Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-15
TwENTY-FOURTH TNsTALLMENT.
(Continued)

"1Tl have the money wired to the
credit Of the estate in any bank you
name. It will be there tomorrow
You've sold something"
Don Prudencio Alviso might have
looked sleepy. but behind those slightly
liverish eyes he was very wide awake
He knew there were few thousand
culls In that lot of sheep-old ewes with
wrinkled necks. old ewes without teeth
old rams that were merely boarders,
mixed breeds of uncertain sizes and
ages. Consequently, when for both aged
sheep and lambs he had received SO
cavalier and tempting an offer he did
not hesitate. Within 10 minutes he had
William B. Latham sewed up on con-
tract of purchase and sale: and with
this signal advantage. II, for any
reason, it was considered undesirable
for the estate to 60 through with the
sale It could get out of the contract,
while for the purchaser there could be
no escape, even though he should
change his mind, provided the court
approved Don Prudencio's action as
executor.
when Crooked Bill had the contract
safely tucked in his pocket he COM
menced talking with Don Prudencio
about the deceased Tom Antrim and
learned that for a few days following
Antrim's death the sheep had remained
In charge of one Bill Dingle, Antrim's
foreman Later Dingle had been rath-
or forcibly relieved Of his charges by
Jaime Higuenes Of the Rancho Vale
Verde.
"That Dingle might DO a good ex-
perienced sheepman to care for these
sheep in case the court approves the
sale" Crooked Bill suggested hopefully.
where might one get in touch with
I'm sell the dod-gasted sheep to
them If he hasn't got enough money to
nav for them-and I dare say he
hasn't" the old schemer decided. "Of
course, I'm bound TO lose some money.
but then I expected that and can
nay for my fancies. Well, tomorrow
nj hire O car and driver and HE me
out TO saw those sheep OF on Bill
Dingle. I'll give that grass thief
bargain he Just naturally won't have
airplane to freight me back home in
hurry, because mustn't waste any time
With that Higuenes bird always on the
fob. Once home, III wire Roberta I'm
very Ill and to come home immediately.
After that-the Deluge."
TwENTY-FIFTH INsTALLMENT.
r. OR long time after Crooked Bill
had left his ONCE Don Pru-
dencio Aliviso sat In his swivel
Il chair and stared hard at the
opposite wall. Presently he took
down the telephone and called the pro-
prietor Of Mansion House and with him
held o conversation in Spanish. Then
telephone rang and Don Prudencio
answered, "Gracias" He hung up and
wrote on q scratch pad the initials
w. B. L. Thereafter he continued 10
stare at the wall for another hour
About sunset he shook his large black
head In negation and defeat and went
home.
The following night he appeared at
the Rancho Vale Verde. Roberta was
dressing for dinner, after o day in the
saddle with Don Jaime and his men,
and Don jaime was lying In his long
chair On the gallery with Ken Hobart
beside him.
Hello, Prudy. What brings you out?"
Don Jaime hailed him.
81 am mystifed," Don Prudencio re-
Piled and forthwith related in detail
his impending sale of the Antrim sheep
to q fat-headed old gentlmen for very
great deal more than they were worth.
"He said his name was Blodgett and
sasmed the contract william L. Blod-
Gett," the lawyer continued. "He did
not say where he was from, but could
see he knew nothing of sheep and was
o city man. His hands were soft and
white and his shirt was too expensive
He did not bargain with me and he
seemed to me to be quite too anxious to
buy the sheep. So telephoned to the
Mansion House to inquire Of he was
stopping there and when I descr: ed
him they said they had q guest there
from New York by that name. but that
his baggage carried the initials w. 3. L.
"Hum-m- I'm" Don Jaime grunted
and sat up very straight. "He isn't
o very good liar, Is he? Any fool In