The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-06-13
CHAPTER III

Kentucky Jones had pushed his horse
steadily, and as darkness closed down
he had overtaken the Bar Hook people.
With them he had ridden the long Bar
Hook horse trail across the Bench, un-
til they came out at last upon long
rolling reaches, and the rambling build
ings of the Bar Hook doomed before
them, dark and shapeless.
The kitchen wing in which they now
gathered was built of big square-hewn
logs; but the interior was neat.
Jean Ragland said, There's no fire
made" And Kentucky noticed the odd
way in which they all fell silent for a
moment, as If it was strange and
uncommon thing that a fire should not
spring into being and set coffee on It
self, at deserted ranch.
You see," Campo Ragland said to
Kentucky, I'VE generally have a cook
around here; lately it's been lame
boy named lack Sanders. Used to be a
rider, but his horse fell ON him and
turned him into cook. But this boy
is kind of gone missing on us, it seems. y
Been missing long"
Last week he was supposed to take
two days off, and he rode over to see
a girl he has over here thirty, forty
mile" Ragland said. Il didn't notice 1t
so much Saturday, when he didn't come
in, that being the day that this-this
accident happened to Mason. But in
Waterman today his girl said he left
there Saturday sun-up. That's four
days gone"
Hell probably show up" Lee Bish-
op grunted.
"Oh, suppose So" Campo Ragland
jerked himself into activity again, and
began throwing wood into the great
stove. "The way things have been go
ing around here, it gets a Teller nerv-
Gus, / guess"
In a little while the big stove began
to fill the room with a lazy warmth,
and the hot smoky smell of frying
beef and potatoes began to thaw the
riders out With the heartening warmth
the mood of the Bar Hook changed,
so that for a little while it could have
been any ranch house, anywhere-ex-
cept that the presence of Jean Rag
land made difference here. That girl
could subtly change the time and place,
making it different from any other
ranch house and any other night. Per-
haps no cowboy ever rode for the Bar
Hook without feeling that he was in
some part riding for this girl.
Looking at her now Kentucky Jones
would not have guessed that she had
today testified concerning death that
had occurred within fifty yards of this
door; and that in the midst Of those
proceedings she had felt impelled to
thieve the heart out of the evidence of
that death.
He had come here to find out the
exact nature of the shadow which had
fastened itself on the Bar Hook, and
upon Jean Ragland as part of the Bar
Hook; and, accordingly, he turned now
to studying the others as they ate. Lee
Bishop, the solid, square-set foreman,
undoubtedly would stand steady as a
rock in a pinch. Evidently he was a
man born at a branding and raised in
the saddle, for he would hardly have
attained fOremanship at thirty had he
been handicapped in experience.
The other two cowboys Kentucky
Jones classified as couple Of kids.
Jim Humphreys, though only five years
younger than Bishop, would perhaps
always be a kid. And Billy Petersen
was the youngster, essential to every
outfit, who would be given the unde-
sirable jobs of horse-wrangling and
night herd, and errands which were a
nuisance.
Campo Ragland remained silent
throughout the meal; and for the mo-
ment Kentucky could make out no
more about him than he already know
which was little enough.
"Sure miss lack Sanders around
here" Campo said at last, getting up.
Nights well set out what Wen need,
handy to breakfast, 1 guess"
Dad" said Jean, "I'u take care of
all that"
"You get along to bed" her father
told her gruffly. Il want you to get
some Sleep"
Jean obediently picked up a lamp.
Kentucky Jones moved efficiently
about making ready for morning. Out
in lonely camps upon the range these
men would have got their own break
fasts effortlessly, without thought; but
here, where a cook was supposed to
be, cookless breakfast doomed as an
ordeal untold.
Il wish l knew" Campo began; he
was ladling fresh coffee into a big
pot with an enormous spoon-'T wish
knew" Suddenly he stopped, and
stood staring, while from the poised
spoon thin trickle of dry coffee drib.
bled to the floor.
Jean Ragland had returned, and was
standing in the broad doorway. She
still carried the lamp, and its sharp
near light illumining her face remorse.
lessly, showed thar her features were
drawn by hard and unaccustomed
emotion. 1t took moment or two for
Kentucky Jones to realize that what
he saw in the girls face was fear.
For a moment no one spoke. Then
Ragland said. very low, his coffee
spoon still motionless, what Is it.
Jean?"
Jean Ragland's voice could hardly
be heard. Someone's been through
the house."
Been through the house?"
"Ransacked 1t through and
through
Her father let the big spoon splash
into the coffee pot Jean turned
throwing the light into the room be