The Coolidge examiner., 1932-10-28
"Yes, It's off" she assented.

little way, to watch him, a strong,
straight-backed figure sitting his
horse like Centaur A lump choked
her throat. The sight of him carried
her minG back irresistibly TO her
father. He, too, had been virile and
purposeful and dominant, but be
meath the gnarled surface she had
known him tender and loving. What
waste his last years should have
been embittered by this implacable
quarrel with the man who had been
his closest friend! What a loss
that he should have been cut Off IN
his prime! Surely if he had lived
the breach would have been healed.
Phil was combing burrs out of his
pony's name when the cowpuncher
Red, rode into the yard at the Cir
Gle Cross and fell into the easy pos
ture of the rider who intends to be
comfortable while he stops and
chats.
How'd you swap that paint boss
for my buckskin?" Red drawled
after greetings had been exchanged.
Il amt swapping this peg pony
for any other in Arizona" Phil an
nOunced proudly.
You sure got some notion Of
yore broOmtail, boy. | was allowin'
you'd Orter gimme about ten dollars
10 boot. Bucks no plug. I'd have
you know. Mighty few broncs can
travel alongside of him. Seventy
miles he done yesterday in the hills
an never turned a hair"
Where was it you an Buck broke
the worlds record?"
up in the Nal Pais-taking a
New York engineer over the divide
to look at Basford's copper propo
sition."
Didn't meet up with any rus
tiers whilst you were up there, did
you?"
About TO give a careles negative
Red stopped with his mouth open.
why, dawggone my hide, maybe |
did" he said at last. 81 never
thought of 1t till right now. We
was way up above Guadaloup can
yon when we saw a couple men driv-
ing eight or ten vacas into it. I
hollered, but they was a long way
off an didn't answer. Maybe at that
I'm lucky they didn't hear me-"
"Headed south, were they?"
"Y'betchai They went into this
end of the gulch an that's the last
we seen of EN-"
Phil spoke his thoughts. TO him
self, rather than 10 Red. Funny
they were way up there. Who could
they have been? Where were they
goin'? Unless they were rustlers.
Wish you'd ride to the Flying Wy
an tell Wills McCann what you've
told me. Ii won't take you more
than three-four miles outa yore way
an Buck being the best traveller in
the u. S. A.
(which I'm bettln' my boots he
is"
It'll hardly be any trouble a-tall
Tell Wills I'll meet him at Jim Yer
by's along about three O'clock"
The cowpuncher was still In sight
when Julia came out to the porch.
"I'll have TO leave. Sis" her broth
er said.
"Red tell you somethlng?" she
asked.
He repeated to her what the
range rider had said.
She nodded agreement. Looks
like you've struck hot trail. What
do you mean TO do?"
"Fm going to put II up TO Nc
Cam. My notion is for him an me
to drift up to Guadaloup and see
what we see"
LET me go, too."
'Now. look here, julie. you be rea-
sonable," he protested. This is no
woman's job. You know that mighty
well. We're out after bear meat
We're liable to be three-four days
/ never did see such a girl for
wantin' to boss everything"
81 don't either. I'm not trying to
boss this. Far as this goes I've been
up to Nal Pals before. You re
member when we went hunting
with Dad and stayed a week."
We'll, you're not going"
II don't want to go. I'll ride with
you as far as the sheep ranch. !
can stop there tonight with the
girls. I'll tell Ethel what a nice boy
you are and how kind to your sis
ter"
Il can tell her anything it's nee
essary for her to know" he said.
flushing beneath the tan.
You might omit something on
account of being so modest"
He looked at her suspiciously, re-
membering something Jasper had
once told him. Il reckon you're NOT
going to meet Wills McCann, are
you?'
His words struck out of her face
the laughter, the CLEAN of sisterly
malice that had sparkled in her
eyes. What do YOU mean?" she