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Show J By JACHSOM GREG0EY f Copyright by Charles Scribneri Son f) CHAPTER XVI Continued 18- Theu Lee told him of Judith. Carson's Car-son's good eye opened wide with Interest. In-terest. Carson's bruised lips sought to form for a whistle which managed to give them the ulr of a maidenly pout. "He had the nerve !" he muttered. "Trevors had the nerve I Bud, we ought to make a little call on that gent."' Then, seeing Lee's face, Carson realized that anything he might have to remark on this score was superfluous. super-fluous. Lee had already thought of that. They roped a couple of the wandering wander-ing horses, improvised hackamores from the rope cut in two, and went to meet Judith. Carson snatched eagerly eag-erly at her hand and squeezed it and looked inexpressible things from his one useful eye. lie gave his saddled horse to her, watched her and Lee ride on to the ranch, and sent Tommy to the old cabin for another rope, while he rounded up some more horses In a narrow canyon for Burkitt and Hampton. "You d n fool," he said growling-y growling-y to Hampton, "look what you've done." "Of course I'm a d n fool," replied Hampton, by now his old cheerful self. "I've apologized to Judith and Lee and Burkitt. I apologize to you. I'll tell you confidentially that I'm a sucker and a Come-on-Charlle. I haven't got the brains of a jack-rabbit." Carson went away grumbling. But for the first time he felt a vague respect re-spect for Pollock Hampton. "He'll be a real man some day," thought Carson, "if the fool-killer don't pick him off first." "You . may come and see me this evening," Judith told Bud Lee as he left her to Marcia's arms. "I'll be eating and sleeping and taking baths until then. Thank you for the bacon and the water and " She smiled at him from Marcia's excited embrace. Bud Lee, the blood tingling through him, left her. "Before I come to you, Judith girl," he whispered to himself as lie went. "I'll have to have a little talk with Bayne Trevors." CHAPTER XVII Lee and Old Man Carson Ride Together Bud Lee, riding alone toward the Yestern Lumber camp, turned In his saddle to glance back as he heard hoof-beats behind him. It was Carson, and the old cattleman was riding hard. Lee frowned. Then for an Instant In-stant a smile softened his stern eyes. "Good little old Carson," he muttered. mut-tered. Carson came to his side, saying merely in bis dry voice : "Mind If I come along, Bud? You nn' me have rid Into one thing an' another more'n just once." "This Is my fight," said Lee coolly, j "Who said it wasn't?" demanded the other querulously. "Only you ain't got any call to be a hawg, Bud. i Besides, I got a right to see if there's a fair break, ain't I? Say, look at ! them cow brutes back yonder! Don't I It beat all how silage, when you use it right, shapes 'em up?" Few enough words were said as the miles were flung behind them; few were needed. A swift glance showed Carson that Lee carried a revolver In his shirt; his own gun rode plainly In evidence in front of his hip. What little conversation rose between them was of rarch matters. They spoke of success now with confidence. These I 'wo foremen alone could see the ! money in late winter and early spring ; from their cattle and horses to carry the Blue Lake renture over the rap-!IB- Then there were the other resources re-sources of the diversified undertaking, undertak-ing, the hogs, the prize stock, the "lives, poultry, dairy products. And soon or lute Western Lumber would : 1'a.v the price for the timber tract, so,)n, If they saw that they had to j Pay It or lose the forests which they "id so long counted upon. Lumber values were mounting every day. Neither man, when It chanced that Bayne Trevors' name was casually mentioned, suggested: "Why not go 't the law?" For to them It was very ''tear thnt, once In the courts, the , "wn who had played safe would laugh "t thorn. Against Judith's oath that , ne had kidnaped her would stand revors' word that he had done nothing noth-ing of the kind, coupled with his care-'u"y care-'u"y established perjured alibi and , "ie lying testimony of the physician e Z. 0 had visited Judith in the cave. lll'a man and that might be rounded "P. Shorty and Benny and Poker Face, "id If any of them talked which Perhaps none of them would at rjost ' "ley would say that they had no or-,. or-,. ' x0,r3 trom anybody hut Quinnlon. And . ere ws Quinnion, who stood as a uckler between Trevors and prosecu-t prosecu-t i lon? And what buckler in all the ' xo'ld can ever stand between one man I "''J another? ejte,and then Carson sent a quick fiance toward Lee's In scrutable face; now and then he I sighed, his thoughts his own. Bud Lee, knowing his companion as he did, shrewdly guessed that Carson was hoping that events might so befall that there would be an open, free-for-all fight and that he might not be forced to play the restless part of a mere onlooker. Bud Lee hoped otherwise. "There's two ways to get a man," said Carson meditatively, out of a long silence. "An' both Is good ways: with a gun or with your hands." "Yes," agreed Bud quietly. "If it works out gun way," continued Carson, still with that thoughtful, half-abstracted look In his eyes, "it don't hurt to remember, Bud, that he shoots left-handed an' from the hip." Lee merely nodded. Carson did not look up from the bobbing ears of his horse as he continued : "If it works out the other way an' it's just fists, it don't hurt to remember remem-ber how Trevors put out Scotty Webb last year in Rocky Bend. Four-footed style, striking with his boot square in Scotty's belly." Trevors' name was not again referred re-ferred to even In the vaguest terms. The road in front of them", at last dropping down into the valley in which the lumber-camp was, straightened straight-ened out Into a lane that ran between stumps to the clutter of frame buildings. build-ings. "Something doing at the office," offered of-fered Carson, as they drew near. "Directors' "Di-rectors' meeting, likely." Two automobiles stood in the road ten steps from the closed door of the unpretentious shack which bore the printed legend, "Office, Western Lumber Lum-ber Company." The big red touring-car touring-car certainly belonged to Melvin, the company's president. Carson looked curiously at Lee. Bud dismounted, dropped his horse's reins, shifted the revolver from his shirt to his belt where it was at once unhidden and loosely held, ready for a quick draw. Then he went up the three steps, Carson at his heels,- his gun also unhidden and ready. From within came voices, one in protest, Bayne Trevors' ringing out, filled with mastery followed by a laugh. Lee set his hand to the door. Then, only because be-cause it was locked from within, did he knock sharply. "Who is It?" came the sharp inquiry. in-quiry. But the man who made it and who was standing by tie door, threw it open. "What do you want?" he demanded again. "We're busy." "I want to see Trevors," said Lee coolly. "You can't. He " Lee shoved the man aside and strode on. Carson, close at Lee's heels, his eyes glittering, stepped a little aside when once he was within the room and took his place with his back against the wall close to the door. It was a big, bare, barn-like room, furnished simply with one long table and half a dozen chairs. Here were five men besides Bayne Trevors. All except Trevors and the man who had opened the door were seated ; Trevors, at the far end of the room, was standing, stand-ing, an oratorical arm slowly dropping drop-ping to his side. His eyes met Lee's, ran quickly to Carson's, came back to Lee's and rested there steadily. Beyond the slow falling of his extended arm, he did not move. The muscles of his face hardened, the look of triumph which just now had stood in his eyes changed slowly and in its place came an expression that was twin to that in Bud Lee's eyes, just a look of Inscrutability In-scrutability with a hint of watchfulness watchful-ness under it, and the hardness of agate. While a man might have drawn a deep breath into his lungs and expelled it, neither Lee nor Trevors Trev-ors stirred. "What the devil is this?" demanded Melvin from across the table. "Holdup "Hold-up or what?" lie rapped the table resoundingly. "Shut up!" snapped Carson. "It's just a two-man play, Melvin: Lee an' Trevors." "Oh," said Melvin, and sank back, making no further protest. He was no stranger to Carson or to Bud Lee, and he sensed what might lie between Lee and a man like Trevors. Then, shrugging his shoulders, he said carelessly: care-lessly: "I'm not the man to get in other men's way, and you know It, Carson. iSut you might tell your friend Bud Lee that Bayne Trevors s rather a big man inliuentially to mix things with. I've just resigned ibis morning and Trevors is our new president." "Thanks," returned Carson dryly. "I il.m't think that'll make much difference dif-ference though, Melvin. Most likely you'll have two presidents resigning the same day." At last Lee spoke. Trevors," he said quietly, "maybe the law can't gt you. But I can. For reasons which, both you and I understand under-stand you nv'e going to clepr out of this part of. the country." "Ami I?" 'asked Trevors. The look of his eyes did not alter, the poise ol his 1 ig body did nc' shift, his hands, both at his sides again, might have been carved in bronze. Thm suddenly he laughed and threw out his arms in a wide gesture and again dropped them, saying shortly : "You're playing the game the way I thought you would. You've got a gun. I am unarmed begin your shooting and be d d to you !" He even stepped forward, his eyes fearlessly upon Lee's, and settled his big frame comfortably in a chair by the table. "Go ahead," he concluded. "I'm ready." "That's as it should be!" Lee's voice was vibrant. His hard eyes brightened. bright-ened. With a quick jerk he drew the revolver from his belt and dropped it to the floor at Carson's feet. Carson, though he stooped for It quickly, did not shift his watchful eyes from Trevors. For Carson had known more fights In his life than he had years ; he knew men, and looked to Trevors for just the sort of thing Trevors did. As Lee stepped forward, Trevors snatched open the drawer of the table at his side, quick as light, and whipped out the wenpon which lay there. "Go slow, Trevors!" came old Carson's Car-son's dry voice. "I've got you covered cov-ered already, two-gun style." Trevors, even with his finger crooking crook-ing to the trigger, paused and saw the two guns in Carson's brown bands trained unwaveringly upon him. There was much deadly determination in Carson's eyes. Again Trevors laughed, drawing back his empty hand. "You yellow dog!" grunted Bud Lee, bis tone one of supreme disgust. "You d d yellow dog !" Trevors shrugged. "You see, gentlemen two to one, with the odds all theirs." "You He !" spat out Carson. "It's one to one an' I'll see the game goes square." He stepped forward, removed re-moved the weapon from the table under un-der Trevors' now suddenly changeful eyes, and went back to his place with his back to the wall. "For God's sake!" cried the one nervous man in the room, he who had opened the door. "This Is murder!" Melvin smiled, a smile as cheerless mm "Or, Do You Want Padded Gloves and Someone to Fan You?" as the gleam of wintry starlight on a bit of glass. "Will you fight him, Trevors?" he asked. "With your hands?" "Yes," answered Trevors. "Yes." "Move hack the table," commanded Melvin, on his feet in an instant. "And the chairs. Get them back." The table was dragged to the far end of the room ; the chairs were piled upon It. "Now," and Melvin's watch was in his hand, his voice coming with metallic me-tallic coldness, "it's to a finish, is it? Three-minute rounds, fair fighting, no " But now at last Bayne Trevors' blood was up, his slow anger had kindled, he was moving his feet restlessly. rest-lessly. "D n It," he shouted, "whose fight is this but mine and Lee's? If he wants a fight, let him come and get it; a man's fight and rules and rounds and time be d d ! Am I to dance around here and sidestep and fence just for you to look on? ... . Carson !" "Well?" said Carson. "Lee challenges me doesn't he? Then I'm the man to name the son of fight, am I not? Is that fair?" "Meaning just what?" asked Carson. Car-son. "Meaning that I am going to get him, get him any way I can! You let us fight this out our way, any way, and no interference!" "Talk to Bud there," rejoined the old cattleman calmly. "It ain't my scrap." "Then, Lee," snapped Trevors "come on if you want such a fight as you'd get if you ancleT were alone in "the mountains, wl,st we?an 10 watcl1' a fight where ue wbaI weapons God gave him, any weapon he can lay his mind to, his eye to, his hand to! Or," and at last the sneer came, "do you want a pair of padded gloves and somebody to fan you?" Carson shifted his glance to Bud Lee's face. Lee merely nodded. "Then," cried Carson sternly, "go to It I No man steps in, an' you two can fight it out like coyotes or mountain-lions for all of me." "Your word there will be no interference?" inter-ference?" asked Trevors. "For you're just a fool and not a liar, Carson." "My word," was the answer. Bayne Trevors slipped out of his coat and vest, tossing them to the pile of chairs on the table. He loosened loos-ened his soft shirt-collar and was ready. All of Bud Lee's simple prep-, aratlons had been made when he threw his broad hat aside. Then came the little pause which Is forerunner to the first blow, when two men measure each other, seeking each to read the other's purpose. "It ought to be a pretty even break," muttered Melvin, his interest obviously that of a sporting man who would travel a thousand miles to see a fight for a champion's belt. "Trevors has the weight by forty pounds; Lee has the reach by a hair; both quick-footed; quick-footed; both hard; Lee, maybe a little lit-tle harder. Don't know. Even break. The sand will do it sand or luck." The two men drew slowly together. Their hands came up, their fists showed glistening knuckles, their Jaws were set, their feet moved cautiously. Then suddenly Bud Lee sprang In and struck. Struck tentatively with his left hand that grazed Trevors' cheek and did no harm; struck terribly with his right hand that drove through the other man's guard and landed with the little sound of flesh on flesh on Trevors' chest. Trevors' grunt and his return blow came together; both men reeled back a half-pace from the impact, both hung an Instant upon an unsteady balance, both sprang forward. for-ward. And as they met the second time, they battled furiously, clinging together, striking mercilessly, giving and taking with only the sound of scuffing boot-heels and soft thuds and little coughing grunts breaking the silence. si-lence. Bayne Trevors gave back a stubborn step, striking right and left as he did so ; caught himself, hurled himself forward so that now It was Bud Lee who was borne backward by the sheer weight of his opponent. There was a gash on Lee's temple from which a thin stream of blood trickled ; Trevors' mouth was bleeding. bleed-ing. "Under his guard, Trevors !" shouted Melvin, on the table now, his face red, his eyes shining. "Under, under!" un-der!" "Remember, Bud! Remember!", cried Carson. "That's it, that's it!" Melvin clapped his two big hands and came perilously nenr falling from his point of vantage as Trevors' fists drove into Lee's body and Lee went reeling back. "Give him h 1! A hundred dollars on Trevors !" "Take you 1" called Carson without withdrawing his eyes from the two forms reeling up and down, back and forth across the room. "Done !" cried Melvin, "Trevors, a hundred dollars " He broke off, forgetful of his own words. The two men met again, clung to each other In a ludicrous embrace, broke asunder, and Lee struck so that his fist, landing fair upon Trevors' chin, hurled the bigger man back, stumbling, falling But not fallen. For his back found the wall and saved him. As Lee came on, rushing at him like a man gone mad. Trevors slipped aside and struck hack, for the critical moment gaining time to breathe. He spat, wiped his bloody mouth will) the back of his hand and again eluded a rushing attack at-tack by ducking and stepping to one side. And ever, when he sought to save his own body, he struck back, grunting audibly with the- effort. They fought everywhere, up and down, back and forth, until every foot of the floor felt their heavy boots, until each of them was fighting with all of the force that lay in him, fighting fight-ing with that swelling anger which grows In leaps and bounds when two men strive body to body, when the hot breath of one mingles with the hot breath of the other, when red rage looking out of one pair of eyes sees its reflection In the other. Again and again Melvin muttered: "An even break ! By G d, an even break !" And over and over did Carson's heart rise in his breast as he saw Bud Lee drive Trevors, and over and over did liis heart sink when he saw Iee sway and reel under the sledge-hammer blows beating at face and body. In the beginning there had been in Bud Lee's mind but the one thought : This man had laid his bands upon Judith Ju-dith ; this mnn must be punished and punished by none other in laud's wide .vorld than Bud Lee. Now all cool thought bad fled, leaving Just the hoi leslre to beat at that which beat at Mm, to strike down that which strove i'i .-strike him down, to master bis inemy, to see tLe great, powerful body prone at his feet. Now he was fighting for that simplest, most potent reason in the world, just because he was fighting. And, though he knew that he had found a man as quick and hard and strong as himself, still he told himself that he must fight a winning fight there was some good reason why he most fight a winning fight. His whole body was bruised and battered and sore. A glancing blow shot him through with pain. Trevors knew how to put his weight behind his blows, and his weight was well over two hundred pounds. It was like being hammered with a two-hundred-pound sledge. Give and take it was from the first blow, with none of the finesse of a boxers' match, with less thought of escaping punishment than of Inflicting it. More than once had Bud Lee felt that he was falling only to catch his balance and come back at Trevors ; more than once had Trevors gone reeling reel-ing backward, smashing Into the wall. Many a time did Melvin count his money won and lost. And Carson, crouching now, tense, eager, a little fearful, muttered constantly to himself. him-self. "They've both got the sand !" grunted Melvin. "Which one draws the luck?" But luck stood by and did not enter Into the battle that grew ever hotter as Bud Lee's and Trevors' gorge rose higher at every blow. It was to be simply the best man wins, and none of the six men who watched knew from the beginning until the end who the best man was. What tricks Trevors Trev-ors knew, he used and they were met by what cunning lay In Bud Lee; what strength, what resistance, what power to endure was in each panting body was called upon to the last reserve. re-serve. Already the spring had gone out of their steps. They came at each other for the most part more slowly, more cautiously, but more determined not to give over. Faces glistening with sweat, grimy with the dust their pounding feet beat up from the floor, the roots of Lee's hair red where with a bloody hand he had pushed it back, Trevors' lips swollen and ugly, they fought on until the men who looked at them wondered just where lay the limits upon which each depended. "Lee's tough," Carson whispered to himself. "Riding every day an' working work-ing . . . Trevors has been setting In a chair .... Bud'Il wear him out .... My G d ! Bud, look out ! Foot work. ..." Yes, foot work, but not as Carson expected it, not the thing Bud Lee looked for when he sensed rather than read in Trevors' eyes that a fresh trick was coming. He was ready for a lifted boot, and, Instead, Trevors, rushing down upon him, threw grappling grap-pling arms about him, heedless of the fist smashing again into his cut lips. Trevors doubled and twisted and got a grip nbout Lee's middle, seeking to throw him. Down they went together with no particular advantage to either man. But as they rolled apart and Lee threw out an arm to lift himself Trevors Trev-ors snw the chance he sought and mightily, brutally, cursing as he jumped up for it, he drove the heel of his hoot down upon Lee's hand on the floor. From Lee's white Hps burst an Involuntary In-voluntary groan as it seemed to him that every hone In his hand had oeen crushed, from Carson a choking cry of rage, from Trevors a short laugh as lie called out sharply: "Hands off, Carson! Our fight-any fight-any way " Again on their feet, Trevors a second sec-ond first and with the advantage clearly his now rushed Lee, seeking to finish what be had begun. And Bud Lee, his face white and drawn, looking ghastly with the blood smears across it. moving swiftly but not swiftly enough, went down, Trevors' weight against him. "Five hundred on Trevors!" shouted Melvin. Carson did not hear him. "At him, Bud, go at him I" he was crying over and over. "That's the last dirty trick he's got. Get him, Buddie. Oh, for Gawd's sake, Buddie, go get him !" (TO BE CONTINUED.) |