The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-10-05
"Hays has suggested making you his

duties 10 keep my books"
I've tackled that Job before"
$50 was tellin' the boys" inter
posed Hays
"As understand ranching," went
on Herrick, "a foreman handles the
riders. Now. as this ranching game is
strange to me I'm glad to have fore
man OF experience. My idea was to
hire some gunner along with the cow
boys. Hays name was given me at
Grand Junction as the hardest nut in
eastern Utah. 1t got noised about, l
presume. for other men with reputa-
tons calculated to intimidate thieves
applied to me- I took on Heeseman
and his friends"
But you really did not need go to
the expense-and risk. might add-of
hiring Heeseman's outfit"
Expense Is no object. Risk, how
ever-what do you mean by risk?"
Between ourselves, I strongly sus-
pect that Heeseman is a rustler."
by Jove! You don't say? This Is
ripping. Heeseman said the identical
thing about Hays"
oval, Mr.. Herrick, don't you worry
none," interposed Hays, suavely.
ashore I don't take kind to what
Heeseman called me to your face, but
l can overlook it for the present. You
see, if Heeseman is workin' for you he
can't rustic as many cattle as IL he
wasn't. Anythin' come of that deal
you had on with the Grand Junction
OUTFIT"
Eyes. l received their reply the other
day." rejoined Herrick. "By Jove,
that reminds me. I had word from
my sister, Helen. 1t came from st.
Louis. She is coming through Denver
and will arrive at Grand Junction
about the fifteenth"
Young girl-if may ask?" added
Jim.
Young woman. Helen is twenty
two"
Comm for a little visit?" asked
Hays.
"By Jove, 1t bids fair to be a life
long one," declared Herrick, as If
pleased. "She wants to make Star
ranch her home. We are devoted to
each other. If she can stick it out in
this bush I'll be jolly glad. Can you
drive from Grand Junction in one
day?"
"Shore. Easy with a blackboard an
a good team" replied Hays.
Herrick resumed his walk with
Hays, leaving Jim to his own devices.
Jim strolled around the corrals, the
sheds, down the lane between the pas
lures, out to the open range.
This Englishmans sister-this Helen
Herrick-she would be coming to re
mote, wild and beautiful valley. What
would the girl be like? Twenty-Five
years old, strong, horsewoman, and
handsome likely blond, as was
her brother And Jim made mental
calculation of the ruffians in Herricks
employ. Eighteen!
After supper Hays leaned back and
surveyed the company. "Fellers, we've
a pow-wow on hand. Clear the table.
Fetch another lamp. Well lay out the
cards an some coin, so we can pre-
tend to be settin' in a little game If
anybody happens along. But the game
we're really settin' in is the biggest
ever dealt in Utah.
Talk low, everybody" instructed
Hays. "An' one of you step out on
the porch now an then. Heeseman
might be slick enough to send scout
over here. Cause we're goin' to do
tibet little thing to him. Happy,
dig up tibet box of cigars I've been
savin'."
blank, trot out some champagne"
jeered Brad Lincoln.
"Nothin' to drink, fellers," returned
Hays. Were robber outfit. No ar
gum or fightin'. >. Any of you who
doesn't like tibet can walk out now"
They were impressed by his cool
force.
"All right. Wal an good. We're
Set" he went on. To-day changed
my mind about goin' slow with this
job"
w I'LL udu q HASH VI ulf ludliOu
as to this sudden right-about-face.
"Herrick reckons there are upwards
of ten thousand head of stock on the
range. Some of these ranchers he
bought out sold without a count.
bought half a dozen herds for Herrick.
An underestimate say, rough cal
culatin', around two thousand head.
So there's twelve thousand good.
Thet's a herd, fellers. Air there any
of you who wouldn't care to play a
game for twelve thousand head of
cattle at forty dollars peri"
There did not appear to be single
one.
"Ahuh. Wal, thet's okay. Now, can
we drive such a big herd?"
BOSS, listen to this idee," spoke up
Smoky. "Most Of these Star cattle
range down the valley twenty miles be-
low here. How'd it do for, say, five of
us to quit Herrick an hide below
somewhere? Meanwhile you go to
Grand Junction an arrange to have
your buyers expect a bunch Of cat
tie every week. A thousand to two
thousand head. We'd make the drives
an keep it up as long as it worked
You're boss, an Wall here Is foreman.
You could keep the cowboys close to
the ranch"
TO BE CONTINUED.