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Show - I . T ACEWaOlE AC EIrIIOLE OLE It . ' . . OCRCGOttY @ORBGORY @ ( GREGOEOY 44'JACKSOtI 44JACKSOtI ' JACKSOM JACKSON GREGORYGREGOEOY GREGORY GREGORYOCRCGOttY w WtLLLISELEASE WM.UL WMUL , . . . . . . . I Tir TUE aTORT STORY SO O FAR FAE ABB Ann IA Laa . a aaiCala . ; c : . : wrde : : c Vol . Cody C 7 Beaeadarlei beneflctarlea e .r r . e aaacr euler d twa two Ideal Idealeal laaaUaal cal eal ww will Uli . af of o ' Or Old 0111 BUI Sill Cala Cole wara were attamj attamjtog .ttem ttem . atta atlac toe tog to ta alfcaTar dlacovfIC discover wka wbo who haa bad had area llred Seed tha the ballet balletwblela bulk bulkwhich haUawhich wblela which eaaaaj c.o.ed co.ed coed causeS . . ala his bI . death eath Bup'clOD BupclOD SuspicIon ajyici ' ceD- ceD ceDtereG cci cciSoreS caatora - tereG SoreS arowul around ar a Itaiica Raaee ltaac . Walaraa Waldroa Waidron wha wbo who . . pos- pos posIDe po poleg paalac - IDe leg a ai aa . OM Old OUI Bill a . lIepbew hephew haw 4J1appeand dlaappoard 4J1appeandafter dlaappoardafer I aayaara aayaaraaffr < afer affr after ha lae be haa bad had bee heaa been . .pled pled spied . lea UPOD upon ya b7 by ay Caay Cody at ata i ia aa a . deserted aai rta * eabiD tobin ! la In i . eoa'VenaUoD eoaVenaUoD conversation c ' - ar tia wltb wltbdae wit witthe wlUtha dae the aafrlaa no\Ortous no Ortous notorlon \ * . charactor ch.racte chracte character . Taaa Tom Toni Gaafh Goueb Gough Doe DoeJoe DC DCJoe DiJaa Joe aDd and aaa tha dae the Jaar Imd&e Imde ledge & eomm.loDed eommloDed commissIoned ca , tiilaaea . har Itr by : Old OldDIU 01 01Bin OilBU1 DIU Bin I to . carry earry aat out Bt hia bls his laat la.t lat last . wliaaa wlabe wishes . . , were wereretornlB wet wetreturning wanrataralBK retornlB returning & laome born aa . 'rom rom from ( ' r tha the raach raaela ranch ( eaela eaelawith eae eaewith aaelwith with a win wID will 1 la Ia * hia bls hIs pocket ckat far for .afek.epJa afek.epJa afekepJa aaf.k.eplni aafk.eplni aafkeplni aaf.k.eplniWhen . latekaaalBKwhea . . ) ! when thay dae7 they wera wfITe were hala beld held ay up by a . aaaake m.sked msked unmake unmakebandit aaaakeaaaclt . . aaaclt bandit &Dd1 Dd1 & & . . I la . . tha tile the aUriMlah aklrmlah aldnsnish they ther : reco recognize recognizeKane racaialxaJRaaca alzed alzedace ace Kane _ . Walaraa Waldroa Watoron a aa as . hia his bI . maih muk mask aUaaaJ sUpped sUppedNow aUaaaJNaw IIPPet IIPPetNow Naw Now caathra eODtbtue caution . with tha the pietyCIIAPTEE atory alGry piety atoryCHArTEB CHArTEB CIIAPTER CIIAPTEE XVICole XVI XVICole Cole Cody and Ann wera were ltandlng atandin ltandlngtogether atandintogether tandlntogether ( together Ha He looked down upon the thesott thsoft th sott soft oft lovallnei loveilnesl loveliness of bar twlr her curly hair as asshe a ashe a : she he bllnhlne blinking her eyes furiously furiousl3 furiouslylooked furiousl3looked furlou lylooked looked unieeinely unseelngly unseeinghy down at the theground thground th thground < ground and end the queer deiixna de81gnl designs the themen th thmen ttumen men a 8 boot boots * bad had made ' , . It-It It It - - It a so o terrible- terrible terribleshe terrible - - the she Bald said Baldher saidher aldher her voice quiverme quivering and he saw how howher ho hoher howher her breast brea t fliled filled to a deep draught draugh draughof draughtof of air airIt It s awful said anid Cody simply simplyYes simplyYes simplyYe Yes ft It li Is awful Everything has hasbeen habeen ha habeen been awful hasn haan ha n t It lf " ' Since-Why Since Why SinceWhysince SinceWhysince Since - - Why since ince you and I flrst first saw aw each oth other other other er Cole Cody Codyh I ! And aomehow somehow you yousnd yot yotand youand snd and I teem seem to be to blame for itAnd itAnd It ItAnd And then tor for the first time he dk dkthink did didthink didthink think of the two wills and a new nev newlight nevlight newlight light flashed fiashed Into his eyes eye * Maybe Mayb Maybeyou Maybyou Maybeyou you and Bnd I I are omehow somehow to blame blamehe blamehe blamehe , he said and it st at e looked up at Bt himswiftly hutswiftly him hut wiftly swiftly near frightened by his hi * toneAnd toneAnd tone toneAnd And maybe it wal was wa robbery Antmaybe And Ant Andmaybe Andmaybe I maybe two men had a hand In It it itand itand , , and one of them got away I IWhat IWhat : What rnakea makes you talk taUt like that thaP " ' i She drew back a atep step or two from froir fromhim froirhim fromhim him his hl eyes eye fascinated her hold holdIng holdIag boldIng Ing I-ag I ag - her gaze hypnotically hypnoticallyIt It just dawned on me he said saidcutting saidcutting saidcutting cutting acros across * her rush rusb of wordlthat wordsthat words wordl wordsthat that you gave a certain document documeni documentto documenito to Doc Doe Joe to keep for you and I Igave I Iga Igave gave- gave ga vu- vu - - gaveRance vuRance Ranee Rance Waldroni Waldron Waldronl I the she gasped gaspedand gaspedand gaspedand and forgot herself and her pet feud feudso feudso feudso so far as to clutch his arm tight In is Inboth isboth Inboth both bandsIt hands band bands handsIf " If It you guessed right you know knott knowwhat knottwhat knowwhat what this thia is 15 going to mean don t tyou I Iyou tyou you ? he said If Waldron Waidron staged singed stagedtbls singedthis stagedthis tbls this affair It was because somehow somehowthough somehowthough somehowthough though I Im m hanged If I can figure figureit It out he learned that the two old oldboys oldboys oldboys boys had bad the two wills along with withthem withthem withthem them And If he got away with withthemWell withthemWell withthem them-Well them Well - Well . . . then It s good goodby by tor for torkeeps forkeeps forkeeps keeps to any hope of yours 0 o of ' evercoming ever evercoming evercoming coming to own this outfit ! ! Darn the outfit and all that goes goeswith goeswith goeswith with itl It I ! she exclaimed passionately passionatelyI I don t care what happens to It Itnow Itnow ttnow now It s a Just hi t those two dear old oldmen oldmen oldmen men- men - menWhy Why shake ! cried Cole Cody Codyand Codyand Codyand and shot his hi * , hand out and betore before betoreshe beforeshe beforesha she knew It her hand band had sped to a . ameeting ameeting meeting with his to be clasped tight tightheld , . , held eId hardHand hardHand hard hardHand Hand in hand thera there was ainioita almosta almostt almost a t smile hi In their eyes though trouble troubleI troubleay troublelay lay ay back of IL ii It . Slowly their hands handsI handsfell handseli handfell * I fell eli apart and her eyes drifted away awayI I I < guess uess I 11 drift along he tie said saidHe saidHe saidHe He was waa turning away when she shecalled sheaIled shecalled called aIled after him sounding excitedCole excitedCole excited excitedCole Cole ! ItWEl8 It was WEl8 Ranee Rance Waldron ! I Iknew Iknew Iknew knew knew it at flrst first and I know it better betternow bettertow betternow now tow ! ! And I I know how he found out outabout outbout outabout about bout the wills ! I told him myself myselfOh ! ! Oh ) h I was right about that other otherthing otherhing otherthing thing hing Somehow you and I or one oneot oneif oneof ot if us seem to be to blame tor for ev cv everylblngl cvrythlngi everylhingi erylblngl rythlngi When Ranee Rance Waldron Waidron was wasbattering wastattering wasbattering battering tattering at our door I called to toblm tourn tohim blm urn that I was waa C-'ing C 'ing ing gJmg gmg - ' to hand band over overmy overny overmy my ny will to Doc Joe tne toe the very first firstchance firsthance firstChance chance hance I got ! I wish I had bit my mytongue myongue mytongue tongue ongue out first ! ! ! Don t you see tee7 ? ' He lie lieouldot Hecouldn Hecouldn couldn ouldot t have known ilat U at the theJudge theudge theJudge Judge- Judge udge-- udge - - - ] JudgeBut udgeBut But he would figure that If II he had hadthe hadhe hadthe the he one only yours he could may maybe maye maybe be e dicker ! But don t 1 you go blam blamIng blamrig blainIng Ing rig yourselt yourself Ann Lee g rl ri I tell tellyou tellou tellyou you ou things thmgs I 1 1 ke this are nre either 10 in 10the inhe inthe the he cards or n t and that thaI s a all there thereis thereI theraIs is I to ItYou itYou it itYou You are going gomg to tA B : t < wn wnHe wn'He wnHe ' ' ' He hesitated then thoik ShOlk shotk his head headBill headBill headDill Bill Cole Cody rode stra 51-a 51 a . - ght to the thelonely thenely thelonely lonely ) nely abandoned cabin In the themountain theiountan themountain mountain iountan [ ravine ravme to which he and andCal andal andCal Cal al Roundtree had followed Rance Fiance RanceWaldron FianceValdron RaneeWaldron Waldron Valdron and Tom Cough Gough He had hadno hadno no 0 great hope of ot finding flrndwg Waldron Waidron Waldronlmgerlng Waidronigermg Waldronlingering lmgerlng igermg on here now that the Judge Judgeaad Judgesd Judgeaad aad sd Doc Joe had been cut down and androbbed andobbed androbbed robbed obbed now that Tom Gough Cough was wasdead wasend wasdead dead end and Rnd In all likelihood l1kel1hood would be beJudged beidged bejudged Judged idged the sole * ole ighwayman and andkiller andflier andkiller killer flier Yet Ranee Rance must be some somewbere somehere somewhere wbere here and Cody meant to find him himand himnd himand and nd here was WB8 as likely a place to tolook took tolook look ) ok as anyThe anyThe any anyThe The shadows were long across the themountain thenountain themountain mountain nountain slopes the pines growing growingblack growinglack growingblack black lack ID ill in the deep dusk In the th ra ravines rainca ravines vines inca and there was no sign of at life lifeno lifep lifeno no p up drifting driftmg smoke from front the rock rockChimney rocktlmney rockChimney Chimney tlmney when Cody came withinight within within81ght withinsight 81ght ight of ot it It . . He dismounted diamounted and w wat watI tt.to ttto ( . to I the door his hand on the butt othis ofIs of ot his Is gun . . . The door was ajar aar ) he hethrew heirew hethrew threw irew it open and looked the place placeover placerer placeover over rer staring frowningly Into Ita its Itathickening itsiickeriing Itsthickening thickening iickeriing gloom He lie saw a pile of ofblanket oflankets ofblankets blanket lankets . on the one bunk buok other otherblanketa otherlanket otherblankets blanketa lanket . on the floor some scraps scrapsfood scrapsof 01 food tood on a sagging shelf That Thatwas Thatas Thatwas was as alL ail alLHe aillie all-He all He - He lie went back to his horse rode i-ode i ode rodeout iodet rodeout - out ; t of ot tha the ravine and Into the golden goldensunshine goldenmahine goldenarxithina sunshine mahine agala agam again . , crossed the creek creekand creekand creekd and d struck atruck acrojs acrosa across country toward towardtown towardiwn towardtown- towardtown towardtownIt town iwn . . - Itraa It \raa raa \ Wa na bis h his thought that be he bemight heI.gtit bemight might I.gtit Igtit . possibly posalbly have word of Waldron Waidron Waidroniere Waldronthere Waldronthera there iere , tf Sf if DOt not . , . he could join Cal I i Roundtrea Roundtree and discuss dlscuBl the new .et et se seup . setup .etup up with himCody himCody him himCody Cody dismounted In front of the thehotel thhotel tb th tbhotel < hotel hotel . , . tied his hia hone horae horse at lha the hltchine hltchineraU hitchin hitchinrail hitchlnirail raU rail and moved softly aoftly and silently silentlyall .llenU llenU . silentiaa .llenUas ] all as others were moving movine seeking , orne ornesign ompign om omsign sign pign of Cal Roundtrea Roundtree Roundtrce Ha He was consclous cor coractous con sclous actous clou * of ot eyes following bint blrn bins and andknew an anknew andknew knew that ha he draw drew Interest bera bere here a athis at atthis atthis this hour because he was a stean atrar steanger atrarger stranger ger . , , because thesa these men .teadily teadily ateadil . steadilyCatherine .teadilygathering , gathering . , in numbers were distrustful distrust distrust- distrustful distrustful - ful of strangenCal strangersCal strangers strangen strangersCal Cal Roundtraa Roundtree was turning intosaloon into . a uloon saloon aloon two friends flanking him himwhen himwhen himwhen when he saw Cody be said sald a word wordto woe woeto wordto to his companions who went on into intothe tot totthe intotha the Spread Eagle and turned backto baci bacito back | to Cody CodyIt It was Tom Gough all rlghttO rlghttOhe rlght right"he righthe , , " he be said ' The 'The Judge and old Doc Docfought Do Dofought Docfought fought it out with him like heknow he d dknow dknow know they would it If he knew them at atall a aall atall all All three dead but here 8 a a asort i isort asort sort of funny tunny thing The shot that thatkilled ( thatkilled ha hakilled killed Gough Gougb must have been bet'n betn ' tired tiredthe fire firedthe . the same split second that ha he fin finIshed finished finished Ished off oft either Doc Doe Joe or hi ( hiJudge the theJudge thaJudge Judge both the old boys was shot shotthrough sho shothrough shotthrough through the head Heck man mantheir mantheir mantheir their bullets the last the ones Olat Olatdid Din Dindid thatdid did the killing on both sides must musthave inus inushave musthave have passad passed one another In the theBlrl hi hiair ( theair air Blrl ! ! BlrlListen Listen Cal said Cody 'Tom Tom Toir 'TomGough ' TomGough ToirCough Gough Cough wasn waso t the only killer out aft after after after er the old boys It s a like the stage stagehold stag stagehold . hold up there were two of ot them themTom themTom themTom Tom Gough tor for ( or one sure Tha The oth other other otherT er ? Ranee Rance Fiance Waldron Waidron and don t you yot youtool yotfool youfool tool fool yourself Early Bill s a two willsthe willsthe wills -the the - - the ona one to Ann Lee and the one to tc tomethey tcmethey tome me-they me they - - they haven t turned tumed up haveLii hava have havaTha 11\ 11 117 7 \ Lii JAk JAkThe Tha The Judge J Judg ud"e ude & " * and Dec Doc Hoc Jae .Joe Joe J . De were wereklUed weretilled weralllea klUed tilled taaay today VTaldran Waldron Waidron aala said CodyLbey ( ' C'ady Cady 'ody ody Cody C'adythey7 ' they Lbey they7 ? ' Not In the Judge s a and Doc Doe DocJoe DoeJoe DocJoe Joe s a pockets were they tiley ? Not In InTom inmm inTom Tom mm Gough si siMe s sMe ' Me I don t know I don t even evenget evenlet evenget get let what you re driving drlvmg at atl atlCody ! Cody explained swiftly sWlttly and Cal be began beIa began gan Ia to nod before he had finishedn'mce finishedThince finished finishedRince Rince n'mce nmce Thince ' Waldron is in town right rightnow rightlow rightnow now low he said his brows puckering puckeringtight puckeringight puckeringtight tight ight as he tried to make heads and andtails andails andtails tails ails of at things He s a In a back backroom backoom backroom room oom at the hotel playing poker I Isaw Inw Isaw saw nw him there a while ago Come Comeahead Comehead Comeahead ahead head in and have a drink be betore beore betore tore ore you start anything This wantsa wantaI wants wanta a I bit ot of thinkingCody thinkingCody thinking thinkingCody Cody nodded without saying anyhing any anythmg anything thmg hing and the two entered the saloon saloontogether saloonogether saloontogether together ogether to range up along the bar barwith bartith barwith with tith Cals Cala Cal s a two friends Tl Tt TI ey downed downedtheir downedheir downedtheir their heir liquor the four tour of them and andstood andtood andstood stood tood rolling roiling their cigarettes "rave rave grave "ravethoughtful gravehoughtful " gravethoughtful [ thoughtful houghtful menWe menWe men menWe We might mosey over to the ho ho- hotel hoii hotel - - tel ii |