CHAPTER XI
THE ULTIMATUM
Dale's face whitened; for a moment he sat rigid, staring, his eyesboring into Sanderson's. Then he reached into a pocket, drew out adirty envelope, and threw it at Sanderson's feet.
"You're a damned smart boy, ain't you, Bransford?" he sneered. "ButI'm out to get you--remember that!"
"And you remember this, Dale!"
Sanderson was at the head of the horse Dale rode. His eyes wereblazing with suppressed fury, brought on by the other's threat."There's goin' to be a new deal in the basin. From now on I'm runnin'things--an' they're runnin' square! I ain't got any use for any lawbut this!" He tapped the butt of his six-shooter significantly. "An'if you go to gettin' mixed up with the Double A or the Nyland ranchyou'll get it--plenty!"
Dale grinned, hideously. Then he kicked his horse in the ribs and rodeaway.
Mary Bransford had not moved from her position on the porch. Sandersonwatched Dale ride away, then he smiled at Mary and entered the house.Mary followed him. She saw Owen standing in the sitting-room, and herface showed her surprise.
Sanderson explained. "Owen an' me framed up on Dale," he said. "Yousaw it work."
"You'll be careful, won't you, Will?" she said.
"Deal," smilingly insisted Sanderson.
"Deal," she repeated, giving him a look that made him blush. Then shewent into one of the other rooms, and Sanderson and Owen went outside.At the corner of the stable Sanderson halted and faced Owen.
"You've got some explainin' to do," he said. "How did you know Dalehad a letter from Will Bransford to his father; an' how did you knowthat Dale wanted me to write my name on that brand-registering blank sohe could compare it with Will Bransford's name on the letter?"
"Will Bransford told me he wrote such a letter; he showed me a letterfrom his dad which told how he had dropped Will's letter and how Dalehad picked it up. Dale thought old Bransford hadn't seen him pick upthe letter--but Bransford did see him. And last night I was snoopingaround over at the Bar D and I overheard Dale and Silverthorn cookingup this deal."
Sanderson grinned with relief. "Well," he said, "that name-signingdeal sure had me considerable fussed up." He told Owen of his mentaltorture following the discovery of the letter that had disappeared fromthe dresser drawer. "We've got to run together from now on," he toldOwen. "I'll be Bransford an' you'll be Bransford's name. Mebbebetween us we'll make a whole man."
Over at the Bar D, Dale was scowling at Silverthorn.
"He ain't Will Bransford," Dale declared. "He signed his name all O.K.an' regular, just the same as it was on the letter. But just the samehe ain't a Bransford. There ain't no Bransford ever had an eye in himlike he's got. He's a damned iceberg for nerve, an' there's more fightin him than there is in a bunch of wildcats--if you get him started!"
"Just the same," smiled Silverthorn, silkily, "we'll get the Double A.Look here--" And the two bent their heads together over Dale's desk.
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