Show I N ERNEST HAYCOX TUB rna STOKT BO SQ 8 FAR Aa cia day Morgan Is II determined f tG pla rUy pisy a s Ion hand lien DeD a rueber who Is II t te 0 run th catUs catU ce try bli Us ew own way Au AI AIa Aua Asa a Mor know kaew he be least pro JnO- fr teet tact teet Us his own w ba but t b he be deem t I USa ea i methods th Js Of or hl hi former friendS only ealy Pack Hack has baa DI net ot IOD gone over oyer te to B r J B a tie side Ilde Ther The Tbs rest rel Charley Goad Guel Gf Or Grant t and d White for tor example ax ar re supporting more ri or er Ie I In sell seU defense efu The They dOD dont don't like Uke Us his methods either but they the y believe beDen bU T that U II the they II don III t I rollow him the they will wW lou tor everything Now New with the story IV At daybreak Clay Morgan Korean rode asar as asfar far as the Antelope Plains Plaint with the roundup crew and worked with it un until Until til mid morning Afterwards he set oft to have a look at the gras crass and water on the western edge of the Moguls Gurd Grant having busi bust business ness fleas at his own ranch went alo along Gurd was waa a big and friendly man of Morgans Morgan age with light features and a consistently pleased expression in hi his eyes There was no malice and no subterfuge of any kind In Gurd But now DOW as ashe ashe he rode he spoke In a rather troubled trou troubled troubled bled uncertain way of Herendeen You know Clay he ain sin t such a abad abad bad fellow I hate bate to see lee you two start chewing the same piece at atleather atleather leather Of course you never did like each other I cap remember as asfar asfar far back as school when you and Ben got in some pretty tough jangles jan- jan janle glen le Gurd said laid Morgan turning to- to toward toward to toward ward his partner I want to warn you Ben s the kind of a fellow that gets geta worse the farther he goes May May- Maybe Maybe be he 11 U start by chasing a few crooks crook out of the country But he won t stop there He U II get the Idea that nobody has any rights unless they re riding close to him Riding on through the short hUl hills they came to Crowfoot a quarters seated In a small round valley vailey backed against the him himA A creek creek charging out of the pine Umber timber crossed the meadow In tn front of a low long galleried white house surrounded by poplar trees tre s The two dismounted in this pleasant shade and went back to the dining room for lor a late noon meal They were still sUll at the table when a single rider came out of the hill trail trall at a full gallop A moment later Cath Catherine Catherine Catherine erine Grant appeared Gentlemen she said you are both very solemn Gurd Grant held his seat with a brothers brother's habitual indifference but Clay Morgan rose rase at once before this laughter loving girl with the gay and gently blue eyes This was Catherine Grant who with her brother Gurd ran Crowfoot Once she reflected there was wasa a man named Morgan He lived on top of a mountain and never did come down He grew a beard so they say and got the habit of talking to himself I wonder whatever hap- hap I ened to him Crazy as always said Gurd And quit running your horse down that trail you hear Si St e didn t hear She stood in front of Clay sir str a away way her riding glo es smil ng ne and watching his an answering smile reak the solid healthy darkness of his face Curd Grant sat as an interested and for forgotten forgotten forgotten gotten spectator t this scene qUick I to note his sister sitter s Instant gaiety In fn nt fi-nt nt f Clay and Clay s 5 lightening expressIOn there always had been I Ian an odd closeness between these two people S met mes as now that closeness puzzled him and some Borne sometimes sometimes times bothered him he never could get at its meaning All he knew was that wt wI enever never they met they seemed to share some old memory which excluded everybody else as now He rose and left the room The cook brought Catherine her meal She sat opposite Clay eating a little and talking a little Clay I a smoke He braced hi his elbow el elbow bow on the table chin propped in inI his long heavy hand Your hair I he said sa id is getting I darker i TI Tt at s 8 gray you see Gray from wo ry y WI Wl en you were e it was wasal wa waal all al i ost a carrot red She said laid I remember you said that once a long time ago It al almost almost almo most t made me cry I came home and wondered if I could dy dye it We used to talk pretty straight didn t ti we We had some tall tail quarrels rein She gave him a straight I look Why did we ever quarrel Clay Maybe he said it was wal be- be because because be because cause we always stuck together and had so damned much fun tun He wants wasn t sure of what be he wished w to wI I say This girl was a close deep part of his bis life lite Once she had been nearer to him than any other worn an Some of at that old feeling re remained re- re remained re- re so that when he be sat by her ber bernow now he be had a feeling of pleasant ease knowing that he bad had to explain ex cx explain plain nothing to her ber knowing that she ahe understood Suddenly she rose and turned away knowing what was in his hil mind He left the table following her ber out to the house houle porch He said ald See you later Catherine AH All right Clay Gurd came around the bouse house He said to his bis sister in a teasing amused voice Rakin up the aChes ahe of an old tire Hush Hugh You two commented third used to f be pretty retty thick Beton t I I I Itji tji 1 i ii I lf CI iF 4 t r Ok 1 Why dont don't we KO go Into War P Pass some nIght Catherine slid and paint the town I Lila Llla came along I always wondered won wondered dered how bow thick I She straightened against the porch I post and showed him a self con I tamed expression Gurd laughed a little seeing his hi sister close up on him and ceased to laugh when he be bethought bethought thought of something else I dont don't like the way he be a acting He won t talk to te Ben No said Catherine He never will It was wu something that had to do wIth Lila Llla and Ben Ben wasn t it itT She shook her head bead Never mind Gurd The quick ruffle ruffie of horses hooves turned her tier against the porch post and in thi this attitude she watched Herendeen and Uge Lige White cross the meadow When they reached the porch Lige White lifted hi his hat with witha a gallant flourish he could never es escape escape escape cape Herendeen simply stepped I down saying Want to see lee you Gurd Herendeen said eaM Why clou dont don't we ge go late into War Pass Puss some Berne night Catherine e and aal paint the be town tewa They sat down in the drowsy shade of the living room Lige White looked around chuckling over a slid and den fancy I remember bow your mother used to receive visitors here A very proper and courteous worn wom woman an Gurd Gurd said laid Ben Herendeen blunt and impatient as always we re going to set some men on these hill hili trails at night night- Just to see who travels em cm after dark Lige has agreed d to take care of the AntI Ante Antelope lope Plains I m posting one near the west went base of the Moguls I want you to keep some men up there on the high trail to War Pass Be sure they don t talk and be sure they do this after dark All right said Gurd But you re with a pretty loose net What we need is a n ii an to ju just t rIde around with his eyes and ears open without being suspected Range detective said Lige White Herendeen gave eav both bolh of 01 them hem em a stolid look Already got that man Who asked Grant Gr nt Herendeen bent forward and let Jet the man s a name drop softly into the room Now he added say noth nothing nothing nothing ing about it Anybody knew it was him his life w t be worth much He put his hard stare on Gurd Grant I don t want Morgan to know either cither Well now answered Gurd Grant GrantWith Grantwith Grantwith With slow discomfort I don t know about that He s ii is this too What was he along with Ollie Jacks for Anybody know where he really stands Anybody got a square anS ansy r out of him No Until we d v-t v t U 11 keep this to ourselves He lie had a way of drop dropping ping his n fi 11 t through the air to drive home h s 5 talk he did it Ii now Then I e added dryly It may be he s a on tI tl e other side of the fence i That s a dam id d tool fool thing to say flared up G r I 1 Grant I don toI t I I Uke it itHe He s a protecting Hack Heick ck Brea Breathitt pointed out Ii n n teen Icon And what s sHack sHack Hack Figure it oil o it Wait Walt a m n te said Gurd I Grant Hack s all II i r I He made camp with Pete Borders Bor Borden Borders den ders last night sa a d Herendeen Grant scowled at U e news Foolish Fool FoolIsh FoolIsh Ish thing to do 1 t e admitted Herendeen rc r sc sp You yu two fel fellows fellows fellows lows meet me at al my place around SIX Maybe I can show you some some- something something something thing Maybe bet re long lonar we 11 smoke out Morgan Far as I m rn con concerned concerned it s fish or cut bait We 11 I have this country empty of people that don t I belong in it by ninety days He slapped his Hand Kand sharply against his knee and rose leading the other two U ii the porch Catherine remained by the steps Herendeen paused and put his round blue glance on her cool and ap ap- appraising appraising praising he betrayed himself to tober her ber in the way he used his biB eye eyes He showed her what he was think thinking thinking thinking ing Friday night then then Catherine he be said laid and went to hi his horse hone rid riding riding trig ing out of the meadow with Lie Lie- White Gurd reflected Catherine be in what yoi promise Ben Curd Gurd said We ve ye all got to 10 sUck stick together and nd went back through Use house mue Catherine turned into the house bouse climbing the stairs tain to her own room She started to remove the riding habit but stopped topped and sat on OB the edge of ot the bed bed thinking AU AUthe AUthe the talk of the men had bad come through the front room rooms room's open win win- window window window dow to her all her all of it It excepting the name of Herendeen's Herendeen Informer Leaving Grant Grants Grant's ranch Clay Mor Mom Morgan Morgan gan rode north through a gentle genue up up- down and down and roll roil of at hills bills carpeted with bund bunch grass and loosely studded by twisted ancient Junipers and jack pine Later in the afternoon he passed the valley of Herendeen's Herendeen ranch at tome some ome distance and entered the of Mogul through short ravines ravine shaded haded by box elder and alder and cottonwood Thus he tie e rode upward with the quartering trail trails of Mogul toward its plateau In the late afternoon hours The sun fell feU ell behind the west west- western em ern mountains In a formless red eruption In another half balf hour twi twilight twi- twi twilight light cool and tremendously still whirled about him Beyond eight o 0 clock he sighted lighted the glint of tight light from his ranch house bouse shining across the tho flats Reaching home borne be he had supper and sat on the porch Muscular lar lam weariness loosened his long frame and the ease of the darken darken- darkening darkening ing tag night got into him fed and indo lade indolent indolent lent he swayed the rocker across the loose porch boards and breathed the fragrance of his hiB cigar Quietly he smoked his cigar un U until til UI he heard the far rhythm of a horse coming out of the west around the foot of the Mogul Hills He took the cigar from his mouth cupping its glowing tip in his palm paim and sat quietly until the rider turned in at the porch Catherine Grant called quietly Clay and got down He brought over another rocker She sa sat t beside betide him lying back Her arm trailed over the rocker s arm her face was a r und soft shining blur in the dark But he didn t I need to see ee it he remembered how her Ups lips would be long and gently pursed how halt half grave and h lt amused her eyes would be She said in a serious voice Maybe I m doing something you won t like I m carry ng tales Ben and Lige WhIte came over to 0 see Gurd directly aft after after after er you left LIen Den s a going to have mer mem out in the hills looking for forI rustlers He i s got somebody in the country pussyfooting for tor him I don t know who it is but is-but but somebody we re all acquainted with I think Gurd wanted to tell you all this Bensaid Bensaid Ben said aid he didn t trust you Morgan said caid Sound natural She let the silence go along Quite all au interval Her voice was cool and near You hate him more than pe PC pie realize Clay As he hates you Nothing ever would bring you together Is that why you took 01 lie he Jacks part part No he answered She d t press pres the point This was the way they had always been close ai ii d u tolerant sometimes sometime an angered 11 rind and nd rank frank but never demand demanding demanding ing She he had a silent streak of her own a depth she the never let others see Bee and sYe ste gave him the same respect SI Sl e said now Do you know why I came He Be said cheerfully To sit on my porch again Clay she said almost as a Q a warning let a s keep away from Irom that Why did you come he said obediently To tell you I think Ben would do anything to lay a trap for tor you Remember that always that always remember that He lie said I 11 tell you this and turned slowly in the rocker bearing other horses horse sweep around the base of 01 the Mogul Hills hula Catherine cameto came cameto cameto to her feet feel She murmured I don twant t twant want to be seen teen here and stepped Inside the house Morgan went to her horse and led it around to the dark side Ide of the house A single rider rushed at the porch with other riders pounding more distantly behind him Clay re- re returned re returned turned to the porch watching the lUst rider s 5 shape break the black blackness blackness blackness ness and circle Into the yard Hi His horse was wu hard bard breathing pu pushed hed hedby by a long 1011 run he said as he stepped to the ground Me Clay Me Me- Me Hack What s the trouble TO BE liE COI CONTINI tD tO DJ |