The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-10-24
CHAPTER XII

At the Sleepy Cat Ranch dance
very little was talked of except the
murder of Pete Tolman and it's re-
latioh to the other two killings which
had preceded it. The victims had
all been active and fragrant rustlers.
Real 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 a 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?"
''We rode lot of trails together"
he said.
"Well?"
81 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 off
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 crealxy joints, that
he'd rather 60 out high, wide, and
handsome. I'm gonna miss him.
But when I think of him it will be
as I saw him last, waving hand
at me as he went over the top of
hill at a gallop."
Ellen said, 81 understand now"
She added gently, "Pete would not
want you to act solemn"
She still was not quite satisfied to
drop the subject. "You know what
: is worrying everybody"
"Say it plain" His face creased
to a smile. "They figure I'll be
next"
"Why don't you leave this part
Of the country-start tonight for
Montana?" she asked impulsively.
His cool eyes rested on her. "Why,
! 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.
81 didn't know you had a GIRL"
she mentioned, her voice light.
'Oh, yes. She doesn't know it yet.
think she's just beginning to find
it out"
GLOW interesting for herl She'll
sure of you"
II wish was certain Of that" he
drawled.
-Let me know when I'm to con-
graduate you, Mr.. Brand"
eyes," he promised. you'll
know" t
The audacity Of her next question
surprised and delighted him. "You
are q rustler, suppose?"
my goodness, you 60 right to the
point. Nobody ever asked me that
before. You're supposed to say that
with a smile or with gun in yore
hand.'
ssI'u 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 q
man who just plowed and dug" he
said scornfully.
'She might. There ID another
name for rustling."
1--WE heard it. The big cattlemen
like to use it when they speak of
their small neighbors, but ! 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 u
grim and bitter.
ITO BE CONTINUED