Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-01-10

come right along over and transact II
| and then move on out"
Billie Warren laughed suddenly. q
gurgle OF sheer amusement at the
sight of the most dreaded man within
a hundred miles standing there unlei
the mlzAe of shotgun, receiving In
structions from the mouth of The
Three Bar cook. For Slade was help
less and knew 1t.
"Waddles, you WIN" he said. "I'll
be going before you change your
mind"
As the man walked toward his
horse which hue sidled few steps
away the big cook gazed after him
and fingered the riot gun regreffuly
The wagon did mol move on wi en-
the men had finished working the herd
as the rest of the day had been sci
aside for klll-time. An hour after
Shades departure the hands were roll.
ins In for sleep The girl saw Itile
Foster draw apart from the rest and
sit with his back against rock. lie
was regarding some small object held
In his hnnd. As he turned Il aronnc
she recognized II as boot heel and
The reason for Rile's absence WIS
clear to her. He had back.tracked
The blue horse TO the scene OF the mis-
hap.
She was hnlf asleep when a voice
some distance from the teepee reused
her ny speaking the name of Bangs
I've II. pretty elastic conscience my
self" the voice went on. I'm not
above lifting few calves for the
brand I'm riding for or any little
thing Hike that, but this deal SORT OF
gorgcs up In me. They'll never cinch
ii on TO any man-they. never do. Old
Rlle Is brnoding over It. He'll likely
run umuck. One was or another he'll
try 10 break even for Bangs
Billie recognized the voice MS
Moores and knew that one Of her
men, AT least, had not forgotten
Bangs. II was the first time an in,i-
nation that the affnir was other than
an accident had reached her ears
The Gulf roundup was nearing the
end. Two weeks would see the finish
and supply the final tnlly Harris ssi
on rock and reviewed the plans he
had formulated for the salvation Of
the Three Bar brand. realizing The
weak spots and mapping out some
special line of defense that might
serve to strengthen them. In the Sc
clusinn of the wagon Waddles was
carefully rereading q much-thunhed
document for perhaps the hundredth
time tuan had come mat daylight
with the mail from BriIls and Billie
Warren was within her teepee porting
over her share Of 1t. The men had
finished theirs and were sleeping.
The girl read first the four letters
in the same handwriting. one to mark
each week she had been on the round.
up. The fifth was from Judge Colion
w
hands all his affairs had been en-
trusted. After scanning this she read
again the other four. Very soon now,
In the course Of few months at the
outside. she and the writer would
meet away from his native envi'on-
ment and In The midst of her own AL
ways before this had been reyeis ed
and her association with Carlos
Deane had held n background of his
own setting-a setting In startling
contrast to her log house nesting In
n desert OF sage. The Deane house
was wonderful old fashioned man.
sion SET In a grove of century.old
elms and oaks. She KNEE his life md
now he would see her In her natural
surroundings.
In hazy sort OF way she felt that
some day she would listen to the plea
that. In some fashion or other. was
woven into every letter. but not til
the Three Bar was booming and no
longer required her supervision.
Everything else tn riTe world WINS str.
ondary to her love for her father
brand and the anxiety OF the past two
wears Of its decline eclipsed all other
issues
Her reflections were interrupted by
Harris' voice just outside her teepee.
Asleep. Billie?" he asked softly.
NO" she said What Is III"
1--we thrown your saddle on ia.
poose.' he said. Lets have look
around"
She assenied and they rode off IN
the left-hand slope of the valley A
mite or sd from the wagon Harris dig
mounted on a high point
Lets have medicine chat" he OF.
fered. I've got considerable ON my
mind"
She leaned against a rock and he
sat cross-legged on the ground, facing
her and twisting cigarette as an
Md to thought. Her head was tired
bnck against the rock. her eyes half.
closed.
tTO BE cONTINUED.)