Show t DESERT ROSE 1 JES POLLIN BR BROWN FEATURES TUR Deputy sheriff sheria Jim sets out to track down a gang ganc of train robbers After he meets Dolores Alvaro an and Monte Garcia he be sud suddenly enly r resigns his and goes to see sr-e Star La Rue a rancher and former gambling house bouse operator Jim forces La Rue Ruo to give him hm the ranch that he obtained from Dolores Dolores' father by trickery lie He then goes to the ranch and puts a new crevIn crew v in charge Next day he be starts out with two horses borses and encounters a posse led by sheriff Flick The posse Is pursuing five horsemen Jim cuts across the trail trall an and discovers Dolores In hiding Dy By a ruse she seizes one of Jims Jim's horses borses and dashes away The posse gives Ives up the hunt for Cor the day diy CHAPTER VII Flick had been as close to success success suc sue cess as ns the hound that snaps a tu tuft t of hair from rom the escaping rabbits rabbit's haunch The closing down of night was all that saved the fleeing riders And Flick Flick- now knew that one of their number had been pushed into I the brush and left behind But to tomorrow tomorrow to- to morrow he reasoned would see I complete success He had already commandeered fresh mounts from rom Tres Hermanos and he would hit the trail at dawn Dawn found a gaunt long legged blue roan saddle-animal saddle in the horse herd that hadn't been en there the night before The roan wore Doanes Doane's saddle Doane knew where it came from Flick invited him to come along to be in on the capture Nope sheriff he replied Thanks But I cant can't go Got work of my own to do From shortly after noon until sundown sundown sundown sun sun- down Flicks Flick's men had scouted across the country trying J-ing to find where the trail came out Meanwhile Meanwhile Meanwhile Mean Mean- while time flew by very valuable time tune At sundown the sheriff had been forced to do something more than search futilely across a waste of rock and shale Some decision had been imperative v To Flick the northeasterly direction direction direction tion of the trail toward City was on ominous He remembered what had transpired under his very nose in San Loreto So at sundown he had split his men the four onetime onetime onetime one one- time Rancho Hancho Hermanos riders led by riding swiftly for the distant town Flick himself with the San Loreto deputy intended to use t the railroad from Sand Wells arriving arI arriving ar- ar I I riving in City he would 1 j x ti gather ather more men and come down in a cross t Serious Situation Confronts Sheri Sheriff I Granting that the pursued were riding for the country the move was as canny as could be wished Well Vell get em was Flicks Flick's dogged decision Ill show that outfit that there are some limits to what they can do Doane was silent Success for Flick might be a long way off he thought but he knew that the outcome outcome out out- outcome come of it all was certain now Given time Flick would do just what he said he would Things had come to that pass He was in too deep to back out It was bound to happen sooner or later Flick and 7 his deputy got an early morning train out of Sand Wells Doane was in Sand Wells that evening evening evening eve eve- eve eve- ning he loped in leisurely and arrived arrived ar ar- ar- ar rived at the railroad station at ab about ut ten ten He walked into Montes Monte's office without bothering to knock and surprised him over his ment meat He waited while Monte too took k down his message and turned o ohis of off ff his key Cigarettes were lighted chairs tipped back against the walL Well senor el r ran ranchero a n c h her e r o. o smiled Monte through the smoke You have been riding I hear hearl Burning saddle-leather saddle an an wearing g down good horse flesh An all t to what purpose may I ask Por For nada said Doane bitterly I Nothing I So Not failure asked Monte Montein in mock surprise Yes failure mumbled mumble d t Doane Funny how a woman ca can n show a man up A woman Or a girl said Doane I di did c d all aU I could Monte After your story I couldn't do much less No ma man n t l could Meaning asked Monte su suddenly suddenly sud sud- d- d denly serious Meaning anything replied d Doane I dont don't care My AZ Y end of o othis f this thing seems to h have ve turned turne d out to be simple blackmail and blu bluff g J None the less that bluff with th the e t two thousand I gave La Rue called calle d his bluff and won the deal It wa was S the only way I could touch La Ru Rue 1 except the way the girl wa was s going at it taking back what sh she e could get of at her own Uh Monte you remember a sealed scaled envelope envelope en en- I gave you not so long a ato ago agoto agoto g to keep for Miss Alvaro I do It is In safe keeping c Good I Flicks Flick's out for tor blood Soon So o n or late hell he'll draw it I know FUe Flick k That's serious Monte youve you've g got gotto gotto of to get that envelope to Dolores without without with with- wit out much delay It contains La Rues Rue's 5 deed for Rancho Hermanos The papers are made over to her through gh me Savvy The ranch is hers 1 le legally legally le- le e gally gaily and otherwise Theres There's also a signed statement from La Rue to the effect that all charges he made mac e against her are groundless There There's s 's not much time tune to waste Monte Y You ou can give her those papers now And tell her to take them and get on Rancho Hermanos land where she belongs to put those vaqueros of hers back to work and stay there So far Flick hasn't a thing that'll touch her except La Rues Rue's complaints com com- plaints And I guess that's a about out allIve allIve all allIve Ive I've got to say Monte Monte studied Doane He lighted a fresh cigarette He smiled slightly He said From the first I say that I will come to like you in the end tair deputy Jim Doane Yes jus jus' so my mien frIen Doane you are area a man Or Or as we Spanish say caballero caballero caballero cabal- cabal I lero which has shades more of meaning a rider a brave man and a gentleman It Is an expressive expressive sive word that mat caballero Thanks Monte Gracias Well this finishes things Ill I'll be leaving Rancho de los Tres Hermanos by tomorrow You might tell her that Monte Monte rose gracefully and as he bowed their hands met There Is jus' jus one thing said Monte slowly I wish you had 1 i ic ip p aI a- a c I r l S-c- S r c- c cr r 1 You love her too Monte given this young lady her lesson Why do you not ride her to earth if it jus' jus for the fun of it an show her you can do it My mien frien I wish that you accomplish that first before you go away Why Oh no reason said Monte Only well there Is difference between stealing some cattle that justice knows belong to the house of Alvaro an a train robbery or this last affair at San Loreto You see One look at the girls girl's face shows she's no thief snapped Doane Flick has no proof I dont don't know what the explanation of these other affairs is is but My frien have you thought of those men riding with Dolores Alvaro Alvaro Alvaro Al Al- varo varo asked Monte They areol are ol time ol time vaqueros riders from the theof theol ol of rancho or sons of those men Good men hard riders no fools Those three I get you for far the ranch they are of these vaqueros senor They would throw down their lives at her feet But do you not suppose they say to themselves sometimes We are already outside the law why not make more of it Play big Get some money as well as a few head of cattle My frien friers' do you suppose they do not ask themselves that eh An might that not draw a certain young lady Into affairs that were far from rom her own choosing Eh Might it not The telegraph instrument began to click Monte bloats listened for a moment then en turned like a cat and dropped Into his chair He began to write When it was finished Monte looked up He lighted a fresh cigar cigar- ette arts Then he picked up the message message mes mes- sage pokerfaced poker and handed It to Doane For you he said simply I will be gone for a little while to get the day operator to take my place tonight Perhaps you will wait for me to return senor Doane Doane read the telegram as Monty slipped through the door His lis face went white as he read it Jim Doane Rancho Tres Hermanos c o c-o o Sand Wells Siding Ci City ty Cowman's Mortgage and Loan Bank robbed tonight Over securities and cash gone Four men and accomplice pulled job Beat meto me meto to it Hitting back for your country country coun coun- try now Two citizens wounded One dying Im I'm deputizing you again Doane dont don't fail me this time Sam Flick The sleepy man day-man came Into the theoffice theoffice office and took Montes Monte's place But Bute I it was a full hour half before Monte returned two handsome pearl handled guns in holsters at his hips The grace of the time onetime gamblers gambler's every movement had somehow become accentuated Shall we go now he said quietly Two men sat on a rock butte that overlooked a vast expanse of coun coun- try The hour was shortly past noon Heat devils shimmered across the hot landscape Eastward there was wasa a tiny finger whirlwind that dipped playfully at a desert ridge swirling a thin column of powdery dust sky sky- ward One of the men searched the north horizon with a n pair of small binoculars The other man smoked many cigarettes and he talked muttered Monte Garcia Garcia Gar Gar- Garcia cia conversationally have I liked being wide awake with open eyes In the daytime For Far me days are hot an an drowsy so a man may sleep nights are cool for his work an nn his play Awake in the file daytime I feel or or maybe so it Is only too many cigarillos Take a look north said Doane suddenly Looks like something stirring along the skyline there Too far away to be sure Languidly Monte looked through the glasses Perhaps he said and gave the glasses back Or perhaps a little dust whirlwind B But u t one thing troubles me my frien What is that I will be frank It Is you I said Monte I do not quite know what you intend to do Do you n need d to ask Doane snapped A hundred thousand dollars dollars dol dol- dollars lars in this robbery Two bystanders ers shot one dying Nothing less than murder that killing I Do you have to ask what Im I'm going to do about it if it I get the chance Jus so so said Monte But I do donot donot donot not mean the four men who did the robbery an shooting I mean about the one called accomplice accomplice- the fifth rider I l If It it turns out that way what would you do about her about her Eh I wonder about that Silence While Doane studied the horizon north there was a long moment of silence Yet Monte knew that the gesture was only mechanical and Doane Deane saw nothing through the glasses Sharply he whirled Dont ask me that thaU In a little while Monte smiled Itis It Itis Itis is true then he said What Is true You have s seen n this young lady twice perhaps maybe three times tunes But you love her My question question ques ques- question tion is answered I I. I who have seen her many times times- times to You love her too Monte Ha exclaimed Monte Garcia softly How else could it be But only as a brother Jus' Jus like one older brother my mien frien Within half an hour a definite spot of dust could be traced on the flat north horizon It did not weave like I one of the finger whirlwinds and it had lasted too long moving slowly forward The spot grew in size and obtained slight length across the terrain In three-quarters three of an hour the glasses revealed point pinpoint dark daIk dots preceding the dust But it was as yet impossible to count their number with accuracy Holding that course muttered Doane hit through those rock ridges and buttes somewhere to the left of us Garcia and Jim Enter the Chase Time passed Monte Garcia watched a tiny flecked sand lizard that sunned itself on the hot surface of a boulder He smiled interestedly interested interested- ly when the lizard caught a fly That little fellow Is like us considered considered considered con con- Monte He waits an catches his fly But again it is different different dif dit- dif dif- ferent terent and Monte laughed ironically iron iron- the the fly has no power to hurt the lizard It Doane passed the glasses to him again Count em Monte See if it Im I'm right For a long while now Monte gazed through the glasses His face showed no emotion when he said slowly Five Five riders Yes agreed Doane after moments moments moments mo mo- ments had passed He became engrossed engrossed in a new study a second seeming line of dust just showing on the horizon In time this took form torm minutely but steadily steadily steadily stead stead- ily moving It followed the first The actual distance separating the two bands of riders was probably six or eight miles The visual panorama of the binoculars was vast Flick couldn't have lost much time getting on the trail last night It muttered Doane Looks like ha half the population of City in that posse with him Monte too studied the second line of dust for a long while seeming to smile Jus so soh We used to say at the gambling tables Watch out for lor the unlucky player when the cards once turn to him It is a true saying my frien The two men silently worked their r way to the base of ol the butte The hot sunlight slanted now with early afternoon Two mounts and a pack animal were tied In a fringe ringe of to low w mesquite shade They watered th the e riding animals with a scant gallon or two from rom the pack tins Blankets Blanket were smoothed saddles set re-set an and horsehair tightened All this thus was done leisurely as though h for lor a n pleasure trip Doane once more mor e rode the big roan animal They turned north side by side leaving the pack animal behind TO BE CONTINUED |