/\(« £
X SH U M A N COUNTY JOURNAL, MORO. O R E G O N ^ FRIDA Y,
FEBRUARY |2 ,
1943
¿ 9
.
• __
tions so. that all can share about
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
tax program could hardly be writ-
.
***
F
•'
.
»
.
..
the-aame
in the tax saving. .
_
- ...
.i& ie n u w Ctnutlu Journal
ten at this session. Some pi the ...
-----
Notice is hereby given t h a t
changes made may prove so sat-
T*1’8 theory is based on the as-„ Mgry Edith
has been #p
' Sherman CoMBty Observer
isfactory that they will be re- sumption that the state's taxation pointed Administratrix at the Ea-
Established Nov. 2, 1888
tainod. That is true."*,Tlie intent pattern is now fairly well divided tate o f Omer G. Sayre, Deceased,
Grass Valley Joarnal
of the governor is that we do Bmong the several groups of tax an(j has qualified as such. All per-
— Established Oct. 14, 1897
CONSOLIDATED March 6, 1931 those thongs that will best get us payers, recognising-that t h e s e aons having claims- against said
through the wartime years and groups overlap.
Estate are hereby notified and re
Wasco News-Enterprise
Established Nov. 1891
leave the other stuff to subse-
What percentage of any state’s quired to present the same duly
CONSOLIDATED March 4, 1982 qyent legislatures.
taxes should be paid by income verified to said Administratrix at
The message was couched In tax and what part from, property Moro, Oregon, within six months
Published Every Friday at
terms sufficiently broad to meet taxes and other taxes is a prob- from the date of the first publi-j
W-NU
Moro, Oregon
ÿ
such changes as might have to be lem that has not been determined cation of this notice, The first
Rel«w<
E d ito r made in the present program to
«t»es L. French
by any of the men who have writ- publication is February 12, 194.3.
and dropped his hands.
T H E STO RY SO P A R : Clay Morgan
Enured as second class matter at take care of good suggestions ten on the gubjeot.
Mary Edith Sayrs,
Uas decided to play a tone band against
They had him hipped. Drawing,
the Postoffice at Moro, Oregon that will be made later in t h e
Property now pays about 38
Administratrix,
Ben Herendeen, a rancher bent U l ran
he had his one single moment’s
o der Act of Congress of March session.
mng the cattle country b i* own way.
per cent of all taxes. There is a J- Tracy Barton,
choice—McGeen on his left or Con
Tbe two mea have beea enemiea tor
His suggestion on the school certain stability about the owner- The Dalles, Oregon,
3, 1879.
nor in front of him; knowing Connor
y e a n , having first (o u tfit over Clay's
bill—that to hold the payments ship of property that has always Attorney for Estate.
14-17 wife, L ila , who died bating him and be to be the tougher man, he threw
his shot that way • Connor’s head
to schools to a- certain sum each caased it to be charged something
lieving abe should have m a rrie d H eren
-------------- —
flew up and—-
deen. M organ la a solitary figure, de-
year—are good. It will be better , fior the upkeep of the state. Wheth- NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The sound of Hack Breathitt’s
veted to his aloe-year-old daughter, Jan
for
the
schools
to
receive
a
defi
AJK I
0 Re<
er it is too much or not enough
a 11 persons having claims et. Although two women. Catherine
gun pounded between the walls
I AT I 0 N nite amount from income taxes is a problem for the economic against the Estate of Edwin H. G rant and Ana M eG a rra h , are in love
of the street
F iblis
with him , they know bo cannot forget
each year than to get a big sum
And was drowned out by Bones
philosophers to worry t h e i r Van Patten, deceased, are hereby L ila. O f bis form er friends, only Hack
of money for on« year and noth-
ow r
McGeen’s quick-following fire. Con
OFFICIAL COUNTY PAPER
notified to present them, with the B reathitt has not gone over to H eren
nor fell on* the walk and pulled
ing the next. Even the school
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
In the meantime the tendency proper vouchers and duly verified, deen’s side. G ard G ran t. Catherine’s himself to his knees; his gun had
men
agree
to
that-—if,
of
course,
brother,
hesitated
about
Joining
H
eren
Payable in Advance
is to reduce the percentage that to the undersigned, tbe duly ap-
drupped on the walk and now he
but became M organ’s sworn ene
ONE YEAR ........................... *L5° there is assurance that the money property pays to the state, and pointed, qualified and acting Ad- deen.
crawled forward, trying to reach it,
my when he discovered thakirCatberine
wall not be spent for other pur
bad been to bis ranch. H ack -B re a that,
and fell again with his arm stretched .
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12., 1943 poses. That can be done now, it make new taxes pay a greater iministrator of the Estate of Ed- seen camping w ith Pete Borders, a rus out full length, «fingers touching the
win H. Van Patten. Deceased, with tler. Is being watched by Hereqfieen’s
part.
seems, with the support o f the
butt.
Will Annexed, at Wasco, Oregon, men. Now Clay bas Juat learned that gun’s
Hack
Breathitt felt McGeen’s shots
governor
and
the
expressed
will
SCHOOL BILL
within six months from the date G ov-rn m en t V alley is to be auctioned breathe by. He snapped an answer
of the people in favor of school
at Sage City, 190 mUea aw ay. M orgaa
of the first publication of this no ’. nows Herendeen w ill be bidding lor tbe across the street meanwhile plung
Oregon voters, when they passed aid from the state.
tice, to-wit: February 12, 1943. land, and he is determ ined to get tt. ing past the open mouth of Gentry’s
the so-called basic school law by
about the speed of
toward his horse. The shadows shel
>: arrr.M ’ ’ flack B reathitt bas encountered
T. Lester Johnson,
such an overwhelming majority
legislature were in somewhat r onttnu«*'» from
onp
seme of Herendeen’ s men.
tered him and McGeen's shots
Administrator
With
Will
Annexed.
last November started something djflferent veio than had been pub- ample, the chief of the industrial
crushed through the soft wood of
Now continue with the story.
Date of First Publication, Feb
in school affairs that will as sure y y^hed from time
to time. Fact branch, office of civilian supply
ruary
12, 1943.
the stable wall, wide of their mark.
ehange the school system as day jg that thig -g a speedy session,
in wat production board, went to
C H A P TER VU
Men's boots pounded down the Odd
Date of Last Publication, March
follows night.
apparently well aware that the Harvard and, until he joined the
Fellows' stairway; somewhere a
14-17
For four sessions the senators nation is at war and desirous of government seven months ago, 5, 1943.
Hack Breathitt held him ielf in the woman screamed. Breathitt was on
thick shadows by the courthouse cor- his horse, racing along the Burnt
and representatives from the rich- g a tin g back home to work. The was vice-president of a p a p e r
:.cr and saw McGeen and Liard Con Ranch road, when, looking back, he
er parts of the state had sucess- house has passed or killed more company. To farmers he has is- NOTICE TO CREDITORS
fully prevented equalization that biHg than ugual • and the
Bued # gtatement that foo(, pro.
Notice is hereby given thfit* nor leave the Long Grad« saloon. saw four Herendeen men rush from
The two of them immediately sepa
would have token much tax money commdttee is not passing many auction can be increased by a Blanche Estella Everett has beer. rated. McGeen turning toward Old the side of the courthouse. McGeen
was In front of him. but fading back
from their districts and given it morp thr0Ugh the hopper. A bill l)etter USe of horseshoes. He has aPP°intfid Administratrix of the Tawn’ whne Connor traveled to Gen- from Breathitt’s Are, into the shal
to the poorer and more populous hag to
good to get by it> and four guggeRtiong; (1) Re. set the Estate of Lulu B. Stxmcer, De try's stable. More Three Pines rid low alleyway beside the bank. Low-
difitflMfi.
Tito VOtolA,
ever}
Jist js very small. The sen- shoes to get more wear out of ceased. and has qualified as such. ers drifted from the saloon, moving bent, Breathitt went by him, pound
county approved the measure, thus
ate ¡g getting more, however.
them; (2) eliminate the shoes All persons having ebainis against toward the dance ball. Instead of ing the pony with his spurs. There
going up the stairs they turned down
generously offering tax money
It ig probable that the message where the horse is doing i some- stid Estate are hereby notified the black alley between the Odd Fel was a short following fire and after
raised in the richer parts of- the w j|j aerVe to hasten things along thing non-essential to war; (3) and required to present the same lows' Hall and thè adjoining saddle wards. in the safe darkness beyond
town, Breathitt's Indian yell sailed
state to the poorer districts.lt was and j e„ le^sUtave thinking into eHlwinate unessential styles’ (4) duly verified to said Administra shop.
Meanwhile
Clay Morgan up. He’ was a fugitive then, and
a magnanimous gesture and an gomething definite.
horse owners can save shoes by trix at Wasco, Oregon, within six walked down Stage Street with H ar knew itfc and this was bis way of
months from the date of the first ley Stewart, these two going Into telling them so
expensive one.
removing them immediately after
publication of this notice. The the bank. A light flashed on. Jeise
It
has
now
been
established
that
a period of necessary road work,
i i n m no
LEGISLATIVE HALL
Morgan took the desert road as
first publication, is February 5, Rusey appeared from the darkness,
the people approve the policy of
where shoes are necessary only
at once crossing to the bank and soon as he left War Pass, heading
more state participation in the ---------------------------------
1943.
looking through the window. L ife
(Continued from last week)
during certain periods.
northeast into the open flats.
Blanche Estella Everett,
railing of -achool moneys, and that
and
Mrs. White left the dance hall
There is a hearing scheduled,
At midnight, from a summit point
The Harvard graduate appar-
Admdnistratrix. and passed Hack, on the way to the he looked down upon thevbreaks of
they approve of this distribution
and within an hour the hall will ently thinks shoes can be slipped
hotel. Hack heard L ife say in hia the Crooked River, whose rounded
on the basis of pupil days atten
J. Tracy Barton, The Dalles,
fill up again -with legislators and off and on like a pair of rubbers
1C light, courteous voice: ‘T U have a peaks and shale pinnacles and bare
Oregon, Attorney for Estate
dance.
their friends who are interested and that they come in a variety
drink or two with the boys, then ravines lay tangled and disheveled
The bill will have to be amended
we’ll go home.” Presently Llge re in the moonlight. From this eleva
in the matter at hand. They wiH of styles, whereas there are only
as it was entirely unoperable as
turned from the hotel, passed the tion he saw one lone light buried in
go to some stuffy committee room large, medium and small. This NOTICE TO CREDITORS
paaead. This,tbe teachers organ-
All
personfi having
claims saloon and followed the Burnt Ranch a far pccket, which was the location
and bear expounded the virtues man might be capable in the pa
i ration that sponsored it agree of this and that course of action, per division, but not in dealing a£ainst the Estate of Wilford road, disappearing toward Mrs. Ben of Vane Walrad s ranch, and went
son' » house.
Hack clucked his
to, aad has in fact made some fnr and then after a few minutes of with horaesboes.
Belshe, Deceased, are hereby noti- tongue in dlsapprovil. saw Morgan downgrade into the river canyon.
reaching amendments itself.
Beyond one in the morning, he
joking in this hall will go to their
• * •
-^ed
present them, with the come out of the bank, and went at
The policy of taking all of above
the homes to think over the legisla-
sighted
a close row of poplar trees
>ra and duly verified, once toward his partner.
President Roosevelt last
year proper voucher^
beyond the stream. He passed over
surplus funds over and
..«“Stayin'
around.
Clay?’*
»
signed,
th
e
.d
u
ly
'a
p
lion proposed at tbs hearing,
announced that he wanted 8,000,-^ t
un(te^
<7,750,000 has been discarded and
’’No," said Morgan. “I’m riding a swaying cable bridge, the geld
pointed, qualified and acting ad
The
bills
for
tomorrow
are
post-
000
tons
of
merchant
marine
ship-
out.”
He saw the glilter of Hack’s ing's feet booming up enormous ech
admission has been made that
ministratrix, of the Estate o f
oes from the planking
Before he
ed
in
front
of
the
desk
where
sec-
ping.
The
production
was
90,800
gunbelt buckle. "W hat’s tip?”
other state funds, particularly the
Wilford Belshe, Deceased, at the
saw the house definitely he began
retories
have
taken
the
bill
titles
more
than
he
called
for.
One
’’Nothin’. Nothin’ at a ll.”
elementary school fund, should be
calling: “ Hello there—hello. Wal-
office of T. Lester Johnson, in
Morgan said: “ Don't let anybody
tnU n out'of’ income tax payments lon8
By taking-up time to- yard alone, Oregon Shipbuilding
Moro, Oregon, within six months push you into the wrong stall. rad !"
______ the bills
win nave
w »« « o f ,
A
...
before money is rent to the coun- morrow
bille will
have oeen
been vorp.,
Corp., sent to sea a total
There was a yard behind the pop
ties for school purposes
laid ° n the desk8 of legislators, 1,219,400 tons, which represented fr?m th*
Pp v* Hack,” and turned aerosa the street lars and the blurred skeletal Autiine
tie» ror scnooi purposes.
H
cation of this notice, to-wit: Feh- to his horse. Morgan stepped «into
Under the plan offered now by "here members will look them 113 Liberty shxps. The Vancou-
the saddle; he kicked his feet into of corrals and wagons and hayracks,
and a house almost hidden by the
in over and make their 'decisions ver yard produced 30.800 tons✓ or
„
, t >2
the teachers «iffat districts
Hazel Belshe, Administratrix the stirrups, sat there a moment trees. A door slammed. He passed
looking
ahead
of
him,
and
went
out
six
ships,
and
Swan island yard
Sherman county could not parti- about the value of them,
Date of First Publication—Febru of War Pass at a long-reaching gal through the poplars to reach a front
cipate because they did not’ levy
When 9:30 arrives tomorrow 16,600 tons.
pqrch. and held his seat' here until
ary 5, 1943. •
lop? Hack thought, “1 ought .to he
a special school tax. In Jetffer- the gang will gather again to rus-
Walrad’s voice came at him. sleepy
Date of Last Publication— Febru with him." Liard Connor appeared
and uncharitable. “Well, who is it?”
son county there are 22 districts tie through the papers, confer WILLIAMS’ COLUMN
at the bank corner, exactly opposite
ary 26. 1943.
“Clay Morgan. I ’m riding straight
that could receive nothing as of over the bills up for passage, talk
the point he had disappeared from
through
to Sage City. Vane.
My
■
'rnm
-»agp
one«
a
few
minutes
before,
whereupon
thia year. Some change in this over other matters, and go into _________
It seems that humans aren’t the
Breathitt
crossed
Stage horse is going bad.*v
Columbia only ones to have shoe styles re Hack
program seems needed.
session to pass the decision of the resentative Perry of
“ Morgan?” said the man, and
Several plana for making
the people’s advocates for and against county now holds the leud for stricted—just think of the poor Street, passed the hotel and ducked was still. Morgan heard J pair of
down an alley. He threshed around
•chool bill work according to the- the measures on the
calendar. bills introduced with 14 to his herses.
the broken boxes and tin cans and horses stirring in the adjoining cor-
ery have been written^ more" will
Now the hall is empty,
the credit, and Wallace of Portland
bottles behind Shevlin’s pool hall, r»l. One of them softly whinnied,
have to be written. Settlement green covered chairs back of the still holds first honors in the sen-
made a wide sweep of this com and then the rancher said with a re
pletely black area and came into viving cordiality, “Sure, Clay.”
of thia problem is the moat d if- oaken deaka are juat so much fur- ate with 11.
“ I ’ ll be back to pick up my horse
the street again near Old Town.
ficult job In the legislative ses- niture, the names on the desks are
• ♦ *
FOR SALE—A few good work
At this same moment McGeen - in two days.”
aion thia year.
just so much decoration, the lights • At the close of business Mon-
Moonlight put a silver, phosphor
horses. From 12 to 17 hundred, stepped from the shadows of the
Because the legialatrive assembly are a mockery to the present in- day, March 1, the legislature will
escent glow to the road's dust.
blacksmith
shop.
He
had
his
head
under 8 years old. Roy Belshee.
Pulling in for a walk, Morgan
is responsible for the expenditure action. Tomorrow there will be w jnd up ita 5ath ^ y of tiie gcg.
Phone 754, Wasco.
pl4-16 turned, watching the up-street direc looked at his watch and found it to
of all funds appropriated by it, action when
legislator confers 8jOn. From then on the lawmak-
tion, but whipped around when he
be half-past two; one hour later with
it ia the duty of members to make with conatitiKmt, when member crs wiH work without pay. From O R D F R N O W fo r M arch heavv heard the strIke of Breathitt’8 boot8 the moonlight changing and day not
thia school bill operable ao that persuades member, when t h e the looks of things now, it seems
• Hamps., The tw0 stood here‘ face lo face far away, he knew his horse was
.cockerels, April - Reds,
with half the street between them.
state money sent back for school rollg are called and laws are start- dm oet a certainty the boys will
and Leghorns. Leghorn cock Hack didn’t say anything. He held done. Nor could he see the shadow
of ranch or house ahead. He let
purposes does the greatest poa- ed on the course <rf action. ----- be there for at least another week
erels $2.50 per hundred " a n y his ground, showing McGeen his
the pony drop to a walk and in this
sible amount of good. This may
As a means ’of following the after March 1, unless they hold
Thursday. Write for circular. swift, malicious grin. McGeen time-eating way covered the neat
pulled up both hands and' caught
mean some major change in the people’s will the legislative pro- many night sessions. Most ail of
Hart’s
Hatchery,
Beaverton,
half-hour. The road climbed to a
the lapel of his coat, which was hip
management of Oregon’s school w ss sometimes looks awkward and the important bills are yet to be
Oregon.
c!4tf way of showing Hack he didn’t long roll of land, tipped over the
system, now one of the most in- wasteful. As a practical matter ected upon
At the lagt eiectjon
crest and point into a shallow mead
efficient in the nation. Tbe peo- R ,a no more w than are othei the voters
extended the regular FOR SALE Soft Federation seed want to draw, and afterwards be ow. through which a creek ran with
rolled up the street 'toward the sa-t a pale glowing. There was a box
pie have decided that the state processes of getting things done session from 40 to 50 days, but
wheat, 40 or 45 sacks. Hugh loon. Connor was near the door elder grove here Coming to the
should pay for a larger part of by delegations. Since the forma- when you take eight Sundays and
Walker, Wasco. Phone Wasco of the Long Grade; he saw Mc water he let his horse drink; and
school coat It will now be nec- tion of tbis cwmtry groups similar two legal holidays out of this to-
pl4-16 Geen—and started down to join him. heard a rustling in the low tree
711.
Breathitt’s laughter was^ a soft branches. A tall white horse, fol
Maary for the state to take a
thia bave been meeting and tai it only leaves 40 days of work-
bubble
in his throat. He crossed the lowed by three others, came out of
W |rer part in school adminietra- working in halls similar to this, ¡ng time, and that’s mighty short
Moro Lodge No. 113, I .O .O .i’. street and circled the blacksmith the covert and stopped.
.
and so far .they have so well—in fOr legislative business once ev-
Moro, Oregon
shop at a short, jumpy run. He trot
He roped the white horse, saddled
T°
m°ney mt<> tHe general—represented the will of ery tWo years. Not for close to
Meets 1st and 3rd ted on around the Odd Fellows’ it. and left his worn out pony to
present syatwn without making it
people that thia nation is now 30 years has the legislature bem
Tuesdays
in th« building into a small vacant lot ad gras*.
more efficient would be waste and at
Up of
j^tiong of the able to complete its chores in the
I.O..O.F. hall Trai joining Gentry’s saloon. The dance-
Ten hours out of W ar Pass found
would also tend to retain some of world. This now nearly vacant allotted time and go home.
sient and visiting hall lights fell on the street and, Mm threading the pine timber. Here
the moat wasteful features of the hall, with its seats from which
brothers are cordi hugging the side of the wail. Hack and there a woodcutter’s read led
• • »
a.ly invited to meet saw Liard Connor step from Gen away, and occasionally he taw cat
system.
come “Yea” and “Nay” votes of Observations from the press
try's. Hack was softly laughing tle grazing.
vith us.
Legislative committee« are now
again, at Connor's back. He said:
the.
*dv<x»t«, to som v box: Jim Bain, district attorney Charles C. Wilson. n T g .
A U noon ' the country changed
studying the law and the manv
“Wrong way, Liard,” and watched again, the pines dropping behind
thing that, moat of the world of Multnomah county, looks things Peicy Thompson, Sec.
proposed amendments. Some con
Connor Jerk around.
and a canyon taking him down a
does not understand-^or enjoy.
over-^and so does A1 Brown, coun-
clusions that are valuable w i l l
Connor said: “ All right — all rocky draw. Shortly thereafter a
ty
auditor;
he
wants
hia
salary
surely oome from their study.
right.” But he wasn’t talking to
No. lia B reathitt Bones McGeen broke out desert of scab rock and sage, smoky
REPRESENTATIVE’S REPORT raised—Sheldon Sack tt, Marsh- Lupine Rebekah Lodge
with fall’s heat and fall’s distant
Moro. Oregon
field publisher and once the part-
of the shadows near the bank. Some brush fires, unrolled before him.
Continued from PageTone
GOVERNORS MESSAGE
Meets 2d & 4th Tues
body kicked out a window in the -Nowhere did he see a break—either
S p ' ««u«.
day of each month.
The governor’s taxation ■a es the boy. havr to m .1«“ ^ th.ir " "
dance hall, the glass splattering the shape of a ranch, or a town, or
If
the
mind,
clash,
they
*»?•—R«lPh
Cake,
the
Visiting members wel
sage which is an amplification of minds
around B rea th itt McGeen had quit a moving object. He had his mo
ren
te
that
.uh-
*"d
*
»
'
«
*
word,
roll
^
1
i’
PC
T
\
in
-------
come
advancing. Liard Connor, no long ment of tremendous disappoint
the paragraphs
ject io hia inaugural seems
seems a 001
windows to warm tfle rain
*he lawmakers Coila Belshee, N.G.
er in motion, said again. “A B right” ment; and then, completely clear
sensible approach to a difficult filUd air
and dre»ry Salem.
J.irect?r
,r’ nrr -»«hnston. 8e<
ing the canyon, he discovered, on his
..b j e c t He ha. changed hi. ide- ‘ There i . nothing very startling
in
^ P - W .M a c e i n ------------------------------
right, a chuck wagon and a half-
Eureka Lodge No. 121 A-F & A-M dozen riders seated around IL
___
____
___
in
t
h
a
a« to some extent, probably be- a,K>ut the tax program of the tax- v ___ a
.arTey
Reihlehem Chapter, No. 78.0.E.i\
Meets on tbe 1st and
He pulled over at once, but re
3rd Thursday • eve mained In the saddle until the wag
Moro, Oregoi
cause of studiea made .since the ation and revenue committee and koU8e d° mo8t of the orkthig—
the governor. There are reduc- ^ nd
aecr«tariea now get $6
Meets Every. Second and
ning* of sach month. on boss said: ”Oet off and pitch In.”
legislature convened.
tiona
for
nearly
every
taxpayer,
P*1
*
—®nd
tbeir pay doesn’t
Fourth Thu. ¿days in each
Visiting members are
He stepped stiffly from the saddle,
He now concedes that there can
Month. Visiting members
cordially invited to found a tin plate and cup at the
on
daY—it goes on
be aomp reduction in the income whether he be a payer of proper-
tail gate of the chuck wagon" and
meet with us. ■,
Invited
tax but asks that it be on a tem ty. income, corporation, gift, or *nd on until the session adjourns
helped himself to the pan of short
W. F. HcLeod. W.M.
Norma Bulslger W. M.
inheritance
taxe^.
An
effort
is
oine
die.
porary baeis. In fact, time« are
ribs and Dutch-oven bread by tbe
(
V.
Belknap,
Secretary
M arie Hoskinson, Sec.
ao abnormal that a long-time being made to equalise the reduc -
EaP<lP!Pr
RNEST MAYCOX
Kelly’s Column
W aal Ads
----------------------
■
~ i ------------------------------
-7 —
The sound of Hack Breathitt’s gun
pounded between the wul?> of tu?
street.
fire.
He crouched here, drinking
down two hot strong cups of coff» e
without delay, before touching tbe
solid food. The mark of the long
ride was on him and on the big
jaded horse, and Morgan knew that
the crew, sprawled idly under the
sun. saw all this and were making
their guesses
A man on the run.
they would be thinking. He finished
his meal and tapered a cigarette
and lay back on tbe ground, propped
up by an elbow. This food hit him
like a shot of whisky. It took the
heaviness out of his muscles, it
made him cheerful.
But he was
increasingly pushed by the sense < i
wasting time. He said: "Which way
to Siagc City?"
The wagon boss drawled "There's
a trail about five miles over yonder .
Keep on it. I hear old man Lowry
ain't in good health “
Morgan thought about that. The
brand on the big white horse was
Running L. Maybe that was what
-the puncher was talking about.
He said: "N e v e r m et h im .
I'v e
been on the tr a il since la t t n ig h t a t
nine o 'clo ck, fro m W ar Pass
I
sw apped horses at C rouked R iv e r,
and roped th is one o il the g ra ss
lands. W hat I need is a fre sh horse
for the rid e in to Sage C ity. I ' l l be
back th is way day a fte r to m o rro w ”
“ Not a bad ride,” ja id the wag^n
boss idly, and let the silence come
on.
The wagon boss had made up his
min<L He said:-' No, not a bad ride
at all. Take that strawberry.”
tylorgan rose at once. His upper
legs had gon« stiff; he stamped his
feet on the ground and limped over
to the white horse. He put his gear
on the strawberry and hit the sad
dle.
At three thirty, with eighteen
hours of steady riding behind him.
he came upon a main break in the
road. One fork led into the south-1
east, the other swung toward the
north.
It was now within a half,
hour of the land office deadline:
paused at this junction, scanning
the forward haze with an anxious
eye, he made out no kind of a blur
on the horizon. This land ran
straight into the cloudy mists, flat
as a board.
A few fresh prints
showed either road; they were
alike, these roads, as to the wear
and tear of usage, and nothing gave
him a hunch except that the north
ern fork seemed to head mure near
ly toward the spot he thought Sage
City ought to be.
And so he took it, but two miles
later this road brought up before
the burnt ruin of a ranch house.
He wheeled around, backtracked
to the junction and followed the oth
er route. Wagon tracks came from
the desert and dropped into the
road, a wavering wheel-and-hoof
pattern coming out of nowhere and
leading apparently nowrtere. It was
then four o’clock and he thought he
had lost his race. Twenty minutes
later the desert marched to a rim
that fell downward three hundred
feet into a valley. The road de
scended a sharp grade. At the bot
tom of the grade, straddling the sil
ver streak of a shallow river, lay
Sage City, its gray housetops and
dusty streets making a toy town’s
pattern from this elevation. He set
the tiring pony into its last run,
came down the grade and crossed a
wooden bridge. He saw the half-
empty street, the false-fronted build
ings and the once-white spire of a
courthouse sitting athwart the far
end of the street When he reached
the courthouse and stepped down, a
pair of men came out of the door.
Morgan said: “Land office in
there?”
They nodded. He passed Into a
shadowed ball, heard voices through
a half-closed doorway, and pushed
that door before him. There was a
man standing by a desk: this man
was saying: “Seventy-eight hun
dred. That’s the b id ., Another bid,
gentlemen? Another bid?”
There were only four other men
In the room. One of them, standing
by the room’s side-wall with his
face turned from Morgan at the mo
ment, was Charley Hillhouse.
Charley Hillhouse said: “ Eight
thousand,** and came about and dis
covered Morgan.
'(TO BE CONTINUED)