Show I 1 i GUNLOCK cj RANCH RANCHY o 0 By Y FRANK RAN HEAM H SP SPEARMAN ASP EAM A AM M ff Copyright Frank II n S n Ico CHAPTER XIV Continued XIV Continued 16 16 All Ml set mil Bill 16 returned turned l peacefully You hustled me we so SQ I 1 L got the wrong hat lioy hoy I Denison with i Man linn Inn olive all what difference t l does It nuke make ri what hat hilt you wear I A whole lot of or difference re- re ref returned re returned f turned with warmth had Hadon I on my ray new hat It t might It plugged Three men rode with Denison that night Col Goh Scott and Frying Pan The ponies were ere fresh and the lie men meo eager The They stopped at nt Gunlock G unlock A II light ht was wasti ti still burning In the he living room of the ranch house When the men pulled up tip In the yard Denison sprang from rom the sl sad sad- saddie sad sad-r l r die ran man to the till door and knocked hos there were the low words from within Is that you lane Inne Its It's Bill r f She Hung flung Oun the door open Bill Gill r she cried what are you OU doing here I J 1 think Im I'm needed here Hows How's Henry Ob Oh hes he's ba badly ly wounded Bill How linw did you know Bob nob Scott and John Frying Pan hn have n strict orders to bring me ranch news Dews of ot the kind that came today Hen Ben Page rode In to get et Dr Ca rpy Tell me quickly dear what hap happened ned this afternoon he lie urged McCrossen rode out to get et some things s so SI he lie said I was sitting here sewing Bill when In walked McCrossen lie He said he was going away for or good I said I wished wisher himi him f 1 t tc c r food Tood f luck I t Jane hesitated a moment lie asked askelI me the to kiss him good good-by I Itald paid no He lie got angry and swore c lied helI take as many mony as lie he wanted If I tried to run to the front door HeT lip lie caught me and I was lighting fighting him f 1 In his ar arms ls when Henry Sl walked In at the kitchen door l t lIe He turned on Get out ft of or here he shouted I 1 If begged to 10 protect me t et 1 go that girl I said sallI 1 turned on Henry hisgun his bis gun Sun In hIs bis hand handl I Henry didn't dare Ilare tire Ire for fear of ot hitting me Ole McCrossen fired r point blank at Henry and ond he be fell Cell CellI fellin I In a heap I f screamed tore myself loose Joose and ran out the front door f and hid behind a trEe He Ill comforted her as best hei heL he heI I L could I must see sec how bad Henry Is hurt then Im I'm off orr with r and Bob nob Scott after McCrossen lies Hes running off steers tonight With In Jane e he went to the bedRon bed bedon Ron on on which had halI been laid Saw Saw- dy looked pleasantly surprised as Jane held up the lamp and he saw Denison Well Bill nill III he lie said cool cool- coolly coolly ly Iy the old foreman Is usI us i I up today I Henry where are arc you OU hit In the side Bill but It aint oy ov ov- I er serious You McCrossen McCrossen- er- er see i fi Jane told toM me Henry Dont Don't waste any strength talking When I 1 seen his game to hold Jane for a n shield I made up my mind to drop at his first shot shot-OJ shot I l You did dIll a good Job Now v keep r quiet Over the rim ot or the hills bills a fun full fullmoon fullmoon moon was US rising Into a cloudless r I sky ky Jane with tI tightened lips her heart pounding In her throat her herf straining els eyes tearless stood In n the open doorway watching the ghostly f figures of the four horsemen silhouetted against the sky as they made wade their way the up the ridge that led leI toI to 1 the hill hili dIlme I From From the moment DenIson and his companions crossed the divide they were riding Into enemy coun coun- country country try Frying Pan was asked n ked to strike farther down and across the reser reservation ration the rendezvous had been fixed at nt a point on Deep Creek With the hills behind them Den Den- DenIson Ison sort Scott and nd made malle theIr way down the creek breaks to the They were aware of ot a rough cattle trail along the cast enst bank of or the creek but the night as they halted on the creek bench B was silent Denison conjectured I wrongly that the cattle had hall been driven past this point pr Working carefully downstream through clumps chumps of or willows and al al aldera ders dera along the benches Scott pushed ahead to locate the phan torn tom Frying Pan The lone Indian after a D time came down from the hills He ne was taciturn Nobody go by was wa all he said Denison on questioned him hiro clop closely without shaking his certainty that neither cattle nor horsemen had passed down the east bank ThE west bank where the lie pursuers were now halted lI was Impassable fur for cattle 1 r taken another trail nh Bd I declared to Scott tt Theres nn an o trail through the tim timber her ber to the llie south Its It's 11 u Inn long WilY way around and rou rough h and they th J took It Iti j to throw off orr pursuit But that may luay h beat 11 them them yet Jet flow lIo so I got to double back hack low v lover lower lower er downstream to strike Deep Creek n again with the cattle Well We'll pIn play It I so anyway Its It's Into time the brush foru fori forus for i us u We cant can't cro cross s the hors horses s here If Im I'm wron wrong and they're thEre above us yet Jet Its It's safer to stick slick to this side IllIe I anyway Where cnn cab they strike the creek I About a n mile above the old oldbridge oldbridge bridge e How lIow we goin oln to get to them I Weve got to cross that bridge Scott smiled d a n sickly smile That bridges bridge's been n to pieces for forten forten forten ten years urs John said Denison to Frying Ian 1111 feel out the scrub for us Lets Let's go The riding was rough and the pace l through h the chaparral gruel gruel Ing In Ing The four men o reached re a n poInt whEre the creek cre-ck bottom opened from Crom a canyon out on low rough country and the lie rising moon shed more light lIht I Were a n mile yet et above the bridge e said l Denison You and ond John ride up the time canon canyon wall n a ways Hob Bob and take another look lookhe hp he su suggested The Indians came clime back with news Theres looks like what's left of or a campfire near the bridge bridge- bridge Push on I exclaimed Denison The They ma may have halted lIed there The riding grew worse Thickets became almost Impassable There never had been a trail down the west hank bank and the job called for or ordo do dogged ed endurance Scratched and torn the tour four reached re an on open breath breathing In space where rock rork and shale ended the fight through the scrub The moon clearing the mountain peaks re- re re revealed rented at nt a distance below the abandoned bridge e Not far from It Denison could discern embers of ot thE campfire Frying Pan had reported Where here theres there's been heen a 0 Ore fire theres there's been men said Denison They may lie he there yet et But nut wee were we're wc c got to watch both sides of or the creek Sup Suppose pose hose you Bob Rob and Frying Pan get over oer to the east bank bank- bank How The bridge Scott grinned but shook his head hellI Theres ten feet of oC gone In one place from Crom the floor door of or the theoM theold theold oM old bridge Nobody can cnn cross that We could maybe crawl across In Inthe inthe Inthe the not daytime daytime not no now Weve Were got to get et across some some- somehow somehow how Insisted Denison Bob Is there an any place up or down the creek where you and John can get et Co ever Cor r Not with horses Well we must stop the cattle and whoever's with cm ew Ill I'll get et oter oer somehow after you ou Wheres Where's the planking off off the bridge Time The cast enst end bad No matter mailer dust along Two shots from you will bring roe ml over o Anyway you yon stop anybody that comes along with the beet beef Well We'll leave the horses here herewith with and nud while youre you're oure get get- g getting getting t ting over o Ill I'll try to find Ond out O who these fellows ore are below at the fire Bm Bill he turned to If It I 1 need elI you Ill I'll whistle O 0 K assented the lonk lanky Pard Pard- aloe Pard-aloe aloe Denison though anxious to get at what lay ahead of or him was forced to work down the slope slowly Within a long earshot of or the dying fire he thought be he heard voices SInce the men were still there reo re rc newell caution was called for He made out two 1 voices Flattening on 00 the sand he lis- lis listened lis listened The fire Ore and the men were not over fifty feet away Denison could hear their words They were ta talking English though one voice was guttural and revealed a Mex Mexican lean ican As they were obviously wait waiting ing for someone who had failed to appear cold collI and too laz lazy to keep up their fire Denison made no bones boues about Intruding on the ate pair The first the two men heard he-ard from him was a low but plain command Pitch up boys l I The startled pair jumped to theIr feet Up l I Put Iut em cm up calD carne came n sharper order orlIer Their hands s went haltingly up They TIley looked around to see where the voice came from Crom and while they looked they heard n a short whistle and saw a n man erner emerge e from Crom the time chaparral not twenty feet rEet away Who the time hell are arc you demand demand- demanded demanded ed cd the time smaller man of ot time the pair with a bluster us voice betrayed him to Denison Im here same earns as you are to meet some cattle coming cowing down the creek creck returned Denison Im go going ing to help you ou Clubfoot Hands up Damn you OU keep em cm where they are I While he be spoke he lie heard cluttering through the thicket Bill ill he be added as Parda ParlIn toe loe appeared bring brins down the horses will you These boys are waiting for th the cattle same as we are explained Denison when reappeared We We dont don't need four hands on the Job Take Toke their guns Tie em cm up till we get straight ht tying the mounts stamped forward gon In hand band lIe He searched the pair while Clubfoot protested profanely at the outrage Im here to take over cattle that belong to me bought and paid for stormed the butcher Before had finished rop rop- roping rop-Iny rop Ing the lie butcher and his helper ashot a n ahoi shot hoi was heard from Crom far across the creek Denison started almost as asIt asit asIf It the bullet bad struck him S I I hll While lie ime listened with P lr every nerve on edge de a n complete clI silence I followed It was not a as asIt it II a signal Almost tire live minutes passed when whenn II a s second shot rang into the lie night Denison trl tried lJ to rend time the lie riddle The first shot had come corne from n a re- re re revolt oher volt cr the lie second sharper anti less les open had bud come orne from Crom n rifle It nil 1111 dawned on Denison they they were wrE signal shots He lie whirled toward land me Clubfoots Clubfoot's gun gun Bill Pill hI he said sallI Securing the lie gun he lie fired it Il twice III In the air nir Some Sonic guesswork her here liere Clubfoot he remarked re emptying and tossing time the gun on time the ground round I 1 dont don't know whether your answer was to tobe tobe tobe be one or two Scarcely Iy were the lie words out or of hIs mouth when n a spatter of re- re re revolver volver oher shots rang across the creek creel Bill exclaimed Denison a fI fight ht If th these se birds make you the least trouble shoot em Im I'm going over now How you ou gala over called Par Par- Par dame Quickest way I can Bill Dili he hc shouted Time The bridge lie He was running for or his horse borse Youre Y crazy It'll drop droll you a hundred feet t man 1 I shouted ParlIn toe loe Watch your our prisoners l I on Denison was galloping away vay petrified watched the disappearing horseman Nothing hut but the sharp echo on his ear of Oln flying hoofs hoMs convinced him he was not dreaming for he never would have hn believed sober mil Bill Denison world take so slender a n chance of getting across the creek all e The clat clat- cia clatter clatter t ter of or hoofs grew fainter At times they ceased and the thc old 1111 frontiers frontiers- frontiersman's frontiersman's mans man's breath choked him Then as asIf asif asIf If In answer to 10 hI Ills his lar ears came the hollow sound of hoof hoof- heats beats on wood DenIson had lind reached the bridge An Instant later there came Into sight In the distant moonlight the ghostlike figure of n horse flying across the rotten bridge divined d nt at once that the pony had thrown his Ills rider Then of a n sudden the time beast whirled with whit a n spring and ond as asIt asif It if somehow guided shot ahead again he he was a third of or the way over jaws came together squarely and comfortably for he lie 1 v vf f r Irr Ir IrI Irr I r 0 1 r Their Hands Went Haltingly Up Upp now understood DenIson was on that horse clinging to Its back mike like mikea a panther Rut But there was still the time east end east cast plank gap ap to cross Scott had hod said Sald the bl big one was as ten feet hut but he had not seen It for a year It might easily be twelve or fifteen feet suppose It were twenty With Denison more than halfway across the clatter of or hoofs grew rew fainter One two three rifle snots rang out In fairly quick succession To this day Ilay the gap that Denison De jumped has hns never been measured measurer The reckless rider riller had been spot spot- spotted spotted ted when he was less than hair ay across McCrossen riding behind the cattle had halI galloped forward when nh ahead was Inter luter Intercepted find and questioned h by Scott The rhe breeds breed's half breeds gun signals hall hail been token taken by as an nn attack and he had hall fired Breil back Before cr er side really knew what It was nil all about they were exchanging stets But the Instant McCrossen saw thE horse dash dashing In along the rotten roten bridge his sixth sense of or danger daner guessed the rider for an nn enemy and without a n moments moment's hesitation he trained a rifle rille on him him and tired fired By y n a chance that rarely favors des des- desperate desperate measures Denison sprawled from the time final leap across the bridge gnp gap Into a fringe of sand and ond wil willows lows that overgrew the eastern bridge approach Threading the undergrowth on his trembling horse Denison got away from the bridge as fast as ns he could somebody was still sUit throwing rifle slugs toward It but once n away ay from the danger point he lost no notime notime notime time In to making himself beard Denison from tho the willows called loudly driving these cattle The man that owns em shout shout- shouted shouted ed ell McCrossen riding out Into time the open fifty yards ards away Who the hell are ore you In that It If youre you're oure a mono man show yourself DenIson pushed Into the time open Youre driving this bunch McCros McCrossen sen I nm am What do you want want Deal son son on 1 be he demanded angrily 0 t io I 1 wn ant nt I those these hl 1 steers Irs I Anti And 1 l want you ion The Those p steers belong to me or nr wages an lic I pot got lIt twice as us n m many hack there id yet N Now Nw Ive I've not got ot just one 1111 word for Cor you Denison lIn Get net out or of my a way nn un keep out of OI my way If youve you've ou e got any rights In th these cattle lurn turn ern em back to 10 the Mead Meadows Iad s o and II lay your claim for wages lS l'S before time the lie Stockmen's Claims CI Board retorted Denison enl lIn What time the hells hell's all this to 10 you Do yon 11 claim cm Me Ic Crossen 1 nel I 1 dont don't claim 11 a hoot hoof but 1 want to talk with you OU McCrossen before you ou jump to the Panhandle What about bout About hout who ho lied fired III my ranch ranh and about Henry wady lI a to pick a n quarrel wll o me IIII eh Denison OU needn't II ui 11 very r t er very hard 1 I dont don't like ilkI you Deni Denison son I never did dill I ne tr hind had use for you OU |