Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-02-18
w.N.U. RELEASE

am. There's one thing I'd like to
know first. Joy says you're moving
north: I thought it was only trail
Arnold nodded. "She's right.
We're leaving here for good" His
head lifted sharply in an old chal-
longing fling of his gray hair.
He said, "You needn't look so
COMPOUNDED, Lew! A man has moved
before. And don't own the Cross T
any longer. The cattle are mine,
yes, but not this" He waved into
the room. Nor the land"
"Sold out?'
"No." Arnold turned his head a
little. Joy, I'd like to talk with
Lew alone.'
"Dad!" She sprang up and threw
her arm across his shoulders. She
shook him. "You can't go on keep
ing things back from me! What's
the use? I'm not a little girl any
more!"
"Well, all right" he said to her.
You know most of what's hap
pened. You might as well hear the
rest"
She sat down again on the halved
log with short legs and watched his
face.
1--WE had bank robbery a month
ago, Lew" he said. cat a bad
time. Trail buyers had been here
making up their herds for the north.
The money they paid to a dozen Ok
Bow cattlemen was on deposit in
my vaults"
1t was characteristic of Lew Bur-
net not to tell that he already knew
this. He waited.
Arnold's eyes conferred themselves
into the smoldering juniper logs. He
said quietly, II took the blame. It's
my bank and these cattlemen are
my friends. They've got only small
outfits, and if they lose their money
now it'll break them. I know by
law I don't have to make it up. But
I'm going to. I've already turned
the ranch in for assets, appointed
new president, and I'm out"
"You pay big price for your
peace of mind, Tom"
cts all mans got worth keep
ing" Arnold said. He sat back in
his chair. "I'm making a new start
in the north. That's the only rea-
son, as far as anyone should know,
why I'm leaving the Little Co
manche."
"But there's another?"
The gray head nodded. "Steve.
A man was killed in town the night
OF the robbery, Rayburn, our sher-
iii. Nobody knows who pulled the
bank job or killed Rayburn, but
some talk about Steve has reached
my ears. I don't believe it. If
did I'd hang his hide on a fence!
l do know he was off somewhere
all that night. He came back late
the next day, drunk"
On her low seat Joy had made no
sound, but something brought Lewis
gaze down to her and he saw the
tight lines of fear and horror in
her face. She looked only at her
father, and then Tom Arnold's voice
dropped all the way to an old mans
deep bitterness. 1--WE done all
can to help that boy. I still won't
admit his wildness has taken him
as far as this talk says. But it
brings home to me that he's gone
out of my hands. There's only one
more thing l can do, get him out
OF this country, away from the
friends he's made here. The trail
north is one job he can't shift out of.
It'll make man of him or break
him, I'm pretty sure.'
ut WILL" Lew agreed. 1--WE seen
it work both ways
And then in Wyoming" Arnold
said, cts Steve that can make
new start, hope. Not me. I'm
too old now"
Dad, you aren't" Joy muir
INJURED. what thing to say!"
Using silver of wood Lew ex-
plored the hearthstone crack for a
cricket, didn't find him and looked
up to say, '"There wasn't much in
your letter, Tom. And l know less
since I got here. Like that STAN.
pede tonight. I've been wondering
what was behind it,"
'My beef contract" Arnold said.
"You know what's happened to the
price of longhorns up north?"
Il do. Six hundred thousand head
came up the trail last year. There'u
be million on the march this
spring. That's too many. Unless
trail troubles thin it out a whole
lot a man won't get more than ten
dollars at the end. What does your
contract call for?"
"Three thousand head at thirty.
I deliver the Indian beef at Ogallala
on the first of September. It's my
own stuff I'm taking on to Wyom-
ing"
Ninety thousand dollars" Lew
figured. That's jack pot for you!
You're lucky, Tom"
But Arnold shook his head. 81
would be if my contract was direct
with the government. 1t isn't. The
Indian Supply Company got a blan-
ket award for the northern reserva.
tons this year, and had to take a
subcontract delivering to them. You