| Show H The Dg i iTHE THE STORY lawyer Garrett OHara O'Hara young on his hl way to practice at Concho wild western town Is la shot at from ambush by Shep ton Sanderson who mistakes him for tor Warner Varner whom certain cattle Interests wish to prevent holding court Barbara Steelman who thought Ilie shot was wan di- di directed directed di directed at her warns Garrett not notto notto notto to go to Concho because of ot the bIg cattle war Steve Worrall tells Garrett about the cattle war bot between Ingram Ineram and Steel Steel- Steelman man father tather of ot Barbara Garrett tells Ingram he de desires to re- re remain remain re remain main neutral but the latter de- de declares declares de declares clares there thero can be no neutral neutral- neutrality neutrality It ity Bob Gob Quantrell young oung killer for Cor Ingram saves Garrett and an Englishman from being shot allot by Sanderson The three become friends Gar Gar- Garrott Garrott Gar rott rott accidentally witnesses a meeting between Barbara Darbara and Ingram They are lovers Garrett and the Englishman buy a R ranch with Steelman as silent partner Fitch Steelman man kills an In- In Ingram Ingram In-eram In gram follower A posse IncludIng IncludIng Int Ing Quantrell and Sanderson capture and n h hang ritch Sander Sander- Sanderson Sander Sander-aon lion son starts tarts a fight tight at the ranch and Garrett and the lie Englishman are wounded Ingram Ingrain and Bar Bar- Barbara Dar Bar Barbara bara barn appear and put an end to the fight light Quantrell changes sides and Joins with the two tenderfeet A lull In the cattle war follows Quan Quantrell troll kills Sanderson and another Ingram gunman CHAPTER Continued VII VII Continued S 8 lie could coult not leave the subject on that note It was Incongruous that all the splendid life of her should be sub suh submerged submerged merged In a It shame born of an nn un- un unhappy unhappy un unhappy happy experience for which he did not feel teci her ber to blame He looked away at broken line of the silhouetted hills pushing their crests skyward Pres Presently he said sold as though the comment were a n casual one I wouldn't think much of a man who couldn't do some some- something something something thing foolish If Ir-If If If he was fond of- of of o of some one You mean of a n girl she specified Say of ot a girl he admitted and the color came rame again Into his face Never before had bad he talked about such things to a woman Yes but a girl Is different You know kno that well enough Its It's her place to be modest and antl wait walt She mustn't show her feelings If she's nice she's not ha have till supposed to ve an not any any not not till- till till OHara O'Hara summoned his courage and blurted out what was In his mind You couldn't be anything but sweet and good I wish I wish I wish you ou wouldn't talk that way All youve you've done Is what Id I'd want you to do If If-If- If if lie stopped The hot blood stained his face from throat to forehead Barbaras Barbara's soft and shining eyes thanked him Im glad Iad you came here to live lI she said softly lie JIe did not let his eyes meet hers for tor he was afraid the they might tell too much She offered him only fiend Mend ship and already he knew w that he wanted more than that C ibe The Jefferson Count County war had be- be become be become come more than a local Issue Both factions were Justifying themselves In long letters to the newspapers The territorial government favored Steel Steel- Steelman man because of ot his Ills business connections connections connections and Sheriff Banks had been re- re removed re- re removed re removed moved from office odice on a technicality connected with his bond Humors Rumors ot of the feud had even en reached Washing Washing- Washington Washington ton and there was talk of national interference In Ingrams Ingram's rams ram's warriors had Jumper jumped two of ot Steelmans Steelman's cowboys while they were er branding a calf claimed by the Diamond Tall Tail There had been a fight and the two riders had bad been left dead beside their fire ire In reprisal the forces had captured a n notorious gunman from the thc Indian territory employed by Ingram and had left his bod body In a adraw adraw adraw draw Smith SmIth Beresford suggested compromise com com- compromise compromise promise to Steelman What Whal say Garrett and I ride over o anti and have a cozy little talk with In- In Ingram Ingram In Ingram gram Might ht make the fellow see ee reason Eh what whan Ste Steelman reflected that It could do dono dono dono no harm Moreover It would be a good talking point later to be able to say that he and his partners hard hal tried to arrange a compromise Also there was urgent need of peace financially If It could be blOu brought hl about Suits me Lyulph he said Question I Is I about a compromise can we What had you ou thought of ot offering Steelman asked a tucker of cynical humor In his eyes lie Ile had not faith In the success of ot this mission Hell lIell think youve you've come to tell him weve we've hud enough h an un want to quit But have ha It yore yore ore own way boys boy's bo s 's Go talk with him Make yore ore proposition an ansee see what It gets you The three men talked terms while Barbara listened One thing tiling Steelman insisted upon There could be no set set- settlement settlement of or the trouble until In Ingram ram moved his Ills men ba hag and bag baggage age rota the Hughes place It If he would do that It would be evidence c that he be really wanted peace The three men drafted a letter riDe and sent It to Ingram by one of ot the Hash Hash a ina knife riders Word Vord of ot what was In inthe Inthe the thc air spread and Bob Quantrell sug sug- sug- sug suggested suggested to that he would be begIa gIa glad to go to town with him to meet In lIm Much obliged Bob but I 1 dont don't thin fiat would be wise lold told 1111 promptly Since our latest trip to town own I expect you'd oud be like u of 4 red rag rat to a bull as far as Ingram goes No well we'll leave you at home Some of ot his warriors are liable to make trouble Who do you OU aim to take alon along with you Nobody but L Lyulph We want to tomake tomake tomake make It plain that this Is to 10 be a peace powwow Perhaps well we'll go nb ab absolutely unarmed lot ot of limp Youve You've still got a n those fool notions notion you brought West with you OU There will be a dozen In- In In Ingram gram men In town every ery last one o of em armed What guarantee you got that Ingrain Ingram or his pardner Tom Toni lIar Har Harvey V vey wont won't sic some of ot em cm on you like Harvey Ilar die did those fellows on mer me Well have to take a chance on that But after alter OHara O'Hara had talked the matter matter over o with his two partners It was teas decided that the envoys should wear war their revolvers not as a threat hut but because cause It was wis the habit of cow cow boys boys and rattle men to carry them There was alwa always a chance that the fact they had them In plain sight might save sa them from attack To Ingram n ram and Harvey sitting In Inthe inthe Inthe the ollice of or the store tame lime one of their clerks clerk a youn young fellow who had recently moved mond to the territory for lun lung trouble Ills His name was 1 alone he reported Just rode up to the Concho house and ha have e gone Inside They stopped for or two two- two three three minutes at the Lon Longhorn horn corral before the they went to the hotel Steelman not with them then No sir Drift out Into the street an make sure none of their men join John em After Arter the clerk cierI had gone Ingram turned to his partner Well let em walt wait a while Tom Dont Don't want em to get g-et the notion were we're anxious for or a compromise lIar Harvey agreed but added a rider Ju Just t the same I reckon we better meet em cm halfway If It this war goes goeson goeson goeson on much lon longer er well we'll be busted higher than a kite you ou an me Ingram looked out of the window at atthe atthe atthe the red hill hili shoulder dotted with jack jacle jackpines Jackpines pines Reluctantly he lie admitted to himself that what what Harvey said was true The expense of maintaining the little arm army of ot gunmen had been hIgh Trade had fallen oft off It was a had bad year for cattle from the market point of view He lie had been forced to carr carry his allies the small ranchers In the hills Moreover to meet Steelmans Steelman's en- en ho h I and his time short notes were falling due He lIe could borrow no more The owner of or the had had busi busi- business busl- busl business ness with most of the bankers In the territory and they were friendly to him rather than to his enemies In this feud Add to o all this the fact that there was talk of Intervention from Washington If It soldiers came in from the fort there was WitS little doubt that they would support Steelman for tor he and Colonel Randolph had fought side sideby sideby by side Ide In the lie Civil war In the field Ingram could hold his own wn He Be was not disturbed about that providing alwa always s that the United States troops did not come In But Buthe Buthe Buthe he had read of generals who won every battle and lost the war The thought of compromise was bitter to him but he lie knew that If it Steelman made a reasonable offer he must accept It Yet he was reluctant to admit even evell the possibility of defeat How now about Steelman he said lIe He must he be near the end of his rope too Ills His ex- ex expenses expenses ex expenses are heavier ler than ours It hasn't heep been any better year ear for cows for him than It ha has for Cor us Lies Hes bor bor- bor- bor borrowed borrowed rowed more than we have dont don't you OU reckon r But hes he's got ot more money backing him than thun we tte have Far liar as we can see Dave were we're down to th the blanket Well lets let's hear what these fellows ha have ve got ot to propose In Ingrain Ingram and antl Harvey walked down the street to the Concho house The fat hotel keeper Brad Helm Holm waddled a greeting The other gents are waltin for you ou In tIle the dining room he added flue fhe cattle man lIlon moved tl with willi light ht strong trend tread into the dining room Ills cool flinty des eyes fastened on the two men sitting at the table Both ot of them rose to greet reet the newcomers though neither of ot them them offered to shake shalo hands mad Glad to see sec you ou gentl gentlemen men Smith Smith- Smith Beresford said genially Make your your- yourselves yourselves our selves table comfortable coin fort able Cigars Whisky Beer Meer Nothing thanks Ingram answered brusquely You Yuu w have lu a proposition to make malie I 1 understand About time we have buve a talk Eh what 7 Sit doWn vu gentlemen Ingram Hung nung himself carelessly Into a chair Im ready to listen he said Onara OHara opened the conference I dont don't know v what you think Mr Ir Inv In Ingram gram but as law law abiding abiding citizens Mr Ir Beresford Smith Beresford and i I feel that the present conditions are outrageous and deplorable Are you ou for es or oror tor or Wes Steelman asked Ingram curtly Were talking for tor him and for tor our our- ourselves ourselves selves seh's too too- toolie He lie Is ready to patch up upa upa upa a peace If you ou are Had enough has he Jeered Har Bar Harvey Harvey vey cy OUara looked at him If It that's the spirit In which you ou are coming to this conference Mr Ir Harvey Im I'm afraid we wont won't get far he lie said Sa Say youn young fellow youre you're afine a a- a tine fine bird to come here to us Ingrams Ingram's partner retorted an angrily Why youve you've done more to make trouble than thun any other gunman on ou tile the 1 RU lit Willaim MacLeod Paine Raine Copyright by William MacLeod flame Raine Service rang range except maybe mabe yore sidekick Bob Quantrell Who Jumped pore Shep Sanderson an 10 devilled him an finally got yore hired killer to bump oft both oth him an the Texas Kid lad 1 Who tried to stop a posse from doing Its duty dut dutan an killed Brad Sowers an shot up three three more deputies Who egged on Wes Steelman to all the deviltry tle that's been going en all over o the g dr dry an nn what not bally badly nonsense you ou know v lr 1 Harvey Smith Beresford replied OUara Is as peaceably Inclined as I Iam Iam Iam am Both Iloth of us would go a long way to stop the wicked foolishness that has started simply because conflicting Inv In Interests have ha not been sensibly adjust adJust- adJusted adjusted ed You know perfectly well that he wanted no trouble with that tell fellow ow Sanderson and that neither of us ob- ob obstructed ob obstructed the po posse se In Its lofty duty lie fought for tor his Ills life Let that ride rile Tom Ingram spoke up Lets hear how these two quiet abidin Christians propose to ad ad- ad M 1 t e Bob Quantrell Roped and Saddled at the Corral in a Cloud of Dust just the Interests referred to Knowin Wes Steelman like I do doId Id I'd say hes he's perfectly willin to lie down with the lamb lamb-If lamb it It Its It's s Inside of him The only way to settle this thing Is Isto Isto s sto to start from n now now w If It we ve get to dis dis- discussing dis- dis discussing discussing cussing our wrongs our our feelings will become Involved Imol Steelman feels he has a good deal to complain of So Sodo Sodo do you I presume Let us s forget all that and come to the actual business s questions at Issue OHara O'Hara named without argument the concessions Steelman was willin to make maIe He lIe would d keep his cattle on the range east cast of ot the pass lIe He would leave the San Jacinto market to In- In In Ingram gram and his friends if the they would not compete with him at the Indian agency He lie would discharge an any of his men against whom there was proof ot of rustling cattle As to the lawless lawless- lawlessness lawlessness lawlessness ness of the past few tew months he lie was willing to let bygones be b bygones ones lIane Harvey laughed unpleasantly lies sure a It lot Has our friends shot up b by hired killers an then Is willin to call it off oft Offers to keep outs outa the San Jacinto market when wilen he knows Dave E hits has got it co corralled t-rn t II ell but wants us to leave him lay at the agency where weve we've been him right along Yes sir Id I'd sure call that u a Wes Steelman compromise What about the Jerry Hughes place asked ingrain Ingram Will he lie quit around tr ln to euchre me out of It lies Hes willing to leave that to the law OHara O'Hara answered To the slick jud judge e he bought ought to tomake tomake tomake make him administrator Not ot by a The only compromise Ill I'll dis- dis discuss dis discuss cuss Is one where he lie gives up all claim to the Hughes place Jerr Jerry was my friend He lIe owed me money moncy when he died Ive I've a n right to run the place tilt till Im I'm paid what he ho owes Steelman butted In without any claim whatever merely because lie ho wanted to devil devilme devilme devilme me Well he wont won't get et away with It Ingram slammed his heavy brown fist down on the table his eyes gleam gleam- gleamIng Ing lag samey savagely OHara O'Hara said Tell us the very ery best you'll do the concessions you ou arc are will willing ing to make l Perhaps we can offer Inducements to have ha you leave the Hughes place No o sir Im I'm right there an hell he'll rue you can pass the word that the day he be an nn his killers try to drive us out OHara O'Hara smiled the friendly flash ot of white teeth that made men like him himI I haven't ha got ot much yet ct from you that Steelman will enjoy hearing Haven't you ou any compromise In your s system stem at atall atall atall all 7 Were We're supposed to be talking peace and not war Im ready to talk It any time All AllI AllI I want Is my rl rights This trouble Is Ive I've done Is none of ot my All AU s defend m myself so his partner chimed In Were |
