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Show ( ' : \ f The Rustler Was a GentlemanBy Gentleman fl'tJT fltJT FICITKDNThe MB FICITKDN \.I .I \ . Gentleman.I _ 10\ 10 10f ' J [ j By COLE RICHARDS RICBARDS Coffee eot'nec eotnec Corner RICHARDSCoffee RICHARDSeot'nec RICBARDSCorner ' [ I ' THE riders three men and a girl girlburst girlburst burst from trom Ladrmo Ladrino Canyon like likebullets likebullets likebullets bullets flred fired Ored Into the dawn Spurs Spursflashing Spursflashing Spursflashing flashing whirlwinds rising trom from tromthe fromthe fromthe the hoofs hoots of ot the straining strammg horses horsesthey horsesthey horsesthey they pelted down on an Kansas Terry TerryThe TerryThe TerryThe The girl was Tom Toni Lee the men her hertoreman herforeman herforeman toreman foreman Chuck Mayne and her hercowboys hercowboys hercowboys cowboys Slats and J Jmmy mmy GwinnOuts GwinnOuta Gwinn GwinnOuta Outa Outs all New Mexico the burly burlyMayne burlyMayne burlyMayne Mayne thought exultantly burlyI we wepIcked wepicked wepicked I pIcked that there canyon to ride ridethrough ridethrough ridethrough through And here s our rustler rustlerWith rustlerwith rustlerwith With a dead calf calt caltHIs calfHis calfHis His exultation was tinged With withdiscomiort withdiscomfort : discomfort discomiort Embarrassing Embarrassmg havmg havinga havmga a lady with them he could only hope onlyhope the men on both sides wouldgloss wouldgloss would wouldlos5 gloss los5 things thmgs over sort otKansas ofKansas of ot ofKansas Kansas Terry the rustler could couldhave couldhave couldhave have grabbed his Ius pack pony's ponys ' ' lead leadrope leadrope leadrope rope and vaulted Into his saddle He Hecould Hecould Hecould could have got away through the thehigh thehigh thehigh high greasewood but he did notHe notHe not notHe He bent over the dead roan ca calf calfThe calfThe ! The nickel conchos on his leather leatherroping leatherroping leatherroping roping guard flashed with the sWIft sWIftturns swiftturns swiftturns turns of ot his wrist He wiped and andsheathed andsheathed andiheathed sheathed his bowie knife Tall Talllanky Talllanky Talllanky lanky lankyeasy easy in manner he stood stoodwith stoodwith stoodwith with ridingtoward ridmgtoward his back to the party ridmg riding toward himThe himThe him himThe The riders circled him at the gal lop gallop pulling pUllmg the ponies pornes to theIr theIrhaunches theirhaunches theirhaunches haunches stopKansas In sudden stop Kansas Terry s brown Stetson Stetsonwas Stetsonwas Stetsonwas was shoved back disclosing hispale his hispale hispale pale eyes with their sly mockmg mocking mockmgexpreSSIon mockingexpression mockingexpression expreSSIon He smiled sweetlyMornin sweetlyMornin sweetly sweetlyMornin Mornin Miss Ton Toni ! Mornin M o 0 r n in 1 n , . Chuck Mornin Morron Slats Mornm Mornin MornmJImmy MorninJimmy MommJimmy JImmy Addressing Addressmg the girl he hebowed hebowed hebowed bowed from trom the hips Kansas Ter Terry Terry Terry ry s good manners never taIled failed taIledhim failedhim failedhim failedhimChuck him himChuck Chuck Mayne s bushy brows met metover metover metover over his Ius rugged face tace like storm stormclouds stormclouds stormclouds clouds over the Bad Lards We got gotrub gotyuh gotyuh rub yuh this tlus time KansasNow KansasNow Kansas KansasNow Now Ah wouldn t say so Kan Kansas Kansas Kanlas sas Terry drawled gentlyChuck gentlyChuck gently gentlyChuck Chuck Mayne felt uneasy There Therewas Therewas Therewas was something somethmg about the mockery mockeryIn in Kansas Terry s pale eyes some something something something thing about the extra silk on his Ius po poUteness poUteness poUteness Uteness that said he wasn t caught caughtby caughtby caughtby by a long way Toni Lee . .ee ee . drew her fingers across acrossher acrossher acrossher her eyes as If It a mist lTllst gathered there thereA thereA thereA A slim sl1m shin girl with wide set eyes gen gentllity gentihty genUhty tllity tihty showed on her as plainly plamIy plamly as asthe asthe asthe the silver bracelets on her brown brownwrIS brownwrists brownwrists brownwristsThat wrIS wrists ts wrists'That ts'That ' ' That 'That there Mayne asserted asserted"is asserted"is assertedis "is is ' " 9s a calf calt out n Miss Torn Tom Toni a s herdThat herdThat herd herdThat That there Terry returned returnedcourteously returnedcourteously returnedcourteously courteously is a maverick There Thereain Thereamn Thereain ain amn t a brand on itMAYNE it MAYNE SWIlDg swung out ot of the saddle saddleThe saddleThe The right side of ot the calf calt was wasup wasup wasup up the curly roan hair unmarred unmarredby unmarredby unmarredby by branding brandmg iron . . He heaved thecarcass the thecarcass thecarcass carcass over His heart turned over overtoo overtoo too and stoppedOn stoppedOn stopped stoppedOn On the calt calf calfs s flank a square as aslarge aslarge aslarge large as a man s hand glared bright brightred brightred brightred brightredThe red redThe The calf calt strictly speaking had no nobrand nobrand nobrand brand . . . The brand had been cut cutaway cutaway cutrway cutrwayChuck away awayChuck Chuck Mayne straightened up upwith upwith upwith with his fists 1ists on his hips Outwardly Outwardlycool Outwardlycool Outwardlycool cool cool . , . Inside he seethed rrm 9 " 9A A 1 4 " 4t t + , Y . . " 4 v $ . / - ar a t r ' t . , R tR tI I U Ux U'L 4 x 'L L 'LQ ' Q $ ' } - 1 1s 1IY s 6 IY 0 03 e -3 3 - 3e _ - - 0 . i iHe - - < . : ; - Dc He rode up close and whipped the rustler s gun from tram the h halm . ' Stretch the mred hands high Ullster muster : Kegular Regular cactus of ot a guy ain aln amn t tyuh tyuhv tyuh yuh yuhv ? ' ' he drawled amiably Sharp Sharpand Sharpand Sharpand and hard to grab His own boWie boWieflashed bowieflashed bowieflashed flashed He cut a similar square ot of othIde ofhide ofhide hIde from trom the roan flank ThIS ThISwhat Thiswhat Thiswhat what you done done7 donee ? Mayne hurled the thesoggy thesoggy thesoggy soggy rawhide as tar far as he eouldGlt couldGit could eould couldGit Git Glt It SlatsSlats SlatsSlats Slats SlatsSlats Slats transferred transterred the lead horses horsesto horsesto horsesto to Toni Lee Touching spur to hIS hISpmto hispinto hispinto pmto pinto he scooted to the piece ot of otrawhide ofrawhide ofrawhide rawhide Arriving Arrlvmg there he made madea a slow circle and other circles In InsIde Inside inside sIde that Slats could p ck up a traIl traIlWith trailwith trailwith With any Indian If It the brand had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been thrown he would have tound found toundlIt foundit foundit founditNope lIt lItNope it itNope Nope he said at last Twas Twasn n t throws throwed throwedJ d dJ J mmy dangling danglmg his loop looked lookedtrom lookedfrom lookedfrom trom from the cottonwood in m the canyon canyonto canyonto canyonto to the lanky confident rustler rustIer He Heshook Heshook Heshook shook his head Once a rustler cut cuta cuta a bran thetaway He stuff It down downa a prairie dog hole I heard Slats put in m languidly languidlyof langUidlyot of ot one jammin jammm jammrn a p ece of ot o1 hide hidedown hidedown hidedown down a calf s throatLook throatLook throat throatLook Look for tor it itl It ! ! Mayne orderedDoggone orderedDoggone ordered orderedDoggone Doggone it we caught this rascal rascalredhanded rascalredhanded rascalredhanded rascalredhandedKansas redhanded redhandedKansas Kansas Terry looked at his hands handscoolly handscoolly handscoolly coolly and impersonally ImpersonaJly He ap- ap apI appeared ap appeared - - I peared to find nothing nothmg wrong wIth wIthI withthem withthem I them His finger touched his throat throatabove throatabove throatabove above the knotted red bandanna bandannaas as If It a hemp noose rasped the flesh fleshThe fleshThe fleshThe The gesture made Mayne s hopes hopesrIse hopesrise hopesrise rIse but they thudded down when whenTerry whenTerry whenTerry Terry folded tolded his arms and stood at ease easeMuttermg easeMuttering Muttering Muttermg We U 11 ll find thet thetbrand thetbrand thetbrand brand Mayne hurled himself hlmselt Into Intothe intothe intothe the search He drove on Slats and andJunmy andJimmy andJimmy Junmy Jimmy with a fury of ot energyA energy energyA A sweating sweatmg trio of men worked workedover workedover workedover over the desert around the calt calf caltThey calfThey calfThey They looked into mesquite and andsnarled andsnarled andsnarled snarled cactus and prickly pear pearThey pearThey pearThey They investigated four tour prairie dog boles holes a badger J hole le and the . , ot of ft.tof fttof theof the caltSo calfSo calf calt t : ; * So th ealtam calfam calf ealt am aint t bn bndf h f Mayne saId reluctantly "Ib Ib " 'p p ' wasn warn 11wasn awarn wasnt t throwed a 11 ' wasn wasp wasnt t stuIei stu6da ! ( , | stuHiwhere stu6dawhere where andIt and it sure sun . amt ain . - - * yonpsson on 10lt yonps . son or the blood ud g ve 1Uh yub a iq But yiinKansas agulKansas some day I 111 Ill n git grt yiin 'Uh Uh yup ) ' 'Uhagm yupagul agm agul . Kansas Terry . . smiled n.M.LAMI nM.LAMI nMLAMI smilediieq 11\ 11 " \ ! Ah 11Ah 11 ll be h at - , * yore ? SerV1ce serviceo serviceot serviceor . " iieq h t r ll llgioal 'I I 1 ' 1courteously 'Icourteously courteously wIthout a tnee tnce . gloat dgloat gioal ng Goodbye Miss AIL'S AILS 1Stm ' Tir ] T . ; c i d cGoodbye Goodbye GoodbyetkGOodbye glGoodbye Chuck Goodbyetk Goodbye gl ! SLi ! I IGoodbye Goodbye Jimmy Addressr Addresaak AddreS5m ( II 4 igirl gIrl IIgIrl 4girl he bowed t r ; tYuh rYuh Yuh got doggone Eners goode good e EA t6 , ners t6ners 7Npptrustler Mayne scowled 'but but ' 7Nppt bulB 741 , , , 'rustler rustler ' rustIer rustler jest lest th sameTHE sameTHE same r-T'HE r T'HE THE - THE " ' cbIdgust four tour riders made a i c ( cbId y j < ( ' - - dust just gust along the escarpmenll escarpment Easas b Ea ? , lsas sas Terry stood motionless WiA w.t wt . . 1Ing Ing w.tIng them The riders van shed cp op | draw cpdraw opdraw but Terry stood unmovah unmovab unmovahHe unmovabHe immovabHe He stared at the emptiness ernpbness emptmess they I Ion Ion lion on tongOnce the > pla pIa n for tor a loni long long1 tail long tong \1 1 \ 1Once taOnce Once he readjusted theand the \and and panda pandaand \ ) cimiiiand . and hip hi . fingers slid shd gingerly gmgerly I a IhIS ahis ihis , hIS neck His hand found the theknIfe theknife Ihtkknife knIfe but left it ! In n the sheati sheap sheatiThe sheapThe sheitThe The sun rose until V Vi Vbrazen I1i tIe ! tIewashed i washed all the pale green greenq greenqange i ir iange r rbrazen ange trom from the sky leaviyf Ie aVL ii iibrazen { brazen blue Terry s sorreid sorrel U\ U \ Ublack sft'black sftblack , ' black pack pony grazed tivjsi farted far fartedP fartedfarther d dfarther 'pfarther ' P farther away Still the m wssi.not wssinot " , . , not move beyond shlftmglllid shiftmggtd shiftmggtdto shi tuihkfto { I Ito to ease them and rollfflp rOllin/I rOllin I rolhngg rolhnggrf / , ' ; , tf rf | tfrette rfrette rettet retteAt rette t t ( tAt At last he drew the boni boait4 bo.ulo boulo . loA t tt tone , t tone one step t toward ward the tS ell cit citHe . i . ir irfor ! ; e eHe He tensed sprang badnrdd badnrddir ba ba.nitliitor banitliitor , & , . mt ! tor for his gun Mayne riding rIdmg alone from thin ncm hyon ayon It h ! Ityon yon shouted Jimmy s gut gala { ft I ) ion r- r d ! - ron dr don r on yuh Kansasi Don Dont t 11'0 110 ir n ' I t i6nrode " ' ' , rode up close and wbpptdbK wbppedhr wh pped I\ I . \ ! IJ'j J'j Jj ' , , . ler Jthem s gun from trom the holster'O holsterthem holster W 'O O J ' < wthem , them red hands high mis nm aus er ' - Matters stand jest lest as tsttqc tsttqcChuck thlJ they thlJChuck \Chuck Chuck \ k kChuck Chuck ChuckSho ChuckR R , , Sho don t I ] know mow It 1H it ! ? IIJunmy YaJimmy IS II Ya ! i Jimmy Junmy s been a watchm watchln yuh yuhSlats yui.t- yui.t yui.tgSlats . t tSlats ' - gSlats Slats got Toni away D Dint Ddatii dn t 'I'I II 'I'Iher ' OW ' ! her to see yuh caught an Ii : . k'Thank fc k . Thank 'Thank ' ' yuh sub Terrysincerely Terry TerrysIncerely Ten ? t sincerely But the brandtti brand itl tB . e ein , In evidence i t tro I eVIdenceI eVIdencer.o evidenceRo r-.o r.o r .o o Ro - . ro , but I got to thuiUn th1nIJn thudJa cleft l- l c- c lleft - - & ] left yuhMayne yuhMayne yuh it itMayne Mayne shoved the gununder gununder pia gun s : under the brim of Terry'1 Terry1 Terril Terry's Terrys ' ' W rStetson t tStetson Stetson and lifted hfted the hatcurly hatcurly hat tc tcA -A----- A - Atft - - - - - ton tip > : t-ft t ft - * curly haIr had a strange r rsquare square of roan calf call hIdeFIgured hide hideFigured & Figured it thetaway > 1 ; said softly Yuh got too tW-ners tW ners g god godners i iners - ners Kansas to stand a In fro Oe't Oet " ! Oe'tlady 1"lady 1lady " " ' lady with w h ; ) lore ore hat on |