Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-10-27

Hum oltANh.
From around the corner of the sta
ton a man appeared. hat in hand
Miss Antrim" he qneried.
yes. indeed said Roberta CRATE
fully. and waited for him to name
himself
I'm Bill Dingle. your Uncle Toms
general manager. | got your letter
tellin' me you'd arrive today and in
structin me to meet you at the
Higuenes rancho tomorrow XVI
yes" Roberta murmured, wonder
ing If she ought To introduce Mignon
to Mr.. Dingle. who was eyeing the
maid as d fresh COW in a pasture eyes
dog.
so | thought I'd meet you here,
miss. and explain TO you how come
It won't be possible for me to meet
YOU there. Mr.. pingle went on. his
embarrassment increasing nj every
word. Its about twenty mile straight
east from here to your Uncle Toms
ranch, which Is your ranch now. |
reckon, and | figgered maybe it'd be
| better for all hands If you put up
| there instead of ut the Higuenes
rancho. | reckon you and this other
/ ladyd be as safe and comfortable
there as anywhere
"That is very kind Of you. MIR. Din.
GLE" Roberta hesitated. then. In her
usual frank manner. plunged. why
is 1t impossible for you to meet me,
at the Higuenes rancho, Mr.. Dingle?'
Mr.. Dingle scufTed foot along the
station platform and his embarrass-
ment increased visibly. well. ma'am,
In this country when feller's enemy
warns him not to set foot on his ranch
again until he's sent for unless he
| wants to be made colander out of.
it's reasonable to figger the warnin's
meant"
"Who warned you2"
don Jaime Higuenes."
Indeed. Why. | had no idea Don
Jaime Higuenes was such a blood
thirsty man! Is the trouble between
you something that cannot be recti-
fed? should be happy to act as
peacemaker, Mr.. Dingle.'
Bill Dingle remembering his of
lenses. was honest enough to declare
that the trouble could not be rectified
and added something about the easiest
way out Of trouble being to 60 around
1t. Then he was silent for quite a
while. meanwhile scuifing his toe and
gazing bit helplessly around the hori-
zon. Finally he said: Il reckon you
didn't think as much Of your Uncle
Tom as he used TO LET on you did.
Don't you feel no resentment agin the
man that murdered him?'
! Not the slightest. From all that
we can learn. officially. Uncle Tom
was not murdered. The sheriff of this
county wrote that Uncle Tom made
the mistake of taking in too much ter.
ritory, which is q fatal error and tan
tamount to suicide. 1t seems he am
pushed Jim Higgins and shot him
three times. Then Higgins got under
cover and stalked Uncle Tom and
/, killed him. | am Informed that he
: didn't know the identity Of his assall
| ant until he saw the body"
: THAT'S the story. but it amt true
This killer ordered your Uncle Ton
: to quit grain his sheep on the free
! range or he'd kill him. A warnin's {
warnIn' in this country, an If fellel
I don't choose to obey it he's justified
-, ,syxr he ,nf Ia, bn ,atr fh.
{ first time him an the warnin' person
t meet up Your uncle didn't see n,
|, valid reason why he should have hi
liberty restricted by private citizen
lie considered his life In danger, s
It when they met up on the range 1t wa
case Of who could get into actio
L quickest. 1t was case of an oil
g man agin a young nah, an the youn
Q man won as usual But your Uncl
7, Tom never tried to kill nobody. III
# just naturally defended his own If
!. an failed to do good job. An. &
y course. sheepman amt In goo
4 standin in cattle country. Persona
10 ", I'm only a hired man, but ] got m
UIiNdtE iltiiibiiS, IL itiN " 80
10 1t just natuEally don't look right fc
y, you to be sg4e guest of
% Mr. Dngle raised his glance froi
t the station platform and gazed acros
Il, toward the approaching herd Of cattl
lie appeared alert, poised for flight
IN whatever had been In his mind to sa
remained unsaid, and he was pr
,r foundly interested In a horseman wi
70 was galoping around the flank Of tt
s. herd. evidently with the intention
m passing on In front Of 1t.
lie II reckon I'll be moseyin' alon
maam." said Mr. Dingle. 1--WE CT
,g discuss our business when you con
o. to the Antrim ranch
ID The horseman had cleared the hel
p and was coming on at an easy gallon
~ behind him a boy on a small pin
y, pony labored to keep up.
II. There's the man that killed 20
Uncle Tom" Mr.. Dingle almost hisse
no Il reckon don't care to meet tn
rd hombre until | can choose the til
ne and place myself" And without star
Ing upon the order Of his going \
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