The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-06-14


 moon.
 Here and there, dark punches of sage and catcimw stood out ln etched relief, and far in the dis. tnnee other black dots that shifted and moved marked tha position Of tho herd.
 Tomorrow they'll be on their way tO town, Fireiiyl" Sue voiced her thought aloud. as she straight. ened 0ut her pOHy'n mRDe, and and gave him an RfectiOnnte nat, And, boyl Will be thankfui'"
 4 long sigh of relief aGcompa. nIed her words, for on those shift ing. distant dots depended the future of the ranch.
 The ever declining cattle maFk0t had put her father in c tight place and without ready money tO pay UH tha mortgage, they faced fore. closure, Every possible delay had been granted them, and they were now down tO bedrock,
 In the emergency. Sues father hnd decided Co sacrifice the best of his herd to raise the necessary money, and for Inc last week tho boys had been rounding them ID, cpnrhtory to the drive Co town
 huc glanced nt her watch and reluctantly picked up Fireny'h \ reinH. She hated 10 g0 hack ! Everything wnn HO lonely, and the warm night mir soft ns careHa.
 ~ wouldn't 70, either. Fireny,' . she explained, "Only Dads H0 ner. vous over thls rumor about rust. lerA' He'll have n ni if we arc ont late"
 Hh" looked Tor ons last rsaahuf. Ing glance ht tho herd. and, with an exclamation, halted Fir.Hy as he started for the trail,
 Instead 0f iha hlmOHt ifnperCsp. tible shifting Of the distant black f0tn, there was h sudden herelern. lion Of movement among them, and even hH she watched, it seemed aa though her startled snrs cnuRhi tho far away ronr of guns, "pM GETTING AS
 NERVOUS AZ DAD"
 'T'm getting hA nervous aA Dadl [ couldn't possibly hsAr Run play from thlH distanGe." Nhe forced n laugh Co rsnwure herHeif, but it was strained and harsh in her ears md her hands GionChed nerVOuHly over the reina nH Hha strained her aynH toward the rapidly changing phtinfn 0f ih. black dots in tha moonlight
 The b0yA are Just keeping them from scattering too much, that must be Itl" Ter murmur was m0rs in the nature Of h prhyaT than aH explanation. Hhs waited in tense anxiety, nDmeBtarily hoping tO Hsh tho movement 0f ths herd nettle back Co IiH former inaotlv' ity.
 Instead of thla, the confusion gradually Atrhightsned out Into h loDg winding ilna that headed 70 tho north, hnd with h mortified gasp. hue faced th" desperate truth,
 The ruAtierA had ths herd In hand They were making for he border
 it was mol bue'H way to stand impOteDt in the fhcs of disaster, and her mind srippsd the prob. lem with ths clarity Of deAD0rntiOn, it would bs impossible Co reach ths ranch in tinns Co Ret help Whatever could be s0De Ahs must dO herHeIf,
 Her syestraveied around the line 0f the rim from which ah0 was viewing tha death 0f all thnit hopes. it curved Co tbe north, whefe it met a spur of the noun inlDH, and rose tO abrupt heights,
 The ruAtiefR intentions wsra cisnr enough, They wrrs counting 0n getting the herd through tbt narrow pass thnt cut through tho rim before morning,
 By HtntIODink C guard thhFs, they 0OuId eut of all possible pur' suit until they had made e got away with their loot 0vsr the boz drr,
 There WAS one, and only one ohnnrel That was Co roach tho pnAe before they did, and stan. pedo ihs herd back on Co the mesn, Thsre would loo no chnnGo for ths buAtlerh t0 collect them Oues they were Hoattared, TOmOrs row inc boys could round tham Up