The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-07-26

button hole bushes" he told her, "all
blooming in the snow. And it looks
as If 1t might not rain, hope. Did
your father get back?"
mo. He's still in Waterman. So
Is Harry Wilson. Doc Harper came
out. They've brought Billy up here
already"
"The devill Where Is he?"
"Here, l said" Her voice took on
faint edge. do you want to see him?".
where's Lee Bishop?"
"He rode out again."
He gulped down the remainder OF
his coffee in silence. And when he
had finished she led him through the
house to the room where Billy Petersen
lay.
He was propped up In four-poster
bed that must have been hauled into
the rimrock long ago, in the early days
Of the brand.
1t could have belonged to no one
but jeans mother; and the room 1t
occupied was obviously the most IA
vored room in the house. The walls
were hung with pictures, and gayety
of hooked rugs and cretonne curtains
was augmented in warmth and color
by the cracking blaze In the fireplace.
The cowboy looked out Of place as
If he not only had been put here
against his will, but felt pretty sure
that he would be kicked out as soon as
the old boss got back. A book, face
down in chair by the bed, told Ken
lucky that Jean had probably been
reading to Billy. Undoubtedly, the
youngster was mystified by all this
attention. Kentucky, however, was not
mystified; the whole thing suggested
that Jean had been moved to try to
make up to Billy Peterson what could
never be made up to Jim Humphreys,
who was dead.
"What are you doing up here"
Kentucky demanded. "Doc Hopper
should have left you down on the
Bake Pan"
st wasn't Doc Hopper" Billy told
him. about four o'clock this morn
ing I made Lee saddle up and bring
me. About half way l wished I'd stayed
where was. 1t sure didn't do me no
good"
There was a moments pause while
Kentucky Jones waited for the in
evitable question about how he had
come out with Joe st. Marie. Yet the
question did not come; and Kentucky
abruptly recognized that Billy Petersen
had not been told anything about
where Kentucky had gone.
"Do you know where Lee went"
he asked Billy.
"He's gone cunning after Bill Nc
Cord"
"Gunning after" Kentucky turned
on Jean. why didn't you tell me this
as soon as came in?"
fiat Indifference of her voice un-
| changed.
Billy Petersen said, lice told me not
to say anything about it until he was
long gone. l wouldn't say anything
now; except sure don't like this bust
ness, Kentuck-I thought maybe you'd
want to go and side him, or something"
"Dear Cdr Kentucky exploded.
fright into their handsl How long
has he been gomez"
| "About two hours"
"Was he going straight to the SS?"='
mo; don't guess he was going to
the IS at ALL He figured he'd go over
in the West Cuts. He figures Bill Nc
Cord has been over working in there.
Naturally. he was hoping for chance
to get McCord alone"
"And I'm supposed to be able to go
over and pick him up in the West
| Cuts" Kentucky raved.
"Well, he didn't ask no one to pick
him up"
"Next thing We'll be tying him on
q pack mule" Kentucky growled, and
went out like long-horn bull on the
prod.
Going through the kitchen Kentucky
Jones caught up his sheep-lined coat
with one hand, and handful of cold
| french fried potatoes in the other,
for he was wolf-hungry yet, and didn't
know when he would get chance to
eat again. Out at the corral he picked
out a blocky zebra dun horse, dropped
his rope on it, and swung his saddle
aboard. Two minutes later he was
riding westward at light trot.
In that country Of canyon-slashed
rimrock no part Of Wolf Bench could
be called unbroken; but to the stranger
the branching and forking canyons Of
the West Cuts presented a discourag-
ing maze. The abrupt walls of the
canyons, dropping sheer hundreds of
feet from the levels Of the bench, Of
fered a series Of appalling barriers,
repeatedly demanding detours Of I'M
known length. Riders long in the rim
rock learned thousand ways to get
into those canyons and out Of them
again; but to the rider who did not
know them 1t too often appeared that
there were no ways at all.
Kentucky Jones was anything but
familiar with the intricacies of the
West Cuts. But he knew the general
lay of the land and the typical tricks
of canyons; and he knew what men