Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-01-28
Chapter SO
ASH GIVES

WHAT calculated Dunno, hoarse-
~, his face turning yellow.
Can't you hear? Any mar
who thinks me a rustler has got to
back II with his gun"
Rock, I - we Thrown guns
wasn't in my orders"
dunno. you don't fit on this
range," replied Rock. in bitter scorn.
Keep out Of my way hereafter
Then he turned to the other riders.
heckon you're not willin' parties to
this raw deal Dunno gave me. Any
sen-respectin' cowboy. If he calls an
other a rustler. knows it's true and
is ready TO fight. Tell Hesbitt ex-
actly what happened here. III you
don't I'll hold it against you. Tell him
rotten gossip on the range isn't proof
OF an outfits guilt"
AN right. Rock, wen shore give
Hesbitt the straight of this" replied
the rider.
The four mounted men rode away.
and dunno made haste to get astride
and follow. Rock called after him:
bunne, | reckon all the Prestons
Ash in particular-will take your
iiault TO me home TO themselves"
The three young Prestons with
Rock certainly took 1t so. Thru the
whole affair they had been pale, set
faced, silent.
Looks bad to me boys" said Har-
= 6Atofhi9. 1iCttS UP some queer
remarks l heard in town"
Let's rustic home"
hock agreed, whereupon they bent
united efforts to breaking camp.
The labor of the past few weeks
han been so strenuous that Rock
scarcely realized the lapse of time.
What had happened at Sunset Pass
during the interim?
by the time he had shaved and
changed his clothes. there came rap
ia FOOTBALLS, followed by a thump on
his cabin door.
Who is it2" he called, for he had
taken the %precaution to lock the door.
ITeston- Open up" came the per-
Rock slid back the bar, whereupon
behind him.
"Howdy, boss!" said Rock cheer
fuiiy, and nodded to Ash.
+, Al busted in with a wild story
broke out Preston, waving a g.eet-
ing. Rock, was he just loco, or is he
eXaggeratin' a little run-fn you had
with one of Hesbitt's outfits?"
BOSS, AL told the truth, and put
It mild at that" replied Rock, and
turned to tie his scarf before the
mirror. In the glass he saw preston's
sation upon his son. "Sit down. both
81 YOU went on Rock, and presently
faced them again.
Wal, thet's short an sweet said
Preston, with a gruff laugh. 80 you
In only a little short of five
head?"
-Four eighty. If we counted cor
Wonderful job" exclaimed Pres
Rock, suppose you tell US every-
hin thet come off"
Thus adjured, Rock began a minute
OF the situation from the
say' ~ caught the two ridgers spy
ng upon him from the slope
so you invited Dunno to draw7n
rreston queried, rising with his eyes
IKE lights behind Transparent wells
BOSS, 1 did. Reckon / was good
ma sore" admitted Rock. But what
QUO you expect OF me? He made me
'ut a r%ustler. tho he crawfished vel
on 1t. Besides, that insult ex-
ended to my boss, didn't it?"
COWBOY, / never expected you'd
up fer me tibet way burst out
1reston, genuinely moved. Would
mind givin' me your angle on this
Most as short an sweet as the
'ther. Hesbitt is a. new rancher here,
le Doesn't know our range. There's
seen some rustlin', as you know. {
teckon Hesbitt has been losin' most ]
any OF you ranchers. He's sore, :
ma his outfits are tryin' to be wyo- |
MIN smart. They've picked on VIM {
Wal, by! It's as clean an :
az eyerythin' else about YOU" |
Preston, perturbed. FASH,
lid 0 savvy thet?" ,
d. ""Au inapiess q
Reckon this hyar deal wouldn't T
% particular bad fer me If 1t wasn't
er our butcherin' bizness." Preston
embarked, as IL thoughtfully to him
eli. Rock, however, OWNED that was 9
calculating speech. q
You hit 1t, Gage. There's the rub. Q
bunch ls you must quit the butch n
said Rock, deliberately, his n
we on Ash. He anticipated that in
ividual's reaction.
Il will, by thunder!" replied the !.
ancher, wheeling instinctively to face :
Is son. I
Ash rose out of a cloud of smoke.
l that moment, for Trueman Rock,