The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-08-20
CHAPTER XIII

Morgan watched Janet come over
to the porch to Catherine. She
paused there, the polite disinterest
gone from her small face. She
moved her hands across her dress
and suddenly sat in front of Gather
inc. Tell me about the time you
went to your first dance"
''It was with your father" said
Catherine. II was just sixteen ="
Morgan turned his back to them,
astonished at the relief he felt. Will
ing said:
'.I was down at the south edge of
Government Valley last night. Com
ing up from a gulley saw a man
bunchin' some of your beef. I got
down and watched. 1t was pretty
bright night but this fellow was
mile away and I wasn't sure. Might
have been one of your crew. So
waited till / saw him drive the beef
over the ridge, headin' south. ]
figured to take a shot then, only it
looked like he had some friends far
ther down toward the Potholes, so
I didn't risk it." He seemed to be
troubled about that, and quietly ex-
planned. "I've got wife, you see."
Morgan said: Thanks, Fox"
"Well," said Willing, ''you gave
us break"
Harry Jump said: "We're wastin'
time"
"Yes," said Morgan. ''we'n have
a look"
Morgan got back on his horse. He
interrupted GATHERINGS talk. Janet,
we'll be gone awhile. But Nose and
Pancho will be here"
Harry Jump said some impatient
word under his breath, moving away
with Fox Willing and Cap Vermilye.
Morgan followed, and thus these
four headed down the flats in the
warm-brisk air of middle morning.
Breaking a lonely nights camp in
the Cache Mountains, Parr Gentry
entered Freeport quite early that
morning. Smoke eddied up from
the street, from still-hot piles of
rubbish, from brush and blackened
pines adjoining town; there wasn't
anything left except one log cabin
at the head of the gulch. Parr
Gentry sympathetically clucked his
tongue at Kern Case.
Mighty shameful thing to hap
pen. For a fact. Hard on you,
too, Kern. If there's anything /
can do for you, just drop the word.
Meanwhile, been lookin' for band
of horses up thisaway. Seen any,
thing of 'em?"
Taciturn from a sleepless night,
Case said he hadn't, and walked
away from Gentry. Gentry took the
Burnt Ranch road out of Freeport,
riding the up-and-down grades with
his soft body loosely shaking, his
toes pointed outward and his moon
face tipped. His whole shape was
idle and seemed without energy but
his eyes showed lively interest in
the tracks on the road and presently,
entirely governed by what he saw,
he entered the Potholes.
Later, Parr Gentry found another
trail and left the Potholes by a
circling detour, reaching Heren-
deems valley. The ranch quarters
were a mile or more behind him
and for a little while he paused in
decisively in the road. While he
seemed to debate a course in his
head, his quick-rummaging glance
saw a file of riders come down the
slope of Mogul, through the scattered
pines. This apparently determined
his direction, for he turned north
ward on the road, heading for War
Pass and eventually, twenty minutes
later, was abreast the party as it
reached the valley. From a dis
tance he recognized Charley Hill
house. BY arranging the gait of his
horse he met Hillhouse as the latter
brought his men toward the river,
apparently bound into the Cache
Mountains.
There were four in the party, Hill
house, two other Herendeen riders,
and Gurd Grant. Parr Gentry S
presence stopped the group. He
removed his hat to dash the sweat
from his egglike forehead and said:
WARM for a man of my bulk, amt
seen any horses, have your"
Haven't seen thing said Hill
house. "You seen anything?"
Parr Gentry murmured affably,
"Just couple of jackrabbits.
whats up, Parr?"
"Wastin' your time around here,
Charley" said Gentry. Hes in the
Potholes by the little meadow on
Frog Creek
From viewpoint high on the side
of the Cache Mountains, Vance
KetcheH watched the land below
with the eyes Of man whose own
fortune was pretty much in balance
and this was how he happened to
see Parr Gentry come along the
Freeport road, disappear into the