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Upon her trip out to the Rim with the sheep, Uncle John, as Ellen called him, had been away on one of his infrequent visits to Grass Valley It pleased her now to see a blue colu from the old chimney and to hear the discordant bray of burros As she entered the clearing Sprague saw her from the door of his shack

"Hello, Uncle John!" she called

"Wal, if it ain't Ellen!" he replied, heartily "When I seen thet white-faced jinny I knoas leadin' her Where you been, girl?"

Sprague was a little, stoop-shouldered old ray eyes that beamed kindly on her over his ruddy cheeks Ellen did not like the tobacco stain on his grizzled beard nor the dirty, arb he wore, but she had ceased her useless attempts to make him more cleanly

"I've been herdin' sheep," replied Ellen "And where have y'u been, uncle? I rub An' I reckon I stayed longer in Grass Valley than I recollect But thet was only natural, considerin'--"

"What?" asked Ellen, bluntly, as the old ue took a black pipe out of his vest pocket and began rilance he bent on Ellen was thoughtful and earnest, and so kind that she feared it was pity Ellen suddenly burned for news froe

"Wal, come in an' set doon't you?" he asked

"No, thanks," replied Ellen, and she took a seat on the chopping block "Tell oin' on down in the Valley?"

"Nothin' much yet--except talk An' there's a heap of thet"

"Humph! There alas talk," declared Ellen, conteossipy, catty hole, that Grass Valley!"

"Ellen, thar's goin' to be war--a bloody war in the ole Tonto Basin," went on Sprague, seriously

"War!Bethom?"

"The Isbels an' their enemies I reckon most people down thar, an' sure all the cattlemen, air on old Gass's side Blaisdell, Gordon, Fredericks, Blue--they'll all be in it"

"Who are they goin' to fight?" queried Ellen, sharply

"Wal, the open talk is thet the sheepmen are forcin' this war But thar's talk not so open, an' I reckon not very healthy for any man to whisper hyarbouts"

"Uncle John, y'u needn't be afraid to tell ive y'u away Y'u've been a good friend to me"