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Show THE SAUNA SUN, SAUNA, UTAH CHAPTER VI By ALAN LE MAY" Continued 8 Copyright Kentucky Jones grinned, but tiie grin was very faint. Lie was pitying the girl as he had never pitied anyone in his life. There was a forlorn desperation about her scheme which told him. better than anything else could have done, how heavily events had pressed down upon this girl In effect, Jean England was offering him all the tangible assets which she controlled to serve as a gunfighter, and a leader of gunflghters. Yet to the best of his belief she- - was justified. There was nothing Imaginary about the encroachment of Elliot; and If Campo persisted in his unaccountable state of paralysis the "Bar Hook brand was done. Whats Campo going to say to this? he asked her. Til take care of Campo." Kentucky Jones found himself deeply stirred. Yet he would have thought himself a fool If he had accepted such proposition only to please Jean. One consideration alone urged him to agree, lie was anxious to talk to Boh Elliot: and he felt that the basis she suggested would give him every advantage In this. Im not going to turn you down, he said at last. 'Tint I can accept only on certain conditions. First, that too strenuous an objection is not made by your father. Another is that if Campo Ragland later decides to make his own fight; or If for any other reason Im no longer needed, then I can withdraw, and the deal is off. 1 accept that, she said. Another condition is that the price of one dollar lie changed to read : One dollar and such other consideration as the buyer shall consider proper, according to the state of the market upon delivery. " She objected vigorously to that; but since at worst it conceded him what profit he might consider justified, she at length gave in. She offered him her hand, closing a bargain which placed him in the most curious position be ever had occupied in his life. Jean, he said. Im going to ask you one question, and I want you to answer' It Do you know who killed John Mason? No, she said instantly. Kentucky, I swear that I don't know that! I thought I knew, until Zack Sanders was found ; hut now I'm just as sure, that I was wrong. I won't try to get you to tell me, he said, what you evidently dont want, me to know. But, Jean, I tell you this: the time may come when I'll need your help and need It bad. When that time comes, I want you to remember that I perhaps wouldnt hadnt asked he In this if you me In. I wont forget. lie get up and jerked oi his coat. I'm going to see Boh Elliot," he told her. The back .of her hand flew to her mouth. Now? she said faintly. Its as good a time as any, isn't It? Jean Ragland" turned white. Then go db. You I guess you know I wish you luck. I might need It, he admitted. As he reached the door she suddenly called his name, and he turned back. She was staring . after him, white-faceAre will you be armed?" I dont know. We'll see. He was wondering, as he saddled a fresh pony, If she had commissioned him to kill Bob Elliot. The buildings of the 88 were made of adobe, clapboards, and square-hew- n logs. Bill McCord stood In the doorway of the barn as Kentucky Jones came up. Kentucky had a feeling that he had been seen and watched from a long variously off. You want way to see me? McCord asked. Ill talk to your boss, If hes here. Bill McCord rolled a crooked cigarette from one corner of his mouth to the other. All right Hes op at the house." He did not offer any accommodations for Kentuckys horse. Kentucky rode to what appeared to be the main door of a squat adobe which a glance of McCords eye had Indicated. The door opened as he pulled tip, and Bob Elliot stood there, looking at him without expression. Hello, Bob, Kentucky said. Bob Elliot leaned against the side f the doorway, straight-backelooking competent and talL It seems very peculiar, he said with 'casual frostiness, to see you d, here." I suppose so, said Kentucky, swinging down without Invitation. "Are you going to ask me In or not? I hadnt thought of It," said Elliot; Is there any special call for It? "There Is. Let's hear what your business Is, then. ... by Alan LeMay Servleo. VV'NU ment nmre. "Come in here," lie said at last. He turned his hack and walked into t lie house; and Kentucky followed I thought I understood you to him. say youd bought Into the Bar Hook," aid Elliot ns soon as the door was shut. "Now what in all h can he your Idea In that?" I was aide to buy some hundreds of head of Bar Hook cattle at a very price," Kentucky told him. I'll make something on those cattle in the spring. In the spring, Elliot repeated. And where did you expec' to hold them through the winter? Right where they are. Boh Elliot stared at him again while this soaked in. Then abruptly, unexpectedly, he turned away from Kentucky Jones and began to laugh, as Kentucky had seen him laugh before in Sheriff Hoppers office at Waterman. He pressed the hack of Ids hand to his mouth and seemed to fight the paroxysm, which shook him ns if he had been trying to strangle a lit of eoagldng. Tlds is rich," .he said at last. Nothing trivial about this transaction, I hope? Hardly. So now naturally you want to tala to me. Both technically and Naturally. practically, for the time being I am a part owner of the Bar Hook. More particularly as regards the Bar Hook razing rights. In short," said Elliot, what you came here to tell me is that your share in the Bar Hook is a fighting share." You can cull It that. Bob Elliot lighted a tailor-madcigarette. The ironically humorous glance of his frosty blue eyes had a snap like the flick of a whip. That girl certainly got you la for something, hp said. "Y'es? Kentucky Jones smiled on one side of his mouth. Until now neither had mentioned the Incident In the sheriffs office which had terminated when Kentucky Jones had knocked Bob Elliot out. He held his peace, and began the making of a cigarette; but he 1 same circumstances. And that wasnt so long ago. Not so long ago! This gets no place," said Kentucky. I told you what I came to tell you that lets me out. From now on look to yourself. And dont drive cattle Into Bar Hook range my range without expecting them to come right home to roost In a cloud of yells. Suits me, Elliot agreed. Dont think I've forgotten the sore jaw you at Waterman. gave me In that run-IGod knows I never hoped for such a chance to smash the two of you at once ! Kentucky Jones grinned and turned to the door. That's what I like to hear! He stepped out to his horse and threw the reins over the animal's head. Go tell that girl, said Elliot from the door, that her father cant hide behind you this trip you aint bl enough In size. And try to make her tell you what she knows! Kentucky was ready to admit to himself that that parting shot went home. What he could not escape from was the sure knowledge that Jean Ragland did know something, perhaps several things, which he should have known. But he returned Bob Elliots sardonic grin. "Gome and see me some time, he said; and he went away from there. e n horse good Kentucky rode that day; so that It was still a little before the long winter dusk as he reached the half way point on his return ride. Ills pony pricked its ears forward sharply, and Kentucky brought the horse to a stop while he listened. Far ahead whether It came from the Bake Ban or the Bench he could not tell sounded a curious drum tattoo, a thin popping whisper of gunfire. For perhaps half a minute the far-of- f gun talk continued, oddly like the. popping of grease In a skillet. Then it stopped abruptly, as If all of the guns had fallen silent together, and In the utter quiet of those vast snowy spaces there was no longer any Indication that anything had happened. Kentucky Jones struck the spurs to his horse and That was a long-steppin- g Its a little matter of range rights, Kentucky told him. In that case, said Elliot, go back and tell your boss you fell down. I understand my rights on the Bake Pan, and Wolf Bench, too, Just as well as he does. And when he wants to talk quitter. to me he can come himself I you I reckon," said Kentucky, can might not be so quick to say that to said Kentucky, Ragland," peak on his own behalf, what and Campos face." You think not? HI tell you one wherp he wants K, without advice from me or from .von either. It happens more thing you dont know about I that this time Im speaking for myself. understand that you heard Bill McCord I came over to tell you that Ive bought cuss out Lee Bishop, and Bend him a fifth Interest In the Bar Hook. home with his tall between hla legs. Bob Elliots face went blank with Well, you can take It that Bill was "You only copying after his boss. Because perfectly real astonishment. this range has seen the day when I bought a what? You heard me, I think. sent Campo Ragland home with his Boh Elliot stared at him for a mo tall between his jgs, under much the Back to the Bar Hook, Told Her. the other dark dots that were sage and ; he recognized this as Billy Petersens fallen horse. He could not see where Jim Humphreys lay. But far off to the southwest he could see the faintly moving specks that were 88 riders. There they go, lie whispered bitterly. One of them tried to turn back and over-ridJim Humphreys, she said, "but Billy Petersen drove him off. I can't see Lee Bishop down there guess he hasn't got down the trail yet Ill be back as quick as I can." She turned her horse and was gone In a snow. flurry of hoof-IlfteKentucky Jones took the Bake Tan trail. Lee Bishop was twenty minutes ahead of him In reaching Billy Petersen and Jim Humphreys; but he had sighted Kentucky on the down trail, and he waited now for him to come up. "They got Jim Humphreys,' said Lee Bishop morosely. I bet he never lived to hit the ground. If that boy was shot once he was shot half a dozen times. What about Billy? Billy Petersen was leaning against his dead horse, his legs stretched upon his folded saddle blanket. In the falling light his face looked a pale gray-greeIm all right, he said without conviction. "He busted his ankle, some way, when his horse flopped. We better take him over to the lower camp, Kentuck he thinks he can ride all right If we lead along easy. Well tie Jim Humphreys on your horse, I guess. He's lying over here about a hundred yards. They traveled the half mile to the Bar Hook Bake Pan camp slowly, Lee Bishop and Kentucky walking and leading the horses. How did this tiling start? Me and Jim was coming home," Billy Petersen said, "past our south west well. The 88 had stuck up a kind of a tripod there, like as If to represent a well of their own, and R made us mad. We threw It down. Coming on about a mile farther we run Into these four fellers, riding toward us Three of em was together, and one laying back, when we met up. They come up In front of us and stopped. One of 'em said, Which one of you Is boss here? Jim Humphreys said, Who the h 1 wants to know? One of em says, T see you threw down our well tripod. Jim says, And what If I did? Well, one word led to another, and finally one of em says, D n you, " Bishop Bishop?" said Kentucky. That's what he called him. Jim didnt bother to tell him different. Then all of a sudden the guns was out. Ken Who pulled the first Iron? asked. tucky Petersen said Billy Jim did, fired he first the Jim, mournfully. shot. Only he missed. One of the 88 fellers made the quickest draw I ever see or heard tell of. His first shot put Jim out of business, I tjiink. One of em took a throw at me, and the'olher two poured It Into Jim as he went down. I grabbed out my gun and I threw a shot some place, but I dont know where, because right then my pony blew ,up. He made two or I three pitches and then he toofc..and I run wild with me for two, three hun-t- o I dred yards ; I pulled his fool head right I back In my lap, but he Just run loco, star gazing. I got him turned around I dont know where I was exactly-h- er. I when all of a sudden hr somersaulted I forget what I was trying to do right grease-wood- d went up the Irregular trail at the dead run, unbuttoning his coat as he rode so that It would not Interfere with his gun. From somewhere ahead of him. In the trail came a muffled ground murmur, Inarticulate and confused. He pulled his horse down to a gait at which he could listen to something beside his own ponys hoofs. The sound ahead developed swiftly Into the hoof-druof an approaching horse, that supremely stirring, unmistakable sound of a horse running desperately, half frantic under the punishment of spur and quirt Kentucky Jones hesitated, then put Ills horse ahead again at a high lope. Within two furlongs the approaching horse burst suddenly from around a jutting outcrop of rock; and he saw that the rider was Jean Ragland. So close were they as they became visible to each other that as they pulled up their horses Jean's pony slipped to Its haunches and almost went down. It recovered Itself, however, and the two horses stood blowing and stirring restively on their feet, too steamy and nervous from their, running to stand quiet Jean! What's busted?" She spoke rapidly but with clear coJim Humphreys and Billy herence. Petersen have run foul of four 88 cowboys, down on the Bake Pan. Lee Bishop and I were sitting on the rim we saw the whole thing. Jim Humphreys Is down. And they got Billys horse he took to cover behind his dead horse and began firing back. Oh, G d, Kentucky It was terrible ! Sitting there and. seeing It all, and unable to do anything as If we were In another world Is Billy hit? I dont know. Billys horse bolted and went Into a bucking fit; they were all peppering at him, but he got control of his horse and rode back to cover Jim.. Then his horse somersaulted, and the 88 cowboys drew off as he fired from cover." Where's Lee Bishop?" Hes riding down the rim trail to Billy and Jim, fit to break his neck. He wanted me to ride like the devil and get help. I didnt think the others would be back home yet, so I came down this trail hoping to pick you up." Come on, said Kentucky, Jumping his horse up the trail Jean put her horse Into the trail behind him and they pushed on a steady run to where the fork of the trail led up the Bench the Bar Hook. Here Kentucky stopped his horse and Jean pulled In alongside. Go back to the Bar Hook, he told Harry Wilson ought to be back there by now. Tell him to take the of the two cars and drive like then j best 1 te Waterman. j h I want five more ' full-stretc- He dn (TO DE COKTIMEDj Sally Sez Golden Phantoms FASCTVATIMJ TALES OF LOST M IIS ES n u. C By Etlltha L. Walton LETTER IN THE WALLET searching for my brother." The speaker had driven up to a farmhouse In Wet Mountain valley, at the foot of the Sangre de Crlsto range In Colorado, and was telling his story to the farmer. George came West In 18C0, eight years ago," he continued, and after he left our home In Illinois we heard no more of him. I am very anxious to find out If he Is alive or dead. I met a grocer In Denver who said that he sold George a hill of goods that year, and that my brother left some money In his care, saying that he would not need It in the mountains, and that he would come back for It In the fall, hut he never returned. All I can learn further Is that he was headed for these mountains. 1 do The fanner shook his head. not know' anything about It," he said, "hut you must stay here, tonight, and In the morning we will see. The next morning Skinner and" his host went through the valley asking questions, hut no one knew anything At last Skinner about his brother. decided to go up Into the mountains, on the chance that he might find some traces of the missing man, and to this end he hired a guide and spent the summer wandering about, following every likely lead, but without success. Autumn came. It was time to return to the valley. On the way Skinner and his guide camped one night at timberllne on the eastern slope of Horns peak. Nearby stood the remains of a rabln, and Skinner Idly place, findexplored the ing nothing of Interest hut an old leather wallet, wound around with wire. This he put Into his pocket to he examined at leisure. During the night a snowstorm commenced, and In the morning the two men packed hurriedly and started for the valley. The wallet was forgotten for the time being, but sometime later Skinner remembered Ids find, and carefully opened It. Its contents caused his heart to leap, for It was e letter written by his brother George about six months after lie left Illinois. The letter related that George had found a wonderfully rich mine. He was planning a trip to the settlements to spend the winter outfitting for the next spring, when he planned to return to the mine. Realizing the hazards of travel through the mountains, George had given the location of his mine In this letter, which he was leaving In his cabin, and also asked that anyone who found It should notify his brother In Illinois. Skinner said nothing about his discovery; but as soon as spring came he went to his guide of the previous year and said that lie was anxious to begin Ills search where It had been broken off at the old cabin on Horn's i T AM long-deserte- d Go e At the Inquest Into the death of John Mason, banker, Jean, daughter of Campo Ragland, owner of the Bar Hook ranch, where Mason met death, surreptitiously passes to Kentucky Jones the bullet which had killed Mason. Kentucky goes to work on the Bar Hook ranch. The Mason verdict is accidental death. Bob Elliot, owner of thd adjoining range, drives his cattle on the Bar Hook land. Lee Bishop, Ragland's ranch boss, expostulates, and Bill McCord, Elliots foreman, insults him. Bishop and Jones are astounded at Ragland's Indifference to Elliot's action. Bishop urges Kentucky to try to Influence Jean to arouse her father. He does so,( unwillingly, and her reaction mystifies him. Zack Sanders, Bar Hook cook, Is found dead, murdered. Sheriff Hopper, Investigating Sanders death, announces his knowledge that Mason also was murdered. Jones seeks to trace the ownership of a gun found on Zack Sanders, which he Is confident has a bearing. on the mystery. 1 d CHAPTER VII THE STORY FROM THE OPENING CHAPTER thought that Elliot must have known, what was in his mind. Ill tell you a couple of things for your own good, Rob Elliot went on. Youre butting Into a situation that you know very little about, Jones. You seem to think that this little difference of opinion thats coining up now between me and Ragland Is something new. It Isnt. Weve had It all the time. Even without this new crisis brought on by Mason's death, there never could have been room for both the Bar nook and the 88, in the long run. Sooner or later one or the other would have had to go. Up until now Ive been willing to give Ragland a break for the sake of the peace. It Just happens that the way things fall out Im not able to baby him any more. Dont you forget for a minute that the land in question Is public domain.' And that youre entitled to graze half way from your water to his. Youll have to govern your cattle count by that; and we dont want to see one head more. Elliot made an Impatient gesture with his cigarette. Itll be a long day," he said contemptuously, when you tell me something about the cattle business In the rimrock, Jones. If you think Ragland has a case ask Campo why hes .sitting back In his corner, and sending you to make his bluff. Ask him. You might find out something you need to know." Kentucky Jones shrugged. I cant speak for what Campo will do. I've bought In on the understanding that the land my cattle are on Is Bar Hook range has always been Bar Hook range. Ill tell you straight out, Elliot j dont mean . to have that range forced. And If I have to take my boys and ram your stock right back down your throat, in order to hold my graze, stand from under Its up to you. Bob Elliot eyed him speculatively. I dont think that youre going to make much of a war on the 88." Ill make what push I need to, no more and no less." Elliot allowed himself a faint smile. I suppose you know youll have to fight Campo himself, first? What makes you think so?" For one thing, Elliot told him, because when you hooked up with Campo Ragland you hooked up with a yellow men out here by sun-utomorrow. I want Bud Jeffrcjg and Crazy Harris he named three others he wanted, and four or five alternates in case some were not to be found. All were men he knew, now laid off for the winter at or near Waterman. Can you remember those? Sure." When youve put Harry Wilson on his way, bring a couple of horses and gome back. If your fathers there " He Isnt." If you see a couple of poles that would make a stretcher, bring 'em along one of the horses can trail em like a travols. Well take the boys to the Bake Tan camp. On the way!. Jean whirled her horse. Walt I Tolnt out to me where Jim and Billy are." Jean pointed. Kentucky Jones made out a far-of- f bottle-shapedot upon the snow among leak. The location was not hard to reach ; hut when they arrived, they found evSnowslldes had erything changed. the of face the slope; trees had peeled been carried away, great rocks had slid down and others from above had taken their places. Nothing remained as It had been, and the cabin had disappeared entirely. Skinner was greatly disappointed. Still, he thought, he might find something more in spite of the changes made In the scene, and so he and the guide spent the entire summer at the place in the hope of finding some further trace of George, or of locating the ndne. But fall came again, and they had learned nothing. They reluctantly started back. They followed a different route from the one they lmd taken before, and the trail led them along the face of a steep precipice. It was a dangerous place: rocks loomed high above them and the bottom of the gorge was far below, while the footing was narrow and Ins secure. One of the began to plunge and rear, and finally It fell off the trail, rolling down Into the depths below them. As soon as they could safely do so, Skinner and the guide climbed down to get the animals pack, for the burro Itself had been killed In the fall. As they approached the dead animal, they saw two skeletons, one of a man and the other of a burro, which had apparently been there for years. It seems a coincidence too apt to be true, but when the articles strewn about were collected, a book was found among them which proved to be George Skinner's diary, and showed that the skeleton must be that of the missing miner. The diary referred to the wallet left In the cabin, and its last entry was apparently writtei the day after George left the mine. The camping outfit which had been packed on Georges burro lay strewn about where the animal bad fallen, and considerable gold lay nearby, showing that Georges death had been accidental, and that no one had ever come across the body until the day, nine years later, when his brother made the dis covery. ' "I FT TJedrge Skin ti'erk" 'Himes" 'were terred where they lay, and his brother returned to Illinois. The next summer he came back, attracted by the Idea or finding the lost mine, and for several years he spent some time In the search hut the snowsllde had done Its work thoroughly, and the gold remains hid den to this day. pack-burro- turn. So docs Industry. LETS PATRONIZE HOME INDUSTRY HEWIlET.TiS ratmf3c4lr4i Cause of Suicide A predominant cause of suicide among both civilized and savage peoples, according to one author e, lty, i3 an accumulation of aggres-sivdestructive instinct in the raefc which cannot find an outlet otherwise. 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