The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-05-30

murder fheZSs= herds were pouring
across the Bar Hook range. For the
present he had to admit that he was
sure of nothing more. He closed his
mind to the puzzle, and tried TO browse.
But presently he found himself
| reused sharply to new wakefulness.
| For some moments he lay listening in
| tenrly, unable to decide what was
wrong. Then there came to his ears
| the slip of cold wood on wood. He
knew at once that someone's hand had
fumbled In an effort to take down the
bars OF gate In silence.
| Kentucky Jones stenped to the open
window. Against the clean sparkle or
the snow all snowless objects stood OUT
In etched relief. Near the down-coun-
disappear at once behind the stone
pump house. Kentucky swore under
his breath. He had been unable TO
recognize the rider. but the horse he
| knew-a tall black with long white
| stocking on the Off fore leg. 1t was
/ the horse Joe st. Marie had ridden that
/ day.
/ Kentucky Jones returned to his blan-
kets with his nerves on peculiar edge.
He rolled cigarette, and thought OF
Joe St Marie.
The crack bronc rider was q man
of peculiarly mixed type. Almost no
trace OF accent or cultural came into
his speech. ST. Marie was unusual IN
dark strain in his blood. The big steel
:. conchos on his fve-inch belt and the
silver work OF his spurs and bit were
barbarian touches hardly ever seen In
the Wolf Bench rimrock any more.
So little further insight into this man
was afforded by better acquaintance
that many must have supposed that
this was all there was to know about
Joe st. Marie. But Kentucky was not
so sure. St Marie was too compactly
self sufficient, he thought, to be 81
easily known.
He was able to fix upon one imme
diate probability. II Joe st. Marie had
gone out. he would presently return
Had he meant to jump the range he
could have used any number of sub
terfuges for giving himself long start
before his absence was noted. st
Marie would be back that night; and
since he had not bothered to pick q
fresh horse, he probably did not near
to be long gone. Kentucky dressed
and propped himself UP In the corner
of his bunk to watch the pump house
trail.
An hour passed. more than an hour
Looking at his watch he was aston
ished to learn that 1t was only quarter
past eleven O'clock Sometime he hat
dozed but he was certain that he would
have heard st. Marle's horse II 1t had
come In. He smoked again, and walt
ed ten minutes more.
Upon the snow. a spot appeared. II
pulled up shifted and separated, ane
he saw that II was not one horse bu'
two, and the watcher made out thai
the second horse appeared to be 8
pinto, for he could not see the AMI
mails fore legs, and thus knew tina
they must be white. Suddenly he knew
that he was looking at the pinto horse
OF Bob Elliot.
Kentucky Jones spat through hi.
teeth. and anger rose Into his head Ike
rising wind. Here was something
definite and conclusive, upon which {
, man could lay his hands. The Bal
Hook rider whom he was now GER
! tain was Joe ST. Marie, had ridden on
TO confer with the boss OF the IS. Hi
J promised himself that within FIVE min
! utes he would know exactly what tina
exclusive saddle conference meant.
The pinto horse now turned, goin:
back the way 1t had come; and thu
other Rider, coming on, was lost to view
again In the dip OF the ground.
Kentucky Jones took up the long
: barreled Colt which had so seldom
: emerged frcm the bottom of his wa
: bag, stepped through the window. an,
: ran to the corner OF the house. Agains
| the far corral stood stable shed o
} peeled logs. To this he made his way
keeping 1t between himself and tn
trail. Within the long shed. across on
end. was fixed d horizontal log, used a
a saddle rack , he knew the rider woul'
return his saddle here. Beside It, Ii
black shadow. he took his post
1t seemed to him that the night wa
silent for long time before finally b
heard again, close at hand, the SINAI
crunching complaint OF the snow Iunde
the hoofs of walking horse
Flattenlng himself against the wa
he could see neither horse nor ride
as the pony was led close to the stahl
shelter. The animal was still out o
his angle Of vision MS he heard tn
rider drag the saddle off, not tire
yards from where he stood.
Then close beside him rider ar
peared, and for moment was 81
honette against the snow. d figur
made shapeless by the shouldered sac
die.
Within the stable he could see mott
Ing at all, though the other eased IN
saddle upon the rack so close at han
that swinging stirrup struck hi