The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-03-11

1OCh IlOI AdA AAO1AA A1CASS SIAS CA
planned. "Old Pat Sorley is staying
there now. He is close-mouthed,
and he will do as I ask. And he's
a pretty good doctor too. You can
hole up there for a week and not be
seen by anybody except Pat. After
today our riders will be out of the
rimrock. I'll take you there. We'd
better hurry, so that I ear get back
before I'm missed"
He pulled himself to the saddle.
you're heaping Goals of fire IN my
red head" Gray said sardonically.
Lets get going, girl"
Ruth went back to Blue Chip,
mounted, and put the horse at the
easiest part of the slope. The cow
pony clawed it's way up like a cat,
the muscles of its legs standing out
like heavy ropes.
1--WE don't want to meet any
body" the girl said. Better swing
off to the right"
you're the caporal of this out
fit," he told her.
She led the way into the chapar-
raj, guiding Blue Chip through the
mesquite and the cholla with an ad-
mirable economy of motion.
They crossed the mesa and
dropped down into a gulch which
took them through the broken rim
rock to a point where they looked
down on a wide valley below. Ruth
turned to the left, picking a way
among the boulders and working up
again into the rimrock along a cow
trail. This dipped sharply, at a
fault in the ledge, to a small park
containing four or five acres. This
was so completely hidden that no.
body could have suspected its ex-
istence from the contour of the coun-
try.
A corral of thorny ocotillo lay at
their feet. Close to it was a barn
built of sahuaro poles and mud.
The cabin nestled against a rock
wall that bounded the far side of the
park.
The girl and the man wound down
into the little mountain valley and
crossed to the cabin. Someone stood
in the doorway and watched their
approach.
Pat Sorley was a little old man
with a wrinkled face like a map of
Ireland. At sight of Ruth he twisted
it to a grin. They were the best of
friends. His hands were in his pock-
cts and there was a clay pipe in
his mouth.
Ruth waved at him. He took one
hand from a pocket and the pipe
from his mouth.
cts glad I am to see you, Miss
Ruth" he said.
"I've brought someone to stay
with you, Pat" the girl told him.
She turned to the guest, a touch of
cool i%nsolence in her voice. "You
said your name is"
"Still jeff Gray" the man said in
his soft, hooking drawl. He under
stood that Ruth Chiswick was going
to make it clear to the line-rider
he was no friend.
"Mr. Gray has been hurt" she
said. II want you to patch him up
and keep him hidden here until he
can travel"
"Hidden who from?" Pat asked.
From my father and my broth
ers and any of riders"
"And what for would I be doing
that?" Pat asked bluntly.
"Out of Christian charity" Gray
murmured ironically. I'm supposed
to have taken a crack with a six
gun at Lee Chiswick in Tail Holt the
other day."
Pat bristled. you've got a nerve
telling me that" He turned to the
young woman. "In be listenin' to
anything you've got to tell me, Miss
Ruth"
Hes wounded" she answered.
Lets take care of him and do the
explaining afterward, Pat"
There's sense in that" Pat did
not know how much or how little
of what this fellow had said was
true, but he did not intend to be the
victim of his derision. Better get
that brindle thatch down and let's