| Show p SADDlE 41 II pI o e Bu By ERNEST HAYCOX i TilE THE STon SO soR R T Clay Morgan Is h determined to pia play a lone hand 1 Den flea a rancher who oho ho Is out lut to torun torun torun run the cattle country his own way wax As s Ma sa a rancher Morgan known know he mu must mint t protect pro ro feet tret his own rights but he doesn't like methods Of Ot his former friends only Hack flack ha Inn has not gone cone over t to a tide side 1 the he rest Charley rest Charley Gurd Grant and Lire Life White for example are supporting more or less In sell It'll defence defte They dont don't like his methods either but they believe e that If It they dont don't follow him they will all tote lose everything t Now continue with the story IV n nAt At da daybreak break Clay Morgan rode rod asfar as I. asfar far as the Antelope Plains with the le roundup crew and worked with it until un til midmorning mid Afterwards he hc set oft oll to have a look at the le grass and water on the western edge of the Moguls Gurd Grant having business busi busi- business ness at his own ranch went along Gurd Curd was n a big and completely friendly man of Morgans Morgan's age with light features and a consistently pleased expression in his eyes ejes There was no malice and no subterfuge of any kind in Gurd But Dut now as ashe ashe ashe he rode he spoke in a rather troubled trou trout troubled bled uncertain way of You know CIa Clay he aint such a abad abad abad bad fellow I hate to see you ou two start chewing the same piece of leather Of course you ou never did like each other I can cnn remember as asfar asfar asfar far back as ns school when you ou and Ben Den got in some pretty tough jan jan- Gurd said Morgan turning toward toward to to- ward his partner I want to warn you Bens Ben's the kind of a fellow that gets worse the farther he goes 1 Maybe Maybe May May- be hell he'll start by chasing a few crooks out of the thc country But Dut he wont won't stop there Hell He'll get the idea that nobody has any ny rights unless the they're re riding close to him Riding on through the short bills they came to Crowfoots Crowfoot's quarters seated in a small round valley backed against the Hills A creek charging out of the pine i timber Umber crossed the meadow in front of a low long galleried white house by poplar trees The two dismounted in this pleasant shade and went back to the dining room for a late noon meal They were still at the table when a single rider came out of the hill trail at a aI I full fun gallop A moment later Catherine Catherine Cath Cath- erine Grant appeared Gentlemen she said you ou are arc both very solemn Gurd Grant held his scat seat with a brothers brother's habitual indifference but Clay Morgan rose at once before this loving laughter girl with the gay and gently blue e eyes es This was Catherine Grant who with her brother Gurd ran Crowfoot Once she reflected there was wasa a n man named Morgan He lived on en top of a n mountain and never did come down He grew a beard so they say and got the habit of talking to himself I wonder whatever happened hap pen d to him Crazy as always said Gurd And quit running your horse down that trail you hear She didn't hear She stood in front of Clay stripping away her riding gloves gloves- gloves smiling and watching his answering an an- answering sw ring smile break brenk the solid healthy darkness of his face Gurd Grant sat as an interested and forgotten forgotten for for- gotten spectator to this scene quick to note his sisters sister's instant gaiety in front of Clay and Clays Clay's lightening expression There always had been an odd closeness between these two people Sometimes as now that closeness puzzled him and sometimes sometimes sometimes some some- times bothered him he never could get at Its meaning All he knew r was that whenever they met they seemed to share some old memory I which excluded everybody else as now He rose and left the room The cook brought Catherine her meal She sat opposite Clay eating a little and talking a little Clay lighted a smoke He lie braced his el elbow elbow el el- bow on the table chin propped In his long heavy hand Your hair he said is getting darker gray you see Gray from worry When you were eighteen it was almost a carrot red She said I remember you said that once a long time ago It almost almost al ale most made nade me cry I came home and wondered If U I could d dye e it We used to talk pretty straight didn't we We had some taU tat quarrels quart re Is She gave him a straight look Why did we ever quarrel Clay Maybe he be said it jt was because because be cause we always stuck together and had so damned much fun tun He wasn't rt i of what he wished to say This girl was a close deep part of his life Once she had been nearer to him than any other wom worn an Some of that old feeling remained re reo remained so that when he sat by her now he be had bad a feeling of pleasant ease knowing that he had to explain ex ex- explain plain nothing to her ber knowing that she abe understood Suddenly she rose and turned awa away knowing what was in his mind He left the table following her ber out to the house porch He said aid See you OU later Catherine AU All right Clay Gurd Curd came around the house He said caid to his bis sister in a teasing amused voice up the ashes of an old fire fire Hush It commented Gurd You two used wed to b be pretty thick k Before Beton q LT M S SI Sw 1 1 14 I w Ii J- J zt tL l 4 Wh Why dont don't we nc c go Into War Pass las some night Catherine and l paint the town toun Lila Llla came along I always al wondered wondered won won- dered how thick She straightened against the porch post and sho showed shod d him n a self con expression Gurd Curd laughed n a little seeing his sister close up on him and ceased to laugh when he thought of something else I dont don't like the wa way hes he's acting He Ile wont won't talk to Den Ben No It said slid Catherine lie He never neer will It was something that had to do with Lila and Ben Den wasn't it She shook her head Never mind Gurd The quick ruffle rume of horses' horses hooves turned her against the porch post and in hh this attitude she watched Herendeen and Lige White While cross the meadow When they reached the porch Lige White While lifted his hat with witha a gallant galIant flourish he could never escape es es- es- es cape simply stepped down n saying saing Want to see you Gurd said Why dont don't uc we go Into luto War Pass lass sonic some night Catherine and paint the town They sat down in the drowsy shade of the living room Lige White looked around chuckling over a sudden sudden sud sud- den fancy I remember how your mother used to receive visitors here A very proper and courteous woman wom wom- woman woman an Gurd Gurd said Ben Den Herendeen blunt and impatient as always were going to set some men on these hill trails at night Just to see who travels em cm after dark Lige has hns agreed to take care of the Antelope Antelope Ante Ante- lope Plains Im I'm posting one near the west base of oC the Moguls I want you to keep some men up there on the high trail to War Pass Be Dc sure they dont don't talk and be sure they do this after dark All right said Gurd But Dut youre you're lishin with a pretty loose net What we need is a man to just ride around with his eyes and ears open without being suspected Range detective said Lige White Herendeen gave both of them a stolid look Already got that man Who asked Grant Herendeen bent forward and let Jet the mans man's name drop softly into the room Now he added say nothing nothing noth noth- ing about it Anybody knew it was him his life wouldn't be worth much He put his hard stare on Gurd Grant I dont don't want Morgan to know either Well now answered Gurd Grant Grantwith Grantwith Grantwith with slow discomfort I dont don't know about that lies He's in n this too What was he along with Ollie Jacks for Anybody know where he really stands Anybody got a square answer out of him No Until we do well we'll keep this to ourselves He lie had a way of dropping dropping drop drop- ping his closed fist through the air to drive home his talk he be did it now Then he added dryly It may be hes he's on the other side of the fence a damned fool thing to say flared up Gurd Curd Grant I dont don't like it Hes Ues protecting Hack Breathitt pointed out Herendeen And what's Hack Figure it out out outWait Wait Walt a minute said Gurd Grant Hacks all right He lie made camp with Pete Bor Bar ders last night said Herendeen Grant scowled at the news FoolIsh Foolish Foolish Fool ish thing to do he admitted Herendeen rose You two fellows fellows fel fel- lows meet me at my place around six Maybe I can show you something some thing Maybe before long well we'll smoke out Morgan Far as Im I'm concerned con con- Its It's fish or cut bait Well We'll have this country empty of people that dont don't belong In It by ninety days He slapped h his hs hand sharply against his knee and rose leading the other two to the porch Catherine remained by the steps Herendeen paused and put his round blue glance on her cool and appraising appraising appraising ap ap- ap- ap praising he betrayed himself to her In the wa way he used his eyes He lie showed her what he was think tog ing Friday night then Catherine he said and went to his bis horse rid rid- ing tog out of the meadow with Lige White Gurd reflected Catherine be careful in what you promise Ben Den Gurd Curd said Weve all got to stick toge together and went back through the house Catherine turned into the house home climbing UI the stairs to her own o room She started to remove the riding habit but stopped slopped and sat on the edge of the bed bcd thinking All the talk of the men had come through the front rooms room's open window window win dow to her her all all of it it excepting the name of Herendeen's informer Leaving Grants Grant's ranch Cla Clay Morgan Morgan Mor Mar gan rode north through a gentle up up- down and roll of hills carpeted with bunch grass and loosely studded by twisted ancient junipers and nod jack pine Later in the afternoon he passed the valley of ranch at some distance and entered the foots lopes of Mogul through short ravines shaded by box elder and alder aider and cottonwood Thus he rode upward with the quartering trails of Mogul toward its pia plateau in the late afternoon hours The sun fell tell behind the western west vest ern em mountains in a n formless red eruption In another half haC hour twilight twi twi- twilight light cool and tremendously still sUIl whirled about him Beyond eight o'clock he ho sighted the glint of light from his ranch randl house shining across the flats Reaching home he had supper and sat on the porch Muscular Muscular lar weariness loosened his long frame and the case ease of the darkening darkening darken darlen ing night got into him fed and indolent indo indo- lent lont he swa swayed ed the rocker across the loose porch boards and breathed the fragrance of his cigar Quietly he smoked his cigar until until un til lil he heard the far rhythm of a horse hors coming out of the west around the foot of the Mogul Hills mus He took the cigar from his mouth cupping its glowing tip lip in his palm and sat quietly until the rIder turned in at the porch Catherine Grant called quietly Clay and got down I lIe He brought over another rocker She sat beside him lying back Her arm trailed over the rockers rocker's arm her face was a round soft-shining soft blur in the dark But Dut he didn't need to see it he remembered how her lips would be long and gently pursed how half-grave half and half half- amused her eyes would be She said in a n serious voice Maybe Im I'm doing something you wont won't like Im I'm carrying tales Ben Den and Lige White came over to see Gurd directly after aft er you left Bens Ben's going to have men out in the hills looking for rustlers Hes He's got somebody in the country pussyfooting for Cor him I dont don't know who it is but is-but but somebody were we're all acquainted with I think Gurd wanted to tell you all aU this Ben Den Bensaid Bensaid said he didn't trust you Morgan said Sounds natural She let the silence go along quite an interval Her lIer voice was cool and near You hate him more than people realize Clay As he hates you Nothing ever would bring you together Is that why you took Ollie Ollie Ol Ol- lie Jacks' Jacks part No he answered She didn't press the point This was the way they had always been close and tolerant sometimes angered an gored and frank but never demanding demand ing lag She had a silent streak of her own a depth she never let others see and she gave him the same respect She said now Do you know why I came He Be said cheerfully To sit on my porch again Clay she said almost as a warning lets keep away from that Why did you come he said ob obediently To tell Jen 1 think Ben would Jo you J uen WOUla do anything to lay a trap for you Remember that that always always remember that He said Ill tell you this and turned slowly In the rocker hearing other horses sweep around the base of the Mogul Hills mus Catherine cameto came cameto to her feet She murmured I dont don't want to be seen here and stepped inside the house Morgan went to her horse and led Jed it around to the dark side of the house A single rider rushed at the porch with other riders pounding more distantly behind him Clay returned returned re reo turned to the porch watching the first riders rider's shape break the blackness blackness black ness and circle Into the yard Jill His horse was hard hard breathing breathing pushed by a long run he said IBid as he stepped to the ground Me Clay Me file file- Hack the trouble TO BE DE CONTINUED |
