made the statement that he was
through, was leaving for the Northwest, and that he would not return.

"Hulls Barrow surely didn't get the Express Company's money. A year or
two later Maizie brought him to town to give the bank a mortgage to
secure funds to defend Steve Adams, charged with murdering Allie
Garrett. Maizie hired a firm of Denver lawyers and the case went
through all the complications of venue, trial, and appeal.

"This trial was the community's biggest event, although it had origin
in a barroom brawl. During its progress, business was suspended while
the public swarmed in, hoping that the truth of the Barrow mysteries
might be revealed. The public was disappointed. Steve Adams never took
the witness stand, although many thought he had an even chance to
convince a jury that he was not the aggressor. The prosecutor was
materially aided in the case by Judge Griffith of Laramie. There was
no record as to who paid Judge Griffith, but Grandaddy was highly
gratified that the accused got a ten-year sentence. He was one man in
the community that knew of Griffith's ability as a prosecutor.

"And now that old mortgage is being foreclosed. The Bar-O is on the
market at a forced sale. If Grandaddy knew about it, he wouldn't sleep
until he owned it. If he were ten years younger he would go over there
and shoot it out with Hulls Barrow for the possession. And he needs
more land about as badly as he needs ten thumbs on one hand. He
already owns all that joins his, his holdings envelope the Bar-O on
three sides. He might covet the grazing rights in the Tranquil Meadows
district, but two of our winter grazing meadows will lay idle this
winter and our fifty ricks of hay are about four times more than we
can use.

"Really, Grandaddy doesn't want more land, wouldn't buy other
adjoining land, but he would spend every available cent to get rid of
the Barrows. I have two slender, lingering hopes. First, if he does
find out about the sale and buys it, that there will still be money
left in the keyster. And secondly, if he should buy it, I hope I can
persuade him to sell it to some first class, reputable rancher.
Someone with a family with whom we can be neighborly and the men folks
can exchange work in the busy season."

"How much is this mortgage thing?" questioned Davy, as the lengthy
story seemed near the end. "What's due the grazing master? How many
cattle are they running? When is this sale? Who can I see about the
det