Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-01-14
SUNSET PASS
by zuAG ENeH

Craze, and Rock, with the three
boys, set to work. 1t was no easy
task for one man, or even two men,
to fold a stiff hide and compress it
into small space. But that was
what they had to do. The Preston
boys might have been skillful and
diligent at other kinds of ranch
work, but at this particular job
they were lazy. They made no
bones of saying they hated it and
particularly the inescapable smell.
Rock did not drive the boys, but he
drove himself. He heard Al say to
his brothers in an aside, "Sure he's
a hawg for work."
Nevertheless, during this labor,
and while joking with the brothers,
without any ostensible interest in
the place Of the hides, Rock was
bending all his keen faculties to-
ward the end that he had deter
mined upon. Nothing escaped his
sharp eye, yet during the half day
that it took to complete this job
he did not observe anything that
struck him significantly. Toward
late afternoon, however, he hap
pened to kick a piece of white sub
stance, not stone, and of a color
markedly contrasting with the red
earth. When he picked it up he
thot it was clay. He smelled it
tasted it. Quick-limel Rock put
it in his pocket.
In due time Tom mounted the
loaded wagon to drive home, while
the other brothers rode off toward.
the woods, each now with a rifle
over his pommel.
"I'll poke along, Tom," said Rock.
Presently Rock was left alone.
The boys were so guileless that he
knew he could pursue his suspic-
ions almost before their backs were
turned. They surely were as honest
boys as any one could find.
He took out the piece of quick
lime. 1t did not appear to be very
old. He looked around where he
had found it to see if there was
more. After a diligent search he
found a smaller piece. Quicklime in
any quantity there might be used
to deaden the stencil of decaying
offal, blood, and bones. Rock
searched all the cabins, sheds, bins,
without finding any more. None
mad ever been used upon the hor-
pile that had accumulated in
he hollow below the slaughter
Reckon no little piece of quick
ime could get down here of its own
accord" muttered Rock, deliberat-
ng. sit sure never flew. 1t must
lave been fetched here with more
# the same. What for?"
He had no other answer than the
'irst he had conjectured. Manifest
v the Prestons left the entrails and
Ikeletons of their cattle there on
he ground to rot. No need to waste
Taluable time destroying what the
the dogs, coyotes, and
would soon do away with.
But they might have left something
lere they wanted to destroy quick
Hides! Cow hides they could not
iell because these did not bear
heir brandsl
All of a sudden, into Rocks
earching mind there flashed mem
Try Of a deep well he mad once
to dig on these premises. 1t
Iad been a job, he rebelled, that
cry one of the half dozen cow
had rebelled at, and had
cornfully told Slagle was labor
wasted. They had to go SO deep
hat it was necessary to enlarge the
ole. But they never struck water,
nd at 80 feet abandoned the eff
ort.
Since that time brush had grown
all around the ranch
ouses, but after some search Rock
the well. The edges had
reathered, widening the mouth. He
about to crash his way thru
he bushes, when his caution urged
i'm not to leave a trail. Carefully
e retraced his steps, worked
round into a narrow path, in
rhich he saw boot tracks.
Reaching the well, Rock peered
own. He saw only the gravel sides
nd the black hole. He dropped a
tone into it. No sound! He thot
nat strange. Selecting a larger one
e leaned over and let it fall. The
ole certainly was deep. A low soft