Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-05-12
CHAPTER KIM


In the morning Breck found his
telephone dead and patrolled the
line until midday before discover
ing the break. Returning to Rock
House late afternoon, he was half
way across the meadow when he
caught movement in the pines
around his cabin. A horse whin-
MED. His hand had learned the hab-
it OF dropping to his gun. He went
on, alert and tense in his saddle.
Shadows about the station hid the
animal tied at his rack until he ap-
preached within a short distance,
then he saw the blue color. A
moment later Louise rose from
the log where she had been sitting
and took a step to meet him.
He swung down beside her happi-
ly. II didn't expect a visitor, or
would have left the cabin unlocked.
How are you, Louise?"
"Oh, able to be about"
There was but a momentary
warmth in her greeting, then she
seemed to draw within herself. Her
manner was again casual as she
said, Il came this way to tell you
something that is really none of my
business"
''What?"
There's to be a meeting tonight
In Jackson's camp at Bear Trap.
rode that way coming up from the
Potholes, and talked to JIG himself"
"A cattle meeting?" Brock asked.
"Of course"
He frowned. A meeting of cattle
men was not his affair. They would
not welcome him, unlimited. He said
SO.
The girl shrugged. "All depends
on how you 60 into it. But there, l
thought you probably wouldn't be
interested" She moved toward her
horse.
"Louise!" Breck caught her and
turned her about until she faced
him. "Tell me, be wide open for
once, is this something I ought to
have hand in?"
1T isn't on the ranger books"
she answered, "but it is something
you ought to have hand in, very
much" She paused, hesitating
over her next words, then finished
gravely, "You could do a lot to-
night-or nothing. I wonder :"
Abruptly she gathered her reins and
mounted. Then in the instant be-
fore she wheeled her horse and
loped away, she looked down and
completed her thought. II wonder
II have judged you right"
Breck lost no time in making q
decision. He would take Louise's
advice and 60 to Bear Trap, though
she had not said what the meeting
was about, nor why he should have
hand in 1t. Some way to turn the
cattlemen back into his friendship?
They were in trouble?
He fed Kit, cooked hasty meal,
and in half an hour was headed
into the Bear Trap trail. Dusk closed
the forest about him, bringing that
sense of loneliness so often a part
of the days end. It was increased
tonight. He thought of Louise. She
too % this moment was riding alone
somewhere across the mountains.
Safe? OF course. She was a noun
tain girl.
His horse clattered on up the
ridge. Breck continued to think of
her, until suddenly in glancing
about, he was swept by the feeling
that he had just become awake.
Louise must have ridden miles out
of her trail if she had come this
way. She might have waited hours
at the station to give him a chance
with JIG.
She cared enough to do that! She
believed he could prove himself one
of the men.
''Idiot!" he flared, 'you didn't
even say thanks!" Impulsively he
wanted to wheel Kit and follow her.
He looked up through the pine tops
at the stars, seeing strange new
beauty in them. Moonlight and shad-
ows lay in soft lace patterns under
foot. Swiftly a yearning possessed
him. More-there was a great deal
more he could say to her tonight!
He turned upon himself. "You
roughneck, you'll do well to keep
your heSd on one job at tlme!"
About midnight he rode onto the
table-iand Of Bear Trap and was
guided to Jackson's camp by a soil
tary point of light. He approached
the cabin, then even before he could
dismount, the door opened a crack
and a voice demanded: who's
there?"
Ranger" Brock answered. He
swung to the, ground, secured Kit to
q tree md moved toward the chink
where JIG peered out. "Howdy,
Jackson" he said casually. ''how's
sverything?"
Brock felt a steady scrutiny, then
the door opened. He entered and at
once a dozen faces confronted him,
some questioning, others openly
glaring. None were faces he could
recognize, though no doubt they had
all been at the count and were for
the most part cowhandS EMPLOYED