Thus it happened that Annersley brought upon himself the very trouble
that he had honorably tried to avoid. Let the most courageous man even
seem to turn and run and how soon his enemies will take up the chase!
But nothing happened that summer, and it was not until the following
spring that the T-Bar-T outfit gave any hint of their real intent. The
anonymous letter was a vile screed--because it was anonymous and also
because it threatened, in innuendo, to burn out a homestead held by one
man and a boy.
Annersley showed the letter to Pete and helped him spell it out. Then
he explained gravely his own status as a homesteader, the law which
allowed him to fence the water, and the labor which had made the land
his. It was typical of Young Pete that when a real hazard threatened
he never said much. In this instance the boy did not know just what to
do. That evening Annersley missed him and called, "What you doin',
pardner?"
From the cabin--Annersley, as usual, was seated outside, smoking--came
the reply: "Countin' my cartridges."
Annersley knew that the anonymous letter would be followed by some
hostile act if he did not vacate the homestead.
Pages:
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43