The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-09-10


"Your funeral,
1T may be-" agreed Gale COM
posedly. But if so, it will be dou-
BILE one. AT my age I'm too old to
worry about dyin', for it is pretty
close to me at any event, and I
guess I'm poor enough not to fret
about losin' anything.
He rummaged his pockets, pro-
ducing pipe and tobacco. Morgan
watched him fill the pipe and light it
and settle on his heels.
This was late September and sud-
denly, slightly beyond seven o'clock,
the blue-running shadows turned to
gunmetal gray and afterwards to
full night. The haze of autumn lay
over the land. Through this filtered
strong moonlight creating the ef-
feet of woolly clouds banked against
the earth. Morgan led his horse to
the remnant wall of the nearest dobe
building and walked on until he stood
alone, facing the open south. Fox
Willing was in the saddle, circling
the held bunch of beeves. The job
was done and, as far as the cattle
were concerned, there wasn't any
need of staying here. Yet Morgan
knew that this waiting was neces-
sary. Herendeen was somewhere in
the yonder night. The big man had
avoided meeting in the timber,
he had delayed this pursuit; but he
was out there and he would come.
Nothing changed much, Morgan
realized. Herendeen had faced him
for ten years, never giving ground,
never able to forget. 1t was some
thing that would not dim or die, it
was a force that drove Herendeen.
Thinking about that, Morgan admit
ted the same force drove him. What
ever the outward reasons, whatever
the open quarrels and excuses, there
was deeper reason still-the ma
tive, chemical animosities of two
men born to be opposite in all
things, born to collide and to de-
stroy. 1t was past explanation.
Stationed like this, apart from the
group and facing southwark, he
heard Herendeen at last approach,
hidden by the pulsing fog. Off there
a steady rhythm rose, of horses
moving at slow run and presently
slowing to walk. Shadows ap-
peared in the fog, and shapeless out
lines. Fox Willing came in from
the herd, dismounting and putting
his horse near the dobe wall. He
walked over to Morgan. Vermilye
and Jump had risen and had taken
position not far from the wall. Gale
was out of sight.
Herendeen's party showed as a
wide scatter of shadows on the des-
ert. They were halted, two hundred
feet away. Herendeen said:
Morgan, I'm coming in to cut that
bunch of stock and look it over for
my brand"
Morgan said: "None of your cows
in it, Ben"
"I'n see for myself"
Those shadows were too vague to
be counted but Morgan knew Heren-
deem had at least eight men around
him and he also knew Herendeen's S
intention-which was to build up a
fight on any grounds. He said:
Charley Hillhouse there?"
'No. I'm coming in"
Morgan said: Nothing here for
you, Ben. Stay back"
Herendeen's voice doomed out.
"You know the rules of the country.
It's my privilege to cut any man S
range for my stock. claim there S
Three Pines cows in that bunch"
''If there are," said Morgan cool
ly, ''I'll send them back tomorrow. /"
II want 'em now"
you're in a hurry all of a sud-
den," pointed out Morgan ironical-
ly. 81 sent word to you some time
ago to clean your stuff out of this
valley and you didn't seem to figure
it worth your time. So you can wait
another day. You won't cut this
bunch tonight, or any time. Get
off my grass"
"You goin' against the rules?"
"You been making the rules a
long time, Ben. Now I'll make 'em. I"
Herendeen said: "Ive listened to
you long enough. Wen settle this
now"
Morgan's reply was soft and fiat
in the night. LET 'er flicker, Ben.
When you move in we start shoot
in"
He heard Herendeen say: "Come
on, boys"
ITO BE CONTINUED