Show ROBBERS ck t a ROOST V tV AI rf 1 l lIr Ir s sI sG I G R y hl r rj j F COPYRIGHT WN U SERVICE CHAPTER IX Continued IX Continued 12 SI Siy Si It s 3 you who'll shet chet his hia trap replied lays Jays stridently Or Or you 11 II git a dose of or the medicine I 1 gave Prad Irad r ot l from you you-you you you yellow dog or of orA ofa ofa A omin oman thief I Smoky Slocum ran raD out In ID time to get In front of or Jim II arl I I be he lIed c Is Is this a time fer us to fight each elch other Cool down JIm MaLe Make allowances for tor Hays lie c n D drunk 1 I don t care a n d-n d n It If there 8 s ten outfits on our trail He lie can t tall talk to me that slay nay ay And Smoky I reckon you re presuming on friend friendship friendship ship Shore I 1 am returned Slocum Ill I II not do It again Jim Hays Is what hat you celled lIell him But nul lease e your dispute dl till we e settle with Heeseman eman All rl right ht You re talking sense replied Jim He had been quick to togra grasp p the opening made by flays There must be bo ten riders in Ileese- Ileese Heeseman man s outfit Wil thet suits me rejoined the robber harshly Now Now think fast fast snapped Smoky la lass las s pulled himself together Mac lac you an Jeff run to fetch what bosses ho es you can find quid quick Jac Jack you an Smoky an nn Nall hustle the grub cook cool 1 kit It packs nn an beds Into thet cave e across the wash I II 11 git up high an watch When I 1 Isell yell ell dig fer ter cover You almin aimin to fight tight or run quer led Smoky e tit e a might git packed light If son ethin holds them up But nut we can t len leave the way we come In DIrty Devil too high Heeseman haS nas stumbled on OD the next nest best way ay It we sae e had plenty of ot time But nul ru rustle tle everybody e Mac and Jell Jeff were already In lum lumbering lumbering bering night flight up the oval oral And Hap liap Happy py Jack Jick not concerned enough to stop atop his whistling was waa sicking hIs utensils hays made for tor the notch In the bluff west of ot the cabin JIm sprang Into action while Smoky dashed lashed oft off to toward ard the cotton cottonwood grove gro Upon Jim s first return trip from the cave e be he encountered the girl burdened with Hh her effects Helen Ill III carry that Hurry At AI the back bick of the ca cave e there was wasa wasa wasa a crack deep enough to protect Helen Ue lie directed her to hide Inside In InsIde inside sIde and aw as lit developments Jim ran on OD toward the camp re resolving soh Ing to withhold a she shell In ID his rifle and nd to keep a sharp watch on OD II hays ass as's The next quarter of ot an ao hour wa way filled wI with th strenuous and unceasing ac Lion Their united efforts collected all the supplies utensils saddle and packs and several of ot the beds bede bedIn In n the three cornered cave e back and anel to one side of or the shack A huge hugl slab of stone lay the top of t vj- vj f fr t V fit s r 1 CL's Jims Jim's Rifle Already Raised Swerved a Trifle Cracked Trifle Cracked The Hat Went Flying tills this triangular notch In the cliff the 1 he Yo wall tall had been hollowed by Uw action of ot water A small stream out from Hi- Hi tit base of ot th the walL waIL It was the best beet place for tor defend In 10 the oval and Jim believed hays outfit could hold It indefinitely though bough they couldn t save the horses It If It came to a siege they could I t- t t released CHAPTER X S lOKY came In tn tit v It IF ys pack and started oft of again That o Ii enough Smoky called Jim k Slocum returned othin left left- left Hank s a bed he panted I I- I couldn t locate t locate thet Listen LIsten l I 1 Slat hat do you heart hear Bosses Jim keep your our eye peeled on the cliff said Smoky and stop stole for forward forward forward ward under CO cover corer er of ot the brush I 1 a white puff of ot smoke showed above nho the ragged rim Sp ng I IThe IThe The fight was wag on Ono of ot Hays men let Bridges let out a 11 hoarse hoare bawl and swayed over o almost losing hIs balance Jim looked no DO more at him but concentrated Ills hIs gaze gize on OD ODthe the rim Another ADother puff pull of white I Something a dark dark n man mans s slouch hat bobbed bobbed up Jim s a rifle already raised swerved a n trifle cracked trifle The hat went tent flying The horses came over o the bench frightened but not stampeding and Mac drove drone dro e them Into the corral ThIs was around the tho corner from flom the range of ot the sharpshooter of ot the rIm Bridges reeling on OD the horse toll 0 cd Mac liae who ran out of ot the corral to him as he lie fell tell Then as they came along close to the tall a hays arrived from flom the other direction tion Lion Heeseman with his outfit nine outfit In all nIl he heaved hea They re scat term to surround the roost But nut But they can t cross below cross below us-an us us across there It out s-out s out of range t c e re a all right A bullet thud thudded dell Into the wa wall followed by the report of ot a rifle Duck back L I That was from somewhere else shouted flays They dove e h twenty henty enty feet farther tarther back Here they were apparently safe except from the grassy ridge of the oval In front which It was unlikely any aDY sharpshooters could reach In da daylight light After a careful study stud Jim crept crept Into the brush stirred by a renewal ot of firing from the west rim Al AI Almost Almost most at once he caught a n movement mo ot of a dark object through a n cre Ice In the rim The Tho distance was great for tor accurate shooting at so small a target But nut with a ret rest he drew a coarse steady aim and fired once The object flopped over o A shrill cr cry unmistakable to any man used to gunplay rent the air Jim knew he had reached one CDe of ot the Heese- Heese Heeseman man gang to disable him If It no nomore nomore more Next ext ext Instant a raking fire swept s the brush on both sides silles ot of JIm lie He dropped down Into the cate care Smoky stood there In ID the act ot of climbing They near got me sang san out JimI JIm I hit one ODe of ot them way over oser 0 er where they shot at Bridges There s a a bunch of ot them hid on that cliff clift to the right of ot the outlet you know where Jeff Jen went tent up to scout They re rebelow rebelow below the ridge now look I ook sharp Smoky or they ml might ht get a n couple ot of shots In ID first Wal Val Wal It f they do I 1 hope both bul bullets bullets bullets lets lodge In n hank Hanks s gizzard My My Jy exactly Smoky I saw v something shine Tl TI of ot a n rifle ride Right to night to the right Ahl lake lake lako the first feller Jim One two three two three The rifles cracked In n unison JIms JIm's Jim mark sprang convulsively up and plunged down to roll and weave we e out outI I ot of The man Smoky had hall shot lt it it sank rank fiat flat and lay still Next moment a volley olley banged from the cliff and a storm of or bullets S swept pt hissing and s1 uncomfortably close I Jim slid and leaped to the floor or of orthe the cave below Smoky by lying down 10 lowered ered the rifles to him and then came scrambling after Ha Hail I had slouched back to them followed by Happy Jack Jeffs Jeff a s gun g lD an on belt beIt lays said and receiving them he buckled them 0 over oser er his 0 own n Next ho opened his pack to take out a box of ot rifle shells which he broke open to drop the contents In hits his coat pocket on the tho left side After that thalie he opened his shirt to strip oil oft a 1 road road black money belt This was wa what hid had made him bulge so and give Ive the Impression of ot stoutness when In fact he wa was wag lean lIe He hung thIs belt 0 over oser er a projecting point or of orall all Sall In In Cl sire e I don t git It hick he lie add added added ell ed An An there then s a bundle of ot chickenfeed chicken chickenfeed feed teel change In my pack There was ns as something gloomy and splendid about him him then rear Fear of God Cod or man or death wis stis not In him Rifle HIlle In hand he lie crept to the corner on the th left and boldly ex exposed exposed posed himself drawing ln a volley ropey ot of shots from h two 0 quarters Then he disappeared red hats dell a asked hell Jim lie He must I 1 now a n way ay to sneak around on them A sound fie ac rather thin followed by bya b a n shot shot then a sodden thud right t it hand choked further speech happy Jacl had hall been cut short In one of hIs low whistles He lIe swayed a sec secand second and uprIght then Ulen uttering an aD ass a ful groin gro he ho fell Cell Smoky leaped to him bent over o er I lilt In the temple tt here d 11 thet bullet come from It It glanced from a rock I 1 know the sound Jim JIm the only site safe place from thet thet-ls Is byar huggin this corner declared d Smoky An An there thero nin aln t room enough fer for the two of ot us liS Keep Beep It Smoky I m not going to get et hit This Tills Is s mv my day I feel something In my bones but It s not death Huh flub I feel teel too too- too clear to mv my an marrow marrow an It s sickIsh an cold Jim I ii sneak out an cra crass crawl I beck bick of them Thet Theta s my Idee I don dont t ha hase hae e wrong at thIs stage of ot a fight That was the last he pol e a to Jim Muttering to himself he laid a huge roll of ot bills under the belt beltHa Ha hays s had deposited on the little shelf shelt of rock Then he be Scarcely had lie he gotten out ot of sight when Jim thought of ot the field glass Smoky should have ha tal en It JIm risked going beck bick to his pick to secure It and aDd had the fun tun ot of dodging another bullet lie could command every ery point ah the aid of ot the field Bliss gliss without Ith out exposing his head An Instant la later ter a n far off oIT shot hot thrilled Jim That might be y Suddenly a dirk form staggered up flinging arms aloft silhouetted black against the sky chy That must be the sharpshooter Smoky hid bid reached hIm Headlong he pitched ofT oIT the cHIl cliff to plunge sheer Into tile the wash ash THE STORY FROM THE nn BEGINNING Jim Wall Walt young from Wyoming seeks a new Geld field In Utah lie meets Hank Hais s who tells him he Is s working tor for an Englishman HerrIck who has located a big ble ranch Slays Hays and others ire are plotting to steal their employers employer s cattle and money lie He and his lieutenants lIeuten ride rido away to drive ort off the first bunch of ot cattle Hays Slays rival among the cattle rustlers tells Wall Hays was once his Heeseman CHeeseman s a partner and double crossed him delegates delegate Jim to co go to Grand Junction to meet Herrick s sister Jim tries to Impress her with the fact tact that he h JIm JimIs Is a ot of o the worst type but the girl eirl treats the Information light light- lightly lightly ly I- Slays Hays betrays unusual Interest In the th coming of or Miss Jim finds ands himself falling In love lobe 10 e with Helen and und finally kisses her She dismisses him but relents and asks him not to leave the ranch Har s men return having sold the cattle and brought back the money A quick getaway Is Imperative Slays Hays tells his men to go on ahead that he h will join loin them later Ste He comes with Helen a a captive explaining that he robbed Her Her- Herrick Herrick Herrick rick and stole tol Helen for tor ransom Realizing the girl will Sill be worse ort off It if she falls Into Heeseman s a clutches Jim rides on with Hank and his men Heese man s riders are discovered In pursuit After Atter a battle In which Latimer Lat Lat- LatImer Lat Lat-Imer Imer one ot of Slays Hays men Is wounded Hays leads the gang Into a canyon canyon- canyon The Robbers Roost Before he dies die Latimer tells Jim and Smoky Slocum that Slays Hays has held out some or ot the money he stole from Herrick Meese man s riders are seen approaching and the th desperadoes prepare to fight dent below Smoky had hall at least carried out his Idea Suddenly Jim e espied HIS boldly mounting the slope dope But It appeared that he had not been discovered ered yet Those on top were facing the unseen peril to the west Jim marveled mar at the purpose of othe the robber chief Still another shot from the Smoky the last I But nut Hays had readied reached high enough to see over o leveling heeling r e the rifle he took tool de deliberate de- de deliberate liberate aim Then he fired Ored l I hissed Jim as sure as If It he himself lt had hall held that gun Hays working the le lever leer er of ot hIs rifle bounded back bick and aside Shots boomed One cd ell him to hIs hia knees but be he lunged up to fire agaIn Again he was hit hit hlf or the rIfle was for It broke from his hands Drawing his Ills two revolvers ers he lev lev- leveled leveled leveled them and aDd as he fired one then the other he backed against the last broken section of ot the wall wan Jim saw sav the red dust spatter from the rock above e The shots thinned out and ceased flays was turning to the left lert his re- re remaining re- re remaining re remaining gun lowered He was aimIng aiming aim Ing down don dos do n the slope on the other side Ho He fired then again again then no more Those who were left lert of ot s a outfit had hall taken talen flight Ha watched a them strode to the side ot of ota ofa ol a big rock and kept on them Soon he turned back and aDd sheathIng sheath Ing ng one gun took tool to reloading the theother theother other It was Las at this moment that JIm relinquished the field glass to t take UI up his hula rifle Ith nal ral ed cd eyes eye through the aperture In the brush he could see hays finIsh loadIng his gun Ibis moment to Jima Jims JIm s a avid acid hI mind was the one In ID which to kill 1111 the rob robber robber ber lIe He drew a bead on Ha lIa s breast But he could couIll not press prec J the trigger I r the limmer Jim watched Hays stride up among the rocks to disappear Jim leaped up out of ot the hole to have a better look Far tr beyond the red ridge he lie discerned men running along the th white wash wa h I here sere ere three of ot them scattered A fourth appeared from behind a bank and ho was crippled He lie waved n ran to the comrades who had left him to fare tare for tor himself They The were headed for tor the cove e where the horses still sun stood And their tate tato flight attested to the end ot of o that battle and as surety surely to the thelast thelast last of ot Heeseman s outfit CHAPTER XI BIM jl picked up the field glass and slinging It on his Ids elbo elbow e n a descent Into the e Cl On the shelf shelt he be and sat a moment loci loch ed cd edIn In thought A second time he start started ed cd down only to hilt straddling the notch lie I he battle baUlo had worked out fatefully and nud fatally he lie see Smoky again 7 let ct 1 t nothing had the Issue I the he end was nas as not yet t 1 Mth Ith his blood surging back to tolila hIs heart Jim leaped do down don n to meet the robber chief chores It here s Smoky 7 1 called Jim his I nt eyes on lIa s right hind Cashed In boomed Hays is erelt reit hollow v eyes of ot pale lire fire upon Jim He Ile He had cover er lIe plugged I don t know Inow how many But nul Motley s outfit had ed Ins In Ins s s s 5 s a i f Flesh Wound to Fuss Over This Minnit with An when thet gambler Stud broke an run Smoky had to head him oil off They I killed III cd each other ho It ho got away I saw sat four men one crippled Morley lorley an nn for fer two I didn t recognize the others They shore run throw In rifles rilles away a wa They were ere making for tor their horses tied halt half a n mile buck bucki here bick i here 11 they go II His Hiis s 7 I er cr more men Morley Is most as stubborn as ns Heeseman An once he s seen this roost of ours Ire ours lie 11 want It an to wipe Ipe out what 3 s left heft ot of us Heeseman tt al al aI he didn t run Jim Haw I 1 w I lIe lies Iles s dead The chief strode to the mouth ot of the cave e and stared around Jim re at tho the spot he had selected elected to one side between |