The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1941-04-10

InroW FEEDER herd on the trail.
Then Walk Lasiianl, in the north,
where they're already hurt for lack
of the Crying Wolf-until-"
His words were monotoned, but
Jody Gordon, bred and born to the
gaunt Texan plains, knew what a
wild bunch was, and what it meant
to go against Ben Thorpe by his own
means.
Jody said, "And-what about us?"
'sJody, I was hoping-I was hop
ing you'd swing with me-
What way is there for me to
swing with your"
''This may take a long time; but
it won't take forever. Some day
all these war clouds will be cleared
away. And-if you could see it my
way, maybe you'd let me come back
to you them"
There seemed to be no breath in
Jody's voice. I'm spposed to wait
around, and think well of you, while
you gang with the wild bunch in a
crazy, useless feud that you can't
VIM"
In the uncertain light of the fire
Bill Roper's eyes could not Be seen;
his face was a mask painted by the
embers. He found nothing that he
could say.
Suddenly Jody fiared up. Her eyes
blazed, and her hair streamed back
from her face as she sat up, as if
she rode in the wind.
"You can't, you can't! I won't
let you-it isn't fair, nor right, nor
decent"
''It's what have to do"
Jody stopped as if she had been
struck. When she spoke again her
voice was low and even, and SO
stony hard that he would not have
recognized it.
81 don't believe you. I think to-
morrow you'll be telling me that all
this isn't so. But if you do mean it
If you go on and do as you say
then you and I are through, and I
don't want to see you again, or
hear your voice. We've had ev-
erything; and you're throwing it all
away :"
The freight caught the CLINT of her
tears, and she turned away, head
up, with toss of her hair so that
its brown mist hid her face from
him.
Bill didn't say anything. He had
turned gray-faced, and he stared into
the Goals. Presently, as he watched
the fire, he saw again rift of brush,
in which little boy hid like a rab-
bit; and a gently grinning face, that
was through with grinning now. He
thought of Dry Camps story:
Seemed like he'd never fall !"
Roper got up silently, and went
out of the house.
Lew Gordon was playing solitaire
when Bill Roper got back to the
little shack by the loading pens.
Roper took off his hat, tossed it
aside, and sat down.
eve can just as well figure up the
terms of the split.
"What did Jody say?"
'sShe's quitting me, Lew"
"What the devil else can you ex-
pect her to do, if you go on with
this wild, stubborn"
81 couldn't expect anything else"
Lew Gordon looked baffled; obvi-
ously he had counted on Jody to
turn back Bill Roper.
"You ready to draw up the
terms?"
Hardly seems it can be done in
a minute. It'n take few days to-"
"I'm leaving in the morning. My
terms are few and simple. You
can work out the details any way
that suits yourself"
Lets hear your idea Of it,"
81 don't figure to take much with
me-" Roper said. "But there are
some things / need. First thing, /
want seven of our camps in Texas"
Lew Gordon stared at the table,
picked up pencil, fidgeted with it.
(Which ones?"
81 want the Pot Hook camp; and
the winter camp of the Three Bar,
and the southwest outpost of the
old Bar-Circle. I want two of the
border camps; Willow Crick will do
for one, and the Dry Saddle Cross
ing will do for the other. want the
new Bull Wagon camp, and the K-G
horse ranch at Saltwater"
"The brands are going to be ter
rible mixed up" Gordon said.
I'm only taking such cattle as
are running under odd brands; all
our regular brands stay with you.
I've placed my camps SO that your
stock can be worked as before.
Except maybe the Pot Hook, and
We'll come to some special deal"
Gordon threw his pencil down.
you're not getting anything out of
this that anybody can use," he de-
clared.
81 think I'll know how to use it.
Later on I'll send you a list of the