The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-06-09
CHAPTER XI-Continued

uuueT TWO udyS, Wueu he SetS W lhS
river he'll find sixty of my men be-
tween him and the farther shore. How
ever, il will entail some loss en- route
and far heavier losses getting the
sheep back on the range again. Bobby,
I've got to stop that procession at the
first water-hole, scatter Dingle and his
men and put my own brave boys in
charge. Meanwhile. we'll ride down to
that dust cloud and make a recon-
Nuisance"
They did, keeping to the backbone
OF the western fringe of foothills An
hour of hard riding brought them to
the crest of the slate-colored hills. Be
low them plain sloped gently into the
blush haze; family to them came the
continuous bleating of sheep; dirty
gray blur indicated the flock. At its
rear and on the TANKS, little black
dots, that were herders and sheep
dogs, urged the weary animals along.
Don jaime counted the largest dots.
Twenty herders." Roberta heard
him remark. half to himself. Hum
MN! 1t doesn't look as if it would be
quite safe to give Bill Dingle his walk
ing papers today. He is not in a mood
to accept them" He cased his binocu-
lars, whirled his horse and. without
even a look at the girl beside him,
started back the way they had come.
what are you going to do, Jimmy?"
she asked anxiously, squirting up along
side of him.
Were going back to the motor
car. Bobby. Tn going to send Aurelio
back to Vale Verde for reinforce
ments."
'Will there be a fight?
81 think 50, Bobby. Dingle has
twenty herders. Six, with the dogs,
should be ample to maneuver those
sheep. So it looks as if he had pre-
pared for trouble, and when men pre-
pare for trouble it's pretty good sign
they will not avoid it."
81 don't want a fight" the girl cried
passionately. "You and some of your
men may get hurt-killed."
"Quite likely. have no intention
of making this anything but a slaugh-
ter"
"Oh, Jimmy, please listen to me.
I'd rather lose every head of those
awful sheep than have anybody killed
defending them. Send to Los Ago
dones for the sheriff and a posse to
head Dingle off. This is the sheriff.
business, not yours"
"A good plan for weaklings," he re-
piled CURLY. "YOu seem to forget that
even members of sheriffs posse are
dependable. Bobby, there's always an
open season on thieves, and any citi-
zen, catching a thief red-handed, may
help himself to the sport to the limit
of his desires and his ammunition. It's
always been the custom in this coun-
from thieves"
II forbid you to make another move
In the protection of my property, jim
my. | can stand the loss-now. If
anything should happen to you I'd
never forgive myself"
He smiled across at her benignly.
sand if ever fell so low as to let a
thief escape in daylight I'd never for
give myself. Bobby. I'd lose caste in
my own country"
'But those sheep are mine," she
cried desperately. "The affair is none
of your business. Jimmy-please lis
ten to me-"
He glared at her. 'Tm ashamed of
you. thought you had courage. You
haven't-so now 1t seems l must tell
you something. Those sheep are not
yours. They're mine! Don Prudencio
had an offer for the lot from a man
named Blodgett. The price was right
and Prudy and decided you should
sell. The court agreed-and we sold.
Yesterday the buyer decided he had
made mistake-and sold the sheep to
me at a lower price. l didn't intend
to tell you about this, of course, but
circumstances compel me. What
own ] keep-and I'll always fight for
my own. Now Is your conscience
quieted"
Roberta commenced to sob. "Oh,
Jimmy, I'm afraid-terribly afraid
have presentiment you'll be killed.
would that matter so very much
to your" His hand closed over her
arm. Look at me, Roberta. Would
II matter so very much?"
She nodded an affirmative, unable to
trust herself to speak.
he said something in Spanish. Ro-
berta suspected 1t was an oathl I'm
the picture Of bad luck" he com
planned. 81 don't want this fight, but
i just can't afford to let Dingle get
away into Mexico with a quarter of a
million dollars worth Of my property.
The loss might put me into the hands
of receiver-so, much as would like
to oblige you, Bobby, l must inform
you that about sunset HIS going to
pop over yonder."
The tears coursed down her cheeks.
She was beyond words now. Don't
feel bad. Bobby" he urged. "We'll
open the fight at long range. Ken and
] are absolutely deadly up to thou
sand yards. Those herders are mostly
Mexicans-riff-raff-a at ranges be-
yond three hundred yards their shoot.
ing is sloppy. know, Bobby. I've
been through a dozen brushes with
them"
"Oh, Jimmy! Please-please. for
my sake"
He pulled up his horse and glow
cred at her. "My dear girl" he cried
sharply. 'you're trying to make quit
ter out of me- When a man permits a
woman to rob him Of his strength he
might as well get killed and have bis