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"Howdy, Ellen Shore you ain't goin' to say good ood-natured sarcas industrious MANANA sheep raisers," replied Ellen, coolly

Daggs stared The others appeared taken back by a greeting so foreign from any to which they were accustoruff ha Soed a lazy, polite good nificantly struck by her greeting, and the least amused

"Ellen, I'm not likin' your talk," he said, with a frown

"Dad, when y'u play cards don't y'u call a spade a spade?"

"Why, shore I do"

"Well, I'runted Jorth, furtively dropping his eyes "Where you goin' with your gun? I'd rather you hung round heah now"

"Reckon I un all the time," replied Ellen "Reckon I'll be treatedalltook place Simm Bruce and Lorenzo rode around the slope of the Knoll and trotted toward the cabin Interest in Ellen was relegated to the background

"Shore they're bustin' with news," declared Daggs

"They been ridin' some, you bet," remarked another

"Huh!" exclaimed Jorth "Bruce shore looks queer to me"

"Red liquor," said Tad Jorth, sententiously "You-all know the brand Greaves hands out"

"Naw, Simm ain't drunk," said Jackson Jorth "Look at his bloody shirt"

The cool, indolent interest of the crowd vanished at the red color pointed out by Jackson Jorth Daggs rose in a single springy ht The face Bruce turned to Jorth ollen and bruised, with unhealed cuts Where his right eye should have been showed a puffed dark purple bulge His other eye, however, glea hand toward Jorth

"Thet Nez Perce Isbel beat me half to death," he bellowed

Jorth stared hard at the tragic, alure, at the battered face But speech failed his who answered Bruce

"Wal, Simm, I'll be damned if you don't look it"

"Beat you! What with?" burst out Jorth, explosively

"I thought he ingin' an ax, but Greaves swore it was his fists," bawled Bruce, in un?" queried Jorth, sharply