The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-09-03

in one of your meadows. They didn't
make the walk without help"
Herendeen's round, fresh-scarred
face showed what seemed, to Nor
gan, something close to surprise; he
threw McGeen quick look but Nc
Geen shook his head. Herendeen
looked back to Morgan.
81 know nothing of it."
Maybe you'd better get acquaint-
ed with your crew." suggested Nor
gan.
"I'll go up in a day or SO and see
about it. If you've got any beef
there I'll send it back"
81 saved you the ride. The beef's
on the way home now"
Herendeen said: "If there's any
cutting to be done on my range I'll
do it. Bones, take a crowd up there
and stop that. Wen see what's 60
ing on
Bones started around the corner of
the house at once, to be halted by
Morgan's down-slapping answer.
Hold on. I'm going to recite chap
ter and verse to you boys. The beef
goes home and if you figure to stop
it, you better figure to stop the boys
with it,
IF necessary we'll do that, too,"
said Herendeen. "Bones, just bring
the crowd around here a minute"
He came on to the edge of the porch,
his thick legs spreading and taking
root. Bones moved only as far as
the houses corner; he raised his
arm and moved back toward the
porch. Watching the corner, Morgan
saw Chill Purdy and Jim Burden
and Slim John show up. These were
old Three Pines men. But there
were four other men behind these
three, unfamiliar to him. They
stopped by the corner. McGeen,
throwing a look at them, said in a
voice that grated the words togeth-
er, Don't be bashful in front of the
great Clay Morgan" 1t seemed to
be signal. Two of the strangers,
both dark men with the same sharp,
long-slanted noses, stepped on from
the corner and moved on until Nor
gan, now watching Herendeen, lost
them out of the corner of his eyes.
They were somewhere at his left
rear; throwing glance that way he
saw them half fifty feet behind him.
Herendeen said: "Take a good
look before you finish your speech,
Clay"
II see nothing new" answered
Morgan. "You always liked big
crowd to stand behind"
"You hang around with crooks
and you stick up for them. 1t will
be a damned cold day when you
move anything off my range, no
matter what the brand reads. Take
look at these men. I have cleared
out Freeport and I have shaken
some of the nesters loose. That's
just beginning. I'm going to drive
everything out of this country that
don't agree with me. That includes
you. didn't take your beef, but if
it is on my land it will stay there
until get ready to move it off. The
truth is, Clay, propose to gut you
down to your last calf. If you're on
Mogul when spring comes I'll be
mighty surprised"
Morgan said "You always talked
too much, Ben"
"That so?" cried Herendeen, his
temper letting go. "McGeen, get on
your horse"
"All right" McGeen said, "what'n
it be?"
Herendeen repeated, 'Do what /
tell you, Bones. Get on up there
with the boys and head for the hills.
Stop Morgan's crew."
Bones shook his head and one of
the dark men at Morgan's rear
spoke for the first time. What the
hell, Herendeen? You got what you
want right here. Whut you worryin'
about?"
"That's all right" said Heren-
deem. "Do what I told YOU"
"Take care of this first" said
Bones McGeen, still reluctant.
Herendeen, a faster man than his
bulk indicated, moved against Nc
Geen.
He hit him once, knuckles
slashing McGeen's cheek ter
ribly.
McGeen, blinded and knocked
thoughtless, hit the ground and
made an automatic gesture toward
his gun, whereupon Herendeen
jammed a foot down on McGeen's
arm, hard enough to make McGeen
/ veil. Heren1een rinped the CIR, from