Show r IV ul fj i 11 1 1 J baine vice THE STORY stony SO 60 PAR FAR ellen allm carey seems interested in two men jett jeff brand rustler rustier and calhoun Cal lioun terry ranch man ager four rustlers had been mystery my mysteriously sterl killed billed the big ranchers ran chert much over terrys protest hired an army of Z CHAPTER after supper ellen walked out into the soft moonlit night to see where her father was Sh she found him in the stable putting harness on sam and buck im going with you the girl told him 1 I think you had better he agreed theres a chance these invaders might come this way pack a valise with things to last you two three days until things settle down be safer at round top than here lane clucked to the horses and they started staged oft off presently the trail ran into the road A man came out of it at a canter ellen drew a deep breath of r relief ellef he was a man of flesh and blood and one she knew his name was wade scott ellisonsr Elli sons men got dave morgan and sib lee he blurted out only a few hours ago she had seen morgan start for deep creek to warn the settlers scott rode down beside or behind them to round top he dropped oft off at the crystal palace to tell ills his news the place w was as boiling with life as s was the street outside the man from deep creek banged a bumb tumbler ler on the top of the bar fo for r silence when the voices died down he told his story to a stilled and shocked audience they waited till he had finished then poured questions at him lee hart slammed his fist on the walnut that settles it well take those fellows out of the and string lem cm up no matter what nate says A little wrinkled man with a wide gray weather beaten hat walked into the place he had just ridden down from his ranch to find out how large a force round top expected to send as allies of the settlers against the invaders roan had arrived just in time to hear harts snarling threat you dont want to ta get on the prod too sudden lee he said mildly 1 I heard up at black butte as I 1 came through that cal terry saved jeff brands life today it takes only a ul wile while to hang a man but only god almighty can bring him back to life again hart turned on him angrily a aias af whiskey 1 half way to his mouth not a thing to that story horace garvey s started t a it alford was wis worried but he said na no more in protest lie he knew it was was of no use how is jeff he asked where is he doing all right I 1 reckon hes atthe round top hotel R roan a ri left his horse tied at tle the hitch h rack and started for the round top which was really only a board ing house on the way somebody a moment to the chances of trapping thein the invaders he mentioned casually that he had bad just seen lane carey at the holden house lane and his daughter had reached town alford decided to consult with the box 65 55 man about the best thing to do he knew that terry and richards were in very great danger only a determined effort could save them from mob vengeance carey and his daughter were still in the the lobby of the holden house they were waiting there for a maid to finish changing the bed of a room recently vacated alford walked across to them hell has broke loose in georgia he salato said to carey ive just left the crystal palace where they are all talking about lynching lunching lyn ching cal terry and larry richards all they are discussing on the streets too except the trouble on deep dee creek be heading for the jail mighty saon soon looks to me all the color washed from the face of ellen she stared at the little mithi man lips parted fear dilating her eyes but but how can that be when they fought with the texans today and saved jeff brands life she asked 1 I told lern cm that they wont believe it they have gone crazy r Y we have got to get it across to them that cal tied up with this bunch of ellisonsr Elli sons I 1 figured maybe they would listen to jeff if we could ge get t him to the jail hes at the round top hotel ill go to jeff the girl cried ill bring him the box 55 man hesitated all right he said after a moment moment it had occurred to him that she might have some influence with brand it if any was necessary but stay at the round top till this is all over the streets are no place for whirl a girl tonight roan got ellen off the main streets as soon as he could but not before she sensed the intense feeling of the men they saw it beat on her like the heat from the open door of a furnace instinctively she hurried her steps as the chill of feir fear filled her breast the old woman who was nursing jeff thought that he ought not to be disturbed but they brushed her aside and went into the bedroom installment SIXTEEN N texas ex peace officers to invade the countryside and kill without trial all suspected rustlers by mistake terry and his foreman larry are attacked attached by the invaders vaden In and they run to cover in a little cabin jeff thinking them rus 0 1 its life or death for two men roan explained weve got to see him doctors orders or not As soon as jeff saw ellen his face lit 1 I been thinking about you he said she could see by the light of the lamp that he was flushed with fever but she had to tell him for what they had come oh jeff I 1 she cried the town has gone mad nate hart has arrested calhoun terry and larry richards and lee hart Is gathering a mob to lynch them jeff sat up on an elbow and stared at her in surprise what for are they doing it because ellisonsr Elli sons band of killers shot dave morgan and sib lee today the wounded mans gaze did not shift from her but ellen knew he was seeing something else his face had gone rigid how do you know he asked after a long silence wade scott rode down with us he helped carry the hod bodies lesto to sibs bibs home ellen pushed past that to the terror crowding in on her they think terry is in with the invaders he sent a telegram asking the president to send troops to stop the trouble father thinks he did right nobody can talk these crazy men men out of what they are going to do dougless unless you can do it jeff how can he talk to them when he la sick abed the nurse wanted to know even if you were to bring them here the doctor said he was to be kept quiet jeff hardly heard what they were saying he was thinking about a ED aw ZI ll 11 i instine instinctively dively she hurried her steps dave morgan they had frolicked a lot together and they had ridden lawless trails side by side between them had been a close comradeship each of them had trusted the other completely had known his friend I 1 would not fall fail him at a pinch now dave was gone out of the fog of his thoughts ellens voice came to him so father is coming with the wagon to carry you to the jail if you can go he cant go the nurse snapped 1 I think of letting him roan atford alford said we hate to ask it of you jeff seeing how sick you are its up to you lane and I 1 can carry you to the wagon I 1 dunno as it will do any good but we figured maybe isyou would tell the boys about how richards and terry stood by you they be so bullheaded bull headed the nurse said no hes going to 6 stay right there on that bed bring me my clothes jeff told tits his nurse paint going a to do it the doctor said doe doc know I 1 had important business on hand the wounded man said roan you bring me my shirt and pants I 1 1 I knew you aou would id jeff ellen said and walked into the corridor jeffs eyes followed her in them the knowledge of defeat CHAPTER calhoun terry and larry richards played seven up with an old deck of cards the sheriff had given them occasionally one or theother of them strolled 11 ed to the window and looked out through the bars at tle the crowds milling on the street the crystal palace and the red triangle must be doing a land office business tonight larry said 1 I reckon a war must be good for trade A lot of redeye must have gone down the hatch since supper time calhoun came arid looked over his shoulder 1 the noise of excited voices beat up to them A group below caught sight of them someone shook his fist at the prison prisoners prisoner ir s and tiers comes comei to help them li Is wounded and Is dragged into the cabin to safety A rescue party takes take jeff to town or medic test treatment and terry and larry are ara arrested by the sheriff tor for safekeeping A lynching lunching lyn ching mob gather 4 cupped his mouth to fling a jeer at them well have you out of there presently he threatened the others sent up a roar of approval A mob is sure a crazy thing with no more sense than cattle in a stam pede larry said those birds down there are all hot het up till they a lick of judgment sheriff hart came upstairs with bad news 1 I wish to heaven there was a way to smuggle you two out of here lie he said wade scott got go to town half an hour ago with word that ellisonsr Elli sons gunmen got sib lee lec and dave morgan afraid that thai means trouble there are ideas afoot I 1 suggest ed terry evenly the inflection of c D question in the words yes so where do we go from here larry asked ironically 1 I have two three men downstairs yo you u have your own guns they cant have you without a fight we knew that already terry said dryly when do the fireworks firework begin though no friend of the D lamond diamond reverse B the sheriff found it difficult to tell these men that the hour of doom was tit at hand lie he hesitated larry laughed hardily without mirth like terry he was a tough and hardy realist not afraid to face a situation which had to be met spit it out nate when do the guns go boom soon id say in ten or fifteen minutes who are the trusty men you have downstairs terry asked a note of irony in his voice he knew that the sheriff was a game man nate would do his best within reason to save his prisoners but it would not be possible for him to prevent a determined mob from breaking into such a ramshackle building hart said that the men were his tac deputies and a volunteer horace garvey at mention of the editors n name ame larry said ill FU be dog monedi the little rooster mus ve sand in his craw lets have ill him up V h here calhoun said 1 I w want a n t to T talk 1 with him what eviat do you reckon ever got it into garvels Gar veys head that he is a fighting man la larry rry asked his p partner artner after th the e sheriff had gone to fetch the editor 1 I did him a service once and he is trying to square the account probably he is scared stiff we dont want him here larry hell only get killed and it wont do us any good im going ta send him away ga garvey r vey was white to the lips he carried a colts 45 at a right ingle angle to his body as it if he was afraid oi of it betit but it was quite clear that he hh had d nerved himself to stand by his friend cheerfully terry greeted him hello old timer I 1 hear youve enlisted for the duration of the war the editor did not try a smile this was serious business with him 1 I felt I 1 ought to come he said bully for you horace ill remember this but we dont need you here and we sure do need you outside what I 1 want you to do is find the fellows who brought jen jeff brand to town they know what happened in i the fight at lee harts place take them to the leaders of these crazy men and make them tell what they know he 9 gave ave the names of the men who had guarded the wagon that brought the wounded man to town garvey looked at him suspiciously youre trying to get rid of me because you think I 1 wont be of any use list he ventured im se sending riding you out to make a stab for our lives and youve got to hurry to do any good listen on the night breeze was lifted the yell of those ready for the kill the editor made up his mind instantly st ill do what I 1 can calhoun I 1 hope to god I 1 can help you sure you can larry encouraged hop to it old man and you m might ig ht te tell 11 these birds out there to order eight or ten coffins well be behind cover and we wont be fooling the way we were this afternoon against the ellison crowd we aim to take a few of these anxious lads with us garvey hurried away and was let 0 out ut of the front door of the jail ile he was at once seized by those outside arid and questioned through the window the prisoners watched him as he was hustled along ile he might do some good at that larry said but I 1 would hate to bet a plugged dime on it terry had no hope but he did not say so it was up to him to keep his chin up lie he meant to go out as a man should without flinching after all there was only the he quick buic i agony of the bullet and then pain less sleep TO BE CONTINUED |