Show of B LIJE iL J lAKE RANCH E 1 By JACKSON S. S S M COPYRIGHT b DY I I L J JUDITH'S JUDITHS U D I SECRET SECRET- I E Bud Lee horse SYNOPSIS Bud SYNOPSIS foreman of ot the Blue Lake ranch Convinced Bayne man- man f I caner ger Is deliberately wrecking the property owned by Judith i Sanford a a. young woman her cousin Pollock Hampton and r Lb Ao low Gray de up his Job Judith arrives and announces noun ts she has bought Grays Gray's fc in Jrr t i e 3 and will run w after it Ie IL She Slie discHarges hooting him twice In self de ense Th The men on the ranch ranchI r I dislike taking orders ot from a a. a girl but by s I C f vicious ott L horse and pr her thorough knowledge of ot ranch life lite Judith r wins the best of ot them over Lee Leek S k decides to sta stay for a wl le at at J least least Judith becomes d t that her veterinarian Bill Crowdy Crow Crow- rowdy row row- dyb dy Is treacherous She discharges him and gets back Doc Tr Tripp PI her dead fathers father's man POllo I Hampton p part t o el t tp I stay tor l bd accepts accepts- 1 Hamptons Hampton's Invitation to visit the ranch Judiths Judith's messenger Is held heldt t up and robbed of the mon monthly Y j pay ray roll rolls Bud Lee goes to the city for tor more money getting back safely with It It though his horse Is killed under him Both he and Judith se see handIn hardS hand hard j S In the crime Hog cholera hard to account for tor breaks out on the theS I ranch Judith and Lee Investigate investigate S gate the scene of ot the holdup A AI I cabin In a planted flower-planted clear clear- I lag Ing excites Judiths Judith's admiration Jo It Is Lees Lee's though he does not I Ba say gay so They are fired on from ambush and Lee wounded Answering An An- the fire they make for forthe l' l the cabin Here the they find Bill Crowdy wounded Dragging him 11 Into the building they find he h has taken from J Judith's Judiths Ju Jn- messenger They are be besieged besieged be- be In the cabin f J i f f i t p 7 7 t fc t f l t From without ca came le the low lw l murmur I ft t f mens men's voices Judith laid her hr book and drew her rifle across her 4 bees her bel e ht and eng eager r. r At At p perhaps i w ir four tour minutes the two voices came r Indistinctly to p those 11 In iq th the I c cabin In Then 1 n pence for as as long it a 1 tUne And then 5 olce voice ag again ln this time quite near tile r door Boor calling out clearly ll Hey you ou In there thele 1 Pitch the moni mon mon- i y 7 out the window ari arid arivell vell t you jo jo go U S Theres a voice said Judith quiet quIet- ly 11 y to remember 1 Ill I'll- be able to swear wear Vear to I It In co court rt 1 Certainly a a voice olce to remember Just t t fa ts one remembers an unusual face for J. J fears jears though It be but a chance one een In Ina a crowd A voice markedly in in- 1 ji not mer merely y because e It was wast t 3 pitched high luj for a mans mans man's I tut nt rather for a quality not ea easily lly der de tie- r fined used which gave to It a certain vi vI- 1 i brant unpleasant 1 q har harshness h ess sounding 1 metallic almost I o t bg as though t J With h the Uie h hiss of ot steel surfaces rub rub- blog tog Altogether impossible to describe adequately yet et as ns Judith said n not t t to be 16 forgo forgotten n. n I Lee turned triumphantly to the girl Tre got hl hIs tag I he whispered to her ber he j I I pla Played e poker with that voice 00 sI night not four months ago in J Bend Who Is he lie Judith whispered back th 1 cm ne Cro Crowdy y down o I if we k know who e i or of r the these men nien is js is th the r. r will be bel easy J- J Who is he l' l A A ba Bad egg Lee told her gravely gravel r. r fles es 1 b done one time Ime In the state pen ne ne's nes s out ut less than a year Gunman I If r JP man c convicted once already already J g II Manslaughter 0 Cried rIed Not ChrIs hrIS QuinnIon Bud Lee she J to on I l excitedly 1 Not Chris CInis Qu Qun I n. n 1 Sh t 1 there's theres he commanded softly to-hi to h rc 8 no Do use Se tippIng our hand han joff i t i ao m. m v You Yes It its it's Irs s c crooked ook d Chris ChrIs' Q fn- fn r iou don dont don't t know him do you 11 lie e hOd th ey I never seen her eyes ees look as Wh looked ix now flow T y were us as as hard ies bright as steel n true true womans woman's I i he Je th thought oU ht W swiftly Rather the of f t he rt a man with murder In his lh Then I her en thank than God 1 whispered Ju- Ju v voIce Ice tense J I t Can you keep e ret no hot with me me Bud Lee Were It o LUke Luke Luice the v man n calling tuning to us now I sanford jj t tc-ad tc ad would be here In la our I ill big ti time C Crooked In Chris Chris' Qunnion served father San Quentin because m my teen been Sent him there there- And he had not f ree ee e six tiLl 0 months before he kept and anti murdered my poor old j. j L W I cf It f Q u i came the Interrupting snarl I e t t on oa s voice like the ominous of th an enraged animal WIl t s Give Oi e i fIler us five fi minutes to think it t Lee Iee ee coolly An And 1 In- In Us i eyes on Q JudIths JudIth's set face face- face he he be Rt-mi Rt tb R t l I Was on the ranch when J t happened He lie must have haves havet 4 to th the that f t heavy car Cur a little io too close s fut 11 Aurally uge ge of ot the grade The bank rally way t Judith her Up lips tightly compressed I shook her hea head t 1 under the car did you And the blow that killed him might have been dealt with some heavy weapon In the hands of a man standIng standIng stand stand- Ing behind him mightn't It I know Bud Lee I know 1 How do you know he lie demanded 4 You ou o o. o I 1 yas In San FrancIsco But But tl e d l toe I I h had d a fr ri f fic ther He Ie expected me l iio ri v ry s oW He was going out he said In his letter letter- to look 1001 at the road over the mountain mountain He e t that tl th the grade was dangerous danger danger- ous ous- e especially p at th tic very vry ry place where the car went nt over oven J He wanted me to to- know Ilow so o that In case he could not get work fhe-work d done dane n on it before beCore I came I would be careful Or top of that would r. r he go and run his car into such danger dan dan- ger as that Oh I know I she cried ngan aIE her her ha hands hards Qs hard her hel rifle I I know I tell telI yd you yo r f From Fon l the first first 1 I s1 suspected pec ed I knew that Chris QuIn nion Io ha had hati threatened a dozen times t to- to get fn father er I 1 knew that soon or Int late hel he would try I 1 wrote Emmet Saw Sawyer yer cr our county sher sheriff and told him what I believed asked him to go to th the spot and see what the signs told A sq square are man is Emmet Saw Sawyer er and as as' as sharp ris as tacks And hAld he told you yu ou that you were mis ms taken He did nothing of the kind J He reported that the tr tracks ck's of the car showed that It had kept well welI away aYay from the bank hank that evId evidently it had stopped there that again it had gone on Ing so as to run close the to edge dge I I 1 know what happened Father got out to loo look at the dangerous spot pot and I t to put up ul the thi sign he lie haNl hd l d br rough with hini t qt d in th the rond Chris haT followed d hin him him- perhaps t to shoot him down from be hex be hind hInd Chris QuInnion's way 1 Then h hT h saw v a safer Later way va He came up behIn V old Je dad and struck him on head bead with something rifle barrel or r reV re volver volyer He sta started ted th the car up and ic lell lel l it oyer lw She he brol broke biT Bud Lee fel fen feIb that he knew new what she would say fa tf- i is i's s 's she ie gh heis bIng-heis rs lf It t tb go b 0 on on on- thai tha that i she she- would tell how bow crooked Quinnion had thrown the unconscious man down over the bank to U hI br arid and and broken by by- the thie wrecked car Youve got to be e. almighty sure b before be fore you lIa make a Q charge like Uke that h her reminded d' d ir Ifer I r. r If it Q fn lo loh h had d donIt don done don it it why didn't Emmet 1 et t Sawyer rog get t th the the- I. I deadwood on him Because she whispered quickly a aman a aman man fooled Sawyer J Yes and fooled me me I Quinnion established ph an an alibi aUbi A. A man whose word there was was no reason reason to doubt said that Quinnion was wIt with him at the time of the murder And that man was was was-Bayne Bayne I re I Lee H He hook I his ls head Tr voris a a. a hard man manJu Ju Ju tilt And hes he's a a scoundrel if you want to know lenow But frame up a mur murder murder der del d deal plan deal al plan to m murder I Luke ke Sari Sail ford ford No I L don't dont believe It I 1 Is Is he the man to miss a n chance that la lay at his hand l Tie The le main chance for r him The dhan chance e to hold a a man like Uke ChrIs Qu Quinnion in the hollow of his hs hand to make him do his bidding to to- set him Just such work worl as he is doing doln now Answer me mel 1 i. i Is Bayne Bayn Trev rs above iJO a deal deal like ke that hat j. j Bud Lees Lee's an answer was silence And there Is one other oilier thing went wenton to tono one on Judith swiftly known to no but 1 Emmet Sawyer ri whom I told and andle me Inc le and Chris In fathers father's le letter letter let let- ter ter he told me that at a man had p paid I Jitni some money the 9 day Y before a and ti that t he was going to drive to Rocky Bend Benil to to b bank it That pio money e ey several several- hundred dollars was never banked banker It was as not fou f found don on his body Where did it i r Even that doesn't incriminate Quinnion nI n. n you know No No The rest I Impure p le r on Dp my Iny part Guesswork based bused on On what I I know Not enough to hang bang Chris ChrI Quinnion Quin- Quin nion Bud Lee But enough to mal make me sure sure SUrO lIes lIe's working at rs game me r right now If It we can prove that wl will 1 to show It It is game It go alibi was vas how low w worthless v his Well l called the third time What about It We aint to wait all night her whispered Judith Toll him him and get it to come hand hanl f I fLees fLee's Lees Lee's arm It If h Iw It One of ot us candid cm the cabin against the two- two of ot th them while Se the other uther slips out In hi the dark s nn and d for help ranch house the ride rIde-c hack ick to If It wre were in luck Bud Dud Let Le we we well we'll I co corner ner nerthe before daylight 1 them then the the bunch or r she In Insisted If If Its the tile only way them the money ti they'd 1 eyd want want- we 0 guve gI them Crowdy Bill rowdy rowdy next If It they got mountaIns as asam I Iam with th them Into the aWu they could not h hide Id e un until tIl sure am i not hands Trevor evors' evors they tiley got ut hIm safe Bufe in IT n r still to toT fight whole the T Then I len e wed we'd d have later Inter Its Ifa It S our 0 ur one on moire m ke so ner or I bet Lee I 1 I And Dud But Lee seeing no better way I ahead for them blew out the candle forced Judith to stand close to the rock chimney of ot the fireplace took his Station near her and answered Quin- Quin talon saying shortly tome Come ah ahead ad wh when n y youre you're ure read ready Were We're waiting Quinnion's curse the crack cack of ot his rifle th the flying splinters from the cabIn cab cab- In door came caine together like one im inn- menace And now Bud Lee cried Judith quickly ly I dont don't mind telling you not s seeing cIng the end of the string we are arc playing that you are a man to my Ilk Ilk- ing r 1 rj f t. t j My hats hat's off rr said Lee with grave simplicity And in any old a ot a fight a man wouldn't want a better ardner than I can r reach ach now now putting 1 put it t my hand Hed He'd want want just Just a a a- athor thoroughbred thoro thoroughbred thor- thor o 1 J And n now w. w little leo pard pardner er give I. I C Crouching UChI g il in in th the dark r reserving serving theli own own fire lire while while they waited waited for Something more d definite definite- U the e hark bark ark of f a rifle to shoot nt at t t. t C t C Cr f r It-came It about quite gulte as ns ml matters tr often do do that at the three mile ranch it w was s on one who who knew w i comparatively I little hittle tp of of the the ways ways ways' of t this p part rf of the who was vas vas va's first first t to suspect th that r nil all Ii vas was not well v with Judith Ju Judith Ju Sanford To Pollock Hampton her failure to appear at t dinner was significant ant cant i Ho lIe learned from Mrs Simpson that Jn in the afternoon Judith after r er a h hiir- hiir r- r vied lunch had hod taken her her rifle and ridden rid rid- den ien awa away Where Mrs Simpson did mil riot not l kI ow I Hurried lunch 7 said Hampton Took her rifle did did- jId she s had grown very serious ashe ashe as he e stared down into Mrs sI Simpsons Simps is i's concern id ld d face iJ Hampton sent to to to S the mens men's s quarters word for for Carson and and Lee to come come to the house lIe He up and down the office the frown gathering upon his usually I IA A 5 t I I I i J II I I t jIt j i j f fl i. i I Hampton Hampt n Strode Up Lip Up an and Down the e. e r smooth brows brow Pt Plainly ly 1 if s ng had ad happened to to Judith t the pres present nt responsibility 1 lay upon his shoulders as sn hext Iri iii authority iri L Hero I am am announced Carson briefly What Is It itjI I am a little worried Ca Carson on said SEid Hampton ia about out l II Miss s Sanford Im I'm afraid afraid- A Afraid Afraid of what haU You don dont don't t think sh she el eloped ped with fth your Jap Tap or stole the spoons spoons do you snapped Carson He had been interrupted at atthe atthe tb the crucial point In a game grune of ot crIb crib- bage with Poker Face and the cattleman's cattleman's cattle cattle- cribbage He He mans man's weak spot was yas glared at Hampton Hanpton belligerently W Where ere is Lee ques questioned Hampton Hamp Hamp- amp amp- ton JOIl sharply Why Thy didn't he come Dunno answered Carson still sUIl without Infer Interest st st. I aint seen him In for Wasn't supper supper- I 1 tell you cried d. d Hampton angry at t Carsons Carson's 1 qui quiet t acceptance e of t ii facts ts which to him were were darkly significant he be too was was was' wasO O out Ot t with hIs lils iS rifle t today day I saw saw him myself Now he ho fails falls to ebat what bat all this show up Dont Don't you s see e points to to 1 Carson who h selcI seldom lost lost his hi's po poise s with one half one half of ot h still sUI given ov over r to to t the e hand L Ohe h meant to play wIth ra bace and T head d. sho k Hampton came swiftly to Carsons Carson's side Th They y left lef the Lower Lo End this came and md came o on oh l here re lh Then Then- r n. n both armed y yr r away de aw y again at fit four or five I tell you Jou man something luls' luls happened to fa them iD lt b belIO believe IH e Jt It It ref retorted Carson arson Not for one little minute half I dont What's to happen 7 Huh You know as well as' as I do what sort of ot characters are about The man who wh robbed Charlie l Miller who Miller who er-who who shot at Bud Lee Lee Lee- Whoa grinned Carson Dont That stickup stick stick- you ou gl go and fool yourself up lip gent Is is a If a clean I an hundred mii miles from om here right now an still going JoIng real live live- ly If U any any other Jasper lent Jent him a har hand w why Ii h he's hes S 'S on hI his way too N Not t JQ pI pick J flowers I Its It's s 's the way kind plays ls the game ga Carson arson was s so cheerfully certain so amused at th tile the thought of ot Bud Lee and Judith TU Sanford requiring anybody's assistance as as- so confident concerning the of of outlaws that finally Hampton sent him awny away half assured and und went himself to his friends In Jn the living room lIe He let half an hour slip Up by in restless restless restless rest rest- less inactivity For no matter mutter what Carson might say Bay or these people here Jo Judith bad had not yet come |