Show u r RIDE l Iti i Iki ERNEST HAY HAYCOX cox t i i. i L L i dl rii Tilt STOUT STORY SO Although h h hf he t tto It II to aho a her Clay Morgan decides to toria ria play A lone hand against Hen another rancher who echo It s trying to torun torun o orun run th the cattle eattle country Ms hb on own way ay Of H hit bl ld only Hack 1 It II stilt till on his hit side The Te other theu tike Uke Grant orant LIRe 1111 White Unite and Charley Ch home are boue-ae are supporting more OH or Ot tt'S loss tes In tn self elf defense Gurd sister Catherine I Is In Ion loe oe with Ct CIt and t Is II at his hit ranch when Hack flack rides up followed by Uge White and ami Gurd lurd Catherine hides but Gurd her horse horn continues hit 1111 war on Testers and squatters by naming the Gales to set get of oil orr the range ranu Now t ow continue with the story dory CHAPTER VI Vt Morgan entered War Pass In first darkness putting pUlling up lip at Gentrys Gentry's There Thorn would be supper for tor him nt ot otAnn Ann McGarrah's but for some reason tort rea son that thal wasn't very clear to him he went wont lo to the Long Grade saloon found Hack and took him to the hotel hole for Cor a meal When he got to Ann McGarrah's he found Cound her kneeling before Janet adjusting the pleats of Janet's dress Ann McGarrah said sold Ill get you youa a meal Clay No he ho said I didn't want to tov v bother I ate at the hotel I She showed him a quick faintly hurt hurL surprise but covered It up at once We should shoud be starting for forthe forthe the Ule school in n a little while Am I taking you to the tile dance She sa saId Id You hadn't asked So now Ill I'll ask Morgan and Janet JaneL passed through the store and sat on the porch steps Watching the crowd roll along the street Ann McGarrah presently came I out dressed in a n white pearl gown it made her eyes darker It made her black back hair shine by contrast Standing before her marveling atthe nt ot the change he ho reflected that she was different from the women of this town The gentle flow of or the crowd carried car carS tied ried them up the hill to the school At Atthe Atthe Atthe the door Janet left them and Morgan found two seats near the front of a newly made platform stood in the rear of the room crowded crowd ed between other townsmen He lIe caught Breathitt's eye but Hack only shook his head unsmiling and clearly clearly clear clear- ly ruffled by something It went by grades some singing some dancing some reciting He lIe was nervous not realizing it When Janet came forward to the edge of the stage a fine sweat broke across his forehead and he pushed his legs against the floor trying to ben what the fit first line of was Afterwards she made a quick curtsy and her voice came over the room precise as it always was and quite sure When she was through he sat still not looking around at atthe atthe atthe the other people Ann said something something some some- thing to him turning him She was smiling with that brightness which comes so close to tears He lie murmured murmured mur mur- Yes and was thinking of Lila who would have been happy to have seen this This was about all aU he heard of the program for tor it was soon over Hack Breathitt went directly into the Long Grade and saw a solid line at the bar Nearest him were a group of Grants Grant's Crowfoot riders all of them his friends Billy Dilly Mc Me- Quire Quite said Step in here Hack but Breathitt shook his head and balanced on his heels his face cool and smooth and tough Herendeen's men had gathered at the far Car end of OS the bar and these he watched so sol Liard Connor and Bones nones McGeen Mc Me- Geen were side side-by-side t t the bar turned from him bat he knew mew they had him spotted in the back bar mir He Be pushed up his hat and walked on making a turn behind these two There wasn't s l pace space between them but he came against them and shoved them aside He lIe stared straight ahead into the mirror Their faces came around to him with the reserve he had seen many times before beCore in moments of trouble He lie knew what the expression sian sion meant The barkeep came down his way waiting for his choice Breathitt said gently Not now Sam When I drink it'll be In bettee better bet ter tee company It was a sound that traveled around him The talk in 11 the saloon faded a little and he saw still watching watch ing lag the mirror mens men's hats and heads swing Liard Connor Conner pulled his arm aside Bones McGeen suddenly grinned over his whisky glass In Hacks Hack's voice was the flat fiat melody mel meI ody of a man on ge ge Maybe it was just an accident when you boys bumped into me down by the hotel Maybe If theres there's something in your craw you dont don't have to go to that trouble I can hear English if 11 you bullheads can talk it I dont don't like my feet teet stepped on Ill I'll be out on that street all aU evenin Try it again He withdrew from the bar and stepped to the door with the solid soUd silence of at the crowd following him blip lie He batted the doors aside with his shoulders On the walk he turned quickly toward his horse which wa was near Gentrys Gentry's He seized his bis gun gun- belt from tram the saddle addle born horn and buckled buck led It aroune around him and pulled the bottom bettors of his coat over It One hand resting on the horse he watched the street knowing that the town was no longer safe for Sot him bins None of the Herendeen bunch showed up at the Long Grade door though he realized they would be moving Mt lila wa way vay soon enough Sher- Sher 4 11 A II B I a fL TYL 11 H I I 10 1 0 Suddenly Jesse Husey Huser slid from Crum the thc shadow and aud was s as heroin him lIT Ill came into the light of ot the hotel People kept crossing lothe to lo the Odd Fellows Fellows' Hall and the music and the scrape of oC feet flet made quite a racket and and- Suddenly Jesse Jess Itu Kusey ey slid lenin front the shadows and amI was vas before before be be- fore liim He lie had the soft of a cat this marshal and eyes that could burn through a brick wall wail It gave Hack Breathitt a moments moment's seU selI to think Rusey had come on him thus unawares but he stood fast tast not saying anything The marshals marshals marshal's mar marS sIsals sIsal's hand reached out and hit Hack lank flank where the gun was Afterwards Rusey no man to ask asic questions ma a turning circle on hl his heels heds looking the whole street through He lie said then Be careful Hack flack and stepped back Into the shadows Parr Gentry called for Cor a schol Lige White came over to claim caim Ann McGarrah 1 leaving his wife with Clay Cloy They went wheeling and dipping around the Ule floor Mrs 1 While White very graceful in his arms and very pretty but bUl her glance kept following her husband with that calm indrawn attention Morgan l had noticed so often orten Herendeen had kept Catherine Grant to himself After the schottische schottische Morgan returned Mrs White While to Lige and stood awhile idly talk talk- ing The stag slag line thickened Gurd Grant was over there and Curds Curd's glance was directly on him and stayed on him without recognition Parr Gentry said Pick your partners for a waltz and the fiddles fiddles fid lid dies began up tuning-up again Clay remained in his tracks head down puzzled by Gurd Grants Grant's cut Something Something Something Some Some- thing was as in Irs the wind lie He couldn't catch it with wilh his mind but he knew Herendeen had somehow gotten gollen at Gurd He debated it coolly trying to make up his mind until he heard Ann say What is It it Clay Nothing he said Nothing at all alt Herendeen and Catherine were only a few feet teet away Catherines Catherine's glance touched him brief and Interested in interested In In- and then he forgot Gurd and put his hand to Ann McGarrah's McGar rah's elbow and moved her toward Herendeen It amused him to see Herendeen's s ruddy face show instant instant in in- stant intolerance He said to Catherine Catherine Cath Cath- erine erine Should be ours I 1 think and moved away with her as the waltz began Catherine said I wondered if it you would woud One more week one more dance War Pass the Burnt Ranch school the old han hall at Chickman Creek This goes back a long way Do you remember so many of those dances Yes he said I guess I do dowhen dowhen dowhen when Im I'm dancing with you These dance nights were like markers leading into the back years He lie could visualize most of them he could remember the fun of most of them It is an odd thing he s said ld and was puzzled by his own sentiment sentiment senti senti- ment in the matter but it seems to tobe tobe tobe be a habit Im I'm afraid to stop Like a man that has done one thing so long he cant can't quit without breaking something that holds him together She murmured This dance Clay with with me Ten years of it he said We were pretty young and alt all our friends were young and we had a afine afine atine fine tine time As long as we keep on weve we've still got something left of ot those times Of everything that used to be It is a way of keeping yesterday yesterday yes yes- alive 1 I guess It will die sometime Clay I hate to think of or it They were all aU around the hall ball fore she spoke It isn't the good times you want to remember Clay It is one person you never want to forget I know I watched you tonight when Janet spoke I I kiew jew what you were thinking Not of Janet Jan Jan- et Ct not of anything or anybody Inthe In Inthe Inthe the hall halt It was Lila wasn't it in Why yes he said In some sur ur prise How now would you know that Slowly turning with the swing of at the waltz he saw Harry Jui Jump rip come up the stairs and move through the loitering stags at the edge of ot the floor door Harry Hary Jump wa was was here when be he should have been forty miles out in io the Moguls Morgan wheeled Catherine around losing Harry Jump and catching him again Jump saw lOW him nd nd showed a no 1 ex of any kind It t was a n sig nal nai Morgan said Ma Maybe l be you'd joud like I Ia a drink d of water She had been blen too long In tile the country corns coun- I try not to 10 know She slipped her lice arm arii through h his elbow and they left Idt the tue floor passing Harry Jump without with out giving ing him hini notice They TIley went vent down the stairs into Inlo the soft ot dark daric shadows Harry tarry Jumps Jump's boots bools I scuffed sC the stairs following lie lie passed them saying from Crom the side I of ot his mouth Not here Clay They followed him ns as far ns os Gentry's Gentrys Gentrys Gen try try's s and stopped before him bliss All AH right ri said Morgan You sure sure said Harry Hairy Jump staring at Catherine Ill go she sn said Id Never Ne mind answered Morgan l You know better Harry Hairy Well then I rode through Government Gov Guy Valley before dark tonight Theres There's a notice posted on the building build build- ing The land is selling the valley aHey at auction tomorrow afternoon afternoon after after- n noon on at four o'clock In Sage City He lie waited wailed for l Morgan to lo speak and when Morgan l kept silent he lie added That notice should have been posted a month before beCore the sale Somebody's got at somebody to hold ofT until it was too late into for you Its It's ts nine o'clock now Eighteen hours until four tomorrow Hundred and ninety miles to go Morgan said I talked to Fred FredRich FredRich FredRich Rich at the post office a few days ago ngo end and he knew nothing lIe He drove his hands in his pockets he had his head up he was watching the mouth of the tho Odd Fellows Fellows' door door- way But he wasn't seeing it Cath Catherinc erine erinc realized He lie was a 11 long still shape in the shadows quietly considering considering considering con con- this little treachery He had a 11 way of absorbing trouble and punishment without showing emolion emotion emo emo- lion tion he had a way of storing these things in his mind He lie said Allright All Allright Allright right Harry He turned back with Catherine She said Speculators Clay Or OrBen OrBen Ornen Ben nen She knew how he felt about Government Valley The music had stopped slopped Coming up th the stairs they saw Herendeen and Ann standing at the edge of ot the hall hal neither one liking the other enough to keep up conversation Herendeen never bothered to conceal con can ceal coal his feelings He lie displayed resentment re reo now as they came for ward lie He ducked his head at Cath erine crine My dance he said and led her away Out on the floor he looked toward Morgan l a thoughtfulness thoughtful thoughtful- ness on his cheeks Ann said Dont make snake me dance with him again Itlie It lie He said I guess Ive I've got tc take you home Ill I'll have to ride She got her wrap at nt once and they went worst down the stairs The sense of wasting time pushed 1 M 1 gan along making Ann McGarrah walk quite fast On the tile store porch he thought to lift his ha hat t. t Tell TeU Janet Ill I'll be back to take her home on Wednesday he said and swung away For Ann McGarrah the evening went flat as she watched him go he had not thanked her he had no even thought of ot her these last m moments mo mo- moments ments he had not taken her his confidence and mentioned the trouble that now made him disappear pear st Dt the head of 01 the street Still and dark and hurt she looked at the smooth front of her dress knowing that she was pretty arid and knowing she had for a moment warmed his heart And then this had gone She thought o of Catherine coolly and critically and turned the store Janet was asleep Standing Standing Stand Standing ing over the bed In the dark room Ann McGarrah watched Janet Janett small sweetly mature face lace seeing I there so much of her mother This was the secure grip Lila held heir on Clay Morgan this Morgan this was Lilas Lila's power this was her way of ot forever reminding remind ing lag Clay of the past and this wat wa wather her way of holding him to an unreal un real unjust obligation Thinking ol oi all this Ann McGarrah hated Lilt Lils with a secret passionate fullness She turned back the extra coye cover coven from the child chUd and left the room Going up Stage Street Clay Morgan Morgan Mor Mar gan reached Harley Stewarts Stewart's house hous at the top of at the hill kill When came to the door Morgan said Come down to the bank Harley farley Ive I've got to have some money Inside ot of fifteen minutes minute J TO UE lit CONTINUED |