rn n
r I . I
1
Young Women
Ages H 6 to 35
For further information
See our representative
MRS. J. HUBERT DAVIS
Clerk of Court Office at
vuuiuiuusc
From BIG LAUREL
We had a splendid S. S. Sunday.
We also had singing Sunday P.' M.
Our class is invited to Laurel Semi
nary to sing next Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Buckner were
on Laurel Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Faulkner and
son, Roscoe, of Bristol Va.. spent
last week on Laurel with parents Mr.
and Mrs. Fred Rice.
Mr. Reo Bishop was the guest of
Miss Lennie Wild Sunday.
Mr. Marion Hunter of Mars Hill
was on Big Laurel Saturday.
Mrs. Collis Chandler was the guest
of Mrs. Geo. Buckner last week.
Mr. Solola Ramsey of Walnut
Creek was the guest of Jeff Rice for
the iweek-end.
Mr. and Mrs. Buster Shelton were
out visiting Sunday afternoon.
Mr. Bailey Rice was the guest of
Mr. Jack Rice Sunday P. M.
Mr. and Mrs. Zade Rice spent part
of last week on Walnut Creek and
near Mars Hill.
Our school starts here July 16th.
We will have two teachers again this
year.
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Davis of Ashe
ville were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Jes
se Davis last week.
Mr. Otto Massey of Asheville was
on Laurel Sunday.
Mr. Chapel Riddle passed through
Big Laurel Sunday.
From ASHEVILLE ROUTE 4
The revival meeting at New Bridge
Missionary church iwill be continued
on through this week. Rev. J. Pipes
and Rev. C. W. Hilemon are holding
the services, and there has been a
large attendance and quite a lot of
interest shown.
Mr. William Pate left for Boiling
Springs, S. C, where he has accept
ed a position.
There are a great many cases of
whooping cough in our community
at this time.
The many friends of Mrs. Eliza
Ramsey of New Bridge will be glad
to know that she is able to be out
without her crutches. Mrs. Ramsey
suffered a broken leg from a fall
rev si ronths ago.
Work is being completed fast on
the new (water line here. This will
be quite an improvement and appre-
MAM m tani
'im moot ,:) . . THE
RELIABLE
44
.J a
iriaiaiaaii, . v.
ciated by all.
Mrs. E. W. Hilemon, who has been
ill for some time, is slowly improv
ing. Mr. Walter Henderson and sister,
Irma Henderson, will leave on July
1st for New Orleans La., where they
will spend a couple of weeks.
The name of Barbara Louise has
been given the little new-comer at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster
of Jonestown Road. Mrs. Lancaster
was before her marriage Miss Ar
rowood of Sandy Mush.
'Mrs. Edith Franicis and little
daughters Marjory and Betty, have
been visiting her mother for some
time.
The Rhododendron Festival here
was a "wow. ttveryDooy naa a Dig
time. We hope this affair will be
still better next year and have their
entertainmens begin on ime. This
past week has brought a multitude of
visitors to our town.
Come on, old Office Kat. don't
fudge on us. Too bad if you have
gone and got marnea rignt wnen
there 'as a whole lot of us married
folks for you to cheer up a little.
Never-the-ifess, tra-la-la.
From FOSTER
Both singing classes of Foster at
tended the singing convention at Ivy
Ridge Sunday evening.
The next convention will be at
Foster the third Sunday in July.
Misses Migget Shelton and Floy
Lewis received a nice Testament each
as a present for reading the most
chapters in the Young People's Bible
Class.
Mr. S. P. Fender spent the week
end with his brother in Jupiter, N.
C. Miss Ollie Bradlev of Beech, N.
C, is spending a few days with
friends and relatives of this place.
Miiss Anna Mae Allen of Walnut,
N. C, is spending a few weeks iwith
her sister, Mrs. Agnes Capps.
Mrs. S. S. Shelton spent Friday
night with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
A A. Capps.
Misses Zula and Iva Glenn Wild of
Giape Vine, N. C, spent the week
end with friends and relatives of
Foster.
Miss Ollie Wilds called on Mrs.
Walter Fender Monday.
CAFE!
The
Settling
of the Sage
By
HAL G. EVARTS
Copyright by Hal O. Bvarti
WNU Service
The sheriff dropped In for one of
his Infrequent visits to Brill's. He
waved all hands to a drink.
"I've Just been out to the Three
Bar to see Harris," he announced.
"And askti him about this news that's
been floating about. He came right
out flat and says he's not offering a
reward. That's all a mistake."
Every man In the room grinned at
this statement. There was no other
possible reply that Harris could
make.
"Of course," the sheriff said reflec
tively. "Of course there's just a
chance that Cal lied to me."
"He lied all right," Carp prophesied.
"I'd bet my shirt lre'11 stand to pay
the price for every man that's cited on
that list."
"Pithaw," the sheriff deprecated.
"That's dead against the law, that Is."
"He will do It," Carson predicted.
"If I was on that list I'd be moving
for somewheres a long ways remote
from here."
"Then you'd better be starting," Al
den counseled mildly. "For Harris
was just telling me that your name
had got mixed up with It. Morrow's
name has sprung up, too. Cal seemed
mystified as to how it had come about,
for ne says you ana Morrow never
rode with the others on the list. He
couldn't figure how this thing come to
start."
"Figure 1" Carp snapped. "He fig
ured It out himself, who else? Are
you going to stand for his putting a
price on every man he happens to
dislike?"
"But he says he don't know any
thing about it," the sheriff expostulat
ed. "So how can I prove he does? I'd
like to know for sure. If I thought he
was actually set fo pay thnsfi ivw:ir.i
I'd have to rfde over and remonsirule
with Cal."
On or two Wlib had been drinhii!'.!
with Carp moved over to speak wiili
others and failed to return He was
left stundin alone nt he har. Me
shrugged his shoulders and went out
"Folks are considerable like .sheep.'
Brill obcrved. IT occurred to liim
that In every saloon and In every
bunk house within a hundred mile
the topic of conversation was the
same.
lie lowered one lid as he looked at
the sheriff and jerked his head to
ward Carson.
He's ''roke and reformed," he
said. "Absolutely."
The sheriff drew Carson aside.
"if you're wanting a Job I'll stake
you to an outfit and feed you through
till spring. Forty a month from then
on. I'll need a parcel of deputies.
likely, after that."
"You've got one," Carson stated
"I'll sign now."
The storekeeper, the sheriff and the
new deputy stood at one end of the
bar.
"It's queer that folks don't see the
real object of this rumor," Brill ob
served. "It's object Is to clean out the hard
est citizens in the country," Carson
said. "That's why ' they're named.
Why else?'
"The object Is to clean up the rest
of the country first," Brill said.
Carson grunted his disbelief.
"If Harris only wanted to wipe out
those on the list he wouldn't go to
all this fuss," Prill explained. "He'd
Just put on an extra burfdn of bands
and raid the Breaks himself. Swear
he caught them running off a bunch
of Three Bar cows. Simpler and con
siderable less expense."
"Then what's the object of this
bounty?" Carson Insisted. ;
"That's aimed at the doubtful
folks," Brill stated. "Folks that was
on the fence like you. This death list
makes them spooky and they turn
Into good little citizens In .me round
of the clock. It leaves the worst ones
outside without a friend. Every one
lined up solid behind the l aw. Pub
lic sentiment will start running strong
against those outside. Then It'll be
easy for the sheriff and. a bunch of
deputies like you to clean the coun
try up from end to end, with the whole
community backing your play."
Carson considered this, for 'some
time. Y
"Weil, I can furnish the deputies,"
lie said at last. "Boys that are strong
for law and order from first to last"
"I've got about all I need," the sher
iff said. "A dozen or so. - Mostly old
friends of yours.- I've picked 'em ap
on and off in the last i two weeks.
They're strong for upholding the last
letter of the law Just like you said."
- "A dosenH Carson asked. "Howll
yon raise the money to pay that many
at once?" - '
! n" of expecting maybe the
,'J.'ui- bar will make up-the defidf"
Alden said, "It's cheaper than paying
rewards. - That's another reason I
don't think Cal had a hand W this
blacklist report -
Tfie storekeeper grinned.
suspect him of that," lie saia. TSut
nil the same It's working Just as well
as If he really hod."
The first warm days of spring had
drawn the frost from the ground. Bll
lie rode beside Harris down the lane
to the lower field. A tiny cabin stood
Hip
It's Cheaper Than Paying Rewards
completed on every filing. Two men
j were digging post holes across the val
! ley below the edge of the last full's
j plowing and the mule teams were
steadily breuking out another strip.
"Almost a year," she said, referring
to the commencement ,of tlie new
' work.
"Just a year today," Harris correct
ed, and he was thinking of the day
he had first met the Three Bar girl.
"This 1 our anniversary, sort of."
She nodded as she caught his mean
ing. "The anniversary of our partner
ship," she said. "You told me there
were millions of miles of sage just
outside. And millions of cows and
girls."
"Later I told yod something else,'
he said. "And I've been meaning It
ever since. The road to the outside la
closed. If I was to start now I'd lose
the way."
She pointed dowL the valley as a
drove of horses -noved toward them
under the guidance of a dozen men
The hands would start breaking out
the remuda the following day. The
spring work was on.
"Off to a running start on another
year," he said. "And sure to held oui
lead. From today on out, you and
I'll be a busy pair," he prophesied.
His prediction proved true. The
Three Bar was a beehive of activity
and it seemed that the hours between
dawn and dark were all too short foi
the amoun oi work Harris wished tc
crowd into them.
The cowhands were breaking out
the horses in the corrals while the
acreage of plowed land in the lowe
fields steadily Increased.
The day that bvnns led the men
out on the calf round-up, the mule
teams made their first trip across the
plowed land with the drill.
The fields were being seeded to al
falfa and oats so that the faster grow
ing grain might shade and protect the
tender shoots of hay. Before the ginin
ripened it would be cut green for hay,
cured and stacked.
Early rains had moistened the
fields and they were faintly green with
tiny shoots of oats. These thickened
into a rank velvety carpet while the
homesteaders were hauling a hundred
loads of rocks to form a crude dam
across the stream below the take-out,
The water was gradually raised till It
ran almost flush with the top of the
head gate. The gates were lifted and
the diverted waters sped smoothlj
down the new channel to carry life tc
a portion of the sagebrush desert.
As the tangible results of the work
became more apparent Harris' vig
ilance Increased. There was now
more than plowed ground to work on ;
crops to be trampled at a time when
they wouM not lift again to permit
of mowing; fences to be wrecked so
that range stock might have free ac
cess to the fields. A single night could
upset the work of many months. But
as he stood with Billie at the mouth
of. the lane he allowed hone of his
thoughts to be reflected in his speech.
Billie Warren h.ilf-closed her eyes
and vlewei the broad expanse of rip
pling green In the bottoms. How, many
times she had stood here in the past
with old Cal Warren while he visioned
this very picture which now un
rolled before her eyes in reality; the
transformation of the Three Bar flat
from a desert waste to a scene of
abundant fertility nder the reclaim
ing touch of water.
It was -a quiet picture of farm life
if one looked only upon the blooming
fields and took no account of the raw.
barren foothills that Banked them
the gaunt, towering range behind. She
found It difficult to link the scene be
fore her. with the deviltry of a few
months past The killing of Bangs
and Rile Foster's consequent grim re
taliation ; the raid on Three Bar bulls
and the "tampede of her trail herd;
aU those reemed part of some life bo
long In the past as to form no part of
her present .
No man In the field ever strayed far
from the rifle whlcl. -was part of bla
equipment But even this was an evi
dence of vigilance which had met, her .
eye every day for months and had
ceased to press.'-.'-:;-:-.'- -;t' -
They walked to the near' edge of
the f -' 1 r-1 n.jrrls dropped a band
pi - r ' ! r' -1 I"
down at uer.
"Billie, don't you think It's about
time you were finding out what Judge
Colton wants?" he asked. "He's been
right luslstent on your going back to
confer with him."
The girl shook her head positively.
Two months before Judge Colton had
written that he must advise with her
on matters of Importance and suggest
ed that she come on at once. Harris
had urged her to go and almost dally
referred to it.
"I can't go now," she said. "Not
till I've seen one whole season through.
When Ue first Three Bar crop Is cut
and In stack I'll go. All other busi
ness must wait til then. You two
can't drive me away till after I see
that first crop in the stack."
"If you'd go now you'd likely get
back before we're through cutting," he
urged. "And the Judge has written
twice in the last two weeks.
Before she could answer this a
horseman appeared on the valley
road. The furthest irrigator, merely
a speck In the distance, exchanged
shovel for rifle and crossed to the
fence. The rider, a i If expecting some
such move, pulled up his horse and
approached at a walk.
Harris saw the two confer. The
horseman handed some object to the
other und urged his horse on toward
the house. He was one of the sheriff's
deputies. He grinned as he tapped his
empty holster.
"One of your watchdogs lifted my
gun," he said. He handed Harris a
note.
After reading it Harris looked at
his watch and snapped It shut,
glanced at the sinking sun and
turned to the girl.
"I have to make a little Jaunt," he
explained. "Alden wants to see me.
I'll take Waddles along. As we go
down I'll send Russ or Tiny up to
cook for the rest." ,.,
The deputy turned his horse Into
the corral and five minutes later Har
ris and Waddles rode away. Waddles
was mounted on Creamer, the big
buckskin.
"We'll have to step right along,"
Harris said. "It's forty miles."
They held the horses to a stiff
swinging trot th .t devoured the miles
without seeming to tire their mounts.
For four hours they headed south and
a little east, never slackening their
pace except to breathe the horses on
some steep ascent. The buckskin and
the paint-horse had lost the first snap
of their trot and it was evident that
they would soon begin to lag. Anoth
er hour and they bad slowed down
perceptlibly.
The two men dismounted and tied
the horses to the brush In a shel
tered coulee, then started across a
broad flat on foot Out In the center
a spot showed darker than the rest
the old cabin where Carpenter had
elected to start up for himself after
being discharged from the Three Bar.
Then within a hundred yards of
the catin - horse, tied to a hitch post
in front, neighed shrilly and Harris
laid a restraining hand on Waddles'
arm. They knelt In the brush as the
door opened and a man stood sil
houetted against the light. After a
space of two minutes Carp's voice
reached them.
"Not a sound anywheres," he said.
"Likely some horses drifting past."
He went Inside and closed the door.
The two men circled the cabin and
came up from the rear. A window
stood opened some eight inches from
the bottom. Through the holes In the
ragged flour sack that served as a cur
tain Harris secured a view of the In
side. Carp and Slade sat facing across
a little table In the center of the room.
"I want to clean up and go," Carp
was saying. "This d n Harris put
me on the black list."
"You've been on it for three months,"
Slade said. "Nothing has happened
yet. But don't let me keep you from
pulling out any time you like."
"But I've got a settlement to make,"
Carp Insisted. "Let's get that fixed
up."
"Settlement?" Slade asked. "Settle
ment with who?"
Carpenter leaned across the table
and tapped it to emphlsize his re
marks. "Listen. Morrow gave me a bill of
sale from you calling for a hundred
head of Three Bar she-stock, rebrand
ed Triangle on the hip."
Slade nodded shortly.
"I gave Morrow that for two years'
back pay when he quit. He could sell
out to you If he liked."
"And now I want to sell out," Carp
said. "And be gone from here."
"How many head have you got?"
Slade asked.
"Three hundred head," Carp stated.
"You've Increased right fast," Slade
remarked. "I'd think you'd want to
stay where you was doing so well.
How much do you want?"
"Five dollars straight through,"
Carp said.
"Cheap enough," Slade answered.
"If only a man was In the market"
He looked straight at Carp and the
man's eyes slipped away from Slade's
steady gaze. "But I'm not buying.
Likely Morrow will buy you out-"
"Morrow ought to be here now,"
Carp stated. "He's coming tonight"
"Then I'd better go." Slade said. "I
don't like Morrow's ways."
The thud of horse's hoofs sounded
from close at hand. The two men out
side lay flat In the shadow of the
house. A shrill whistle, twice re-
peated, e ed Carp to Ms feet and Be
crossed to the door to answer It Mor
row dismounted and came to the door.
He nodded briefly to Slade, hesitating
on the sill as if surprised to find him
there. Carp lost no time In stating
his proposition. He spoke Jerkily.
"I want to get out," he said. - "I'll
ell for five dollars a head." ,-
Morrow held up a hand to silence
t'-.
il 111-; 'y .buy hut I never talk
business n a lie crossed 'he
room and vat ,-:.:. Us b.- k to the win
dow. "T;: iv's plenty of lii : "
"I lal;.' ii I'm the crow' " l.ide re
marked ',: I'll step o: :
Morn v stiffened sudi' :;U In his
chair as - ci hi ring pressed
against ;l;e Ice!: of his i. ; through
the era: !; of lie window, v the same
Instant (
raised on
on his leg
:rp had tilted hack
knee, "'he gnu 'hat n
was peeping . ! e t
and
: I
!ile
at Slade.
"Steady!' Ik
The window
full heigh, by
t:iln snatched
which Harris
o .l.-red i ti':!;
wax throw. i up In .'s
Waddles and the cur
awn;, from the )r;:n
held against Morn 's
neck. Curp flipped buck his vest and
revealed a marshal's budge.
"I'd US sion take you nlon;; feet l'r.-t
ns any way." he said. "So if you feel
like acting up you can start any t :.'
now."
Slade's eyes came back frm. t' e
two men at the window mid lested mi
the badge.
'"So that's It," he said with evid. :;t
relief. "A real arrest when I ti,.;; v.l
It was an old-fnshioned murder ti
had planned. What do you vnnt u!,!i
me?"
Wuddles had reached down and re
moved Morrow's gun.
"A number of things," CarprMcr
said. "Obstructing the homestead l."'.'
for one."
Slade shook his head and smiled
"You've got the wrong party." he
f:iid. "Voj can't prove anything '-u
me."
"I don't count en that." (J:.i; -;..il.
"You've co ei'cd up i-i!;t well. We
know you work i!;;!i Morrow mu
can't prove a word. We've got ti-;:-.:t
to ham: him: but I exper !"' :
you'll get off." i : : - -! '
There was a scrape of feci di
the door and the sheriff entered nul
took possession of Slade's gun as I'-ir-ris
and Waddles moved round from
the window and went inside.
"I'm a few minutes late," Alden s: id.
"I uTsu't right stire how close I was
to the house so I left my horse too far
hack." - r, "."'."ZZSjg-
"Here's your prisoners,' Carp said.
"Capt fired and delivered ns agreed I
haven't anything on Slade myself hut
if you want him he's yours."
"What do you want vrlrli me?" Slade
demanded second time.
"I'm picking you up on complaint
Kr.t'.? h.r the Th-ee V.r.r" Alden said.
"I'll have to take you along."
Slade turned on Harris.
"What charge?" he nsked.
"Killing twelve Three Bar bulls on
the last day of August," Harris stated.
"I was nut with the ranger." Slade
said. "Back In the hills. You know
that yourself. That charge won't
stick."
"Then maybe It was the second of
May," Harris returned. "I sort of
forget."
Slade suddenly grasped the signifi
cance of this arrest.
"How many of you fellows are pussy-footing
round out here?" he in
quired of Carp.
"I don't mind confessing that sev
eral of the boys are riding for you,"
Carp informed. "But while we've
cinched Morrow we haven't been able
to trace it back to you. I even got
put on the black. list, thinking you
might do business with me direct after
that knowing my word wouldn't
stand against yours. But not you 1
You've covered your tracks."
Carp spoke softly, as If to himself,
detailing his failure to gather con
clusive evidence against Slade.
"I even run yonr rebrund on fifty
or so Three Bar cows. You knew
there wasn't a dollar changed hands
when Morrow gave me that paper
which licensed me to rustle my own
she stock. The idea in my starting up
was to run your rebrand on any num
ber of Three Bar cows. Later Morrow
would buy me out acting for you;
can't be proved. Oh, you're In the
clear, all right."
Slade broke In upon the monologue.
This recitation of his probable Immu
nity from conviction on every count,
far from reassuring him, served to
confirm his original suspicion as to
the reason for this arrest without
witnesses. If the sheriff had wanted
him he had but to send word for Slade
to come in. He threw out one last
line and the answer convinced him be
yond all doubt.
"Then a lawyer will have me out
in an hour," he predicted.
"A lawyer could," Alden said. "If
you saw one. But we've decided not
to let you have access to legal advice
for the first few days."
Slade turned on Carpenter.
"This sort of thing is against the
law," he said. "You're a United States
marshal. How can you go In on a
kidnaping deal?"
"I'm not In on It," Carp shrugged.
"The sheriff asked me to arrest you
at the first opportunity. I've turned
you over to him. The rest Is his af
fair. Besides, like I was mentioning,
they can't prove a thing on you. As
soon as they're convinced of that
they'll turn you loose." ,
The sheriff nodded gravely. .
"The very day Vm satisfied Harris
can't prove his charges I'll throw open
the doors. You'U be a free man that v
minute." '
A vision of the near future swept"
across Slade's mind. - If he should be
locked up for three months and dis
charged for lack of evidence it would
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK '
66(3
is a PrcriptioB for ' -Colds,'
Grippe, Flu. Dengue,
Bilious Fever and Malaria.
It it tbo most tpeedy remedy 1