White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-09-08

don't suit you, why, you can ride down
the road. I'll not have you pull yore
picket pin. I'm boss on this ranch"
Walters looked down resentfully at
his dusty hat. He was on the carpet,
and his defense had been brushed
aside. He felt this was not just, for it
was a perfectly good one. But the old
man was so bullheaded there was no
use talking to him. Yet 1t had not
been very long since Walters had been
shot and wounded by some of the
Circle Cross outfit and Mccain had
offered a thousand-dollar reward to
find out who had done 1t. Now Wal
tiers was having the riot act read to
him because he had knocked down one
Of the Stark vaqueros. Sure enough
times had changed.
II wasn't lookin' for trouble" he
explained again. mot none. That
bird was full Of forty rod an ran on
me aplenty. What's a fellow to do?"
weren't hogtfed, were you? Moth
ing kept you from walking out Of the
Gilt Edge when he started, was there?"
"Want me to stick my tail between
my laigs an run away every time some
guy gets biggity with me?"
"You got my orders, Joe. If he be-
longs to the Circle Cross duck trouble.
I'm putting an end to this feud an
that is the only way to do 1t. I'd take
the same medicine myself ask you to
swallow. If it don't suit you, get yore
time That's short an sweet"
Walters grumbled but surrendered.
He knew when he had good job and
he had no intention Of giving 1t up.
Peter Mccain wrote a note to Phil
Stark and in it asked him to meet him
at Garcia's water hole, halfway
point between the ranches. The an
swer came in feminine hand. It was
signed by Julia. She said that Phil
was away on business connected with
the Cattlemen's association but she
would keep the appointment in his
place.
When the cattleman reached the wa
ter hole Julia was waiting for him.
Peter, looking at her, spoke abruptly.
you're very like yore mother"
1--WE been told So" She added,
gently. "You knew her well?"
AT one time, yes" He offered no
further explanation. His eyes were on
the dry stark desert that had min
ute before been a vignette snatched
from fairyland. Perhaps he was think
ing that there had been an hour in his
arid life, too, when the glow and color
Of dream had irradiated it.
Julia, through clairvoyant eyes, did
not see a hard and fierce enemy
stamped with the brand of the desert
in every line of the lean and leathery
face; she saw youth, lover and a
friend, good man and true, in that dim
past when the pages Of his future had
not been dedicated to an enduring hate
that had poisoned many lives.
"About some trouble yesterday at
the Gilt Edge" he began, with no
preface. II want you to understand
my men have strict orders not to get
into any mixup with yore riders. Far
| as we're concerned this feud is off,
You ended It when you saved my boys
| life"
I'm glad. If only it had never
| started!"
He knew by the droop Of her head
| that she was thinking Of her father
'That would have been better" he ad-
mftted. Then, bluntly he asked: do
you think Wills shot yore father?"
"No. Down in the bottom Of my
heart never did think so-except just
! at first. thought some Of his friends
| did"
do you think that still?"
She looked straight at him. but hel
lips trembled. II don't know. I don't
want to know
He knew what she meant, that she
was afraid to learn the truth.
'Matt had other enemies besides us,
he told her gently 1--WE hadn't 6
| thing to do with ft-not a thing. Blu
I blame myself, just the same. HI
an used to be pardners. We playef
together when we were young colts
MAUI jill L AlN dSS Adu " AiOoi
up with the same outfit. They callet
us David and Jonathan. Then trouble
came between us. Both Of us wer'
hot-tempered an bullheaded. We quar-
relied. Our business interests con
f1fcted. This On desert wouldn'
hardly feed all our cattle before w
began to irrigate. Bad years we bot
lost lot of stock from drought. s.
we drifted from bad to worse. Blu
I'm clear on thfs-none Of us Mccain
had anything to do with the death
yore father. l thank God for thai
because it might have been differen
the way things were shaping"
She believed him, with heav
heart. For If this was true. 1t drov
her back to horrible dread that 70
q week had lain like lead.
He looked into her stricken face an
pitied her. 1t came to him that h
might clear himself with her at to
great a cost. If Gitner had kille
Matthew Stark there could be only on