Show Q A Fighting Tenderfoot By William MacLeod l Raine by bT William MacLeod RaIne Service s s CHAPTER XIV 17 17 Second Fiddle Mary Uary Joe Ford Barbara Barbaras b a lious hous beeper I came out of the house a or look on her face She nodded greeting to Ohara 0 IIara then spoke poke to Barbara Have you seen sef n Bennie DennIe anywhere I ve ye been becu all over the place lookin rOt for him Tim put him on that little piebald pony an Rn went Into the stable to do something n 11 When ben he lie Came Carne back BennIe hind had pone gone lie He can cant t be up the creek because e r re ra e just come corne dov down nIt It t 0 Hum Ilan slid said III I II Il take a look and self Ir hes he's below the ford Cord I I wish Ish you ion would Mr Air OHara-an OHara 0 IIara anI III I c certainly paddle him proper molten I get my hands handl on him tIo tI 0 o IIara remounted and fwd rode to the creek creek- He lie found no sign of the truant below helow the ford Ai M he rode back up the creek Barbara Birbara came riding to meet him You didn t find and him she asked No lIe He lie Isn't around the place Tim he spoke about Round cliff cliT Ben nen BenM M lue a s crazy to ride Maybe Ma ln bc be he lie started for tor It IL In the snow they found tracks evl evi evidently dently made malle by the little piebald pony Somewhere between cen them and Round Hound cliff which rose on the roc rock I rim to dominate the ranch they would no doubt catch up with the young ad adventurer adventurer adventurer There was no reason for frantic haste Their horses hordes hO S 'S would trawl much faster than the pony pon and the youngster could not have hate e had hall more than fifteen or t tw twenty ent minutes start or of them In less les than an hour he would be back at the ranch In the dis hands bands of Mary Alary Joe 0 o Haras Hara's chance had come He knew he must make male the most of It must fling tung into words the emotion that engulfed him But Dut his old shyness rose up and took him by lIy the throat As for Barbara she would go no farther to meet him hIll Her lIer eyes had made confession when hen they stood op opI osite each other oilier over oser 0 er Davids Id bu buggs g gIt It was for him to storm the last lat fort fortress re ress ss q of her tier defenses if it he v wished It to be so He s swallowed allowed hard found words rejected them and got as far as Bar Barbra bra ral 1 gulped out desperately They wire were He In the canyons on mouth Her eyes e es met his expectantly a shin shining log ing courage back of the diffidence ence that fluttered In themA themA them themA A cool and mocking voice Inter Interrupted interrupted Interrupted an n here we are again old friends all of or us II s heart died within her Bob Quantrell hind ridden out from be behind hInd a large boulder Little BennIe Ford sat cat In front of him In the out outlaw's outlaws outlaw's laws law's hands rested lightly a Colt re reh h 01 er erlie He lie did not raise It It He lIe did dill not order 0 IIara Hera to throw up his hancl hands hand With a thin grim smile on his Ills face tie lie sat eat there watching the thc man who had hunted him from Crom one cos CO er co er to another broken up his hi gang captured and shackled him t ot hot lookin for me are you Sheriff he continued d derisively elv Out of her terror Barbara spoke bloe s in a desperate plea for mercy Her ner tortured memory S swept Sept ept bac back to that other day when he had once be be- before before before fore despoiled her lier life We We were lookin for tor Bennie Beanie Ue lie was TaS lo lost t An An DOhe now DO he lies s found stint Ain Aln t you ou Bennie I was as gonna ride to I Round hound cliff curr curran cliffan an I met Bob the little fellow pIpe piped But I wasn t lost not the ste le t bit 0 o Hara had not yet spot pol on en He lIe did not Dot speak now Ills His eyes e es re rested ted on the face out of w which a mocking de dell 11 leered at him At sight of Quintrell hits his heart henrt hull had jumped and auel then his hiss his s had grown gron gron gro u n chill But nut he lie was a not lIot In panic Ills His brain functioned as tie lie estimated the chances lie He could not take tae the luck of battle not with little Bennie sitting In front of the outlaw Quantrell had Ind not lIot put the youngster In front of him 0 Ihra knew because he feared tile the Isu issue If It camp came to bullets W Ith his hb hl six II shooter already out he could drill the shull through and ind through before tile the could even e lift Ins Ills weapon 11 hy by then was ab he using Bennie Iia us Ii a Was It use because he wanted to hold the officer Ina Inactive th C while lie he enjoyed enjo ed his chagrin and Iud terror Again ln ra voiced her plea to the oung desperado She he must save sive her 11 lover loser er who ho wa was so near Ilear to death th she Somehow somehow Juu must t stand between n Garrett and lm pending doom doom It It If lie he head hall been lookin for you Would he ha have hae e brought me along ahe lie he cried ire Vre iou ou m mi WI t am del tint that h ht Bennie Bi ill ante would could I get t lost an ar that he ennie urnie from froni Concho so us n to be bo here hereto hereto hereto to find and him Quintrell Qu asked his bis shallow blue eyes not once lift lift-In frig Ing from hi hits his trapp trapped el hunter tie He lIe came to see me me were We-were We-we We We we re going to be married Herbert ex er She he had no time to think out the most mOlt effective e way ny to reach this young killers killer s heart But she hUll had heard he was In love A woman womans oman 3 ap appeal appeal peal might touch him If H nothing happens first firt II he added with smiling suavity sua I 1 wish 1 11 you heaps of Joy jOl Miss USg Barbara ara whoever you marry lIe lies s sheriff she pushed on lIe He had to do his hs duty but he lie hiss hu no DO feeling against you iou J ou Why don t you go n away way again while theres there's time 1 Let him go an nn he lie 11 ii let you go That's rent real good of him II Quan Quantrell Quantrell Quantrell trell murmured Ironically I et me meJO JO go will he lie es maam ma'am Id I d call c that I Ind of him II Don Don t you owe me something she begged You killed mv my husband ai ax tI d left lert my baby without a 11 father t spasm of or hatred tred twitched his Tice I II kill 11 hIm a ain It if he was as alive e Dut But not Garrett she slie pleaded Lie He Hog s 9 just sheriff Its It's It nothing p per personal personal r You wouldn ll t want to spoil my life again just jut w when when lien when laughed not without hit bit bitterness Sheriffs are like outlaws maam ma'am They Th h li t ought ou ht to be lovers toy lov lovers ers era a pre if you want a areal areal real safe 00 one Vitals What hat S J ore Idea Am AmI AmI I to let this f fellow lIon chase me Die around In an shoot up my friends an then thea let him go to when I Ive I've e got the dead wl wood od odon on him tiro I notice he didn I t let m me go gothe gothe gothe the other di II lie He Ile only did dill what he had to do You didn t suffer any aay personal damage dam dum damage age from front him I I heard some talk talle about a hangin l from one of hIs ills cro crowd d Quintrell Quantrell an answered answered answered cynically I I got sot against t yore friend here Maybe I Iliad had l i year or two ago But that s In the discard Point Id if 3 it looks like It s 3 hot got ot to be hum him or me meone one He sleeps sleep on my trill trail too for comfort Well I don t allow its it's gonna be me But But if it you d leave the country go goto goto goto to letIco Mexico I I Im m not almin to leave the coun country country country try Neither elther him nor anyone else can e me rue out till I get et ready to go 0 We We used u ed to he be friends kinda she saId smiling at him with pItiful la eagerness ernes Don t you ou remember I called jou Sou ou Bob We lied hud our little jokes together For the sake ot or old times limes and because of my little fattier father fatherless fatherless less babs won wont on t you ou let Garrett gO this time The outlaw w smiled a fri amiable smile mlle and nul hL his hb eyes met hers hera All 11 ru right ht You win Will maam ma'am Yore silent friend gets off olT off tills time But If you ou se e got hot any Influence with hIm Sou ou tell him real earnest to quit cro din dm Bob Quantrell A whole lot hot lotof or of things are supposed to be safer safer- thin that o llara a spoke lets I ets et's understand each other Bob Bobs s is long as I m sheriff I ve ye got to keep heep after you You Youve had llad yore Jore ore fello fellow Next time there won t be a nice youn young lady lael to beg you 0 off Right flight now you lilt hit the trail back to the Diamond Tall Tail II Quantrell lifted Bennie from the horse and 10 lowered ered him to the ground Bennie nn ran back of the big boul boulder er erand and returned a moment later with Ith the piebald pony poni pon 0 IIara llara helped him to get into the saddle The outlaw sat motionless revolver In hand nd while the thc other three tiled filed out of the cannon on 0 O Han bringing up c T erse 1 c r r Not Lookin for Me Are You Sheriff He Continued De the thc rca rear r When hen they were ere no longer loner In sl sight ht he lie wheeled heeled heel ell Ids hits ho horse e and fol- fol follow fol followed 10 low lowed ed the w winding inding of the gulch us its It cut deeper deper into the hilI lIeas lIe He was as pleased with Ith himself It stilted his Ills whim him today tolla to b be merciful Den en If Ingram had not be begged ged for mercy merc he would could not have e killed 0 Harn he lie told himself now But he was as glad she slie had Ind sued for her Cr 10 losers s life It to Quin Qu Quintrell trell s vanity to ft Ct f el d that she reo fiat the power pm er of life liCe and death hUll hail been In his hIe hand B Because aue he had come orne off oIT best lie felt a certain amiable kindliness rather than ant ani toward 0 a Hara Inra illy but Jocundly lie he Q as assured sur the hills that Daddy Diddy c would oe De home w when hen hen the round up III w was through CHAPTER XV A Job Finished Bennie proudly led lell the home homeward bound pm patty t of or a rod roll In pIckle for him he wanted anted to he tile the first to reach the ranch with the story ot of his adventure ad That two losers lov 10 era lagged behind was to him an nn unimportant i trifle trill The strain of ot peril relaxed r had to fight tight against a wave of faint faint- faintness ness faint ne ness q She caught ht at nt the saddle horn with both hands to steady hl herself elC I think you caged ed my life lite 0 O Ilan said In a voice unsteady with emotion I couldn t lift a n finger anger to help myself mi mJ not with Ith Benie Henle sitting In front of him and if Bennie Dennie hadn't been there It wouldn t hn have hate e done any an no good for or m me meto meto to tn I I 1 thought thought-I thought 1 way was afraid afraid- afraid she he murmured He lIe couldn t stand out against what you said theres 1 here s a human streak In him And he likes children hen J you ou spoke about the baby baby- baby I didn t know whit what I a was saving n ln I Is was wis s sick sid with fear tear shiver of reminIscent dread ran down n her Ili I II never ne forget what you said ald It Ithe he told her tier then lung flung at nt her lier the que question In hIs Ills mind ire re we f going mg to be married Barbara Ar Are Arc we she echoed her colorless Vt With Ith i a sudden Jubilant singing ml or of orthe the blood he lie knew they were vere 11 e eare eare eare are are- he cried Bennie was fig Oft fifty rd of them when the thc reached the lie creek lie put his hl pony to a canter a as he mounted the slope 0 o Hara slipped lipped from front the saddle siddle at atthe itlie the ed edge e of the willows willow and ind caught the bridle rein of s horse We Well II 1 hive lase c to hurry if Wt wa w re goin to ea save sane e Belin Benny from rom i a spanking she bhe protested rather faintly Bennie will ha have hale e to tike take hr hh chance nce he said ld with decision Ill Ile neld neds that piddling paddling anyhow an m how Get doss do don dotI n tI Lott lou Ion re very vcr In 1 area aren t iou ou she he said her lier Ve eves cues hoth tender and anel mocking But sh slip she dismounted dis mounted and anti found herself in his arms A happy little laugh welted welled from her throat us as her tier eves CS turned to III his It wa was fitter n later that she reminded him of their errand We We came to find Bennie II lie He can t be lost lot again already can he be her loser lo lall laughed But ut he submitted to walk wall with Ith her herto herto herto to the ranch house loading leading their horses by bv the bridles bridle s Bennie has lias face tear stained maden madea made a public announcement one influenced by recent events e had Ct cast t more than a n shadow dow behInd Im I ni gonna Ih live e a at your house Barb ra after you n the sheriff get married n when hen I grow gro group up I m 01 gonna be i a like Bob Dob Quantrell tI Mary Iary Joe looked ed quickly at Barbara and observed eel her tier confusion contusion lIe He says I you ou met Bob Quantrell Ye Yes confirmed 0 Hara lIe lie tm turned ned Bennie 0 over oser er to uso us No o gun plays Phillip asle asked l quickly No o Barbra Darb r told hun him site she was as gonna marry the sheriff Bennie contributed tn n she slie Is too in an 1 Im m gonna Ih use e with em lire 1 he e eves es of the 10 lovers losers ers met Bar Barbara Barbara bara smiled permission lon for 0 O Hara IIara to tell the ne news nes s He lie did so and create created no no sensation I I knew it all tile the time Mary Iary Joe said calm Ask Ask Jack Jacl if I didn dida t tell him trim so three weeks ago I I expect you youve se e been telling Jac Jacimore more interesting thing things than that Barbara replied plied smiling at her fore foreman foreman foreman man Whereupon hereupon more news came out W 11 e c 11 11 II make a double wedding of It Mars Joe loe 1 oe suggested gaily gall Can Can iou Sou ou ride with Ith me we Jack I o Hara presently asked him Ice IH got ot to follow la stroll s trail while It its s c hot I I reckon so Phillips answered erd Soon as ae I m in caught au ht in saddled addled I I want wint to see ou Garrett Just jut i 1 minute in the Mouse Pal bar 1 said ald aldIn In Inside she slie he turned S swiftly on him catching the thc lapels o of his hb coat s Ith an eagerness almo almost t sa st ie ae Do Du you ou have bave to go right go away when Ive I've hid h you such a little time Cant Can't you for forget et that man Jut Just for or- or today an stay here with me I I wish Ish I could sweetheart The word ord of endearment fell ell h shyly Iy as dId the caress carels accompanying It lt nut But I Ican Ican Ican can t Ice Ive 1 e got ot to follow him at once lIe He lie ml might ht have killed you today Garrett and and he lie dido didn t she Je reminded hIm I I Im m an nn officer not a private citizen clUzen Barbara It Its 5 my business to capture hIm because hes he a 8 n It criminal Ive I've got gotto gotto gotto to stay with the job I suppose so 0 she conceded re Put Tut you yon II 11 be careful won t vou you 1 Iou ou 11 II come back to me I Ill II be s veo er ery careful and I III 11 come comeback comeback bac back to you he promised then hen henI I finish this one job jol iii I II reil resign n Slip She clun clung to him as us though the he would never let him go 10 kissing with t s 3 a Bob Quantrell Approached With the Greatest Care the Old DilapIdated Cabin feminine ferocity the ardent lips ps that I met hers hersHer hersHer hersHer Her whispered confession lon jUt reached his ear ears I Ive e cc loved hosed you Garrett always Garrett always al s alwa sass q and ind didn t know It IL She Slie pushed him from her and ran rando do down don n the lie passage into her bedroom As lie he strode out of the house to III |