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Show ire irek k d d dk k LXW LEW LEN T T"S * "S S "SaQ " aQ q ; M ct . , l 1 ei . OMcrM Ua the thecrre CrOI crre . ' 1 'J J T ' herdiNftlbh II h.rt hrt . " . , IW wMUl ' " U Ibe 11 aeff _ 4rJy drlvedffgm drlvedffgmTezas < rH . . ftcpQ ftcpQTeu trnT * Teu Tezas x s , te to u the . fiW'taClajb-afMt fiW'taClajb fiWtaClajb afMt ' 1sdtaahageat bGWir , - apD ' at OcftlUU ogafala Ol . Tbe The yeaf ye-.r ye.r ye .r r year - . I Is . tin tt1S 117 . . TOar TOM lOUAKNO&D.iraerkx lOUAKNOD.iraerkx lOUAKNODiraerkx ARNOt AuN0U > . & . , oner other , . hu has bf been be , . klDe4 killed kUI 1 la III . A . a $ 4t sU DipeG taidpede l e . . , . ilia- ilia Era - ilia'WIll EU * winnames 'WIllname win 'WIll WIll ' xmef names name . LtW Lew Le " hose " 0 X . . IUU 114 mad & otrner . . WT .r r . ItU atD soew 1 UU Ua8 tbs tbscattle Ua8tattle UUc tattle cattle c ( U arc are .t t . . 10111 sold l . , waex Wbell when STKVa 1mB STEVE 1mB11 ; aafl -11 11 turd - " 10'1 101 Joy Joyare JOTir ' ue are * to t * reeel"e reeele receive rc * l " ttrlr tbeb their ' dIue sbares axr . After tIIl.D7dlMculUei away4IImculue assay tIIl.D7 tIIlD7 away assayiBcBUli . iBcBUli dlMculUei 4IImculue ( * $ aaa aDeI and harajalal banbldp hardships . IDcladJ taclBlac tneludtng : l eq . eqIndiau aaindixB India Indiau . rala ralel raid they " tk y 7 brtac bring .r r . . &be be the & t betc1 beN hf * eo t4 . t * P04 OffIty 04IJI . Uty ( < Ity sere ner n re . IXAT CLAY MANtfINO MANNINO 11ANMNO , 101"1fiance Jay'sfiance JTS 101"1 1011 Jay's Jays " ' fiance * < , 4IJappea disappears aliaa an , . l.eW leW . L w , a & eompau1cI ageompante4 ageompante4by eompau1cIby e > l l4ky , 4ky by hii till bl . fa pUla peen . , I.lerl Ilerl enters . ten Pal the th * tow towu town aD4 and k i bsctas blct bsgtaa bsgtaaearchiag l l.earcldD . , .earcldD earcldD carcUac earchiag . Lew .W W . 1aIre Ufl hires . ft a dozen 110'1 1101 n ' ' B . .m m extra extrahands . xttftkn . hands * for ( r Ur &be be the & r.mafader rmafader remainder r . M&la Mla & < er 01 of t the ti ) trty trip trtp , , u as asbe ufie ask fie be feat fea t " r , trwaal trouble tro 1e * w1 with wttb a a . rlY rival " tlerll bard a r . , &be be the theOpen &beQpeD & arpp QpeD Open B A . . . loy Joy J y iBilit lDJIeta insist * . em on lomill cMBlac coming , to t * towu tw tows * . , u a ' i the she tr think tUaks tIIItIb . cuy Clay Cia , . "needs needs " .eeCh eeCh . b.r br her . , . . " ' 1 , CIl PTEB CHAPTER cnAmsnxvn cnAmsnxvnBy XVD xvn xvnfly By fly the time I.e Ie . Lew . had run back and andgot andgot fendrot got into hta his hlj | own saddle ladd1e there was wasonly wasonly wasonly only dust duet tor for him Im to follow foUow fgtiow Hegive He Hegwe Heciv gwe give no order , . tha the otbern other others . bad had leen seen seenand seenand ' and od read that lookout sign . . . Tbn They Tbnpoured Theypoured Theypoured leenI I poured behind behtnd him along the street streetI . ' 0.1 01 1 . lien hen on th the river'i riveri rvert river's rivers ! ' . open shelf sheu hacaught he hecaught hecaught caught the drum of ot boofbeats hoofbeat . ! and andliaw andsaw andcaw ' liaw saw the rider turn suddenly luddenly notth north northbeside northbeside beside the whitewashed ahlPplnl shipping ahlPplnlpens shippingpens snippingpen pens * He . swung .wunl wunl that way war : for sl . slmoment amoment moment the th figure waft was clear against agalnst agalnstthe againstthe againstthe the plaza lights llghta where this thfs .treet treet street streetended . itreetended .treetended ended But at the railroad traclcJ tracks track * it ittumed itturned itturned tumed turned once one * more and was Waf out of oflilght ofTaking ofsight ofsightTaking lilght . Taking a blind bUnd guess gueas , , he aimedacross aimedacross aimed jacross across the th depot : yard before reacb- reacb reach- reach reacbIng reaching reach-me reach me - Ing the track tracks * himself hlmaeU and then waa was waaimmediately wasimmediately waaimmediately immediately sure ur which way the rid- rid rider rid rider . - er had cone gone For the : yard rBrd endedagainst endedagainst ended gainst against the . sprawling .prawUng prawUng corra corrals corrals of Ra- Ra Rachais Rachals Ba-chal Ba chal - chais chals livery llverr : There was . wa .a a . only ODe one ODeoutlet oneoutlet oneoutlet outlet . . . lie stepped dowJ down down fr from m hi hia his . saddle saddleWIth saddlewith saddlewith WIth Joe Wheat , , Quarternigbt Quarternlgbt Quarternight and andthe andthe andthe the other others * following fonowlng behind him , and andsaw andsaw d dsaw saw fint first eight or ten men afoot afootnear afootnear afootnear near the office omce ' Then 'then Pete Pet * Rachalwas Raehal Rachal Raehalwas Rachalwa was coming toward him .waylng waylng swaying swayingrapidly . swayingrapidly .waylngrapidly rapidly on hia his stubby legS leg * And at atthe atthe atthe the came same time , even a as Rachal said aald , , I got your crew . , Burnet , , " and nod nodded nodded nodded ded at the group , "but but " there's theres thete's thetes ' a abunchIt abunch bunch-It bunch It bunch- bunchIthe bunchbe - " he be saw aw Clay Clar : and Ed Splann Splannjust Splannlust Splannjust just lust inside the bum's bums barn ' * . dark mawWhat mawWhat maw mawWhat What he couldn't couldnt ' see in that thai mo mo- moment mo- mo moment moment - - ment wai wall was bow how many l8D1 othera others mIght mIghtbe mightbe mightbe be watching wtcbJng wgtching , him from the huge hugeblackness hugeblackness bugblackness * blackness behind the wide doorway doorwayThen doorwayThen doorwayThen Then one other edged edled into the band bandof bandof bandot of outs outshining light Ught from the omce office omceand , and close to bis his shoulder ahoulder Joe JoeWheat'a JoeWheat's JoeWheat's JoeWheats Wheat'a Wheata Wheat's Wheats ' low voice said . . uTbat "That's Thats "That'sStoddard "That'aStoddard ThataStoddard " ' . Stoddard . , the bois boss bos . " He recolI recognized Zed Stoddard St0d4afd wlthoul without wlthoulshowing withoutshowing withoutshowing showing that be he did , , a * . short , , squat squatman squatman squatman man who at atthe - -the the - mouth of 01 Cra Crafy CrafyWoman CratyWoman Woman Creek . , , bad had made the mis mis- mistake mistake mistake - - take of offering offerlnl him b1m a Job . . He Hebrought Hebrought Hebrought brought his glance back to Clay and andEd andEd andEd Ed Splann , , seeing the dulI dulled d beavy heavy beavydrunkenness heavydrunkenness heavydrunkenness drunkenness of Clay Clay's Clays ' . face Splaon Splann Splaonwas Splannwas Splannwas was not drunk but stood lStood with his hishuge hishuge hiahuge huge body polled poised ft a litt1 little forwardstrangely forward forwardstrangely . , strangely like a man on tiptoe hie his hielong hislong bislong long arms arma loose at his sides sJdes sidesThese sJdesThese sjdesThese These things he saw in I a brief briefliurvey briefsurvey briefsurvey liurvey survey that could have lasted only onlya a moment-with moment with moment - - with his own men and andhis andhis andhis his new hands turned rigidly .nent nent silent silentand . silentand .nentand and Pete Racbal Rachal Racal a s . face tace in front of ofhim ofhim ofhim him setting into a weary wearr : lookThen lookThen look lookThen Then he moved . , hearing Joe JoeWheat's JoeWheat's JoeWheat's JoeWheats Wheat's Wheats ' Lew 'Lew ' ' for tor God a s sake ! ' and andpaying andpaying andpaying paying no attention to it it . . He walked walkedtoward walkedtoward walkedtoward toward Clay CIay Manning feeling there .00 00 . . _ _ _ - lidded eyes He lie reached him and andtook andtook andtook took hia hIs arm "clay clay ' " Clay 'Clay ' , " ' he .said said . said . , ' " . " come on His tug brought the big Ihape shape Ihapeout shapeout shapeout out a little from the support oi 01 of thedoorway the thedoorway thedoorway doorway post , , stumbling ItumblIng against againsthim againsthim againsthim him He Jerked bis hill his right hand up upto upto upto to brace Clay a s body and some someone someone someone one must have mistaken that or an anorder anorder anorder order Was wall given that be he didn dido t hearA bearA hear bear hearA A gun a s . flame ftame streaked .treaked treaked . from the theblack theblack theblack black interior ot 01 of the barn bam 10be to 10- 10 - be- be become be become - . come Instantly blended Into a crash- crash crashing crashtug crash-ins crash ins - - ing tug roar He felt Clay CIay ClayJolt -Jolt Jolt 101t - - aa as a . ifpushed If Ifpushed ifpushed pushed . He waa wu was trying to pull his hisown hisown hisown own gun and bold hold the bl big , man up upBut upBut upBut But the suddenly dead weight threw threwhim threwhim threwhim him off balance Something bot hot botstabbed hotstabbed hotstabbed stabbed bis his arm . . They went down downtogether downtogether downto together { ether and a running nmnlng wave of offire offire offire fire passed over their beadsRolling headsRolling heads beads headsRolling Rolling tree free and struggling up be he behad hehad hehad had a blurred knowledge of qust dust dustand qustand dustand and frightened lrightened horses borses and a laat last laatra lastrattle lastrattle ra rattle ttie of shooting far back toward towardthe towardthe towardthe the Livery Uverr : a s end , and all at once oncethere oncethere oncethere there was silence sUence , a breathless bush hush bushin hushin hushin in the way of thesebettles these / , battles battle . . , untqsomewhere untQ untQsomewhere untilsomewhere somewhere a man - groaned p-oaned p oaned and deep deepwithin deepwithin deepwithin within the barn bam another called , , They got out here berel herdl ) ' And from the theoffice theoffice theoffice office Pete Racbal'a Racbala Rachal Rachal's Rachals ' . unmoved gofee gofeesaid voicesaid lce lcesaid said Curly , you better get &her her the &herdoc thedoc & thedoc thedocThe doc docThe The hospital waa was an en abandoned- abandoned abandonedarmy abandonedarmy - ' army barracks barracla .tandJn tandJn . standing oir on- on - onthe outhe the pral prai pralde prairie pralrie de rie s . gras grass . beyond berond ; the freight frellht rard yards yardseast : yardseast . : east of town . . . Toe The Tbq doc doe , too t t o . < xv , , was . . a . adiscard discard from the army , . a gaunt gaunted gauntedman gauntedman d dman man q'esBut with bloodshot alcoholic mcoboUc alcoholiq ; qe q'es qes eyesBut ' . But watching watcbJnl him hen him . . , . Lew t.ew tew gy gylied guessed lied e4 hel helwas hejwas ' was capable enough enoup ev eves even naav nalw D _ ; h he hmust * ' : must have bave been a top surgeon 'geo geo surges ' J l onc once , . He saw law the long Ioni hands hand8 .erII erII werit weritsteady . were1steady .erIIstea stea steady , . probing the slightly Illpt1.Y Illpt1Y . putted puled puttedblue puledblue puffedblue blue holes boles which were there were all aU thatshowed that thatshowed ( hatshowed showed of the wounds woupds woupd81D In Cla CIay.Men- CIay.Men CIay.Menning Clay&Ian-ning Clay&Ian ClayIan ning , . . . & . - - nlng ning s naked nak naked back . . . At such c10le close c10lerange closerange closerange range thai the bullets buUeti bad had entered entered.tralgbt enteredstraight enteredstraight .tralgbt tralgbt straight . . . It wasn't wasnt waco't wacot ' clear In bis hb his mind "at at yet "atwhat yetwhat " jtwhat * what bad had happened ; , perhapa perhaps perba he'd hed he'dnever he'dnever hednever " ' " never know . , . But It seemed ieemed teemed that.n thatn that.nthe that all . allthe Uthe the Open A . , Cuos gtma II.UI IIUI iquatrhaveibeen iquatrhaveibeenturned ) . musf-bave musf bave . - ba.rbeeb barbeeb ba.rbeebturned " . beenturned turned In hi bf h bfa * a * direction dtnetion dlre : , 'friWaJto friWaJto 'friWaJto.acrtftce ' wUllng palling : ato : atosacrifice tosacrifice .acrtftce acrtftce sacrifice . Clay CIa flay ) " and tUJ4 even ena 4'Sp 4Sp ICd EdRplartti EdRplarttiif " ' Splannif If they tbQ could couJ4 bla blast . through throu.cb throucb . to him him.Aad himAad . . . AJ&d AJd And & they 1he7 hadn't hadnt ' . . Clay'a Claya 'C1a1 C1a1 clay's clays ' ' . huge buee bulk bulkhad bulkhad bulkhad had . saved .ved ved him , him . , takIn taking . aha that , flre 1Ire flrL . , 13eremembered ne 13e neremembered Heremembered remembered 2d Ed Splana SpJano turning and andacreamfq andscreaming andscraammg acreamfq screaming : at a & tbem them tbam'befdi'e'ha'fell tbambefdiehafell themrbefnrbeftil 'kfcre"taa kfcretaa rbefnrbeftil ' ' . ' " , ( ' f JJ - aQq .d d ae . , & _ th ha way.hls wayhls 9/U 9 U way / . bt8 bls bt8Dew n Dew new w meat ni : megifutd megifutdJutnpeg & bt4 hadjumped Ju.tnl'le Ju.tnlle Jutnlle Jutnpeg . ' ImtantlyTnto 1nstanilx1nto .tmta tmta . . , lnto tbOftgb.t tbOftgbt , tb th * flght tight . . : " b'tOde btOde b'tOdedais fitodidard ' ' ! dlltd dais anct ant and tb'C tbC fife t6 ' Op Open Opefi A It . kadn't kadnt Mdn't Mdnt hadn't hadnt ' eKpect- eKpect escpect- escpect escpected C : - - - ed that that . . He Ue lie hadn't hadnt ' himself Jiladeu . . . Th They 7 were were.bu.e were .bu.e bu.e bue gone . gone . ' now JlO\11 JlO 11 \ .with with ' * . wltb 'w1th w1th " " roe toe roeWbeat toeWheat ; . ( onWheat Wbeat Wheat and aact thar th- th the thother , - others other . back beck to euar guard guardthl tuardthk thllt thl CJo Cross Coas ; , . l lcamp c:4rnp c4rnp camp : camp . , . . . J .Ha Ha Ike . . w waattrloae waattrloaehere waa . aloneher ne nehere here * , waiting watUn wafting . tor for ( or the doctor'a doctora doctor doctor's doctors ' ' ' . v ve- ve vediet ver verdict - dict diet 41 t before beton ha be let Jet Iet Jo Joy Sox ) knowCta knowaay know Cta Clay aay ) ' we was . face tace down . , naked , oa 04 on a acod ftco\ ftco ftcodIrteUy :0\ :0 0 cod :0d1re < : \ dIrteUy d1reb d1re dirbe'U.y1In dirbeU.y1In dirbeUy1In \b b \ ' ' . J Jin , In ' front of him hint , . .Wl Wl still stilldrunk . .Wl4r UUdrunk 4r nk drunk enough'so enoughso enough'so'the enoughsothe eno\l&h.o"th enolh.oth eno l&h.o"th lhoth \ & ' ' . " the , doctor had giv giv- given I given V- V Veb - en eb no an angsthetic anesthetic sthetlc before going to towork towork towork work . , . Ed Cplann SPlatnn Splann , . covered covued with a ablanke ablanket blanket blanke , waa was pn 9J1 on thai the next nm cot cot . , whUe while whUebe10n4 whilebeyond whilebayohd be10n4 beyond him another ¬tle1 nottle1 .no no & . hu ' Open pen ( ) A It . han4 baud han4Ia7 baudlay bandlay Ia7 lay thin tht and ancS flat dat at apd .pd pd and . wholly whOJlJ , .un un still . still.his stillhis . . , hi his . face the color of f era gray ) " ash . . Aa AI As far a as . be he Ime knew kn " w thi this . wa was . aU all aUih4t allthat allthat ih4t that had luad haQ . . come out ot of the 1be battle battleThere battle'There battleThere ' .1'ben .1ben 1ben There ' . may mQ ' have bave been lome.wound- lome.wound some.wound- some.wound lome.wounded some.wounded some .wound wound . .wounded - ed He lie bad had tied a handkerchief handkerchiefar01md handkerchiefaround handkerchiefaround ar01md around a . gash . . 11 ' on his own right armThe armThe arm armThe The dqctot dgetor doctor probed robe4 a hole bole and andbroupt andbrought andbrought broupt brought but wI tint tintsomething : something lomethlnl and ran In Sa a a.wab aswab aawab .wab wab swab . lik tDte like * cleaning the barrel bure1 of agun a aIUD agun IUD gun . He at wiped the .pot pot spot . pot and to tossed tosseda " . d da a blank blanket t over CIa Clay , . . , " 'That's Thats "Tbat's Tbats ' 'Tbat Tbat ' ' ' all alL"He alLHe . " He went weat to the . sink .Ink Ink to wash walb h18 his h18han hishands hiahands hiahandsLaw hands han handsLewz Law I.JIw IJIw Lewz Lewzfollowed . . followed foDowed . . . "What's Whats "What What "m.t m.t mt " . ' ' * . the h an- an - an.wer answer anwer - .wer wer swer . wer , Doc Doc7 Doct ? " |