| Show 06 r Th TURNING POINT j a Elf Mary Imlay Taylor w. w N U. U RELEASE F tf 0 THE TilE STORY STORT THUS FAR Jim Keller and his sister Jane with old MacDowell lac Dowell I the foreman loreman operate El EI Rancho do Las Lu LuI I l Palomas alomas They are arc on the lookout for lor a aI I former employee Jordan a drunkard i and dope dope runner I picks up a aI 1 I strange young youn man In Ids hIs car The stranger wants work and Jim needs i ranch hands so Mac lac takes the new man manto manto manto to the ranch Jims Jim's friend Max Stenhart Sten hart bart lies III ill with pneumonia In the ranch's sickroom Old Teresa the Mexican Mex ican woman thinks Stenhart has hu sot col cola sota 01 a devil In him The Tho newcomer comer goes roes close dose to the tho sick mans man's window walls waits until the nurse Durse is out of the tho room oom then peaks speaks one ODe word Sherwin The sick man Is startled CHAPTER II H Her blue eyes wid widened Another question was on her lips but a door opened suddenly and the trained nurse came down the long corridor toward them Jane turned quickly Anything wrong Fanny The nurse shook her head Hes gaining all nIl the time Fine Jane turned in an nn explanatory explanatory ex ex- ex- ex wn way to the stranger A friend of my brothers brother's Mr Stenhart Stenhart Stenhart Sten Sten- hart was taken suddenly ill with pneumonia here we couldn't let him himbe himbe himbe be moved and hes he's been having a ahard ahard ahard hard time Miss Sewell this Is the friend In need who helped old Mac Mr Mr- Mr she looked around Actually Actually Actu ally ly I dont don't know your name John he hc began and stopped momentarily confused But theres there's more to it than that thaU she laughed His face burned he was trying to remember what name he had given t en old MacDowell unaccountably it seemed to evade him and again he hated to He lie to this girl Hazlett he said at last Her eyes met his for an Instant and he thought there was a questioning questioning ques ques- tinning look in hi them but she wrote his name down mechanically on a slip sup of paper on the desk John Hazlett It had a bizarre effect he knew that it would be hard to get used to it He stared at nt it oddly himself then suddenly aware that his look might be a self betrayal he averted averted averted avert avert- ed his eyes conscious that he had lost the thread of the talk between Jane Keller and the nurse but Jane was sorting the mail for her Here are yours Fanny and some for Max She held them out and the nurse gathering them all allup allup allup up departed hastily toward the sick sick- room John Hazlett she repeated quietly then lifting lilting her honest eyes to his she added not your name came Her look threw him a challenge even more forceful than her words Again he felt the hot blood rush to his face but he him him- self sell Her eyes seemed to reach to something deep down do In his con con- ss Youre right he be admitted harshly its it's not my name She stood a moment silent the wind from the open window beside them stirring her dark soft hair then she bent down and lit a small la lamp p on the desk that an unusual thing for fora a stranger to admit so easily she asked I scarcely know what I ought to do about it but it-but but she hesitated hesitated hesitated hesi hesi- I dont don't believe youve you've come here with any thought of harming us and and well well its it's this way Jim and andI I have often talked it over so many men come west to get a new start to retrieve mistakes mistakes-it if they can Weve We've felt they ought to have a fair fairchance chance that a man must have a chance to come back I I- I she gave him a frank smile you smile you wont won't fail fall me will you 1 if I ask no questions but give you fairly your chance here hereto to to make good a She saw his gray eyes darken and there were hard lines about his lips Ups he seemed suddenly older than she had thought him Then he pulled himself together and met her look squarely You may trust me so far far I I came here with no thought of harm to you or your brother I can affirm that on my soul he be declared hoarsely She nodded Im sure of it and because Im I'm sure of it Im I'm going to give you your fair chance Im I'm not even asking your true name but buthe but but- s she he smiled again and held out her hand hand band I ask you to make good He had bad a confused consciousness of the touch of her soft coo cool fingers and an overwhelming impulse to speak out to tell her all swept him He paled under his tan and their eyes held each ench other It seemed as asIf asif asif If he must speak then there was a flash in the night outside the window window window win win- dow a sharp report and something ripped through his sleeve and spa spat t on the wall behind them theta Jane gave a startled cry ery but before before before be be- fore she could move almost before e she could think the man beside he her er r had bad put out the lights he seemed d to do it with one sweep of his arm Then she felt herself hersell lifted and pu put t back bey beyond nd the window Keep still still Ill Ill I'll get him himl His voice was In her car ear She ha had c d felt his bis strong arms as be he swept swep t her out of danger and she made cu out t his figure as he leaped through the th e wl window There was another sharp report t I and then the sound of a struggle out out- aide The girl fled fied lightly to th the e kitchen to give the alarm she he mus must t rouse the men who she knew were cre e at supper It must be Jordan and Jordan was a hard man to handle Suddenly she felt a thrill of fear forthe for forthe forthe the man who had leaped out in the dark he mustn't be hurt he 1 mustn't It did not seem to her at atthe atthe I Ithe the moment that he was a stranger He was a n brave man she had seen his face when he swept out the lights She ran panting to get help for him At the moment he needed it He Hc had leaped out on a crouching figure figure fig fig- ure there had been a struggle for forthe forthe forthe the pistol and then the two rolled over on the turf fighting silently desperately each man trying to get the others other's throat thront In the dark Jordan Jordan Jordan Jor Jor- dan had the advantage he knew the ground knew where the slope would set his adversary rolling down over overa overn a n ledge of ot rock Struggling and cursing cursing cursing curs curs- ing he dragged that way He had long arms and md an Iron grip but he had met his match this man whom he had never seen before belore had been i 4 U John Hazlett she repeated quietly then lifting lilting her honest eyes to his she added not your name name trained in a hard school He rolled Jordan over and got his hand almost on his throat then suddenly they both went over the ledge Below it Jane had planted poppies The two men fell together struck and un un- clenched Jordan leaped up and ran His antagonist had struck his head headon on a stone and there was an instant in which he saw stars and heard the thc shouts from the house Jane had roused the He rose dizzily to his feet brushed his hand across his eyes and tried to discern the fleeing figure The moon was just rising behind the mountains the sky was silver with i it but the earth was dark like the bottom of a cup He ran forward stumbling now and then on strange ground but as the sky shy brightened he made out the dark figure gure ahead of him still running He did not know where they were going Behind them was a n confusion of ot sounds in front he began to hear the cattle inthe inthe in inthe the corrals but he kept on A flame shot out ahead of ot him He made out the stooping figure of ofa a man something like a torch shot up in the air hurtled forward and fell tell blazing As it fell he saw that the gates were open and things were moving He heard bellows of terror saw horns flash ash In the light of ot a blazing torch and the very earth shook under his feet A flood of dark seething writhing shapes t poured out Another torch torch blazed on the other side another herd broke loose the gates caught fire the night was ablaze with flame ame and smoke and bellowing animals were rushing together in a great stampede One herd rushed at the blaze another trampled over It with pounding hoofs hoots and whirling horns bellowing with terror the thc cattle stampeded In the nick of time the young man sprang behind a huge old tree trunk and the red stream parted and flowed past him Dust blinded him but he heard the trampling of horses and the shouts of the they were riding down from the house and he caught a wild cry from the man whom Mac had called Pete By gosh hes he's let loose the yearlings yearlings year year- lings the gates are afire Not only the gates but some piled brushwood had caught The flames Bames leaped up ten feet in the wind and sent out long black streamers over r the bellowing herd and the wild figures figures fig fig- ures urea of the riders The shouted and whirled their quirts tryIng trying try try- Ing to to stem the tide but the yearlings yearlings year year- yearlings lings were wild Some of them were splashing and floundering in th the e creek some headed straight for tor th the s canyons but a few plunged Into th the theames e flames ames and came out smoking an and d mad Bellowing with pain and fury they charged at the shouting herd herd- ers Here a horse was gored there ther therea e a rider went down and the horse hors e bolted for the stables The brightening brightening bright bright- ening erring sky was streaked with black bloc k smoke clouds pandemonium m reigned The man who had called himself himsel t Hazlett straightened against hi his s tree he saw a n horse house com corn corning coming coming ing his bridle flying loose Wita With Wit Witha h a n leap he reached the frightened animals animal's animals animal's animals animal's ani ani- ani- ani mals mal's head caught the reins and clung by main force There was a an Instant of intense action the horse hors e plunging and kicking then the ma man conquered and scrambled to th the e saddle The flames seemed to have hav ed ee e gained new fuel when they died die d down in one place they leaped up i in another Everything that could burn bur was afire The wind carried burnIng burnIng burn burn- Ing brands and tossed them on madly madly mad ly whirling horns bulls buns gored each n other in sheer terror the distant distan t ranch house shone white in the reflection reflection re reo the mountains loomed black blac k against a silver sky The young man who had neverseen never neverseen neverseen seen the like of this tilis before held i ithe In Inthe inthe the frightened horse and thrilled d with a new emotion he tasted freedom freedom freedom free free- dom adventure the joy of living He knew nothing of herding these thes e wild things but he longed to rid ride Into the midst of it though he felt his horse trembling under him Then in a flash he saw a big ca car r speeding toward him the moonlight t showed It clearly when it stopped and a man leaped out and came running runnIng running run run- ning into the thick of it As he came he recognized him it was Jim Keller Kel- Kel Jer lerl Back before he was expected A moment before he would have been safe sale but the herd had broken some of the yearlings had turned before before before be be- fore the shouts of the With a rush they came straight for forthe forthe forthe the single figure in front of them in half halt a second it would be too late latel Hazlett had no spurs but he struck his heels into his horses horse's sides Frightened the animal shot forward In front of the oncoming rush in front of Jim Keep behind my horse quIck horse quick I IThe The young man felt in his pocket ashe as ashe he saw Jim stop and reel with I surprise He rode his horse across the space and turned to face the danger Flame and moonlight outlined the black forms torms and white horns fifty fifty- sixty sixty sixty-he he could not count them The earth seemed to shake under them his horse plunged and he swung in his seat sent They were coming they were almost on him they would trample horse and rider Then he ne did the one thing he could think of i h he e fired Bred point blank at the front row There was a terrible plunge and bellow bellow bellow bel bel- low and a big steer crumpled and fell to its knees Its mates fled from it parting in two streams and flowing flowIng flowing flow- flow Ing on either side In the center the horse and rider whirled in a wild semi-circle semi shielding the man on foot Again and again he fired red and when he be hit they gave way bellow bellow- ing Flames were behind them the were shouting on their right they hurtled themselves at atthe atthe atthe the bridge Jammed it toppled over and went into the water As the stream of maddened beasts parted and swept past and left them the young man dismounted Take my horse Mr Keller he said Jim looked up at him dazed Who are you My God I was a fool tool you saved my life lite The dawn was breaking behind the mountains when Hazlett limped up toward the house He had been with the other men in hi the saddle all night As the day broke the vac vac- queros had been able to count the damage the burning gates and brush the stampeded yearlings two horses gored to death and a heavy toll of cattle Meanwhile Jordan and his confederates had made good their escape that hit the enraged cowpunchers more sharply than Kel Kel- lers ler's losses Hazlett could hear them swearing s in a queer medley of Spanish Spanish Spanish Span Span- ish and English By this time tune they all knew of Jims Jim's narrow escape and made room for the newcomer more readily but they drifted past him now to storm Ah An Lings Ling's kitchen Hazlett came slowly his eyes on those windows into which he had looked the night before before Stenhart's stricken face seemed to rise before him again He laughed bitterly to then old Mac coming out of the house saw him and stopped to slap him on the shoulder with his well hand Gosh youre you're a trump Hazlett he said heartily You sure saved the boss He wants to see you I reckon you can get any place you want round Las Palomas now now Hazlett stared down at the mud and dust that covered him from bead head to foot He nearly broke my head the honors are his retorted the younger young young- er man grimly Old Mac nodded like him the fox Come on over to breakfast after youve you've seen Jim Mac pointed toward the front doo door r and the young man still sUll reluctant crossed the wide veranda and entered entered entered en en- the hall hail There was no one insight In Insight insight sight the sun had bad not yet topped the mountains and that long corridor corri cord corridor dor was shadowed by day Far down was a door that shut in Stenhart Involuntarily the newcomer newcomer new new- comer took a step toward it then he be heard a quick movement across the hall a door opened and Jane came cameto cameto to him both hands outstretched Youve made good she said laid her eyes shining youve more tha than made good Jim told me TO BE CONTINUED |
