The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-09-28
CHAPTER III

Next morning they got late start.
Nevertheless Hays assured Jim that
they would reach Star ranch towards
evening.
The trail led up wide, shallow,
gravelly canyon full Of green growths.
They rode on side by side. The trail
led into a wider one, coming around
from the northeast. Jim did not miss
fresh hoof tracks, and Hays was not
far behind in discovering them.
woods full of riders" he NUT
tered.
"How long have you been gone,
Hays?" inquired Jim.
From Star ranch? Let's see.
Must be couple of weeks. Too long,
by gosh! Herrick sent me to Grand
Junction. An on the way back l cir
cled. Thet's how happened to make
Green River"
"Did you expect to meet Happy
Jack and Lincoln there"
"Shore. An some more Of my out
fit. But guess you'll more'n make up
for the other fellers."
"Hope l don't disappoint you," said
Jim, dryly.
"Well, you haven't so far. Only
I'd feel better, Jim, If you'd come
clean with who you air an what you
air."
"Hays, 1 didn't ask you to take
me on"
"Shore, you're right. Reckon I
figured everybody knew Hank Hays.
Why, there's town down here named
after me, Hankville."
"a town? No one would think it."
"Wal, it amt much to brag on. A
few cabins, the first Of which threw
up with my father years ago. In his
later years he was a prospector. We
lived there for years. l trapped fur
up here in the mountains. In fact I
got to know the whole country except
tibet Black Dragon canyon, an tibet
hellhole Of the Dirty Devil. :. My
old man was shot by rustlers."
II gathered you'd no use for rus
tiers. Well, then, Hays, how'd
you fall into your present line of
business?'
"Haw! Haw! Present line. Thet's
a good one. Now, Jim, what do you
reckon tibet line is?"
You seem to be versatile, Hays.
But if ! was to judge I'd say you re-
heved people Of surplus cash."
"Very nice put, Jim. I'd hate to be
low-down thief. Jim, / was
an honest man once, not so long ago.
1t was woman who made me what
I am today. Thet's why I'm cold on
women"
Were you ever married?" went on
Jim, stirred little by the others
crude pathos.
'Thet was the hi of It," replied
Hays, and he seemed to lose desire to
confide further.
They rode into the zone of the
foothills, with ever-increasing evil
dence Of fertility. But Jim's view
had been restricted for several hours,
permitting only occasional glimpses
up the gray-black slopes of the
Henrys and none at all of the low
country.
Therefore Jim was scarcely pre-
pared to come round q corner and
out into the open. Stunned by the
magnif1cence of the scene he would
have halted Bay on the spot, but he
espied Hays waiting for him ahead.
"Wal, pard, this here Is Utah." said
Hays, as Jim came up, and his voice
held q note of pride. Round the
corner here you can see Herrick's
valley an ranch. It's a bit of rich
land thirty miles long an half as
wide, narrowin' like wedge. Now
let's ride on, Jim, an have a look
at it."
Across the mouth of Herrick's gray
green valley, which opened under the
escarpment from which Jim gazed,
extended vast level green and black
lines Of range, one above the other,
each projecting farther out into that
blue abyss.
"Down in there somewhere this
Hank Hays will find his robbers
roost," soliloquized Jim, and turned
his horse again into the trail.
Before late afternoon of that day
Jim Wall had seen as many cattle
dotting a verdant grass, watered
valley as ever he had viewed In the
great herds driven up from Texas to
Abilene and Dodge, or on the Wind
River Range of Wyoming. A rough
estimate exceeded ten thousand head
He had taken Hays with grain of
salt. But here was an incompatible
range and here were the cattle. No
doubt, beyond the timbered bluff
across the valley lay another depres.
sion like this one, and perhaps there
were many extending like spokes Of a
wheel down from the great hub OF
the Henry mountains. But where
was the market for this unparalleled
range?
TO BE CONTINUED.