Show c r i BAW L V r WILLIAM PATTER PATTERSON ON WHITE Brown and ani 0 BEGIN HERK nERE TODAY TOD Th The sang rang of 0 cattle thieves and politicians have ae elected good natured i B BILLY WINGO sheriff of 0 Golden Bar Dar when lr they thought he was too easy going to 7 in with withlaw law V breaking have suffered a Hd d awakening awakening- nAZ L L WALTON VALTON whom Billy Dilly loves saves him from being shot from ambush by JACK JACK J MURRAY a 0 member of the gang but but the lovers quarrel when Billy Dilly refuses to avoid avoid avold danger by resigning from office itA BA RAI E m E- E wealthy cattle eattle thief tires DAN SUKE E professional badman to Kill Dp I and TOM Oil WAr TON W Hazels Hazel's uncle and an honet hon hon- tat est ranchman T TOM yf t DRIVER DRIVER local Ju Judge e. e and andA A ARTHUR THUR RALE BALE district attorney are part- part tiers eta era in to scheme TL Tit OGORMAN O'GORMAN another politician refuses to take part Billy Dilly receives a 0 note signed b by Hazel requesting him to come at once to the Walton Valton ranch He Hs Is suspicious and forces Judge Driver to wear his clothes and the house on horse horse- back Billy Dilly crawls to a 0 window and sees Tom Walton Valton dead lead on the floor GO CO O OX ON WITH TilE THE STORY STOUT He ne continued to stare unblinkingly J into t the the ro room m and after a a. time he made out the dim lines of another another's mans man's s 's figure sitting on th the table be be- one of th the front windows The head bead of this other m man n was turned away from Billy DUly lie He was watching the th draw through the front window On On account of the soft snow enow Billy Dilly did not hear an approaching horse until it had almost reached the he ranch house door When the horse stopped o man inside th the ranch house v- v ved quietly to the do doone door and stood f one side of it Ills His hand moved P his leg Jeg and came awa away P Tilt The rider dismounted Billy heard Shim him rattle the latch of the door v Dont he heard him say sayIn sayin In an agonized whisper Dont shoot J tor for sake I Il I i l Billy watching at the window saw I the man in the room fling open the I II I door For an Instant the tall and hatless form of Judge Driver showed black against the expanse of snow framed in the doorway Again came the plea for mercy mercy mercy-a a. a wild cry of ot Dont shoot Dont Don't shoot Its It's me Driver 1 as the Judge realizing only too tco well that any such outcry was tantamount to a a. confession of guilt plunged in the room Obviously his purpose se was to escape the fire ire of or orthe the avenging rifles that he had every reason to believe were somewhere inthe inthe in inthe the brush along the draw Thank Thank babbled babbled bab bab- bled the Judge sinking back against the door I 1 thought you'd shoot me rne I X damn near nea did remarked the an an n whose voice Billy now recognized recognized recognized as s that of a late arrival in town named It If you hadn't Jerked your hat orf off sos BO'S I could see 1 your our face I would have When will willI I Wingo get here and get him to toI I I come by himself all right ht By youre you're wearing his clothes Where is he Hes ties here beret gurgled the Judge Then you did lead him here damn your soul You white-livered white cur do you ou think Im I'm gonna bonna hang on your account What did you tell him To the accompaniment of a string of most ferocious oaths shook shok the Judge as the terrier shakes the rat fat How Hor many's he ho got with him I One One two Well shoot It out with e em here I said I aint kicked all the righting fighting I blood out of ot you have I Get the theRun Run gun off oft that feller teller I downed Its It's on his leg yet You can gamble you'll ti fight Its It's them ht you on remember Suppose he comes bustin in the back way ay Quavered the judgeWell Judge Well try to take care of him But hell he'll come tho the other way I guess g But SUk guessed wrong for Billy Judging Judging- that the psychological cal al moment had arrived shoved his hisgun hisgun hisgun gun hand through a window pane an and shouted Hands Hands up up You dirty Judas yelled and firing tiring from the hip he whipped three shots Into the Judge before he himself fell with four of Billy Wingo's bullets through his and neck Shot through and through Judge Judg 3 Driver dropped In a L h huddle and died CHAPTER X This Tills said Rafe Is la a note Its all your fault the district at attorney attorney at- at torney torne recriminated bitterly Well the first part put worked all allright allright allright right protested Rafe nate Dan downed Walton without any trouble How could I tell Driver would slip up upon upon upun on un his part Im I'm glad downed him Served him right for being a fool 1001 How do we know what happened happen d before the fracas at Waltons Walton's We dont don't We Vo dont don't know anything except ex ex- f ce t that Tom Deriver Di ver is dead Dan DanI I Slake alike wounded in the tho and Skinny Shindle has Sh cautioned Rate Rafe Som Some Somebody body coming oh coming oh its it's you Tip Lo Ir Yeah Its It's me Tip Tip Tip- said OGorman O'Gorman OGorman man raan closing the door carefully Look Loo here Rafe Rae what did I tell you about downing Tom Walton I aint downed Tom Walton donled denied denied de do- de- de nied Rate Rafe Bullen sullenly I You bad had It done Insisted OGorman OGorman O'Gorman I man How do you know I did 7 dodged Rafe Rate You dont don't even seem able to obey orders any more said Tip OGorman O'Gorman OGorman OGorman manGo man Go easy you vou two snapped the district attorney as a dog in the next room begun began to bark There Theres s somebody comm cumin up the path 13 Billy illy Wingo opened the door and strode without ceremony into the office of of- of- of fice lIe He was followed by Riley HileY Tyler The Tho latter slammed t the e door behin behind him and set his back against ItI itI It I l I hope you boys are feeling generous generous generous gen gen- erous tonight r remarked marked Billy The fact Is went vent on tho the calm voice I rm Im m up up a a. collection collection-a. a collection for tor Tom lom Waltons Walton's niece Hazel I Billy thought that at the mention of I Ithe I the ranchman's name both the district attorney and ton stiffened their slouching bodies Her uncles uncle's get gettin tin downed do ned this this- away will be a a. bad blow for tor her tie lie was all she had now the the girl wont won't ever know that this is any benefit like Its It's Insurance on Toms Tom life see How much will you rou boys give Top fop OGorman O'Gorman did not hesitate You can put us down for a thousand thousand thousand thou thou- i sand apiece Not a thin dime contradicted the district attorn attorney e you think we are A A couple of rascals was the prompt reply And theres there's a tax on rascals That Hl lil girl has got to tobe tobe tobe be taken care of ot Billys Billy's voice was earnest But a a- a sardonic devil looked out of ot his eyes Why uh uh Why yes yes of course cOuIse Id I'd alwa always s 's intended to contribute I r was Just fooling Yes By the wa way said Billy staring hard at Rafe Hare I wonder if tr It was any part of Dan plan to kill Miss 1 Walton too Rafe's nates face went wooden How should t know You know that letter from Miss Walton Judge Driver threw in the fire tire the the one you heard me telling Judge Judg-c Donelson about went on Billy Skinny Shindle told me Miss l Walton Walton Wal Wal- alton al ton gave him the note about 20 p p. p m. m Now on that afternoon I happened happened hap hap- to be at the Prescott ranch Miss Walton was there visiting visiting- Miss Prescott I didn't leave leavo the till near nearly I 3 S o'clock and Miss alt m was still there and Intending to spend the night That's how I 1 Knew anew she couldn't have haye written have written that note Skinny was sure careless So were several a il 4 C CI I t r dl JIe He watching tilt lie lra through the south window other men Youve You've got to make things fit Ire He nodded kindly to to the company and abruptly ly depar departed d with his companion com com- panion io I I 1 wonder what hat meant he by making making mak mak- i ing things fit mused the district attorney following five minutes minutes' I silence I I dunno Rafe Rate mumbled in accents accents ac ac- cents of Df the d deepest ep st gloom but you youcan youcan youcan can put down a bet he m meant ant some some- thing PIER CHAPTER xiI XII XI I 1 tell you Rate nate Rafer said Ina in ina ina a panic they suspect me they me-they they think Im I'm mixed up in this murder busi busi- ness Accessory ory before and after the fact act fact slipped in the district attorney A reptile himself he relished the of another reptile If they prove It on you you'll be hanged sure aure as Dan will hang hangI I 1 aint the only one the they can prove It on snarled Simon Who have you U got in tn mind Rafe nate said In a colorless voice Both Doth of you ou for instance Reel Reel- foot informed him You do us a grave Injustice Thus the district attorney solemnly gulped You had me mo goto pro go proto to Wingo's office spin him a lot pf yf stuff about my rustled cows sos so's to get him and his deputies all ready to togO togo togo go away with me when Driver r was to come coma In with that stuff about Kilroe Kilroe Kil- Kil roe and keep Bill in town while the deputies le went with me Well you vou s 's nt ii il 1 know how only y w went But ButI I I I- couldn't help that Any An Anay ivay ay I 1 I suppose you thought you ou was foxy I not to tell me mo the rest of the story i about Skinny Shindle and th fake I letter and so forth Gents you was foxy toxy But Im I'm foxy himself I 1 can cnn put two and and two together and amid make mako four any day Look here continued the exasperated exasperated exasperated either your fellers pull suspicion ot off o o 0 me me or I 1 go to Wingo with the whole story that get you demanded Rate Rafe Just Wild tales of dead cows and Bill from his deputies and all aint evidence turned as worms warms do You fellers will have to see that Im I'm protected pro protectEd pro pro- or Ill I'll tell what I 1 know I Blah blared the district ney ney You wouldn't dare r snitch I i Im I'm goin now said Ng t You tellers fellers scratch your heads Four heads over what over what II Ive I've said I lain ain t gonna go to the pen I Ifor for anybody and you can stick a pin In that When Simon was s gone the district at attorney e and Rafe sat tf In silence ence I Vie We gotta g get rid of him I Continued in Our Next ext Issue |