White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-03-22
CHAPTER TX
W.R.u.seRvIce


logs lay piled and ready to be snaked
down to the Three Bar on the first
heavy SHOWS of fall.
The acreage of plowed ground In
creased day by day and would con-
tinue till frost claimed the ground. AS
soon as the brush was burnt the mule
teams pulled heavy log drags across
the field, pulverizing the Jumps and
leveling inequalities Of the surface.
Evans had been sent out as fore
man Of tn beef roundup while Harris
remained behind to direct the opera
lions at the ranch. A few days before
Evans vas due with the beef herd
Billie rode Papoose away from the
ranch, intending to make long-de-
ferred visi to the Brandons ..
After covering two-thirds of the dis
lance along the foot of the hills to
the V L she saw a rider dip EVER
ridge two miles away. She unslung
Harris glasses and dismounted to
watch for his temperance. When he
came again into ler field Of view an
other man was with him and they
were driving few head of cows be-
fore then
She mounted Papoose and angled
across to intersect their course
AS Papoose topped low hogback
that fanked the valley she saw the
men riding toward her down the bot
toms, driving twenty or more head OF
COWS. Ole of the horses threw up his
head, his ears pricked sharply toward
her, and the swift upward tilt of the
riders ha+, as swiftly lowered, in.
formed her that she had been sighted.
The other man did not look up They
lifted thei- horses from a walk to.
stiff trot and yeered past the cows,
then looked up as If just aware of her
approach, and waited for her. The men
were Bentley and Carp.
Bentley greeted her cheerily. Carp
nodded without word.
se"What are you two doing up herey
she demanded without parley.
II repped with the Three Bar wag.
on and Carp worked with you for q
spell, so we sort Of know the range"
Bentley explained. "Slade sent US to
drift any strays back south"
"Those YOU were driving are Three
Bar stuff-every hoof," she said. "All
two-year-old she-stock."
Bentley turned and regarded the lit
tie herd they had just passed
"The1l? Shove wasn't driving
them" Bentley denied easily. "They
just drifted ahead of US as we rode
down thu bottoms. A COW critter will
always move on ahead of man. We
rode on past 'em as soon as we de-
cided to amble along"
She knew that they were on safe
ground Any COW would drift on be-
fore horseman.
"The only way to convict nan on
case like this is to shoot him out Of
, the saddle before he has chance to
pass the cows" she said. "That's
what will happen to the next Slade
rider that gets noticed with any Three
Bar cows moving out In front of him
and headed south. You can carry that
word to Slade."
She whirled Papoose and headed
to the Brandons postponed. Harris
was piling brush In the lower field
when she arrived and she informed
him of the act Of the two men.
II wouldn't put 1t past Carp" he
said. "But | hadn't sized Bentley up
just that way. It's hard to tell. If
Carp shows up here again we'll make
him a visit in the middle of the night
and he won't trouble us much after
that"
"We'd better pay Slade night visit,
too" she said. Her feelings toward
Slade had undergone complete re.
vulsion She knew beyond a doubt
that he had been responsible for the
raid on Three Bar bulls. The wild
bunch would have had. no object in
such foray. Figuring II from any
angle Slade was the only one man who
could poss bly, derive any benefit from
that She had come to see that Slade
was fighting With his back to the
wall-that he had run his course and
come to the end of 1t If squdtters Sc.
cured start in his range, and he con.
sidered the act Of the Three Bar the
opening wedge which would throw
open Il wa for the uesters to crowd
him out
The evening of the following day
the beef herd trailed into the lower
end of the Three Bar valley and bed.
ded for the night In the morning
the trail herd was headed for the rail.
road under full crew, for Hurts had
kept all hands on the job.
The drove was nondescript lot. IN
addition to the steers and older cows
that comprised every trail herd the
off-color sne-stock had been carefully
culed from the 'ange.
Harris pointed to the bunch.
Look that assortment over we'll,
Billie" h advised "a few seasons
more. with fair luck. and you won't
see one of these rainbow droves with
every dior from brindle to strawberry
roam; none of these humpbacked
runts; they'll all be gone. That's al
most the last mongrel herd that will
ever wear your brand. They'll run
better every year until we have al
big fiat backed bee stock-a straight
white-face rum
The third morning out from the
home ranch broke stormy. nasty
drizzle dampened the face OF the
world and laid Its clammy touch or
all living things. This condition pre-
vailed all through the day and shortly
A. l,cl ,,,ftt r1 ~