The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-07-10
CHAPTER N

very little was talked of except the
murder of Pete Tolman and its re-
lation to the other two killings which
had preceded it. The victims had
all been active and fragrant rustlers.
Nobody but the large cattle outfits
had any interest in destroying them.
These had double motive to rub
them out: to prevent future raids
by the men themselves, and to
throw the fear of death into their as
Sociates.
That fear, though generally con-
cealed, was plainly In evidence at
the dance. Ellen read it IN the nerv-
BUSINESS Of those she met, In the
lowered voices and furtive whisper
ings.
jeff Brand asked Ellen for a
dance. She rose at once and took
her place with him In the quadrille.
Lane Carey had brought her to the
dance.
Her eyes danced with hooking
laughter. ''You promised to help
entertain my beau, and I haven't
seen you say word to him yet
He laughed. Whoever else might
be worried, JEFF Brand was not.
''You chose the wrong beau, hon.
ey."
He was a graceful scamp, and
he danced as no other man In the
room did.
Her gaze held to his, interested
and little puzzled. Everybody
else is worried and unhappy about
what happened today. You seem
to be on the top of the world. Wasn't
Pete Tolman a friend of yours?"
1--WE rode lot Of trails together, :"
he said.
''Weu?"
st ought to be pulling a long face,
you think. My idea is different. Pete
did a lot of living IN his twenty
four years. Maybe he wandered of
the reservation considerable. He
made his own laws, and he had a
lot of fun doing it. I've heard him
say he didn't want to live to be an
old man with creaky joints, that
he'd rather go out high, wide, and
handsome. I'm gonna miss him.
But when I think of him it viii be
as saw him last, waving a hand
at me as he went over the top of a
hill at gallop."
Ellen said, II understand now"
She added gently, pete would not
want you to act solemn"
10 =%5IT z,%;-E1l =,
drop the subject. 'You know what
is worrying everybody"
''Say it plain" His face creased
to a smile. They figure III be
next"
why don't you leave this part
of the country-start tonight for
Montana?" she asked inpulsively.
His cool eyes rested on her. why,
I like this country, and my girl
lives here" he drawled.
They had strolled to one of the
benches placed along the side Of the
room.
st didn't know you had a girl, !"
she mentioned, her voice light.
''Oh, yes. She doesn't know it yet
I think she's just beginning to find
it out"
How interesting for her! Shell
be dreadfully unhappy until she is
sure of you"
81 wish I was certain of that" he
drawIed.
Let me know when I'm to con-
graduate you, Mr.. Brand"
YES" he promised. You'll
know"
The audacity of her next question
surprised and delighted him. 'sYoU
are a rustler, suppose?"
MY goodness, you go right to tle
point Nobody ever asked me that
before. You're supposed to say that
with a smile or with a gun In yore
hand.
''Tn withdraw the question, since
| it's none of my business. But I
should think that girl you were tell
ing me about would want to be very
sure you weren't."
Maybe she would rather have 4
man who just plowed and dug" he
said scornfully.
She might. There is another
name for rustling."
tive heard it. The big cattlemen
like to use It when they speak Of
their small neighbors, but I don't
expect they like the word applied
when they fence land that doesn't
belong to them or homestead public
domain by using their own riders as
dummy entrymen."
The reckless gaiety had been
washed from his face and left il
grim and bitter.
ITO mr. 1oH1rrRr-rn1