget"
The old man shook his head.
'Tm drifting today" he said "I'll
likely be back before long back.
tracked Blue to their camp and trailed
them twenty miles to where they
Joined another bunch II was some
of Harper's devils-l don't know
which four One way or another.
whether get the right four or not
Ill SpIHS W pay even WI THIlSS
There we're less than dozen 9th
ers in BriIl's store when the Three
Bar men crowded through the door
Five men sat at one OF the tables In
the big room and INDUCED In casual
game of stud Harper and Lang were
among them. Two of them Harris
knew as men named Hopkins and
Wade. The fifth was unknown to him
The alhinos eyes met Harris stead
fly as he entered at the head of the
Three Bar men.
The news that the Three Bar had
turned into squatter outfit had been
widely nuise0 abroud. From behind
the bar Brill covertly studied the
man who was responsible for this
change. Four men from the Half
moon n stood grouped al one end OF
the room. They spill, up and mingler
among the others Brill moved up anc
down behind the bAr. polishing II witt
a towel One after another he drew
each of the men from the HalfliIo0I
u into conversation with the Three
Bar foreman To determine whether ol
moi they resented his move. rl,ert
was no evidence OF II In their speech
The men fru;n the two outfits min
gled Ms unrestrainedly as before ant
III last Harris smiled across at Brill.