Show v I I JmJ m mi i I mu Arl B 3 4 i iIi g I Ii k 19 kt t ti r t t 1 Continued ed from rum last lut Sunday o R face tace ace was wu apoplectic tlc He Hei 2 i choked ch k d with a torrent of oC oaths Whis Whispering U Smith paying no attention n 1 walked out to where whore Kennedy was 1 waiting c Ho He swung into Inta the saddle It ignoring nr neb toCks abjurations and 1 I with Kennedy rode away I Ij It if fa j hard to do anything a with a 1 l map that is IB scared to death said S H I to bi hI hill companion Then too j t nephew la Ia 1 probably in lii this 1 In any case ase when whoa Dit D Sang Seng an has got gotI 1 IU t i ij j i I R H 4 1 f H dr 1 jj r q i I r rI Dij I know k now you for a fat J aled he e U la a II aman an iiI man to be b abroad We Ve have hava got gt to toh h smoke moke him out Lance Dunning Dun Dunning 1 p ning totaled b ted the ther other day ha he h wanted E fi to tn do dom m me a favor t vor Ill In see if it hell lend lendU U 1 J J me pie Stormy S Gorman and some of oZ hU II IIi hl i i tor fa or a 8 roundup Weve Vve got fot to smoke Du flu San sang an out A round roundup t up I 1 the th thinS thing But by heavens he vens if j that roundup 1 II actually pulled pul off of It 3 f p will be a classic when you and I are J gone goneI I Thirty minutes minute afterward n ea n ngen t H gen ger had h b taken the tM Frenchman trail trailor for or Lance LaHOS Dunning Cunnings cowboys t i CHAPTER i I The Fight In the Cache I I A clear clar night and a good noon moen made madeI madea I f a I long ride possible and the Crawling Stone contingent headed he by Stormy I i Gorman began be R coming into ita the rail raU railroad railI t I i road Toad camp by I 3 the next morn mornIng h I Ing lug With them rode the two Young I I who bad had lost the trail tran they tt k across Goose e river and joined th cow COv cowboys cowF J f F boys on the rand rd to the north r i The Ph party divided Kennedy J Mid and t j i i Smith who rode through the Door Do into Inh I I the Cache just juat before daybreak I dont know what I am steering fi you jou ou against this morning I said lid Whispering Whisp Smith Certainly I should hate ute to run you ou into Du San Sang SangI J I but we He cant tell where we shall strike l I him If It we have hay laid out Qt th work l right I ought ou ht to see him a 1 soon as anybody does doe Accidents do happen 4 t but remember he will m never be any anymore an ani j i 4 more dangerous than he is III at the tiNt C J moment Get him to talk He gets t t if he cant shoot right away When you Ou pull get a bullet into his hia stomach at the start If It you possibly po U I can to H his lila aim W Wt We muett I make the tho mistake of ot underestimating t him ek is right ril tt ha he is 18 a II fright 1 with a revolver and Sinclair and Sea 11 I grue are the only men in the moun mountains mountains that can handle a rifle rift with hint hIm hi hir r q I Now we split here and good luek h Dont you want wane to take Brill Young l with v yOU OU T You take both the Ti s Farrell FarrelLa a shall be among IUM q the rocks rooks and if he tries to rush us urn u there is la cover f Stormy German with our Crawling fJ ti Stone Stono cowboys followed Whimpering 1 a Smith Every vry rider on the me range ringe had hada t if r a grievance against Williams Cache r I r i and any of them would have been glad t p W to undertake reprisals reprisal against ant the f I j rustlers under the wing Ing of ot Whispering J I i i Smith J Just hew In the mountains with without f I out telegraph newspapers and all alt or ordinary ori ordinary i manna nena of publicity news trav tray travels I i els cia so 80 fast tut act may ma not certainly be said saidI ld I i The scattered lines ins of telephone wires u ui J v i help but news outstrips the wires r Moreover there are no telephones in inthe Ini inthe i J the Mission Ml lon mountains But on Oft the t morning that thet the roundup party rode rude i J into the Cache it was known kown in the i streets of ot Medicine Bend that the jr ii t Tower W V men hail bad been beton tracked into 1 1 the north country that some if It not Rot 1 all of or them were en in Williams V Cache that an ultimatum had boen baen given and andr r 1 that Whispering Smith and Kennedy I I bad had already ridden in with their men mento meni meng i g to make it Iti good b i Whispering Smith with the tha cow caw I boys took the rough country to the i 1 left and aWI Kennedy and his hie party took 1 the south prong of the Cache creek ersek i e li The Th instructions were to make a II J t clean clan sweep as u the t th line advanced Be Behind B 1 hind the center rode three men to 1 i i take a took driven in from the wings w ift Word that was brief but reasonable t t b j had bad been sent everywhere ahead 1 L 1 Every maR man it was waa promised that could J I prove proe property should hays have a chance 11 2 to do so at the Door that day and the I 1 hi 1 next but any an brands that showed f I 1 stolen cattle or that had been skinned jh or tampered with in any way were to tobe tobe i JI be turned over to the Stock association I r for fOl tile the benefit bendt of f owners t i The very vety Arat pocket raided kid started a arow aF 1 1 F row rOl and uncovered eighty head of ot five ave 1 c steer ateer bearing a mutilated mutilate I Duck Bar brand It Tt was like JIl e poking at atI J I f rattlesnakes to undertake to clean elsan out Ii ii the grassy retreats of the Cache ache but the I 1 t i work ork was pushed on co In spite of protests I a threats and resistance rei tn Every man mn n n that I rode out openly to make a protest pretest was wu 1 1 1 referred calmly to and before 1 J very long cabin hal had hatt more ll i Ien around it than had been bean teen seen setI toi to together I I i gether getker In Ip the Cache Ca for tor years ye ra The TIM im impression I 1 i it that the whole jig was wall up and andI I i that the refugees had bad been sold Bold out by fl their theft own boss bou was at one that no railroad I I L man n undertook to discourage dl The cow cowboys I I I boys bes Insisted en on the tM cattle with the Ue th as aJI I i that could explain everything By noon the C Cache was we in inan 1 an uproar The cowboys were wert riding I 1 carefully and an their guards rifle ii In InI I I t hand were watching the corners Ahead I f 4 or of the slowly lowly moving th tb I lL fi I 1 In r 1 n grow growing ing bunch of cattle behind it flour flourished all a it were rather conspicuously fugitive riders buck and forth forthwith forthwith forthwith with curses curse and yells across acro s the nar narrow narrow narrow row valley nile If It it had been Whispering Smiths intention to raise raile a row It was apparent that he had been successful driven to deeper desper desperation atlon held council after council counell to de determine termine what to do Sorties wore were dis dig discussed discussed cussed ambushes considered and a I pitched battle hattie was planned But while idea lei were wen plentiful no one aspired to lead d an attack on Whispering Smith Moreover Williams Cache It was con eon conceded ceded Led would in the Ule end be worsted te l if It the company and the cowmen together seri eri seriously undertook with men and unlimited unlimIted unlimited money to clean it out Whispering Smiths party had no explanation eJr to I offer for f fo the roundUp but when Reb stock made It known that the tho fight light was WIlS I over sending out Du Sang the rage of oC oCI the rustlers turned on Du Sang Again I however no man wanted to take up upI I personally with Du Do Sang the question I of ot the reasonableness of Whispering Smith demand Instead of ot doing so soI I they fell feU ell on and anti demanded I that If It be he were boss bo a he ho make good and andI I Du flu Sang out Of Ot all aU this thi commotion om motion the railroad men saw mw only the outward indication I I As the excitement grew grow on both sides aides I there was perhaps a littlemore of dis display display I play in the way Yay the cattle were run in inI especially when some bunch I was w brought to light and welcomed with yen yell from the Ute center A steer was killed at noon everybody ed ted and the line Une moved forward The wind which had slept In the sunshine of ot the morning rose in the afternoon anil the tile dust whirled in little clouds where men or animals moved From the center two men bad with the cattle gath gathered end ered up lip to that time and Bill Dancing with Smith Stormy Gorman German and two of ot the Ute cowboys S were heading beading a draw to cross to t the north side of ot the Cache when three men rode zode rod out into the road yards yard ahead and nd halted Whispering Smith spoke There come rome our men m n stop stOl hare here This ground in I tEnet rent of ua us looks good to te mo me they may have chosen ck n something over there that quits them better Feel your our guns and well start forward slowly dont take your eyes off the bunch whatever you do Bill But you go back bauk and nd help the themen themen themen men with the cattle there will be four Cour of w us Hi against three then Not for mine nune said Bill Bijl Dancing bluntly You may need help from an anold anold anold old fool tool yet Ill see you through this and look sifter lifter the cattle afterward Then Stormy ono one or two tO of yeu you go goback goback back urged Whispering Smith speak speaking lug ing to the cowboy foreman without turning his eyes Theres no need of ot five of us in this But ut Stormy swore violently You YO YOgo go back bc yourself exclaimed Stormy when he be could control his feelings Well bring them fellows in for you in ten minutes with their hands in the air airI I know you oU would I know it But Im Fm paid paW for fur this th sort of ot thing and you are not and ald I advise e no man to take unnecessary chances If you all aU want to stay y why h stay but dont ride ahead of at the t e line and let me do all the talk talkIng talkIng Ing See that your guns are loose never have but one chance to pull and dont pull till youre oure ready The al albino albino albino bino is riding in the middle now he And a little back playing for tor Dr a quick drop Watch him Who is that on the right Can it be b George Goone Sea grue Well this IB le a bunch And I 1 Iguess pea guess Jarg Karg is with them Holding their thur horses to a slow walk the two parties gingerly approached each other When the Cache riders halted baited the railroad riders halted baited and when the three rode the five rode but the three rode with absolute alignment and acted as one while Whispering Smith had trouble In holding his men back until the two lines were fifty feet apart By this Ume the youngest of ot the cow row cowboys cowboys boys loyS had steadied and was thinking hard bard Whispering Smith halted In perfect order and sitting their horses as if it they were riding parade the Cache riders advanced in the sunshine like one man When Du San Sang and his Ills compan companions companIons companIons ions reined up less lese than twelve feet separated the two lines Unes In his tn tan shirt Du Sang with his yellow hair his hiB white eyelashes and his narrow face tace ace was the least impressive of the three men Se grue rode on the right his hi florid blood showing under the tan on his neck and arms He spoke to the cowboys from the ranch and on the left the young fellow tellow Karg with the broken nose nOM and alert looked the men over In front of him and nodded to Dancing Du Sang and his compan companions lone lOfts wore shirts rifles were slung at their pommels and revolvers stuck in their Whisper Whispering ing lag Smith in his duty dusty suit of ot khaki was the Ute only man In either line Une who showed no revolver but a R or Savage rifle hung across his pommel Du Sang blinking spoke first Which hie of ot you fellows is heading hooding this roundup I am heading the roundup said Rid Smith Why Have we went got nt some of your cattle The two men spoke as quietly as school teachers Whispering ring Smiths expression in no way changed except that as he spoke he be lifted his eyebrows a little tUe more than usual u ual Du Sans Sang looked at him closely as he went ent on What kind of a way is this to treat anybody To ride into a valley like k this and drive e a mans awns cows cow away way a from his hii deor laor r without notice or papers Is your Dame iame Smith My ty name Is Smith yours Is Du Sang S ng Yes Yee Ill iii tell you OU Du Sang I carry corry an n inspectors inspector card from the Mountain Stock association do you want wa t to see It When we get these cattle to the theDoor theany theDoor Door any wan nian in the tha Cache may oem cem corns forward and prove his property I shall leave instructions to that effect when we w go IJO for far I want you to go to Medicine Bend ct with me DH Iu San Sang as soon an as con convenient convenient and the men t Ire are with me mc will finish the roundup do you OU want ma me m for Cw Theres no ne papers pap out BUt against me Is there No but Im rm an officer Du Sang Ill nj Ille e see Me e to the papers pap I want you for tor mur murder murder murder der derSo So the they tell me Well youre after the wrong trong mar But Ill go with you I dont care rare about that Neither do d I t Du Sang Sans and as jou 0 have ha some friends along I wont wo t breaK brea breaKup up the party They may come too What for tor For stopping a train at Tower W V Saturday night The three men looked at one another and laughed Du Sang with lUth an oath spoke again The men you want are in Canada by this time I cant speak for my friends I dont know whether they want to go goor goor goor or not As far as I am concerned I killed anybody that I know of ot otI I suppose pay my expenses back bek Why yes Du flu Sung Sang San if It you yo were com corn coming comIng corning ing back I would pay your expenses but you are not coming back ck You are riding Williams Cache fur for the th last time youve ridden down it too many times already This roundup is especially for tor you Dont deceive yourself when you ride with me out of or the Cache you wont come back Du Sang laughed but his blinking eyes were as steady as a a cats eats It did not escape e cape Whispering Smiths notice that the mettlesome horses ridden by the outlaws were continually working around to the right of Dr his party He spoke amiably to Karg If It you cant manage that horse Karg I can Play Flay Playfair Playfair fair It looks to me as If It you and Du Pu DuSang DUSang Sang wore Vore getting ready to run for It and leave George to shoot his way through alone Du Pu Sang with some In Intervened Intervened Intervened all aU right Ill go with you Id rather see He your papers pa n but if youre Whispering Smith its Irs all ll right Im due to shoot out a little game worm time with you yau youat at Medicine Bend any anyway anyway anyway way Any time Du Pu Sang only dont let letI I your hand next time It Its 3 too close to your gun now to pull right Well YeU I told you I was wall going to come I 11 And Im coming now With the last word he whipped out his gun There was a crash of ot bullets I Questioned once by McCloud and rei re I preached for taking chances es Whisper Whispering ing lug Smith answered simply I have to take chances chanc 5 h he said All I ask is an anven even ven break But Kennedy had said there was no such thing thins as an even break with Ith Whis Whispering Vb Smith A few men in a n genera generation tion tiou amuse baffle battle and mystify other men wi wl with h an art based on the principle that the action of the hand Is quicker I than the action of ot the tIe eye With Whis Whispering Whispering Whispering Smith the drawing of a revolver and anI the art of throwing his hot in instantly Instantly instantly from wherever his hand rested was pure To a dexter dexterity dexterIty dexterIty ity so 50 fatal tatal he added a judgment that had not failed when confronted with de deceit |