OCR Text |
Show The Settling I f theSkge HAL G. EVARTS Copyright by Hal O, Evftrt ' WNU Servlcs CHAPTER X Continued 21 "Killing twelve Three Bar. bulls on the last day of Angast,H Harris stated. "I was out with the ranger," Slade aid. "Back In the hills. Yon know that yourself. That charge won't tick." "Then maybe It was the second of May," Harris returned. "I sort of forget.' Slade suddenly grasped the significance signifi-cance of this arrest "How many of you fellows are pus-py-footlng round out here?" he Inquired In-quired of Carp. "I don't mind confessing that several sev-eral of the boys are riding for you,H Carp Informed. "But while we've cinched Morrow we haven't been able to trace It back to you. I even got put on the black list, thinking you might do business with me direct after that knowing my word wouldn't stand against yours. But not you I Xou've covered your tracks." Carp spoke softly, as If to himself, detailing his. failure to gather conclusive con-clusive evidence against Slade. "I even run . your rebrand on fifty or so Three Bar cows. You knew there wasn't a dollar changed hands when Morrow gave me that paper .which licensed me to rustle my own she stock. The Idea In my starting up was to run your rebrand on any number num-ber of Three Bar cows. Later Morrow would buy me out acting for you; can't be proved. Oh, you're In the cienr, all right" Slade broke In upon the monologue. This recitation of his probable Immunity Immu-nity from conviction on every count, far from reassuring him, served to confirm his original suspicion as to the reason for this arrest without witnesses. If the sheriff had wanted him he had but to send word for Slade to come in. Ue threw out one last line and the answer convinced him beyond be-yond rill doubt "Then a lawyer will have me out In an hour," he predicted. - "A :!awyer could." Alden said. "It you saw one. But we've decided not to let you have access to legal advice for the first few days." ' . ... ; Slade turned on Carpenter. "This sort of thing Is ngalnst the law." he said. "You're a United States marshal. How can you go In on a kidnaping deal?" "I'm not In on It" Carp shrugged. "The sheriff asked me to arrest you at the first opportunity. I've turned yon over to him. The rest Is his affair. af-fair. Besides, like I was mentioning, they can't prove a thing on you. As soon ns they're convinced of that they'll turn you loose." The sheriff nodded gravely, "The very day I'm satisfied Harris can't prove his charges I'M throw open the doors. You'll be 'a free nJan that minute." A vision of the near future swept across Slade's mind. If he should be locked up for three months and-discharged for lack of evidence It would wreck him as 6urely as the rumors ' ' of the la st ,few months had cut LaBg's-men LaBg's-men off from the rest of the world. - - Squatters had filed on every available site throughout his range and ' now ' i- waited to see if the Three Bar would , win. Us. fight . If the news should be spread that he was looked up these nesters woulr1 rush In. On' ..Is release .. he would find them everywhere. With marshals scattered through the ranks of his own men. Intent on upholdinu the homestead laws, he would be helpless help-less to. drive them out If they locked him up at this tlme'he was lost Ile nodded slowly. "Well, I gues3 you've got me," he euld. "I don't see that It will amount to "much, anyway. Sooner or later you'll let me out" ' He raised his arms high above his head and stretched. Under cover ol this casual move he swiftly raised one foot. Slade planted his boot on the edge r -. of the light table and gave-a tremendous tremen-dous shove. The far edge caught the sheriff across (he legs and overthrew him. The lantern crashed to the floor and at the same Instant Morrow aimed a sidewise, sweeping kick at Carpenter's ankles. As : the marshal' went down his head struck the corner posi ol a bunk and he did not rise. With a single sweep Morrow eunglit the back f his chair and swung It above his head for the spot which Waddles bad occupied at the Instant . the light went out The weapon splintered In his hands as It found i's mark, and as the big man struck the dirt floor Morrow leaped for the dim light which Indicated, the open donr A huge pan clamped on one uniue and a back-handed wrench sent him flying acros the room to the far wall. With a sweep of the other hand Wad dies slammed the door with a bang that Jarred the cabin. "We've go. 'em trapped," the big Voice exulted. "We've got 'era sewed In a sack." Uarrls made one long reach and twung the butt of hi gun for Slade's bead u the table went down but Blade, with the same motion, vaulted the prostrate sheriff. The force of the blow threw Harrii off his balance and ai he tripped and reeled to his knees Slade's boot heel scored m glancing blow on his skull and floored him. He regained his feet, gripping a fragment of the chair Morrow bad smashed over Waddles' head, and struck at a dim form which loomed against the vague light of the window. The shape closed with him and he went down In a corner with Slade, Slade struck him twice In the face, writhed away and gained his feet back-slashing at HarrU' head with his spurs. Harris caught a hand-hold in the long fur of the other's chaps, wrapped both arms round Slade above the knees and dragged him back. His hand found Slade's throat and he squeezed down on It as the man raised both knees and thrust them against his stomach to break the hold. Slade's arm swept a circle on the floor in search of the gun Harris had dropped but he was Jerked a foot from the floor and narrls Jammed his head again and Slade crumpled Into a limp heap. Harris held hlra there, un will-Ing will-Ing to take a chance lest the other might he feigning unconsciousness. But Slade was out of the fight The sheriff struggled to his feet as Waddles tossed. Morrow back from the door and slammed it shut Ue closed Dragged From the Saddle by the Jerk of One Mighty Hand. with Morrow but the man eluded him. He dared not shoot with friends and enemies struggling all about the black pit of the little room, . . Morrow leaped one way, then the opposite, ls the sheriff groped for him. Alden turned toward a rattle at the stove a? he heard Slade's head crunch against the wall under Harris' savage thrust' "Down him!" Waddles roared. "Tear him down 1 Tear him down I I'm holding the door." From the corner by the stove an Iron pot hurtled across the room for the sound of the voice and crashed against the wall a foot from his head.-A head.-A second kettle struck Alden In. the chest and he went down. Waddles saw the light vanish from the window, then reappear. Morrow had made a headlong dive through the Utile opening. open-ing. . Waddles swung back the door and sprang outside -as Morrow vaulted to the saddle. The big man lunged and tackled both horse and man as a grizzly griz-zly would seek to batter down his prey. The frightened horse struck at him. numbing one leg with the blow of an Iron-shod forefoot then, ..reared . and wheeled away from the thing. which sprang at him, but Waddles retained his grip .In the animal's mahe,' his other hand clamped on Morrow's ankle- The rider leaned and struck him on the head. Tlie" crazed horse shook Waddles off but as he fell the other man fell with him, dragged, from the saddle by he jerk of one mighty hand. They rolled apart and Morrow leaped to his feet but Waddles. had, wrenched the leg already numbed by the striking strik-ing horse and It buckled nnder hlra and let him Lack to the ground as he put his weight on It Oe reached for his gun, A form loomed above him. a heavy rock upraised in both hands. The guu barked Just as a downward sweep of the arms started the rock for his head. Morrow pitched down across him ant' Waddles swept him aside with a single' thrust Lie rose and. stirred the limp shape with bis toe u the sheriff reached bis side. "Dead bird I" Waddles announced and turned to limp back to the cabin. A match flared Inside as Harris lighted the lantern. Carpenter stirred and sat up, moving one hand along the gash in his scalp. The sheriff stooped and snapped a pair of handcuffs hand-cuffs on Slade's wrists. They splashed .water on bis face and he opened his eyes. He regarded the steel bracelets brace-lets at bis wrists, as be was helped to his feet and turned to Harris. "Don't forget that 111 kill you for this be said. It was a simple statement state-ment made without heat or bluster, and aside from this one remark he failed to speak a syllable until the sheriff rode away with him. The sheriff waved the lantern outside out-side the door and before he lowered it two deputies rode up, leading his horse. "We started at that shot," one of them announced In explanation of their prompt arrival. Alden motioned Slade to his horse and helped him up. "Shoot him out of the saddle if he makes a break," he ordered briefly. "Now you can move against those men I've sworn out complanta for," Harris said to Alden. "Public sentiment senti-ment has turned aganlst them to such an extent that they won't get any help and there won't be any to All their places, once we've cleaned them up. Deputize the whole Three Bar crew when you're ready to start." The sheriff nodded and led the way with the two deputies riding close behind, be-hind, one riding on either side of Slade. CHAPTER XI The freight wagons rattled away from the Three Bar ar the first light showed in the east and the grind' of wheels on gravel died out In the distance dis-tance as Harris add Billie finished their breakfast The Kands had come in from the round-up the night before, prior to the return of Harris and Waddles from, their mysterious two-day trip In response to the sheriff's message, and Evans au led them to Brill's for- a night of play.- They were due back at the ranch In the . early forenoon and Harris had allpwed the freighters to depart before the others arrived. "What did Alden want?" Billie asked, referring to the trip from which he and Waddles had returned lata the uight before. "We made a call on Carp," he saU "He had some good news we've beert waiting for." "Then Carp Is a Three Bar plant," she said. "He's a U. S. plant" Harris corrected. correct-ed. "But he's' been working In with us to get something on Slade to gather proof that he's behind these squatter rolds of the last few "years and the ones they've aimed at us up to date. He couldn't get a shred that would bold in court But Slade Is almost al-most through. His claws are clipped." The girl started to question him aa to Carp's activities but after the first sentence she became aware that his attention was riveted on something other than her words. He had thrown up his head like a startled buck and was peering down the valley. Her range-bred ears caught and correctly cor-rectly Interpreted the sound which, had roused hlra. A distant rumble reached her and the surface of the earth seemed to vibrate faintly beneath be-neath her feet. She knew the Jar for the pounding of thousands of. hoofs,, the drone for the .far-off . bawling of frightened cows. A low black line filled the valley from 6lde to 6lde, rushing straight on up the gently-sloping gently-sloping bottoms for the Three Bu flat "They're on us,"' Harris sali. "I might have known. Get back to the houses-quick I" As they ran she noticed that his eyes were not upon the surging mass of cows In the valle.-. but .were trained on the "broken slopes back of the house. "Anyway, they don't want . you," he said. "We'll do the best we can. I made that prediction about clipping Slade's claws too soon.- : What with Slade locked up and Morrow six feet underground, I was overconfident. 1 might have known It was. planned ahead." ' ' ' ' His face was lined with anxiety, an expression she had never before seen him wear even In the face' of emergency. emer-gency. She had no time to question hlra about the,, assertions relative to Morrow and Slade. The front rank of the stampede was bearing down on the lower fence; The barrier went down as so much spider web before the drive; posts were bro- ken short wire was snapped and dragged, and three thousand head of cows pounded on across the meadows. (TO BE CONTINUED |