The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-06-25
Bu ERNEST HAYCOX .vss!. ws,u

She said, at once cool and near
laughter: "Will see you in town,
Clay? There's a dance Friday. I
think Ben will be taking me-"
'I'll be there" he said.
On Thursday evening just beyond
sunset, Ben Herendeen reached the
ridge behind the Gale homestead
and came over it so suddenly that
he caught the Gale family eating
supper under a lone juniper tree in
the yard. He might have taken the
route straight across Fanolango Des-
ert, but this would have given Gale
notice from afar. Lizard Connor and
Bones McGeen, both being men who
liked this kind of business, were with
him.
1t amused Herendeen to see the
complete shock his arrival pro-
duced. Gale rose, gaunt and gray
headed and old-faced in the twilight.
Mrs. Gale suddenly reached for
the smallest child, wrapping her
apron around him.
There were three other children
in the family, a girl near twenty
and two younger boys. All of them
remained still and for a moment he
could see something pretty close to
terror in the eyes of Gales wife.
In way it pleased him to find them
still on the ranch. He proposed to
make an example of the family and
this made it easy.
''I gave you time" pointed out
Herendeen.
''Time for what?" asked Gale.
ITO kick man around like a dog?
amt hurting you This amt near
your range. 1t should be Mr.. Whites
say-and he amt complained" He
didn't speak of his legal right to be
here on free Government land, for
he knew how hopeless it was in front
of cattleman in cattle country.
''That's enough" said Herendeen.
"All you nesters are alike. / give
you twenty minutes to clear your
junk out of the shack"
Mrs. Gale at once turned and ran
for the house, calling over her shoul-
ders, "Gale, help me. Daisy-come
help me-"
Gale didn't move. He had his head
down and he stared at the ground,
hard-caught by indecision and fulfill
ty. The girl, Herendeen observed,
was pretty. He stared at her out
of interested eyes and was irritated
by the judgment he discovered on
her face.
The women were carrying their
possessions out of the house-their
kitchen implements, their clothes,
their few sticks of furniture. Her
endeen said, almost laughing, "Old
man, If you expect to save your
wagon you better get it out of the
she'd"
Gale stirred himself. He walked
across the yard with his knees nev-
er quite Strengthening. He called to
the oldest boy, "Give me a hand, SON.
n.y." and both of them seized the
tongue of the wagon and backed it
from the shed. Afterwards Gale
went into the corral for his horses.
Herendeen watched the family move
around the yard. He looked at his
watch, and was little disappoint-
ed that it was SO easy. He said:
That's twenty minutes. Set 'em
afire."
Bones McGeen rode to the shed.
Lizard Connor got down and went
into the house. Herendeen heard
him tramping around the place; the
stove crashed down and in a little
while smoke began to puff through
the door. Connor came back. Nc
Geen had piled some sage wood
against the corner of the shed, and
now this fire began to burn. Gale
stopped Harvesting the horses. He
put his back against the wagon,
watching the fire catch hold.
One side of the shed turned into a
yellow sheet of flame; the doorway
of the shanty showed a solid roll of
smoke and fire inside-and there was
no way now for the Gales to save
anything. Herendeen said, to his
men: II guess that's ALL" But he
looked at the girl, specializing on
her. He said: I'm not as bad as
you'd figure. You want a job? It's
one way of keeping your family
alive, anyhow"
Gale left the horses and walked to
Herendeen. He said: "Mr. Heren-
deem, my daughter would drop dead
before she took ANYTHING from Won