Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-01-04
CHAPTER XIV

1.-THE two bands of mares and colts
are all mixed up in both corrals-
eating me out of house and home
eighty head of horses! Gus and I'll
have to spend half the night sort
ing them out-putting them through
the chute Banner took some of
Thunderhead's mares and put them
with his"
A look of CONSERVATION dawned on
Nelrs face. "He did! Why, Rob!
Why, that might start fightH'
"It might and it did" Rob
reached for bread.
"Oh, Rob! What did you do?"
1--WE beat them apart. Just in time
too-before they really went ber-
serker. A little later and we
couldn't have done it. One of them
would be dead now"
Nell was stunned into silence. Rob
ate hungrily, then added more quiet
ly, "Ahd it wouldn't be Thunder
head"
Nell said nothing to that. No.
Certainly not the powerful young
creature who had overcome such an
oAlId6OIl1Sl do <AlDlIlO- 4No'-AS
would have been Banner
"Rob," she said quietly a little
later, "do you think they're safe
now?"
II do not" Rob showed back his
chair, went over to the stove and
stood with his back to it while he
filed and lit his pipe.
He took few puffs, drew the
smoke into his lungs, felt the calm
ing effect of it, and finally took his
pipe out of his mouth and held it,
his eyes, fixed in a brown study on
the floor and said, Banner will
never be safe again."
"But-but-' stammered Nell,
I'VE can send Thunderhead away
again-he'll 60 back to that valley
with his mares"
"And in every storm he'll bring
them home," said Rob quietly.
Hes done that all his life, he'll
continue to do it.
And for a while there was nothing
to be heard in the cosy kitchen but
the whine of the wind around the
chimneys, and a sudden furious on
slaught rafting the windows.
Pauly' crawled out from under the
stove, stretched slowly and sensu-
ously, curling up her coral tongue.
then seated herself and began
leisurely and thorough bath.
'No," said Rob again with sharp
sigh, raising his eyes to the ceiling
of the room and taking few more
puffs of his pipe, Banner will
never be safe-not till Thunderhead
is dead-or gelded."
A sound burst from Nell. "But
Rob-Ken!" And at that Rob went
wild again.
I'm thinking of Ken tool" he
shouted. "Do you think I like to do
this? Now, when the boy has done
better, achieved more, made me
prouder of him than I ever have
been in my life? If there were any
way to get rid of that stallion-get
him hundreds of miles away from
here-turn him over to someone
else But who would buy him or
accept him as gift? He's no use
to anyone"
Rob knocked the ahes out of his
pipe, slipped it in his pocket,
stamped across the kitchen to the
porch and started to get himself into
his outdoor rig. Wooden trousers into
overshoes. Canvas trousers over
both, tied at the ankles. Sheepskin
lined lumberjack, felt-lined gloves,
and deep, padded Scotch Writer cap.
With his hand on the door knob he
paused and looked back at Fell.
II would be smart" be said
slowly, ito put bullet throL Oh him
and haul him away. Ken would new
er know but what he was still up
there in that valley"
Nell made no answer and waited
for Rob to open the door and leave.
But he did not leave. She looked up
finally and saw that he was locking
at her, waiting. There was certain
expression on his face. He wat suf-
fering. He was furious. He was
stumped. He saw only one way out
he didn't want to hurt her, through
Ken. He was asking her, and wait
ing for her answer.
Her heart gave a terrible leap,
and she felt weak, and sat down at
the table. He was serious about this,
and he had put it up to her. She
leaned her head on her hands.
Not to Judge this like a senti-
mental woman-to judge it fairly
like a Judge. No, like someone who
has the real responsibility and
whose duty it is to find the safest
way out for everybody. She could
see the years stretch ahead, the con-
slant annoyance and expense to
Rob of having these wild mares
and their colts brought down for
feed and shelter in storms. At last
they would feel that the ranch
belonged to them. Thunderhead
was oriented to this place, there was
no way to prevent his coming, ex-
cept by sustained program of dis
s6ura cement and unkindness that