Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-05-02

prove-up work. We can put ina com
pany ditch to cover all the filings.
pay them for working on it and
charge that pr0-rata share Of i'm
provements up against each mans
final settlement When they've made
final proof we can buy out those who
went to sell. Let's put the fats in
hay, girl. and start grading the Three
Bar up. It doesn't take much more
feed to turn out q real beef steer than
OF Observation-Disclosures brothers down
In the fat. In five years Wen have a
straight red brand and the Three Bar
Will be rated at thirty dollars head,
come as they run on the range, in
stead Of round ten or twelve as they'd
figure Us now. Wen have good hay
land that will be worth more by itself
than the whole brand is today. Say
the word, girl, and well build up the
old outfit that both Of our folks helped
to found"
The girl had closed her eyes as he
painted this picture Of possibilities
and except for the difference Of voice
1t might well have been old Cal War
rem speaking; the views and senti.
ments were the same she had so often
heard her father express. Next to the
longed-fOr partnership with old Bill
Harris the dream of his life had been
to see the Three Bar flats smooth
meadow Of alfalfa.
I'll put bunch of terriers in there
that will be hard for Slade to uproot, -
Harris said. "What do you say Billie?
Let's give it try"
I'D like to see 1t DONE" she said.
But so much depends on the out
come. I'll have to write Judge Col
ton first. He has all my affairs in
charge"
They mounted and rode back to the
wagon and the girl went straight to
Waddles with the proposition Harris
had urged.
Tell him to 60 his BEST" Waddles
advised, when she had outlined Har
ris' scheme. Hell put a bunch Of
terriers on the Three Bar that will
cut SHADES claws. If they burn GU;
the boys Cal Harris puts on the place
then there'll be one real war staged
at the old Three Bar"
Hes been telling you," she accused
He did sort Of mention it." Wad.
dies confessed.
'Then his idea Is to import bunch
Of gun-fghters," she said. II won't
have bunch of hired killers living at
the Three Bar"
These boys will just be the sort
that's handy at knowing how to avoid
getting killed themselves" Waddles
evaded. "You can't rightly blame any
man for that. And besides, Slade has
to be met on his own ground"
do you think Slade is at the bot
tom Of the Three Bar losses every
year." she asked.
Every hoof," Waddles stated.
Every last head! Maybe the abb.
nos layout rustles an odd bunch Oh
and off. But Slade, is the man that's
out to wreck your brand" The big
cook heaved q sigh as he reached a
decision on a matter which had been
troubling him for days. That's what
Cal Warren was afraid of-Slaue's
branching out our way like he had
already toward the south. And that's
one season he left things tied up the
way he did"
He tapped much-thumbed dOcu.
ment on his knee and handed it to the
girl.
you and Young Cal have been sort
of half-hostile," he said. "Cast an
eye over that and maybe it'll help
you two youngsters to get along
Three times the girl read every
word Of the paper while Waddles
smoked his pipe in silence. Then she
sat on the gate Of the wagon and
gazed off across the sage; and she
was picturing again the long trail of
the Three Bar cows; but this time
she was reconstructing the scene at
the end Of 1t. Instead Of one man
scheming to trick an old friend at
the last crossing of their trails she
now visioned two old men regretting
that the lifelong hope of a partner
ship had never been fulfilled and
planning to cement that arrangement
in the next generation. For old Bill
Harris had left her q full half-inter-
est in everything he owned on earth
with the single stipulation that she re-
tain her half Of the Three Bar for
five years after her fathers death.
"But why?" she asked presently.
why did he do that for me-? He'd
never seen me since was three years
old"
HE did it for the girl of old Cal
Warren, the best friend he had top
side of ground" Waddles said. "Your
dad and Bill Harris had been pals
since they was Matched. They knew
there was hard times and changes
ahead and both hated to think of the
old brand going under or changing
hands. They was afraid that if both
you and the boy knew your path was
going to be carpeted soft In any event
that you might sell out If things got
to breaking wrong. This way 1t