White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-01-11


thing whether he likes 1t or not it's
ten to one he'll balk out Of sheer hu.
man pride. If Harper kills the Three
Bar foreman on the grounds that he
refused to feed all his men-wfy
then, right off. every foreman and
owner within hundred miles starts
to resenting the possibility that may
be The albino feels the same way to-
ward him. Harper knows that"
"But If your theory had been
wrong?" she persisted. "What thenT
"Then," he said, then there'd have
been hi and repeat. wasn't Just
acting as me, personal affair. but,
as took pains to remark aloud. as
the foreman of the Three Bar. Ev-
cry Three Bar man would have gone
into action the second Harper made
q move at me. You know that and
Harper knew it."
She realized the soundness of this
statement. The one unalterable code
of the country, code that had been
fostered till 1t eclipsed all others, de-
>creed that man should be loyal to
the brand for which he rode. The
whole fabric of the COW business was
based on that one point.
But now they'll work their devil
try all the stronger against the Three
Bar" she predicted. "They could
wreck us If they tried. You couldn't
get a conviction in five years. Not a
man would testify against one of Ear.
per's outfit"
Then We'll put on fighting crew
and hold them off," he said. "But
that's not the layout that will be hard.
est to handle in the long run. Slade
| is the one real hard nut for the Three
| Bar to crack. He can work it dozen
different ways and you couldn't prove
one of them on him to save your soul.
He's one smooth hombre-Slade."
Harris rose and headed for his bed
roll and the girl sought the shelter
of her teepee for rest. Her mind
was, busily going over the events Of
the day. She reflected that Cal Har-
ris was at least possessed of self-con.
| fidence and that procrastination was
certainly not to be numbered among
his failings. 1t came to her that his
| interests for the present were iden-
teal with her own. AS halloween In
the Three Bar 1t would be as much
to his advantage as to her own to
build 1t up. Waddle's warped legs
prevented his acting as foreman on
the Job and 1t might be that the 9TH
err man would find some way to pre-
vent the leak that was sapping the
life from the Three Bear. His half
ownership entitled him to the place.
Billie Warren loved her brand and
her personal distrust of Harris was
submerged in the hope that his shar-
ing the full responsibility with herself
might be step toward putting 1t bark
on the old-time plane of prosperity.
She fell asleep with the grooming
voice of the nighthawk drifting to hef
ears.
1t seemed but few fleeting mo
i ments before Waddle's voice reused
her.
"Roll outl" he bawled. "Feet In
the trough!"
There was instant activity, the jim.
gle of belts and spurs and In five
minutes every man was fully clothed
and splashing at the creek. 1t was
showing rose and gray in the east
when the meal was finished.
When most of the men were
mounted Billie urged Papoose over
near Harris horse.
"Do you know how to throw a cir
cle?" she asked.
"After fashion," he said give
bossed one or two in the past"
"Then we'd better be Of" she sug-
gested. "Since you're the Three Bar
foreman its for you to say when
81 only pre-empted that job for ten
minutes or So" he explained with evil
dent embarrassment. "YOu SURELY
didn't think was trying to boost my.
self into the foreman's job for keeps?'
mo" she said But you're half
owner-and you can handle men. I'm
giving you free rein to show what
you can do"
Harris Strengthened in his saddle
and motioned to the men.
Lets gol" he ordered, and headed
his horse for the left-hand flank of the
valley. They assembled the first slopes
picked long ridge and followed II to
the crest Of the low divide between
that valley and the next. AS they
reached the head of the first draw that
led back down into the valley Harris
waved an arm.
sCarp," he called, and middle-aged
man named Carpenter, abbreviated to
carp, wheeled his horse from the
group and headed down the draw.
A half-mile farther on they reached
the head of another gulch
"ianson!" the new foreman called
and the man who repped for the Halt
moon ID dropped out One man was
detailed to work each draw and wher,
some five miles up the divide there
were but half the crew left. The fore
man led the way to the opposite dj.
vide and doubled back. sending map
down every gulch.
| ITO BE CONTlNUED.)