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He signaled to Art True, then struck out for The Homestead The bri midway up in the sky For the first of April, the temperature was unseasonably hts already centering on the co with the lawyers

Any hope that they ood news died the minute he entered the den and saw the professionalan aura of competence He shook hands all around and endured the jovial backslap from the blustery Justin Farnsworth, dressed as always more like a cattleman in cowboy boots and a flashy bolo tie But his interest was piqued by the presence of Ed Talbot in the group, a forator

Convinced the lawyers had arrived with some news, Ty walked over to the side table and poured hi-backed chair facing the desk

“Chase was just tellingthe cattle off toback in the chair and assu an attitude of ease “That is probably best”

Cup in hand, Ty hooked a leg over a corner of the desk and leaned on it “What have you found out about the land?”

The investigator studied the steer hornsfor all the world like an accountant It was Farnsworth who answered Ty’s question

“It’s just as we suspected The environmentalists appear to be behind this one I don’t have to tell you how strong their lobby has become these last few years” He waved a hand in Chase’s direction “Save the trees Save the whales Save the snail darter They are always hot to save so”

“And now they want to saveaze fixed on the lawyer

With a politician’s deftness, Farnsworth neither confirmed nor denied it “You heard the hue and cry they raised about the da in the national forest lands It doesn’t seeo herds of buffalo, nu in the millions, used to roam the same land Or that the herds of wild horses that they are so detere than cattle And horses aren’t even a species indigenous to this continent But that is neither here nor there,” he adrass Native grass, like the kind growing on your land They have decided it needs to be protected, too”

“From whom? Certainly not from us Calders have taken care of this land for well over a century now Do you see that map on the wall behind rass still growing on all of it”

“I’m sure there is” Farnsworth nodded his head

“Are you saying the government plans to set aside that land as a nature preserve?” Ty asked, trying to cut through the rhetoric

“So of that sort seems to be afoot,” the lawyer confirmed

“That is the stupidest thing I ever heard” Chase’s voice was thick with disgust “Nature never intended grass to grow untouched It wasanie co”

“I quite agree with you And I don’t know of a single rancher ouldn’t”