The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-10-21
CATTLE KINGDOM

country. i u WdSu LILY AioiloS VI IiC
whole works, and good riddance-if
it wasn't for the girl"
It always came back to Marian.
The old man didn't dare lose be-
cause of what it meant to the girl !;
he had labored for her too long, in
years that for any other man would
have been the twilight years of his
life.
She came before Wheeler's eyes
now, between himself and Horse
Dunn, almost as clearly as if she
had really been in the room.
Dunn was saying, "Know what I'd
like to do? I'd like to cut out for the
Argentine. Where mans cows
have chance to turn around, by
God. I'd"
Argentine, hell" Billy exploded
at him. "If I'd been running this
outfit, this situation would never
have come up or started to come
up!"
81 suppose you'd have sold out, I"
Dunn said, hard edge on his voice.
maybe and maybe not. But I
wouldn't have gone cow crazy,
range crazy, until I couldn't afford
to work my stock!"
Strangely, Horse did not anger.
Wheeler saw that the Old Man
thought his TRADE was merely based
on youth and ignorance, which he
had seen in unlimited quantities be-
fore.
Maybe" Dunn said now, you'd
have kept the 81 little one-horse
spread-in the best of shape. But
that amt the question now. We're
where we are, and there's no use
fighting over what went before"
81 can save it yet" Wheeler told
him rashly. 81 can throw hum
dred thousand into the a."
81 didn't know you could swing
that much. You got it, Billy"
what I haven't got of i'll can
get"
Horse Dunn studied him, sadly, a
long time. "That's an offer, is it?"
he said at last.
Son one condition. That you give
me a free hand, to hire, fire, buy
or sell, land or cattle, for three
years"
ST believe" said Dunn, std even
do that"
cts a deal, them"
"No! You and nell never make a
deal like that"
'It's your out" Wheeler told him,
"and it's your only out. Let me
take the finance and the outfit-and
all the other ruction falls to pieces"
And now Horse Dunn's eyes
blazed again, and his voice crack
led. you'll never put dime in
this brandt"
cts her brand" Wheeler remind
ed him. "You willing to let it bust
up and 60 down, and the girl and
her mother without cent?"
"Let 'er bust-before it ever
hangs on your dough-"
''But damnation-why?"
"You want to know why? I'll tell
you why! Because you want that
girl! You want that girl-you think
I'm blind? But she don't want you.
I'd no sooner put her in your debt
than I'd sell her to you outright.
You're only making the offer be-
cause you're in love with Marian"
you're crazy! I'm making the
offer because I think I can come
out on it,
"You want the girl" Horse per-
sisted.
"You old fool" Wheeler held his
voice down-"do you think I'd ever
expect to get her that way? Do you
think I'd want her on the basis Of"
Anyway, that's all over and
done, two years back" Wheeler lied.
"Once she could have had me body
and soul. But that's all over.
wouldn't tie myself up, not now, to
her or anyone else"
"You lie," said Horse calmly.
Horse, if you'll let me take"
"Never a dime of your money in
her brand" Horse said with utter
finality.
Wheeler turned in that night feel
ing old and grim.
1t was still dark as Billy Wheeler
let himself noiselessly into the cook
shack and lighted a lamp. He found
himself cold biscuits; and in a huge