Show IT Z r 01 JV 0 harold C WM a L 74 V 1 C 16 SYNOPSIS ilen hen from yonder malies him entry into tile tho lumbering town of Thic tincup bringing alons along an all old man don stuart alio who had been enger eager to reach tincup billott do de feats hull bull duval king of the river and town bully in a log con test nicholas brandon the towns A leading lendl ni citizen resents stuarts stuarta pres prea ence enc trying to force him to leave town and elliott Il llott resenting the not act knocks him film down elliott la in arrested but finds ft a frigind in judge able armitage Arnil tho the judge fieros him to run the ilia one lumber tho the owl that brandon Kra nilon has hn not been able to grub tills belongs to dawn me manus manna daughter of Bran brandona dons old partner who has disappeared with A murder clit clinsee irge hanging over ills hla head brandon randon Il onda donels hla his bully duval to beat up men ban CHAPTER III continued 5 llort iyo fell back clinging to the poker his film lips moving it was rill allt otts otta light indeed ile ho till and seen tunny ninny men inen light before find bird born to a rough life lie ho lad had lived it fully lie ile bad seen been countless battles but never find lie he witnessed such a fury ns as lion ott loosed then ile ho drove out with both flats be edless of defense blind to du vals counter offensive lie ile shouted ns as tie ho struck ile ho used a knee to break another told hold ito he bit when duval tried to throttle hirn him with tile the grip of both hands lie ile danced as tho the hull bull sought to trample hla his feet with tits his river calks balks and all the time lie ho wits striking again ant and again lila ills hard knuckles found their mark A bench went over ns no they waltzed into it their combined weight crashing against the bunks as du to clinch again smashed an upright and sent men in tile upper dock deck pie scurrying ying dust rose thickly the sink was ripped from its place na as nen ben drove the hull bull into it with a body blow and a chair was wrecked OB as duval caught by another punch went over it backward with ft a crosh crash lien hen stood d at still spread logged legged breathing hard hands swinging in a swift rhythm or of rage mno get UPI lie he panted get up UPI I 1 ivo ive only duval rolled over his back to rl el llott and shoved himself to his feet not no until lie ho had find risen and faced about did the other move then tio lie closed with another of i those flying rushes rushen with one drive pinned duval against the wallwitz wall with mother another sent hla film head crashing against tile tho window frame the bull gave ae a bubbling roar and tried to grapple ilia his hands were struck down 1 lie 0 swung mightily slowly and missed and as he went by off balance a chopping stroke on the tha back ot of the bond floored him again r I llott waited get UPI lie he cried thickly got get up dp duval and take anko tho the rest I 1 tho the other started to move looking over ever tits hla shoulder with one eye open lie ile saw a trill tall stipple young man hair awry shirt ripped open from neck to belt cheek bleeding jaws set stand thero there swinging one list flat as though the knuckles knuck lea were wild to strike again lie ile sank brick to the floor shudder ing in on flint elliott relaxed and moved lose denials Eni AlS ho sharply prodding the ho hull bull with ditl TO 0 04 pac duval conned and shook ills his hend head lo ile 10 made inneo as if 1 to rise again and ben stepped back giving him every chance the bull did not get to his feet lie he started to drew one knee bo be month benth him heaved and then sank hack back to it ft hip lie ile swore heavily and hung his head propping mapping his torso by both groat great hands spread wide on tho the floor through duval ken ben asked and it seemed ns as though his fits bruised and battered face tried to twist in a grin tho the other gave no intimation of having hiu ing heard theres more nn tap or have you got enough and then chent when no reply came elliott stooped grasped the nulls bullig shirt in ills his linda and halt half lifted hint him let got eol the man blurted let go or ill ile he tried to twist away tried to t 0 strike il ans lens legs but his astren 9 tit was gone benten beaten from his great body lie ilo was dragged across tho aloir river boots trailing over tho the hoards boards straight to the lie doorway with ono one toot foot elliott kicked open tho the portal and with a heave flung filing duval the lie tincup terror into the trampled snow outside A half hour later inter null mill duval who had washed hla his bleeding head fiend and face in the horse trough against the shouted protests of birdeye bird eye maine that it would be until unfit thereafter for hla film teania todina to drink froin shoved himself erect and wiped trembling hands on its ills tile door of tile van opened and elliott emerged lie ile walked to the bully and examined its his visible injuries critically fair jol job lie ho said bald na As though to himself hlin solf and grinned A fair job duval hut but remember tills if you oer ever set bet one of your feet in this comp again or on en any operation where ini im in charge ill glo give you a licking rem remember emberl 1 now duval rhyd you como come out here cicro tills morning who sent bent you youl duval looked away nobody lio lie said weakly 1 I pot got drunk but but it if youre need a man I 1 can work for a better man mail than I 1 nm alit lion hen shook its ills hond hend no use chum youre going to tell me ino why you canto camo and who sent yen yell was it brandon randon Il no evasively suro sure how much did lie give you to conic como here or tire you on oil the payroll to do such chores JI 1 ho he dian didn it youre n i worse ilar than you uro n by a nillo mile or two duval mine wits was a rood good guess it what were ills film orders well tio tie said eald it I 1 t that hed good I 1 nil all I 1 want to know theres tile tho road and you can call take tills little message with you to brandon Hr andon bell ell litin him that lie needs to send bond moro more and better ilion here tile next time and ns as for you I 1 hire no men inen who can bo be hired to fight another mans mails battles make tracks duvall it was a week later old don stuart propped on pillows in ili the narrow cell like room of joo joe Pl clettes ettes hotel listened to the colorful account that elrd BI rd hyo eye maine with ninny gestures and con b I 1 t ICA izi 17 9 ci IMP 10 1 I 14 got paper pro profanity faulty rendered for him of what had transpired tit nt hoot owl since don elliott had taken charge of the operation nd id so lies got th mill inlall crew n their blessed heads off for him nd ilia a got unit flint ragged pants going gang av beet beeders nd ind hay bay pitchers tillit passes for a loggia crow crew doln evir done aln haji rj lazy azy bolves before be forel 1 good G gasped raped stu stuart art feebly and tried to smile ile good boy but lies hes young and alone against brandon randon Il lc be that hard nut lie ho was lookin for aird eye glared at him nar barrill rill th harader they come till th bettor better pleased lie lot la I 1 sure nd ind hes a glutton ter fer work donny I 1 wd ind th saints they havo have a finger into ut too him coinon ti just got pore ablo able licked bo be a tough foight or cr im a bad guesser guess cr but d n u me eyes a ui lad la Is 11 I 1 A restless light appeared in dons eyes and ills hla thin old hands fidgeted nervously with the blankets A ough tight light oil oh lie he dont know birdeye bird eye what lies hes up against lie ile struggled to sit erect and hla his eyes shone brightly with an odd sort of desperation if brandon cant drive bilm in out one way or another hell kill him lie ile gasped and swallowed evidently making a groat great effort to talk rapidly im a coward bird birdeye 12 eye y e been a d n coward for years ive been I 1 afraid to tell I 1 while I 1 lived now im afraid to die with it on my soul I 1 lie ile panted punted and bialke looked in alarm at hla his friend as these last words took on significance for hini him lay back donny darnt git herself excited UY by coward naw yere no coward 1 I lie ile grasped tho the sick man by the shoulders and tried gently to force him back ott on tho the pillows but tile the old follow fellow resisted cant die CA cant nt with it on my iny soul III lie ho gasped and lifted a foco face stamped with strange appeal to tile tho little ronn inan elrd 1 ard ihyo stood back solemn and worried scratching lila ills hond head tile tho other mado made a feeble gesture with ono one hand A mans got I 1 to tight fight ire fire with alro Brandon ll got him unless lie ho I 1 unless I 1 11 lie put a hand to his throat and moved lila ills uplifted chin from side aide to side as though strangling want to write I 1 it letter bird lye hye jet paper fight I 1 I 1 fire with fire III I 1 tills was obviously no whim of a sick ninn mail ills 1118 necessity was not clear to blaino but the other knew old don was gripped by a burning conviction ile ho hurried down tho the stairs secured writing materials and from tile tho table in tile little office picked up a mall order haume houme catalogue with ho he ascended to tho the sick room alln again taking tho the steps two at a thilo hero here yo ye arof hook book to drolte arollo on paper envil envelope ope pencil ill sit by yo donny stuart did not start to write tit at once on co ile he eat ant staring straight before hint him in quandary and then lifted hla his gaze to tile the little man mail who stood nt at his film bedside id like to bo be alone bird kye elm lie ho said eald in a faint whisper I 1 pro been alone with it so BO long I 1 think better alone the other avo ave course donny ho he acquiesced ced aye ave course conic come back when yore finished 11 iio went downstairs rubbers thumping lumpIng El on tile the treads but he stood tit nt tile the bottom a long interval slinking his bond in misgiving and muttering to himself then tie ho aurile turned of about anil and crept back its is softly is As a cat on tile tho upper tipper landing lie ho seated so itce himself leaning against tile tha thlu thin partition of matched boards which separated him from tile the sick man A half hour perhaps dillrd bard eyo sat there growing cramped ind and chilly in tho the li hallway allway then ho be leaped to tits hla feet with a little cry from within had conic come a long retching rotch lne gasp a sharp crook creak of bed springs a thud on the floor door maine burst into the room tile the catalogue wits was beside the bed old don lity lay half doubled forward face in ili tho the blankets one limp hand swaying slightly its as it dangled over the edge donny I 1 donny by up ile ho raised the limp figure laid calil it back attired hard tit at tile the face which now seemed so peaceful and then run rai excitedly down the stairway in frenzied search of joe ilette in tho the room was confusion after doctor sweet answered the hasty summons alit imons tho the doctor felt vainly for a pulse touched the shrunken breast of the old cruiser and then turned away with a significant shako shake of his film head fiend the usual things were said and then bird lyo eyo and tile tho physician were alone in tile room tile tho little eyes brimmed with tears but behind these was an intent toot look its as of one who impatiently awaits opportunity to pursue a specific purpose and when the others trooped down tho the stairway ho he closed tile the door and returned hastily to tho the bedside sure nd ind where la is utho asked beneath his breath the leaves of the bulky catalogue shak ing folds out of tho the rumpled blankets what are you after bard eye ahl here ut hot boll on his hands bands and knees peering beneath the bed lie ha uttered that ejaculation and reaching far under rose to his knees with it a settled seated envelope in his hands bands across the face was a scrawl written with an indelible pencil ulalee scowled as he tried to make out the words got to his fits feet and moved across the room to hold bold the envelope closer t to the light doctor sweet bent benj over it beside hint him den ben billott El EI llott tile the latter read aloud open tills this when the nut gets too hard to crack tile the doctor scratched his mustache lie turned his race face to meet bird eyes startled gaze its so methin doctor he dare die with on hla his soul I 1 hin lie he was fearful to tell it if ile he lived as well So something methin ills hand holding the letter trembled sharply brandon Hr andon for curol birdeye bird bard eye whispered hoarsely hran bran don kept donny out av tincup for years want tt it brandon tuk film when he was dittin th booze years tack back nd ind made a slavo slave av him film lie he moll did I 1 its brandon chos ben coman here frery night not bolke you or id come but bolke a easther id d conic come to watch a slave slav e a slave ho he was a seared I 1 to 0 have around why mir was a rich man bolke nick mck brandon afraid av in n burn buna like donny he demanded shaking tile the letter almost accusingly close 11 in tile the others face who wits was it t with pax fax son when lie he died who was it t pal put t Fax cassons Iasso sons ns murder on lie ile gesticulated gravely toward th the I 1 led bed film lalni nick uran bran dons dolls slave who vance wits was a man who want to hell with booze chos truckled truc kled to brandon evir since un ua tit ill his pore heart brol broke coll hy BY george birdeye bird eye it does docs ook look its as though it in might thedac the doc tor lid did not finish what he find started to say instead lio lie remarked intently s id 1 give a good deal to know just in that letter I 1 bo be ankin it myself to ilion hen X lil llott this night aw nd ind w wont or I 1 it mather MIst lier brandon squirm th by starts in cr crackly brackin crac ackin klu th tough nut I 1 nd ind its til th justice nv av tile saints no less leas that brandon brings I 1 kellott to ables attention la in it a foight over anvid donny thoy they wont went town down tile stairway together after closing the door softly behind them bird l ve lye muttering imprecations on tile licad head of nicholas brandon sw sweet et and even as doctor emerged from tho the dark mouth of tho the narrow stairway the front door opened and brando n hit himself self entered tho the hotel stain ping new snow front from ilia his feet others were there tile tho drummer the will hands two or three more hut but Bran brandano dono attention centered only on oil tho the physician well doctor tie ho began and it seemed scorned ns as though till bl lungs lung were too filled with air to comfortably Il lows our patient tills ve nang t emory sweet looked grimly into tho the others face old don ling taken tile the long trall II 11 lie ho said dead dead I 1 Brana orli voice on the query pinched up it bit and on tho the repetition of the word it fell hollowly with will a nil annl ity which might have indicated sorrow dismay or amazement but ant none of these three were reflected in his him face in his dark eyes was waa just ono one expression relief relief from suspense from worry relief front from dark and haunting fearl fear I 1 you ilont dont say gay I 1 so the old fel lows gone ills voice was even now colorless assured ns As was normal well it was to be expected I 1 suppose were you with him film doctor no ho he died alone brandon drew in a breath as one will who has asked fin an important question find and received a pleasing or reassuring answer talking have helped a 1 I man in his condition lie ile ile ho visit with anyone did he A queer hesitancy crept into his manner on this as though he shrank from knowing the reply and hoctor sweet turned to bard eye maine inquiringly hut but bird rye bye did not look at the doctor lie ile was staring at brandon and its as that individuals 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