Show V r R RIDE hi f By ERNEST NE S T HAYCOX as r WN i le lse U v TOE TUE STORY SO FAR FAU Clay Morgan Morel t has bas s decided to play play a lone hand band against flea Bea a rancher bent on run n the cattle country his own way The two men have bave been enemies lo for or years yuU having Ont first fought loucht o over oYer er Clays Clay wife wile Llla LUa who died hating baUne him and be bee she should have bave married Heren Deren deen Morgan Is II a solitary figure devot devot- devoted devoted ed to e bit bI year old daughter Janet Although two women Catherine Grant Gran and anG Ann McGarrah ar are In love With him they know he cannot forget LIla Llla of 01 O Ohis his big former lormer friends only Rack Hack had bad not gone cone over to side Now Hack Is dead de d. d shot by foreman loreman Charley C Gurd Curd Grant Catherines Catherine's brother Joined tier Her when he be learned that Catherine had bad bee hero to Morgans Morgan's ranch but hut the cold bloodedness of 01 tracks Hacks murder has bas made rode him break with Herendeen Warned by Fox Willing a nester he be once oace befriended Clay discovers that is II stealing his cattle He tie Is nearly killed dUed when he be goes goes' to t Heren- Heren lI ren d ranch r th for lor a showdown but hut be he Is II saved by White one of 01 Herendeen's friends Like Curd Card Grant be he Is fed led up tip with wiLlI high hleb handed banded methods Clay and ud his men drive his cattle back buk Into Government Valley Clays Clay's range In Ui the tight fight with Herendeen that follows LIre Uge If Is badly hurt burt Now Clay Is II talking to Janet who has bas discovered that she likes Catherine Grant Crant better than Ann Ana and Is II not sure she should K N. N Now w continue with the story stor CHAPTER CRAFTER In the following silence Clay at once sensed that Janet was struggling gUng gling with her loyalty to Ann Mc Mc- Garrah She said I dont don't know Daddy Do you like her a lot As much m ch as you like Ann He Hc said Maybe I do Janey Im I'm going to town now Better sleep Bleep She turned In the bed her small body curled beneath the blankets and her head sinking into the pillow She murmured It is lil like e having havinga a mother It really is lie He went out of her room There was a difference in women nobody could explain an understanding or ora ora ora a touch or some mysterious fra fra- fragrance fragrance fragrance grance of personality some had and some did not have Fox Willing was In the room with with Lige White the rest of the crew had left teet the house Catherine waited for him him downstairs Janet Janey wants you to stay on to to- tonight night She moved around the table She put this distance between them de de- deliberately deliberately deliberately no longer smiling I cant can't do that Clay Not now He said I r keep forgetting it wouldn't look right to you Well I dont don't know what youve you've done to Jan Jan- Janet Janet Janet et bat but you did it it She said with some concern You dont don't mind Clay I wanted her to like me m and me-and and that's why I came camel He said still in wonder How did you do it IU Her Het eyes cres showed him a warm deep shining still a girl slay day CIa wanting to believe little girl little girl things and live in the land of make make- believe She knows those things arent aren't so but she wants the comfort com com- comfort fort fact of at them a little while longer And I talked to her as though those things were good things Wait Walt until I get back from town and Ill I'll ride home with you Im not afraid of the ride Clay But she he closed her lips color rising on her cheeks Hate to have you go alone Then Ill I'll wait Harry Jump joined him in the yard but Morgan shook his head I wont won't be long ong and youve you've got to watch this chis place Jomp had saddled a fresh horse for him and now he lined out for town along a road smothered by a adeep adeep adeep deep shot moon fog whose thickness touched him and seemed to break as he went through it The lights of War Pass didn't show until he had turned into the main street street He went at once to Doc Padden's house hailing aUing him out Lige Whites White's in a ad abad abad bad d way at my place Ill I'll go back nth th you you Padden said in rough regret Ev Everything Everything Everything happens Wait Walt a minute He went into the house for his hat and aDd bag and walked down Custer Street with Morgan You heard the latest Hillhouse killed Breathitt He brought Breathitt into town and went out again They were near the stable when Morgan stopped In town he said Go ahead Padden Ill I'll catch up with you Padden said Hillhouse bought a aquart aquart aquart quart of Whisky and started back to Three Pines I guess it was on his soul as God knows it should have been Billy Wells came In a few minutes ago He saw a team and wagon standing at the edge of Cache River near the Cottonwood ford so sobe he be went over to look Hillhouse sat against one of the trees Guess he finished the bottle first There was one bullet hole through the tree and another through his head He killed himself Padden was a rough handed rough handed man made so by the kind of gunshot med med- medicine medIcine he be practiced but he had his moments of insight and now walked to the stable without looking around stood in the Morgan streets street's dust un un- until til he saw Padden ride away then he be turned down the street left his horse by the hotel and entered Pad Pad- Padden's dens den's office A night lamp burned here wick turned low He screwed up the light and took It with him into the adjoining room The first thing thine he noticed was Charley's Charleys bat hat placed over o lack face i. i d. d Y r t F 18 lie noticed Charleys Charley's bat placed over Hack face And when he saw it he knew at once the hell that had been In Charley Hillhouse's mind mind his his relentless relentless re re- zeal and his memories of olden times confusedly mixing and torturing him This last small act of grace the tho placing of the hat across Hacks Hack's eyes ey s told the whole story of Charleys Charley's The wild and bit bit- bitter bitter ter ier winds governing Charley had blown bl wn him at last out of life Living or dead the essential things of a man seemed to remain on his face It was so with Hack The disbelieving cheerful insolence was still present Born restless and full of scornful courage he had carried these hese qualities with him wherever he ic was now Morgan thought hed he'd hede be e showing hell or heaven the same gay half and ironic half expression Maybe Mabe Morgan added it was the best est way out For during these lat lat- later latter lat lat- latter ter er days he be had seen a faint disillusionment disillusionment in hi Hack as though the youthful freshness and the strong appetites were wearing thin Well It t was a new trail for Hack now he could travel it with the same gusty pleasure that once had been his Morgan replaced the hat and re- re returned returned turned the lamp to the other room On the street he felt the brush of air on his cheek and stood a mo mo- moment moment moment ment in thought These men had hadeen been een close to him Their passing left eft an empty place reminding him that his wish w h to keep his youth alive was a futile wish Suddenly this part art of the past was gone leaving him lim high and dry and presently other ther parts would go It was a mistake mis mis- mistake take ake to look behind to try to hang on n to what was over and done with For Tor him it was a strange thought and a powerful one it pulled at his very roots and made him feel fee in- in secure He turned toward his bis horse Jesse Rusey came from the shadows near the ic hotel He said One Moment lay Clay Clay But at the same time looking coking across the street Morgan found Ann McGarrah on the stores store's porch Her eyes were on him and silent ilent as she was he felt the pull of her will or of her wish and so he walked toward her Rusey held his position by the ho- ho hoel tel el watching Morgan and Ann Mc- Mc McGarrah McGarrah Garrah larrah go into the store and close the tie door behind them A light came through the window reflected from the back room of the store In a mo mo- moment moment ment merit another door closed and this light died Rusey rubbed a hand handcross across cross his chin Distant in him was wasa a faint envy at Clay Morgans Morgan's op op- opportunities and a worldly mans man's curiosity For Rusey's philosophy was a gray philosophy wrung out of f his cool perpetual watchfulness All people had wants Some wants were little and some were big some came ame cheap and some came high highut high high- but ut to all people sooner or later came ame a time when they placed their pride and all that they believed In against the one thing they most wanted and made their decision Usually they sold out For in the I world Jesse Rusey so closely watched wants always came first He knew what Ann McGarrah want want- ed He knew her pride and her scorn corn of the ordinary follies and ap ape petites Now he stood rubbing his chin faintly amused that all these qualities had bought her nothing and knowing she realized it know know- knowing knowing ing too she was close to her own decision He had his curiosity and shrugged his shoulders and turned up the street But he stopped again still in the shadows At that moment Herendeen en- en entered entered ered town with the Ryder brothers I Parr Gentry came from the stable and for a little while there was talk between these men Later Heren Heren- Herendeen Herendeen deen Been went up the hill to Doc Pad Pad- Padden's Padden's dens den's house bouse A few minutes after after- afterwards afterwards wards he returned to the group shaking his head Parr Gentry point point- pointed ed down the street and all of them turned to stare at Clay Morgans Morgan's horse still standing by the hotel Ann McGarrah followed Morgan Into the stores store's living room She came about and paused in front of him lim quick to see the rough usage he ic had been through Always In Inaction Inaction Inaction action or in trouble his eyes had a smoky coloring and this was pres pres- present present ent now Sit down Clay If U youre you're hun bun hungry gry if you want anything Of No not right now Ive I've got to get back to the ranch I sent Pad Pad- den ahead Lige Whites White's been shot We had a n brush with Ben in Govern Govern- Government Government Government ment Valley What We drove him back But noth noth- nothings nothing's nothIngs nothIng's nothings nothing's ings ing's settled She said You know about Hack Of course you course you came from there I He sank into the chair his long longlegs longlegs I legs pushed forward She stood near him looking down She put her hands before her locked together and for a moment she had the expression ex ex- expression expression of a little girlon girton her face wistful half and hall half She said You shouldn't you shouldn't-you you shouldn't Suppose it had been you Instead of Hack And when you meet Heren Heren- Herendeen Herendeen Herendeen deen which one will it be You are sure to meet Everybody knows that It is as certain and as brutal as death Well it Is death Clay Is there anything I can say to stop you you No not now Ann AnI Not now and not at any time she added quietly I have never been able to change you Never In any way at all He said Why worry about it iU You know me pretty well I know you pretty well Lets Let's be satisfied with that She walked away from him At a corner of the room she turned facing facing fac face ing jag him over the distance What do you know V about me What do you really know I told you once and you didn't like Uke it When you said it It Clay you nev nev- never never never er meant it It was a joke joke and and I hated bated you He shook his head bead puzzled and gently a a f at her There ii I fire enough in you to burn up the town You swing lUke like like the weather weather never never still You could be the kind of a woman I think to throw furniture at a man when you got mad You could crucify him him if if you loved him And be sorry afterwards I guess Oh Clay she said humbly not a scold scold not not a spitfire No he admitted Just Ann McGarrah who wants things per per- perfect Her eyes grew darker and dark dark- darker er Clay she said near to a whisper you dont don't mean to be cru cru- cruel cruel cruel el but you are If U- U UShe She shrugged her shoulders quickly q changed the subject Hows Janet All right Catherine came up to see her today He watched stillness come to her face a listening In In- Intentness intentness a coolness holding away awa her dislike Then he said They seem to get along mighty well She said Dont you want cof cof- coffee coffee coffee fee Better get back and see how Lige is making out out he said coming to his feet She walked toward him She stood In front of him quite near this near this small supple girl so intense and so crowded with willful pride She was dark she was vivid her lips were red and firm across her oval face and he caught the fragrance of her hair and was affected by it Looking up she drew a long long breath He never was able to de de- define define de- de define fine the look he saw in her eyes that night night night-It It was like fear or shame or like a woman forcing herself herselt over some obstacle she dreaded Her voice was taut and very slow It Itis Itis It is hard to learn some things Clay Hard to learn that sometimes noth noth- nothing ing lag comes by waiting or by pray pray- ing lag And very hard to find out that thata a woman has to change as she swore she could never change All that I Iam Iam Iam am Is right here in front of you but It never has been enough just enough just to tobe tobe tobe be in front of you Is it something cold about me or something of an anold anold I old maid in me I dont don't know But only once did I ever see anything I In your eyes that I put there That was when I wore a dress which left I Imy my shoulders bare I was a woman to you that night I She lifted her arms They touched his shoulders and lay there with I the smallest pressure In them pull pull- pullIng pulling Ing him He saw her lips Ups lengthen and part he be saw aw w her eyes widen as though she opened op ned herself to him I completely Reaching forward he kissed her catching the force of her sudden-giving sudden body But even then there was a difference a strain a lack When he stepped back they both knew It She caught her breath sharply turning away And said In Ina ina a dulling voice No not for me Well good TO BE CONTINUED I 7 |