The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-06-25

y
the hurt you can. Go on and leave
us alone. Someday, maybe I can
pay you back"
Hold on there" said Herendeen.
He got off his horse and walked
up to Gale, catching the front of
Gales shirt in his fingers. He shook
Gale little but there wasn't any
resistance in the older man at all;
his body swayed to the pressure of
Herendeen's arm. Mrs. Gales eyes
showed a sudden terror. One of the
boys reached down to seize rock;
he would have thrown it at Heren-
deem if the girl hadn't caught his
arm.
Herendeen said: "You had better
keep your damned mouth shut
Hitch up that team and get out of
the country. I don't want to see
you on this range again"
He released Gale and returned to
his horse. Connor and McGeen
joined him, the three of them cir
cling the swapping, twisted rush of
fire; flames broke through the shan
tvs roof and the sky above this
area began to glow. Looking back
as matter of caution, Herendeen
saw the family still standing by the
juniper tree. The girl had taken
the youngest child in her arms. Gale
had moved over to his wife. His
arm was around her; she had thrown
her apron across her face and was
crying.
Late Friday afternoon, just as
Clay Morgan was ready to leave
the ranch for War Pass, Vance Ket-
chell came into the Long Seven yard
and dropped off g tired horse. Vance
was steadygoing young man who
once had been a puncher for Heren-
deems Three Pines and now owned
few cows of his own up on the
slope of the Cache Mountains. He
didn't say anything for moment
but Morgan saw that he was under
considerable strain-and waited for
Vance to make his talk. Vance
fashioned a cigarette, lighted it and
stood with his feet apart, staring
across the narrow valley fats. He
said, Pretty country" but really
didn't see it. When he pushed his
hat back mop of hair, black as
crow, dropped down on his forehead.
CLAY" he said at last, "you hear
about the Gales?"
YES"
II saw them over in Freeport yes
terday. Pretty tough-pretty tough"
He smoked on and Morgan knew he
had not yet come to his point. Some
thing on the summit Of the Mogul
Hills seemed to interest Vance Ket-
chell as he added casually: 81 like
the family-I like the girl"
Sure" said Morgan, and under
stood part of Vance's trouble then.
"Clay, if that can happen to a
hester, it can happen to me. I'm
pretty small potatoes and it looks
like something's afoot to push us
out" He stared at Morgan, then said
in an idle voice, Il heard the big
outfits held meetin' the other day"
Wasn't present" said Clay.
He knew what lay in Ketchell' S
mind. Ketchell was cow hand at
heart but he had his own interests
to worry about now, and the affair
at the Gale homestead hit pretty
close. Ketchell was figuring out the
politics of the country, wondering
where his, Morgan's, weight would
be. Ketchell was too old a hand To
ask the direct question, but never
theless he kept circling around,
hunting an answer.
Ketchell said: 81 don't think il
was right of Herendeen. Can't blame
a big outfit for watchin' its own
fences, but / amt so ignorant as
used to be. Small folks have got
rights, Clay. There's a hell of a
lot of them in this world-and they
got rights"
"If were Gale" said Morgan,
'Td cut the price of that home
stead out of Herendeen's hide"
He saw relief change Ketchell S
face completely. Vance tossed
away the cigarette; he was grin
ming beneath the shadow of his hat
brim. YEAH" he said. well, see
you in church" He was on the horse
and soon away and somewhere in
his mind was a decision formed in
that little space of time.
ITO BE CONTINUED