The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-09-09
CHAPTER H-COntinued

Wheeler was silent. He could not
altogether agree with Horse Dunn.
He had seen range quarrels settled
by gunfre-but never to the adj
vantage of either winner or loser.
However, he wasn't going to argue
with the Old Man.
what if she ties my hands?"
Dunn demanded. 1--WE got to fight
this thing my own way. For myself
/ wouldn't so much mind. But amt
the outfit hers, to begin WITH"
"Hers?" Wheeler repeated.
''Sure, it's hers. Didn't you know
that?"
Wheeler had not known it. "But
look here! You've run this brand
ever since l can remember. You
must at least have some part in
terest here"
''Not a penny or a head of stock"
Dunn told him.
But l happen to know" Wheeler
declared, that you've always had
an outfit, another outfit, down in Ari-
IONA. Yet your Arizona outfit hasn't
seen you four times in dozen
years"
give had my hands full here"
Dunn said.
"You mean," Billy Wheeler said,
''you spent the last twelve-thirteen
years neglecting your own outfit to
build up brand that don't belong
to your"
Dunn shrugged. Somebody had
to take holt. My brother died-sud-
den. He didn't leave the "a in very
good shape. For two years it was
run by different bosses hired. But
this same Link Bender-he had a
big outfit then-he was stealing the
"a blind Pretty soon there wouldn't
have been any "a. And it was all
the kid and her mother had
Billy Wheeler stared at Horse
Dunn. Once he had heard it ru-
mored that Horse Dunn had loved
Marian's mother, long ago.
''Marian's mother always hated
and feared this country. She
brought up Marian to feel some SIM
liar. That's why the kid can't stand
gunsmoke, or anything done by
force. You see-my brother died
with a gun in his hand"
Wheeler, unable to endorse the
Old Mans leaning toward violence,
expressed belief that there ought
to be some way to avoid smoking up
the range. eff we can hold the "a
steady on the finance SIDE" he said,
I'LL Nr1rI
do?"
'God knows I've took all the steps
know to steady the finance side,"
Horse Dunn said. ga minute ago
you spoke of my having an outfit
in Arizona. Well, l had an outfit
in Arizona. Six weeks ago I sent
word to Bob Flagg, my partner
For the last ten days I've been look
ing for Bob Flagg. He's supposed
to show here with $50, 900, as good as
in cash; another $50, 900 in different
obligations and notes. Everything
I've got goes to the bracing of the
a."
Horse stared out the open door
way toward the corrals; and now
Billy Wheeler saw Horse Dunn's
rocky face slowly relax, and soften.
Out at the far corral Marian had
caught the quiet old pony that Horse
had given her, and was preparing
to saddle. Horse Dunn watched her,
his eyes gentle There was always
a shy humility about that strapping
big old man when he looked at this
girl, this daughter of his dead broth
er. 1t was almost as if he might
have been looking at his own daugh-
ter, who had grown up away from
him. After all, she might have been
his daughter, if things had broken
differently once.
''You go ride with her." Dunn
said with a certain awkwardness.
'You talk to her. Try to make her
see that-that this is "a different
country, kind Of"
''She doesn't take any stock in
me, Horse"
"You go, anyway" Dunn insist
ed. 81 don't like to have her riding
this big range alone"
With a curious reluctance Wheeler
picked up his hat and walked out
to the stable where his saddle was.