The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-07-16

anu stin pTetty, Win pure Diack
hair.
boiled potatoes and earned toma-
toes-and to the meat. 1t was fried
steak and when he saw it he real
lied it came from one of his own
cows.
Willing ate with his eyes down
cast; a taciturnity close to sullen-
ness covered him. The woman didn't
touch her food. She sat with her
arms in her lap, a growing strain
on her face. She was about his own
age and he could tell she had been
through lot of misery.
Morgan appreciated the meal, but
he was glad when, hat in hand,
he returned to the yard. He walked
toward his horse, both the Willings
behind him. The shed was only
dozen PAGES beyond and he had the
definite inclination to 60 over there,
open the door, and have a look at
the beef for himself. He knew it
was there and he didn't want Willing
to think Long Seven was run by
fool too blind to see the signs. He
rolled up cigarette, trying to figure
out some way of telling Willing this
without hurting the woman's feel
ings. There was lot in her and
she was pretty badly troubled at
this minute. Willing was like most
nesters. Cattlemen had pushed them
around until they figured it wasn't
any crime to steal beef when they
could.
He lighted his cigarette and
stepped into the saddle. There was
immediate relief on the nester's
face and the woman's shoulders re-
laxed; they had braced themselves
for the worst. Morgan removed his
hat, smiling at the woman. 81 wish
both Of you good luck. You'll need
| it." Then, with the reins half-lifted,
he added: 1T occurs to me that you
may get pinched for grub this VIM
ter. If you do, I'll be glad to see
that you get quarter of beef occa-
sionally. When you see any stray
cattle of mine up here this winter
in the snowdrifts, just drive them
back. Well consider it fair ex-
change for the meat. But"-and now
he looked at the blank, gray-green
| eyes of the man-"come to me when
you want it. / do not like to think
of beef being butchered and wasted
on the desert" !"
The tension left Vikings shoul-
ders. The woman's lips softened
and her eyes grew warm. After that
! he crossed the yard and came down
at last to the lower edge of Govern
ment Valley. Far up the flats he
saw the remnant barracks of the
old fort, and for moment he
paused to have look at this land
which now belonged to him.
He slanted across the valley and
rode up the narrow length of his
older range, reaching home-quar-
ters in the middle of the afternoon.
AS soon as he left the saddle old
Nose gave him the latest news:
Hack Breathitt had been pulled into
a fight at War Pass, killing Lizard
Connor. Now Hack was hiding in
the hills with Sheriff Nickum on
his trail.
''I'm going to town." decided Nor
gan at once, land ought to be back
around eight"
Old Nose said: ''The way things
are now, / wouldn't skylark on the
trail after dark"
Morgan caught up fresh horse
and headed for War Pass, reaching
there slightly before six. His first
errand was to go into the post Office
and pay his respects to Fred Rich.
Fred" he said, "that notice of
sale was posted little late
81 took it out myself, the same
day it came"
"They mailed it from Sage City
last month";" stated Morgan.
Fred Rich's face showed white
ness suddenly around the base OF
his nose. "I guess it got held UP
somewhere" he murmured. But he
met Morgan's glance only for a mo-
ment, soon looking down. He had
been caught in a lie and knew it.
"I guess it did," said Morgan dry
ly, and left the post Office. He
heard Rich call out, "Clay, ! want
no trouble with you," but he didn't
turn, hating to see any mans face
show that dead, cheap guilt. The
bank was closed and SO he climbed
the hill to leave the unused part oi
his money with Harley Stewart anc
went at once to Ann McGarrah's.
Ann and Janet were eating sup
per. He sat with them, listening tc