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Show THE FIGHTING TENDERFOOT 1 j By WILLIAM MacLEOD RAINE j ' 5 Copyright by William MacLeod Rains WNU Service X 9 .fc,A. Owen shrugged his shoulders. "I'll backtrack on you being a grand-stander, grand-stander, Garrett. You're not that, an' you're there, boy, both ways from the ace. But that won't keep you from playin' on a golden harp if you're so doggoned careless. Some low-down cuss will plug you one of these days when you walk up to him with no gun In yore fist an' say, 'Consider yoreself under arrest.' I'm warnin' you." "Maybe you're right and maybe you're not, Amen." OTIara rose and brushed the crumbs from his clothes. "But I've got to play the hand the way it's dealt. One might as well be cheerful about it as melancholy. How does that song go that Texas Jim sings? Roll your tall and roll her high. We'll all be angels by and by. "limp ! I've heard preachers deny that, but even if so I aim to postpone my angeliu' for a while. Well, let's mosey along." Outside of the Montez barn four or five young Mexicans were grouped. O'Hara moved forward out of the darkness and greeted them casually. "That was Bob Quantrell who made the break through the window. He out-goneraled me. No question of either of us shooting from where we were. Too many women around. So he came out through the window while I watched the door, lie knows we're hot on his trail and he'll try to get away at once. Chances are he'll head toward the Delgado stable for the horses. If so, we'll have another brush with him." A voice hailed them. "That's Jess," said Baidy Brown. It was. Worrall had sent him to find out the cause of the firing. "Nobody been for the horses yet?" the sheriff asked. "Not yet. Faukey showed up nn' took a look at the horses to see they were all right, then came out again. We didn't even chirp." "Pankey, eh?" "Steve was right sure It was Pan-key. Pan-key. Couldn't see his face much, but the fellow limped like Pankey does." Within five minutes they had joined Worrall and McCarthy, who were hidden hid-den behind an adobe wall across the road from the stable. They held a hurried low-voiced consultation. "I've a uotion to take a scout around the Gomez place," O'Hara said. "Likely "Like-ly the family won't stay at the dance now, and Bob will try to meet Dolores before he leaves town. Steve, you come with me and look around there. We'll be back soon." Owen rubbed dubiously the unshaven un-shaven bristles on his chin. "You're crowdin' that boy consid'rable, Garrett. Gar-rett. I done told you he's got more sting to him than a sidewinder. You better stick around here with the rest of us, don't you reckon?" "When you call for a showdown with Bob 'you wanta be sure you've got an ace in the hole," Baldy Brown said, drawing a plug of chewing tobacco from his pocket. "He can sure make a busted flush go a long way. An' most usually you'll find his cards are all red when they're flipped over. Now my idea is to sit here an' " O'Hara cut curtly into Baldy's discourse. dis-course. "Not a debating society we're holding. I'm here to capture Bob Quantrell. The way to get him Is to go after him. Come along, Steve." Worrall grinned at Owen and Brown. "String along with Garrett here an' you'll have lively times, boys, long as you have any. My last words are that If I'd lived a better life I wouldn't of been here. All right, Sheriff. Scratch gravel." O'Hara and his long lean deputy moved away and were lost in the darkness. "There's a lad, that Garrett O'Hara, who's had more bullheaded luck than a nigger with a rabbit's foot," Baldy drawled, a little resentful. When he was making oration he did not like to be cut off so abruptly. "Luck yore foot !" scoffed Owen. "He makes his own breaks, Garrett does. He's got guts an' horse sense." "So have you, old-timer, but I ain't heard anybody shoutin' about what a wonder you are. Coupla years ago this O'Hara was a tenderfoot didn't know sic' 'em. You wouldn't of said he would be worth a barrel of shucks as sheriff. Now he's the white-haired lad of Jefferson county. Tell me why, if it's not luck." "Slire I'll tell you why, Baldy. It's because he never quits goes after bad men like the Watsons. Lights on 'em all spraddled out. On top of that he's straight as a string. That's its shape." Baldy agreed, still grumbling. Gomez lived In a large one-story adobe house on the outskirts of the town. He was one of the original settlers. He had driven his longhorns up from Mexico and settled on the creek In the days when the Apaches were still troublesome. Within a few years the town had grown up almost at his doorstep. For a Mexican he was well off. His cows and horses had increased in number. More rooms .had been added to the house. He entertained en-tertained hospitably and was a political po-litical leader of his race locally. Dark-eyed Dark-eyed sons and daughters, eleven all told, were growing up around him and his still handsome wife. They were attractive young people, devoted to their father and their mother. The gods, It was generally felt, had been very good to him. (TO BE CONTINUED.) FIT &Srlr Mm lift his eyes from the bandit. The price of a moment's inattention might be death. There was only one door to the barn downstairs and one window. To reach the stainvay to the loft it would be necessary for Quantrell to come within eight feqt of where the sheriff stood. O'Hara knew the outlaw was thinking furiously. He would guess that the barn was surrounded, that the sheriff had his posse outside. Otherwise his course would be simple, to shoot the officer down and escape in the darkness. Quantrell murmured something to Dolores. The girl's startled eyes flashed toward the door. She lost step, her mind distracted, then joined her partner and walked beside him from the floor. The sheriff noticed that she was between be-tween him and her lover; that her body protected Quantrell against the chance of gun fire. A quick suspicion shot into his mind. He moved toward the man he wanted, brushing aside those who were in the way, dodging the dancers as he crossed the barn. O'Hara was too late. He saw the outlaw's teeth flash In an impudent grin, caught a mocking wave of the hand. A streak of color dived through the air. There was a crash of glass. Quantrell had flung himself through the window head first. Confusion instantly filled the room, which became vocal with screams, imprecations, im-precations, and the lift of excited Spanish vowels. Men and women pushed this way and that, so that O'Hara found himself caught in the press as he fought his way to the window. The soft bodies of young girls impeded him no less than the muscular ones of lean vaqueros. From the outside came the sound of shots, staccato reports of battle. The sheriff drew closer to the exit, though in his eagerness to reach the open it seemed to take many minutes rather than moments. He found himself him-self flung against a senorita face to face, so closely that her bosom rose and fell against his heart Dark, liquid, long-lashed eyes lifted to his. The firm brown flesh of bare arms brushed his cheeks and fingers laced themselves together back of his neck. Dolores Gomez had found another way to serve her lover. O'Hara tried to push her away. She hung there heavy as a sack of meal. He reached back, caught her wrists, and dragged at them to break the hold.. The girl clung desperately to him. Even after he had freed himself she snatched at his coat to detain him. At last he was at the window. Protecting Pro-tecting his face with his arms, he plunged through it to the grouud outside. out-side. Some one shouted, "Who is it?" The voice belonged to Amen Owen. O'Hara called aloud his name. The cowboy ran to him, revolver in hand. "He got away that greaser who came through the window. Who was he?" "Bob Quantrell." The sheriff was already on his feet, his six-shooter out. "Which way did he go?" "Thataway." Owen waved his hand into the darkness. "He took us by surprise. We didn't know at first but what it was you not till after he came a-shootin'." "Anybody hurt?" "No. Too dark to see. All of us pluggin' away for general results. The boys followed him a little ways, but I' called 'em back. Figured it might be a trick to draw us off from the barn. Here are the boys." Grogan and Baldy Brown joined them. The sheriff sketched briefly the situation situ-ation while he hurried down the street with his men. CHAPTER XII Continued 14 "Why, no. What makes you tt.lnk so?" "I've been sleeping on his trail for tour days. He's either here, or he's fieadlng tlds way." "You sure?" "Not mire, Buck. But he told me he'd be here." Told you?" Grogan's forehead knotted In a frown. "You an' Bob ' 'neMln'-to he Blde-klrks these days?" 'Listen, Buck. I've got to have some leep. In forty-eight hours I've hardly hnd a wink been In the saddle sad-dle plowing through drifts most of the time. I don't want It known I'm In town. While sleep find out for me If Quantrell Is here. Last night he alole the two Kentucky horses of my partner. If the horses are in town it ought not to be hard to locate them. Hob may be staying at the house of Manuel Gomez. They say he's in love with Dolores. Not likely he'll stay at the Gomez house, though. He's too wily for that. Find out what you can, hat be careful nobody suspects what you're after. When you get back wake me If I'm asleep." Buck Grogan was a brother of the Texas Kid, who with Shop Sanderson had been killed on the main street of (Soncho a little more than a year before be-fore this time.. In his heart he cherished cher-ished a bitter hatred of the outlaw. "All right, Sheriff," he said. "You sleep. I'll find out what I can. Hadn't I better let you lay till ten or eleven o'clock?" "No. If he's here he may hit the trail at daybreak. Soon as you get back wake me up." O'Hara took off his boots, his coat, and his vest, and settled himself on the hunk. In two minutes he was wound asleep. When iie opened his eyes It was hroad daylight. Grogan was standing over him. "He's here." "Have you seen him?" asked O'Hara. "No." "Who told you he was?" "You did. I've seen the horses he n' some other guy rode in on. They're slnbled In the barn back of Delgado's house." "Do you know where Bob is?" "No, I don't. Down in the Mexican quarter, I'd say. I met Gomez on the street an' edged round the subject the least 1ST bit. But you know how trreasers are. They won't tell a thing they don't want to." "You didn't let hi in know I was here?" "Do I look like a plumb fool?" Gorgan wanted to know. "Of course I didn't. What I said to Gomez was that I'd heard Dolores' friend was in town, an' when he looked at me real quick I added kinda casual, 'Maria Garcia." She is, too. Came up from Agua Caliente Tuesday. Manuel was right there with the 'Si, si' stuff, but he was just a mite too late. He'd done give himself away, though I didn't let on for a minute." "You feel sure Quantrell is in town, then." "I'd bet six fat three-year-olds against a plug of tobacco that he's not four hundred yards from us right d n nv." "If he hasn't lit out." "Tell you I saw the two Kentucky fiorses." "lie might leave them here to fool me while he's making tracks for parts unknown." "What would be the sense in that when he could just as well take 'em along? You know how he loves a good horse. No, sir. When he goes thoso horses go, too. Wouldn't surprise sur-prise me if he lies low here three-four days. There won't more than half a dozen folks know he's here. He can trust his Mexican friends. They like tilm, an' they're not civilized enough to betray him." The last sentence Grogan offered with an Ironic grin. Common opinion to the contrary, It is quite true ttiat the Mexicans are as a people very loyal to their friends. During the past year or two as much could not be said of the white population of Jefferson Jeffer-son county. While the feud had been In progress most of the ranchmen had not felt any compunction about shifting shift-ing sides. It was, for instance, not at all remarkable that O'Hara was now depending upon Buck Grogan to help him capture Quantrell, although the two cowboys had fought together against him in the battle at the Circle S O ranch. Yet Grogan was no traitor. The circumstances had changed, and with them his allegiance. "That sounds logical," O'llara admitted; ad-mitted; "But Quantrell Isn't very dependable, de-pendable, lie doesn't always do what you'd expect him to do." "That's so, generally speakin'. But he'll stay put here two-three days an' give his saddle a rest. He's been on the dodge a long time, au' he's right fond of Dolores Gomez. I'd say he'll want to stick around for a while, au' he most always does what he wants to do. He ain't what you'd call a pru- dent guy. His friends will be keepiu' a lookout to see he's not trapped. Yes, sir. He'll be plumb tickled to lie right here In Concho an' fool you." "Yea, that would be ''-ke him," O'Hara agreed. "Will you find out for me whether Steve Worrall has reached town yet? I want to see hltn." "Got In late last night him an' Amen Owen. Their horses were sure whipped out, too." "Good! Ask him to drop in and see me. He'd better come along the creek and In the bark way. Some of Quantrell's friends may be watching hirn." "All right. Breakfast first. No, sir. You lie right there. I'll fix us up something." A couple of hours later Worrall reached the cabin. He and the sheriff talked the situation over. It was decided de-cided to keep an inconspicuous watch on the Delgado stable from a side window of the Steelman store. Probably Prob-ably Quantrell would not stir out until night. After dark the Gomez house was also to be kept under observation. "If his gang Is here with him some of the bunch will poke their noses from where they're holed up soon as It gets dark," said Worrall. "Good thing to have quite a few men ready for emergencies, don't you reckon?" "I think so. See Buckskin Joe and Amen and the Browns. You might speak to McCarthy, too, Steve. Tell them trouble Is brewing and may break, but don't let them know what's up. If too many people know a secret it's not one any longer." O'Hara did not leave the cabin until darkness fell. By a back way he went to the Steelman-McCarthy store where Worrall and Grogan were to meet him. He was eating a supper of cheese and crackers and sardines when Owen joined him. " 'Lo, Amen," he said. "Get all rested from your long ride?" "Umpha ! Say, boy, there's a Mexican Mex-ican baile tonight at the Montez place. If you're ail bet up to met Bob you 1 might find him among those present." "What makes you think that?" asked O'Hara. "You mightn't think it to see me such a stove-up old donker as I am now, but once upon a time I was a kid my own self. As I come down the street I met the Gomez family dressed in their war paint headed for the dance. Includin' Miss Dolores of the black, black eyes. She sure is a right pretty senorita an' I wouldn't blame Bob for wantin' to shake a leg with her. Course I don't say he'll be there. AH I'm sayin' is that he might." "So he might," agreed the sheriff reflectively. "Well, I'm not too old to enjoy a dance. I'll give myself an invitation to be there, too." Amen Owen grinned. He thought perhaps he had started something. "Uninvited guests ain't always so dog-goned dog-goned welcome," the old cowboy said. "If you go you're liable to get in a jackpot, don't you reckon?" "It wouldn't surprise me." "Bob is top hand with his shootin' irons. I'd say take four of five of us with you." OTIara cut a piece of cheese and put it between two crackers. "Can't take a posse into the barn with me. That would mean trouble right away if Bob was there, and I can't risk promiscuous shooting with a lot of women present. If Bob wasn't there, world would reach him In ten minutes that we were hot on his trail. No. I'll leave two or three of you outside and go in alone. I'll take you and Grogan and Baldy Brown. Worrall and McCarthy and Jess Brown will watch the Delgado stable to cut Quantrell off from the horses if he tries for a getaway." . "Is it yore rotion that there wn't be trouble soon as Boh sees you?" asked Owen with obvious sarcasm. "Guess different. When you- go in there right then you're playin' yore hole card If Bob is at the baile. Now if I kinda drifted in maybe he'd let it ride. Far as we know, he ain't hep to it that I rode on the posse to the Mai Pais. Quien sabe?" "Dollurs to doughnuts that he knows. You rode into town last night with Steve, didn't you? If he's here the info was passed to him almost before you had unsaddled. No, it's my place to go into the barn and see whether he is there. So I'll go." "You're cock-a-doodle-do of this outfit, out-fit, Garrett. Ail I got to say is, look out you don't buck yore luck onct too often." "The Lord loves the Irish, Amen," answered the sheriff, his gay smile flushing. "Far as this curly wolf goes, he's just a man like you or me. Don't forget that he has his weaknesses, just as all criminals have. One of Bob's Is his vanity. He has to make grandstaud plays so that people will fear and admire him. Some day he'll come a cropper on account of it. Maybe that some day is tonight." "limp! Bob ain't the only grand-stander grand-stander in our midst. Bight now I'm close enough to spit on another guy who is a h 1-poppin' team his own self. Don't tell me you're against ad-vertisin', ad-vertisin', boy. I ain't ever noticed that you ride into the encinal to pull off the plays that make folks talk." The sheriff protested. "I've been driven into doing spectacular things I didn't want to do, but I never did any of them to make people talk. Or If I did the reason was not vanity, but to increase respect for the law." Gringos Were Not Welcome, Especially Espe-cially Officers of the Law. He had seen a bottle passing from one to another, but at sight of him activities activi-ties became suspended. They were surprised to see him. This was a private pri-vate baile; at least Americans had not been invited. If the sheriff attended it must be in the way of business. Then on what business? The Mexicans Mexi-cans held together against the gringos. If one was wanted by the law his countrymen hid and shielded him. They were suspicious of the administration adminis-tration of justice as worked out by the ruling race. O'Hara passed into the building. The sounds of stamping feet and the strains of the music filled the barn. Most of those present were dancing and did not observe him, but the men standing near the door expressed in their looks a surprised hostility. This was their demesne. Gringos were not welcome, especially officers of the law. The sheriff refused to understand the resentment. His smile remained pleasant and friendly though it was a little absent-minded. His eyes were already searching for the man lie had come to find. The first survey of the floor failed to find him. There were only Mexicans. He saw Dolores Gomez. She was dancing with a slender young vaquero in the costume of a caballero. Banged against the wall were her father and her mother, the latter wearing a black lace mantilla. Juan Garcia was on the floor. In the room were two Hash-knife Hash-knife riders. But no Bob Quantrell. A shift in the position of the dancers danc-ers brought Dolores and her partner into the foreground. Carelessly O'Hara gaze rested for a moment on the young man with the girl. He was in velvet bell-shaped trousers and a short vest elaborately fringed with gold braid. A wide red sash was fitted tightly to his slim waist. From the costume the sheriff guessed that gallant a vain young man. He was light on his feet, but he went through the figures of the dance hesitantly, as though he had not practiced them very much. Yet he was not abashed when he made a slight mistake but quite self-possessed. A smile lit the swarthy5 face, and at sight of the two buck teeth that showed above the retreating chin O'Hara's heart lost a beat. In spite of the disguise he knew that the dancer was Bob Quantrell. And even while the sheriff watched him a man sidled up to the outlaw and dropped a word in his ear. O'Hara knew what the man had said as well as though he had heard him. For Quantrell's glance swept instantly to the door and found the officer. Hard and unwinking, the eyes of the two men met and clashed. Quantrell knew he had been recognized, recog-nized, and the sheriff knew that he knew It, though the man's feet still kept time to the music. What would be do? O'Hara did not for an Instant |