The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-06-02

mustn't ngnt with that Dlngle man..
ooh, there will be no fight I'll just
tell him to get out of Las Cruces coun-
ty and he'll get out. By the way, Is
Glenn Hackett pretty fine fellow?"
"As fine as man can be. think"
"Are you going to marry him. Bob
byT"
mo" She fairly fired the word at
him.
Excuse me for being curious about
your business Roberta. but l just
wanted to know if you had reason
able excuse for going back to New
York. You're very welcome here.
Won't you please stay little longerT
mo, think not, Jimmy"
He shrugged. swell. suit yourself.
But anyhow. Wen tie can to Dingle
and his men before you go" He stifled
a little yawn. SIN tired. Bobby.
Breakfast at six tomorrow morning.
Will you join me? Then we can get
an early start for the old Antrim
ranch and jolt Mr.. Dingle out of his
complacency."
She nodded and turned away to hide
the tears of modification that were
yelling to her eyes. Why couldn't he
see that she did not want to leave
Vale Verde at all? Why had he not
urged her to stay? OF course he had
urged her, but then he had not been
persistent in 1t. If he had persisted
she would have reconsidered. No, he
did not love her. Absolutely not Out
wardly he was fiery; inwardly he was
cold.
Roberta felt very miserable as she
babe him good night with little
catch in her throat.
At breakfast Jimmy noted the faint
circles under her eyes and rejoiced
exceedingly thereat. when they
worry so about a fellow that they
can't sleep, deaf man with his ear
to the ground may not infrequeltly
catch the faint sound of distant we'd
ding BELLS" he reflected.
They chatted In desultory fashion
during the meal; then Roberta went to
fetch her coat and hat. She was wait.
ing for him at the patio gate when he
emerged from the ranch office, a car
bine in his hands, a belt Oh ammuni-
ton around his waist and the two
pearl-handled pistols tied down
to his legs. Julio brought the en-
closed car up and when they climbed
in, Roberta noticed that beside Julio
sat Ken Hobart. He was armed SIM
ilarly to his chief and carried spare
carbine-for the use, in an emergency.
of the boy Julio, doubtless. An hour
later they pulled up at the Antrim
ranchhouse.
Ken Hobart got out. walked to the
front door and banged on it loudly. A
Chinaman, in greasy apron, opened it.
where's Dingle?" the foreman de-
manded.
"He go ketchum sheep. No come
back long time"
Hobart walked around the house
and inspected the interior of an equal
ly dilapidated barn.
81 imagine the Chinaman's telling
the truth. Dingle's car is not in the
barn." he reported.
We've had our drive for nothing,
Ken. Well. Wen go back to Vale
Verde, put couple of saddle horses
in a truck and run down to the range
where the sheep are. Well go as far
as we can with the truck, and this
car, then unload and ride up into the
hills. Game for the journey. Bobby?"
She nodded and they whirled across
the dusty plain to Vale Verde. Here
four horses were saddled and led up
a ramp into large motor truck, and.
preceded by the motOrcar. they headed
down the road toward Los Algodones.
They left the road presently and
broke trail across the sage to the foot
hills, where the ramp was let down
from the rear of the motor truck and
the horses backed out
ken. you and Julio ride in north
easterly direction" Don Jaime ordered.
Miss Antrim and | will ride in the
general direction of that butte yOnder
to the southeast. Aurelio, you will re-
main here with the truck and motor
car. We will meet here not later than
four O'Clock this afternoon, Ken"
Roberta mounted the hunter Don
Jaime had given her. To her surprise
she found light carbine protruding
from holster swung under the sweat
leather on her stock saddle, and belt
of cartridges hung over the pommel.
"Am expected to do some shooting
in the event of emergency, Jimmy?"
she queried.
"Not at all. But you can shoot-at
least that magazine article l read
about you so stated. If we should get
separated. even briefly, I'd feel better
to know you were armed I've been
charged On this range by wild hogs"
"In that event imagine l can take
care of myself" she assured him.
They rode steadily into the south
east. gradually climbing the butte;
when they reached it's crest a wide val
ley lay outspread before and below
them. and Don Jaime refined in his
horse. With his binoculars he swept
the country for miles in every direc-
tion but there was no sign of the vast
flock.
at would seem we're in for good
hard ride If we are to find Mr. Dingle
with those Sheep" Roberta ventured.
as he lowered the binoculars.
'They were in that valley yesterday
and two miles south of 1t the day
before. There's feed for a week yon-
der. | don't understand" He
searched with the glass again to the
south. then handed it to her. "Do you
see slight film of white dust in the
sky-rising beyond those low slate
colored hills yonder?" He pointed.
Roberta adjusted the glasses and
looked The cloud in question was