| Show THE FIGHTING G RANGER S By F. F J. J and GEORGE W. W Novelized for Newspaper Serialization by HORACE EATON S Copyright right 1925 Universal 1925 Universal Pictures Picture Corporation Continued from last Sunday Forgive me me-If me If you can she murmured Mustering her strength ehe she went on with an effort It Is not too late The treasure is In a hidden cave near tho the trail trall that winds ui up the face of Sierra Diablo The secret 8 cret of its location was written written written writ writ- ten on a tiny slip sUp of paper paper con con concealed n- n In Inthe the topaz topaz the the topaz that Buck McLeod stole from Taggart That Tha was the secret of the topa topaz Terence drew from fron his pocket the copy of the map he had made Here Here can you show us where whereon on the copy of ot the map he asked here at the tha letter ietter D that D-that that is the cave said eald Stella pointing McLeod Is waiting for tor me there now now tor now for for mo me to bring back his gang gang gang- The woman worrean fell tell back bacle In a swoon She has overstrained herself i said ld Mary sympathetically We must get her to a hospital at once Poor Bud had been watching the scene with pain torn between his loyalty to the Marshalls MarshaUs and ond Terence Terence Terence Ter Ter- ence and his love and sympathy for Stella They carried Stella to the car Rush Ruah her to Pico for medical aid said Terence Then bring the sheriff and a posse losse to Sierra Diablo with all possible speed But arent aren't you coming with us lo Mary ary asked Im going to the tha cave cove of the Yaqui Terence answered I have sworn lworn to get Buck McLeod McLeod- al alone They tried t to dissuade him from his hili solitary dangerous mission but their pleas were He was determined Mary ade Stella Stellaa a as comfortable as IlS possible in the car taking her bar place beside belde her to care for her the others other boarded the machine and Terence watched them off oft on their way Then he strode off ft for his lone man hunt S C S After a hike of ot m more Jre than two hours came to the base of Sierra Diablo He took out his map studied HAt it H. At tho the letter D p. p he muttered He f followed the trail Ind indicated by the map and finally stumbled upon the narrow winding passage between the rocks leading to the cave On he strode Into tho cave Ho He found Buck lifting and dropping dropping dropping drop drop- ping handfuls of the treasure still gloating with miserly Joy over over the piles plies of marvelous gems and glistening glistening glistening glis glis- gold Old As Terence appeared he gave a cry like a trapped animal animal ani ant mal then whipped out his hs gun Terence made maCle a a. leap for tor him and knocked ked it out of ot his hand The Themen Themen Themen men rolled about in the treasure In Ina ina a 1 mad rough and tumble Ive licked you before and Im I'm going to get got you again with again with my bare hands Terence threatened as they lay laYh temporarily separated after a w whirlwind of wild blows The two men Jumped at each other and the combat was on In earnest Buck Bucl realizing he was no match for Terence and in fear tear was maneuvering for a break to the entrance and escape escape But Terence blocked the way A At each attempt Buck made to run for tor It ho he was met by a ft row of hard knuckles which sent him flying back into the cave Buck gave fave up that alley alloy of escape finally and retreated back into the cave Terence followed He lIe was wall dazed dued and startled by tho the untold heaps of glittering treasure that lay layabout layabout layabout about him so 60 far surpassing even his wildest expectations but he kept his mind nevertheless to the bustness business bust busi ness at hand hand to to get Buck Finally as Buck crept farther and farther back In the cave cavo he noticed a hitherto unseen crevice through which the daylight streamed leadIng leading leading lead lead- ing up and out of ot the cave He darted ted for tor it and started to climb through but Terence close loso behind seized him and pulled him back Seeing he must fight tight his way out our Buck started for Terence He was S knocked down by a crashing blow to the Jaw Coming to his feet he picked up a handful of the gold and Jewels and flung them at Terence Terence Ter Ter- ence Cant use tse se your hands eh eh muttered muttered muttered mut mut- Terence Ho H made a flying leap for tor Buck battering him mercilessly as they went down together Terence on top S B Both th men men were torn bleeding disheveled Buck struggled managed managed managed man man- aged to shako Terence off and both staggered to their feet again They met head on Terence delivered a terrible thrashing and after atter several minutes of ot fierce fighting Buck went down again and lay still still still- licked beaten broken cowed FInally Fi Finally FI- FI nally he scrambled to his knees raised his hands Terence seized him by the throat his face set sternly and with grim menace gasped Buck McLeod If you want to live live answer answer me one me one thing thing- QUICK Buck begging for mercy nodded and stammered that he would an anS answer answer an- an S anything S anY In H L. L H L. L Who killed Michael O Rourke my father Buck breathing hard gasped gasped- Spade Sinclair his Sinclair-his his partner partner- shot him down In lri cold blood blood for for forthe the topaz topaz topaz- Tell me the whole story They were hunting the Yaqui gold from an old map Buck went wenton on onYer Yer dad Clad found how to read the signs We wrote the secret down down and and sealed it up In the topaz with wax Sinclair knew the stone had something to do with the loot loot loot- but didn't savvy what was in it loot I And it was this Sinclair the Sinclair-the the same Bame man man man-as as killed Black Benwell But old Marshall was driven from his ranch hunted for years and finally convicted fer ter it Sinclair fired tired tho the shot from hiding while Marshall all and Benwell grappled grappled- Jes' Jes when Marshalls Marshall's gun barked by accident Sinclair wanted Marshall Marshalls Marshall's Marshalls Marshall's Mar Mar- shall's shall a ranch ranch for fer the treasure he knew was on it Who Vho is this Sinclair Terence demanded Where Is he Buck snarled with hate The snake snake snake-he he changed his name an name an his looks I The Th double double- crosser He is is- is Buck paused Terence's hand clenching his throat tightened d dm m menacingly Speak Speak quick Who is he he demanded S Hes He Topaz Hes Topaz Taggart CHAPTER 35 A Round RoundUp Well Vell Taggart said the sheriff here weve we've pent spent most of the da day around Sierra Diablo on the trail you give us and we haven't picked up your man yet Hes probably around somewhere near replied Taggart Well get him yet The men of the posse had become I restless The They had spent too many hours on on the fruitless quest i Taggart hl himself l was becoming increasingly and nervous On the one hand he be felt that Buck would get ahead of ot him and get the treasure and he was beginning to despair of his last desperate ef effort effort ef- ef fort tort to secure ft It t for tor himself by enlisting enlisting enlisting en en- listing the aid of the sheriff On the theother theother theother other hand he began to feel that perhaps ho he had made a mistake mistake- he was beginning to have a premonition premonition pre pro monition that something would happen happen happen hap hap- pen to queer his game He was vas be becoming becoming becoming be- be coming panicky with fear that his own deeds would be shown up and he wanted to break away from the sheriffs sheriff's party and flee He was WIliS even oven ready to forsake all hope of the treasure and would have been content to simply escape if he could only think of a reasonable excuse for tor quitting the sheriff Continued next week |
