| Show r o a ROBBERS RO ROOST OST i h ZANt GREY L I COPYRIGHT W N NUS U SERVICE ERV CE I CHAPTER V Continued V Continued G 6 I I swear It Miss MISi Herrick But But what of at the vaunted chival chivalry ry of ot westerners I ve ye read of Fremont moot mont Kit hit Cirson Crook and man many others And of the thousands who ho hoare are unsung That Is 19 true he replied his voice y Thank Go God 1 I lan can anny ply FlY so But you won t fin find 1 that at Star ranch r You You say sar I am too new strange too too-too too 10 lovely lonely ely to I risk risk I under understand stan stand 1 you of ot course I must doubt it ft despite your evident stron strong feel feeling feelIng Ing lou may be a n western i joke jole on me I I wish I was My fy My brother will 1111 know If It there Is any anything thin In what hat you sn sayo say sai o ol o I 1 o r o ol I burst out Jim lIer rick doesn t 1 1 I now v He lIe never will know He lIe can t see through h a millstone with a hole In It It Oh don t misunderstand me Is a fine chap but Jut this Is 19 no place for an gentleman and sportsman any an more than It Is a fit place for his bis sister That Is for us to decide she returned coldly I I shall ride rille any anywhere where here n and nil everywhere every here I ve ye nl rya a s rill ridden 1 en I d go IO ma road mad 1 not to get geton geton on i l i horse In this glorious coup coun country country try I vc ye done my best Ive I've told you au he lie slid 11 1 curtly curti as If It he were also aho a addressing his conscience I think sou ou Mr Ir Wall ball all she said quick to catch the n ch change e in him 10 o doubt you western folks fols re gird Bernie as eccentric And I m bound to n admit his ranching Idea Idea- Idea lipping upping as It Is to must us-must us must appear new and strange to you So 50 I II compromise If It Its s really danger dangerous ous ens for me to ride about alone I will take vou you with me ot ot hoever however how ho ever that r Fd Pd 1 be afraid 1 to go alone y Then I would be perfectly safe v jf f would I not A 11 Wall all 11 f flici mcl cd ell the reins look I ook Miss ss Herrick W Were ere e re on top at last Theres There's your country Th black snow capped mountains the Henrys s We go through t h a gap gap a pass to pass to Star ranch TUat purple space to the left left- left with lIh the lines and that streaks streaks s stile stae tile tae desert Ah h h 11 I 1 she hall had cried out breathlessly lr Jim drove down the tho hill hili and agaIn put the blacks to a n keen gait gaiton gaiton on a level road this time a straight white bite line Uno across a n longer Valley Jim calculated that he would beat the time he had declared and andreach andreach reach Star ranch before sundown When Shen he dro drove e past Heeseman s scamp scamp scamp camp all that worthy s outfit were lit at supper The roa road 1 pissed within fifty f feet t of ot their chuck wagon What lint hat a crew cre I mur murmured murmured murmured Miss Herrick ho W ho pray are these men Part Part of ot the lie outfit your brother hired hind to protect his cattle tram from rustlers replied d Jim runny thing about that Is they are rustlers themselves Deliciously funny though hud hard hardy ly y so for Bernie Does Docs he know v It Not Not to my knowle knowledge 1 e Ileese Heese- man the thc the leader of ot that gang gang- gang an came on his own and got ot the job I II 11 have the tho fun of telling Bernie Oh hats hat s that What an enormous barn barni I 1 All AlI yel yellow yellow low Aed Ad A d a new one going up Logs and logs Look at the t I I want to top stop No Miss Hiss he replied grimly I II it drive you home safely or die In the attempt Don t look at this tall roll man were e re comIng to Which she asked laughingly The one standing farthest out replied Jim Hei He b got on a black sombrero Don t loo look at him sHank Hank Ha s Miss Hiss Iler IIer Herrick rick drop your veil She obeyed 1 unobtrusively ely though her silvery slivery laugh pealed out You You are teasing of oC course lourse But I must re reward your effort to entertain me Jim drove by Hays who ho stood apart from a group of oC CO CObo cowboys bo s If he be noticed Jim at all It was totally oblivious to Jim Lut all Walls an s glance ne never neer er so strained pierced the shadow under Ha s dark sombrero rim to the strange eyes below They were ere not pale now no Jims Jim's hand clenched tight light the reins on lie ne be- be came preoccupied with the nucleus ot of the lie first deadly thought to toward arll lIU i Mink Hays Who Is 15 he her heT mss Miss DerrIck was saying Another of ot your brother brothers s rig vig viga I tea a U h I now flow he stared I But It t that which struck me most In India Ive I've seen cobras rl rise o an and 1 pol poise e ready to strike And your Mr lr Hays looked for all the world like a giant cobra with a black om bom sombrero brero on Its bead Wasu Wasn t that silly of oC we me r r J ot ot silly An Instinct Self preservatIon returned Jim sternly She s p pissed that by but only per Laps because she caught sight ot of the ranch house up the slope Here her enthusiasm was unbounded Herrick stood on the porch steps with Ith his dog dogs lie wore high boots and a n red coat lie tta waved 0 1 Presently Jim reined In the S sweat Sent sweating sweatIng ent entIng Ing horses before the steps lie He was most curious to see ee the meet meetIng meeting meetIng Ing between brother and sister She stood up Bernie old top here I am she gayly gayl Yec Yes here you are Helen Delen he replied and stepped out to help her alight DId Did you have a nIce tripe trip from Ripping Ripping from Grand Junction In They did not embrace or even shake shae hands Jim coming to him himself himself self celt leaped out and begin removing the bags Birnes Barnes whom hom he had totally forgotten jumped l out on the other side Barnes Barncs carry the bags In Jim hurry the blacks blicks do down don n 1 They Ihei he re hot hot lou must have pushed 1 them Yes li sir lr Stige w is is late but w e emide ml mide up for It Helen where w here s that lint W Wells ells lIs cargo package queried HerrIck hero Here In In mi my satchel Oh Bernie It its s goo good 1 to get home It home It this can be home Come In an and 1 take off orr tha that t seil ell he said and with Ith his hits arm arro lu In hers led her up on the porch Jim let Barnes tike the team while he crossed the bench and made roade his way wn Va down the steep rocky declivity to Ha s cabin hippy Jac Jack was whistling about the Ore fire knocking pans and othen otherwise Ise Ind eating the of ot supper d Jack Jael W lIat hats s tricks for toda 7 ed Jim Gla Glad 1 you re bac back Jim declared the cook cordially Anyone d 11 ha have fe hunk you ou was as goin to dish the outfit from Hais lIas He lies s been n like a hound on a leash Smoky rode In today full of ot ginger news vs an a roll of ot long green that d tJ have choked a cow Lut e even een en thet het didn t tease tease ease case the boss hat What ailed him Jack Inquired I JIm not without Impatience Dinged If It I know It had to do with your gem to Grand a darned sight more than Smoky s 5 Heavy y footfalls outside attested to the return of ot lIa Hays Hais s Without more comment Jim stood up and away vay from the table to face the thedoor thedoor thedoor door Ha s entered lIe He was as not the genial Ha lIa s of ot other days yet It was as hard to define the change In him unless It consisted In a gloomy restless force behind his strIde Smoky followed him In n agreeable by contrast Hullo here you air all I waited at atthe atthe atthe the barn said Hays gruffly Howdy Ho boss I took a short cut down no replied Jim I I seen Barnes on nn had a word with Ith him So your our trip come oft oty nIl all right lou shore made them blacks step It It warn wan t as pleasant a drive as au oud 11 imigine returned Jim darl ly Haw I You must be one of them women omen haters Outside of oC diet thet side of at It what happened to jar you your t Nothing to concern you or your outfit Smoky siw V me yesterday before I got a line Uno on him lIe ducked oft off the road At Grand Junction nobody paid any more at attention attention to me thin I d expect huh huh That s good replied replIe 1 Ha s and going 0 over oser er to the I rack uc beside his bed ho he rummaged about to return with Ith a n packet which he be slapped down upon the table there hero you iou ou air all Jim On our first deal Hie Zhe packet unrolled and spread out bills bills of ot large denomination What s this for queried Jim Quick action heta 1 het show how we e work worb lour share Smoky fetched It It Jim did not care to give the im impression that he was as unused to this sort of at thing Strad ling the bench he sat do down don n to run through the bills lIve I ire Ive thousand six hundred he be said 1 us as It if to himself and he slipped tho ho money Inside his bis pocket Much obliged oblIge 1 Smoky Now III be able to sit alt In a little game of ot draw drav to Jim nin aln t you got any news vs at atall all Inquired Hays searchingly searching A feller with Ith your ears enra nn e eyes es shore would pick up Miss fetched a Wells Wells- Wells ell Farbo package to her brother re rejoined reJoined rejoined joined Jim slowly Then It Its s come said Hays cracking han hands Herrle was us money last stige After Arter supper Smoky was as the first to break brenk silence Boss now Wall lull Is back bick you can make up your mind about what I 1 tJ d like to do Jim Jim Jim listen to this Smoky nn an the other fellers except T Brad want to mal male e a n clean clem S sweep Seep with this next drive W Whit hit you think Clean ou out t n asked led Jim Thet s the Idee Jim pondered n a moment Its It g be harder wor work but sire time and perhaps our cur bacon as well These CO cowboys boys are going to find out pretty soon that the cattle hn base e thinned 1 out If It Smoky drives Cs n a couple thousand more It 11 be bo sure to be he found out sooner or liter Sec See Char bos boss J W Wall all sees It just justas Justas as I do There s plenty of ot w ater the raid roid an feed Lets Let s make maLe It one big drive W Wal al aI It ltd 11 mean leivin lel In Star Ranch nanch sud sudden cogitated 1 the lie rob robb bar b r chief Shore An thet's good But lint I don t want ant to pull out ot of here su sudden declared Hays Why hy by not If we get away ay with ten thousand head queried Smoky astounded Thet ten thousand won t close the deal I Im m on OD W 11 hit ve ye you got up your sleeve het s my business Yours Is drisin In cattle You mean menn to rob the lie rn Hank dont don t be a n hl gl liars If 3 ou II excuse me I m thinking Smoky tall s sense Inter Interposed interposed Interposed posed Jim quietly My My Iy mind minds s mide up We Well II 11 stick to our first Idee lou fellers make drive e after drive e gem gain slow thet het 11 II give me time time- time So sou ou 11 Il risk the whole hole outfit Interrupted Smoky with Ith a curious gaze gize at nt his Ills superior al W nl ye yes It if you put It thet het wiy w replied Ha s q and he stalled stall tall cd ed out mol y will 1111 you start the second 1 drive tomorrow asked W Will ill I 11 lay It up to my outfit Va so al so lon long See iou Sou ou soon one way Iy or another Next ett ett da Jim went ent back to work on the new birn brn A subtle chan change e eIn In Hank Hanl Hays au augmented his Ills sus suspicion of ot that lint In Individual Jim let him alone Herrick wis as usual In Interested crested In every ever detill of the build building buildIng Ing Hays hid h gone off orf with Ith the theCO lie CO cowboys boys across the tho valley to put them upon some job there which no doubt was as a ruse to keep leep them away ay from Limestone Springs where here most of the stock An And 1 the day had ended without one glimpse of Helen At breakfast the following Ing morn mornIng morning mornIng Ing Hays surprised Jim W Was as the girl out ester esterday day he Inquired Didn t see her lou lou au didn t say what hat kind of oC a looker she wa waS was Ob Oh that laughed Jim I I for tor forgot forgot got or didn t thin think you were Inter Interested ested Wal s al I Id d like to see se her once be before before before fore our deal deals s oft off here Hays had his wish fulfilled next day lIe He was at work on the new barn on the far side Bide from where here Jim was as occupied when Miss lIss Herrick came down with her brother Jim stared as It if his e eyes es deceived e 1 him himAn himAn himAn An English n lIsh rl riding habit was known to him only from pictures picture She looked queenly Jim did dill not look at ather ather ather her face Besides he wanted most to see the tile upon Hank Hays That worthy s haw ha kill 1111 e a head was as erect but Lut Jim could not see the tell telltale telltale telltale tale eyes stood transfixed and hi his sister wall ell ed toward Jim Jims s sl side of the lie barn Good morning she said Bernie tol told 1 mo me how you shot bob no bob no jack jackrabbits rabbits from from the saddle I want to see you do that lint And I want to learn how Will you show me III I d be pleased Miss 1 Herrick Tomorrow then you will rl ride with Ith me meI I m at your service 11 Wall all all you 11 II oblige me by riding with my sister when heu It suits her slid Yes Yes sir returned Jim gazing across at nt the statue statue like like I The couple moved mo off ore toward the open open yar yard 1 where here mounted CO cowboys boys I were leiding out saddle horses horse I seen her Jim Hays said as If the es e e ent eat were epic She She he walked rl right ht by me mc What If It she did 1 Huh Hink What hat was as she sayin saylo to vou sou It It seems tol told 1 her bel about my shooting hooting hootin jacks jacs from Crom my horse horbe hors cand and she wants ants to see sec It done lou ou ou re gem ridin with her The The luck of ot some men I THE STORY FROM THE BEGINNING Jim Wall young cowpuncher from Wyoming seeks a new n w Geld neld n ld In Utah He lIe meets me t Hank H Hays Hay H yi who admits being a robber and tells Nall V all ho Is working for tor or an Herrick II who his located a ft big ranch lIa Kass s and others r are r plotting to steal teal their employer employers IJ citti tUe c and nd money moneygall gall saves ave Hanks Hank i s life lito by e g a gambler With Hays Hay Happy Jack and Lincoln w all arrives arrive at Herrick s a ranch Hays lays unfolds his plan for tor getting possession e lon of ot Herrick s 12 head hend of ot live stock lock lie He IT and his hi lieutenants ride away to drive ort oft the tir first nr t bunch of ot c cattle catti Jim remains behind to shoot hoot It out It if necessary with H n Hays Hay rival among the tho th c rustlers tells tell Wall Nall Hay Hays was as oce his hia a s partner and double crossed cro cd him Herrick delegates Jim to ko ro to Grand Junction to meet Helen lichen Herrick s a slater sister Jim gets r ta Barnes II a a young cowboy to tell her that h he Jim la le a desperado of ot th the worst vorst typo type Came Barnes do does a no o but th theirl the tho girl eirl treat treats the tho th lightly T r Hank shill I 1 tell Herrick you 11 go In my stand stend MX lx Ix much as I d III e a to to I cant can t thit thit hit rabbits Hays flays hun hung aroun around 1 the birn most mostly mostly ly Iy Idle watching the lie vall vale valle until the tho returned The cow cowboys cowboys cowboys boys brought the horses down hereupon hays abruptly left And ho dl did 1 not come bac back From that hour he became an elusive man That day ended Jim Walls aIls car carpentry carpentry carpentry pentry On the next he lie was sum slim summoned early after breakfast to rIde with the J Under the stimulation of ot this girl Irl s In Inspiring presence Jim gave n e an of oC swift and accurate shooting thit hit surpassed any he be had ever efer accomplished Marvelous she 1 Helen he s a n bally good shot I Herrick Horrick Tint Thit night Hank Hays |
