Show r n l i e e Author of ofA Rimrock Trail e A AM A Man to His Mate Etc J. J ALLAN DUNN DUNN- By r 3 Allan Dona aaa I I CHAPTER 19 19 Molly Mine Sandy Sandr replacing the blanket on oni i Wyatts Wyatt's face examined his guns and started climbing up to the big bowl der Soon he discovered the narrow opening and proceeded cautiously To Sands Sandy's right was perpendicular lar hr rock to his left of ot the blocking bowlder with the skeleton tree topping it withered In the cleft that had first nourished then denied It nourishment It gleamed sliver gray craT attracting his hili attention As he gazed pred his hi sharp ears caught the tiny crack of a brittle branch Instantly he lie dropped to all fours tours as a spurt of flame showed from the tree and a bullet whined over o him to smack against the rock and fall flattened Sandy did not move He lie knew that to the man firing his fall might have hove seemed a hit that he had beaten the missile by bT the space of a wink He lie heard more broken boughs as os If his assailant were clumsily a 8 clambering out of ambush and he shifted silently Into position rifle set f r Q r V A m A I 1 l I i I. I I e l Sandy landy Did Not Move H Ha H. Knew That to th the Man Firing His HI Fall Might Have Hav Seemed a Hit HIL down both guns ready There Ther came a strange thrashing sound a groan of ot mortal anguish silence If It this was wasa a trick It was a crude one Sandy waited That groan half bolt sigh half halt rattle could not be mistaken He lIe halt bit fr Jed the bowlder gliding up a u flattened traverse and saw lying outspread out onto spread over a 8 low bough of the withered with ered Bred tree face to the moon gun IUn away from the the curling bard harjd Butch Parsons With ready gun Sandy reached him bent turned him on his II tilde side de A bullet Had ranged ran through both hl hips s shattering them The spine must been Injured There were puddles pud dIes of blood that told tile the Injury was some BOme hours old Butch Dutch had bad lain Iain there paralyzed passed b by Brandon's Brandon men as dead lingering Ilk like the traditional snake make until sunset to t. see and recognize nize Sand Sandy coming through the tile gap to use use his hia last lut remnant of life liCe to pull trigger r and so to to die the injured verI vertebrae ver vex I tE giving away to the effort the spark park of life pinched out Sandy left him and returned to the gap pp lIe He could still lUll read sign plain as a. it was on every everl side lIe He fo- fo the side gulch saw the cabin f r Halm's nahn saddle horse grazing n ne n-e e Blaze In the corral the cabin door epen pen with the moon streaming In lIe He had Aad pieced d out the puzzle to his own satisfaction Brandon and his men had Bad arrived and tn In Hereford they had run across Wyatt Watt procuring horses there am ami saving themselves the trip to Three Star Butch's Dutch's body hotly was 1111 evidence that they had not been unsuccessful Wyatts Wyatt's that the fight Had not been all all' sided one the s surprise surprise sur sur- r prise not perfect And ff if I had lad been warned what had become of Molly He e got an answer that made his i heart hurt stand still then therm pound In a rush i of ot action On the tl floor In the beam i of ot the moon lay the piece luck a few links licks of gold chain attached to the s coin Stooping Stooping- for tor It It he brushed a i strand of brown hair Then he saw r Grits Grit's bod body beneath the table Fury r boiled balled in him chilled to icy wrath i and determination lIe He put away th the e coin and hauled out the dogs dog's bod body Into the moonlight It was limber and still warm Sandy SandI rose rOBe from his 9 squat and swiftly examined the cabin He discovered a lantern with oil in It which he lit He lie had no fear of In Before Detore very long Sa Sam and the Three Star riders would b be e t along The sight eight of Blaze suggest suggested 1 that Moll Molly was waa not far away awaT If It sh she e bad had gone irone by force or her own fre free e will W the probability was that her lIer ow own en n I mount and saddle would have been requisitioned 41 He found warm water in a kettle be he had the first aid kit with Its bandages band ages aN lint And above all aU h he e jT T had Keiths Keith's silver flask half full II He lIe s old did not fall fail to do note te th the empty empt bottles bottle a s I tt J. J r 4 w t I I on the tile table the I blood marks mark where veins had sprinkled and Grit had stained the floor lie found too too a button of b horn rn with a fragment of ot black and white check torn tom from Molly's Molly riding coat In the struggle Sandys Sandy's anger Into one ambition ambition am am- beyond the finding of ot Molly and that t was was to kill If It pos possible poss sible with his hI bands hands lIe He pictured the struggle between the I gambler and the girl desperate on one side aide brutal on the other and whether the stake had been won von or lost he be resolved that should hould die for that attack Now his hope hung on Grit lIe He took the collies collie's head bead on his lap and examined the blow made by the butt buttof buttof buttof of gun It had laid bare the bone but he lie did not think It either elther splintered or fractured Sandy knew that dog or wolf or coyote will IllIn lie Ill In a torpor after arter being badly wounded wound wound- ed and often recover slowly waking from the recuperating sleep ren tal- tal Hut If he could bring Grit back he must make fresh demands on him lie He washed the wound on the head heal and poured iodine into it t He lIe did the same carne with the hole In the leg cleansing it from the dried blood and hair ball It had stopped bleeding lie He disinfected it stitched it it closed It bound It with adhesive lv-e lv tape and strengthened it with a bandage adJusted adjusted ad ad- jolted as ns expertly as aa any surgeon could have done lie He pried open the Jaws with but little resistance and let the tongue slip back before he poured In a measure of Scotch and water between the canine and Incisor teeth For or a moment there was no response then Grit coughed choked lowed Sandy re repeated the dose with less water It went down naturally Almost Immediately he felt the tIle heart stroke e strengthen Grit sneezed opened his eyes ees and feebly thumped his tall as he licked Sandys Sandy's hand Grit ol of pardner said Sandy seri sent seriously the dogs dog's head between his hands bands yore sure mussed up a heap an an r I hate to do it but I got to to callon call callon on n you TOU son It wont won't be such sucha a long trick but I cant can't get by without with without out yore nose Grit It Its It's wort moren all Ive I've got An I know yore game Grit wagged his tall more moro vigorously vigorous vigorous- ly Iy and tried to get on his feet but Sandy pre prevented him until the third dose was administered Then he carried car fled ried the dog outside to save him every foot progress and set him down The collie stood up wab bly on one foot but able to stand looking eagerly at Sandy commencing to snuff the air Sandy let him smell the coin the strand of ot hair the piece of cloth and with his keenest sense stimulated with the perfume that stood to Grit for love the the dog dog kled his hla nose and cast around Buthe But Dut Buthe Duthe he led direct to Blaze maze and stood by bythe bythe bythe the the horse uncertain while Blaze nosed down at him Carried out of the cabin son lion son said Sandy Well guess at lie Ilea got clear of ot the locality Blaze maze knows but he cant can't tell Weve We've got to cast about lIe He picked up the dog again puzzled and looked about him himIn himIn himin in the gulch suffused with moonlight There be soft dirt under those asps lets let's give a see look there They had not gone five the trees before man and dog made a simultaneous simultaneous sim aim discovery For or Sandy SandI It II was a mark heel-mark left by treading heavily under his burden a slight alight depression enough nough but plain to Sandy SandI began to struggle in his I r f tins Molly's hair or body must have rushed against lower boughs at the thea a ne ne height th that t Sandy carried the wounded Grit and the scent still clung They TIllY go fur in this direction direction diree tion by the looks of the place Grit said sold Sandy See Ste what you TOU can matte make of It He Ile put him down by the heel heel- print Grit uttered a low growl deep back In hits his throat his bis ruff lifted fitted lie He started off orr hobbling bubbling alon along leading truly over oyer rock or sand Into the cove where the split rock lay Its crevice black the vine curving Ing down Into It like a serpent Where had laid her ber down do Grit halted and raised his head his tongue playing in and out of his jaws Jans In his triumphant ox ex- excitement r- r his eyes ejes luminous his tall waving like the plume of a knight Sandy gently patted him pressed him down to a crouch Down charge Grit he whispered in his ilia ear Youve got It it You stay here Sandy had left his rifle rUle at the cabin when he carried Grit out now he spun the two cylinders of hi his Colts lowered himself into the split spilt holding on to the vine lne looking straight Into Grits Grit's lambent eye eyes Stay here son he be said softly and Grit licked the face now on a level with hits his own Ill he e back Sandy had adventured more dangerous dan don chances than this He lie felt hi his legs dangle Into space pace and nd his hands hand found a curving loop In the vine trun trunk that sagged saied slightly under his w weight Extended at full length his toes toe touched bottom Letting go h he dropped lightly ant and stood In tn blackness black ness the crevice above e him s Showing a strip of azure azore light tight There was only the sound of dripping drip drip- ping water He lie ventured a match holding It at arm la In his hi left lef hd hand flicking friction with his nail call an old trick The match caught and began tegan to blaze Instantly In the still air Low down and to the right there here showed a stab of flame the roar I of an exploding cartridge the reek of powered high-powered gas gaa seemed to fill 1111 the cavern The bullet passed through Sandys Sandy's coat sleeve If he had held beld the he match In front of him he would ha have been shot through heart or I lungs lunga His Ills right-hand right gun barked I from rom his hip straight for where the flaro lame had showed then to right of ot It to o left above his left-hand left gun Join Join- Ing ng In the merciless probe No second see sec and ond shot came In answer I Sandy lit another match Its flare I showed him a Band sandy floor slightly I sloping moist In one place a charred stick almost at his feet It was a apine apine pine knot half burned and he lighted light light- ed It easily advancing toward the spot where he be had flung the shots he knew had silenced whoever had bad fired at the the first match He lIe found Hahn crumpled up shot through the right arm ann and a thigh besides the other wound In his shoulder Sandy turned him over brought Keiths Keith's flask Into play Hahn looked up at him and essayed a grin Yore game me all right Hahn said sold Sandy You aint the man roan I was fo but you rou fired first I see flee II I wasn't the first to plug you rOil Meb Meb- be e I can fix you rou up a bit hit Hahn shook his head be a mite of use he sa said aid d huskily No grudge against you rou ou Sandy Sand SandI I thought you OU one of ot Brandon's gong gang ng They got Butch and me an they're chasm chasin Jim to 0 hell and gone over gone over Nipple peaks If If he beats em to Spur rock hell he'll fool em on the black black I I couldn't ride he he left me me here with here with the girl girl but but buthe the he case is la empty and the banks bank's busted time cashing In time and no chips lie He was wandering In his mind speakIng peaking without control but Sandys Sandy's mouth tightened at nt the mention of ot Nipple Peaks relaxed again on the word girl He lIe gave Hahn the thelast thelast last ast few drops of whisky The dealer coughed violently collapsed shuddered shuddered dered writhed a little and was still before Jie Jle could answer Sandys Sandy's eager question about Molly lie lie He found her without much searchIng search- search lag Ing ng rolled down a little slope beyond the he crevice Under tinder the light tight of the torch b her r eyes looked up at him Her lIer hair was In disorder her here raiment torn her ber slender body wound wound woud about by the lariat rope her ber mouth and chin hidden by the tightly drawn bandanna bandanna ban ban- danna but her gaze reflecting the flare of t the pine knot held so much of ot welcome v of faith of ot pride and cour courage all in something deeper far more wonderful moving mo beneath the surface like a well welt t that that Sand Sandys Sandy's s 's heart swelled with glad emotion knowing she was unharmed knowing that his coming coining was no surprise however welcome lie He found himself trembling as he untied her ber bonds and took away the gag from the mouth that lifted to his She snuggled into his arms and as the torch sputtered out leaving them In the darkness save for forthe the luminous e t dl 1 r W 5 Sandy I Knew You'd Come In Time Tim She Whispered beams benm that stole down from where Grit whimpered In joyous Impatience her hair showered down over o both o ot of them theIl Sandy I knew you'd come in fn time timed I she whispered He lie held her close and hard for a aten atense atense ten tense lie moment that gave all aU his world worl to his embrace Molly Molly girl girl he said brokenly his voice olce broken with passion Her hand band crept up and a soft palm cupped about his hll chin lIe He kissed the edge of ot it He lie rose easily still bold holding In her and lifted her high to where she ahe could reach the time vine swinging up after her Grit dancing a three-legged three reel of joy as II they thel came up Into the free air and the moonlight Blaze greeted them in the corral Molly Jolly mounted mount mounted and Sandy set Grit on the he saddle In front of her Wheres Pronto she asked He lie told herI herI her I finer figger Sam an en the boys boys' be er er- long ong soon he said laid They Thel may maT meet up ip with Pronto Ironto Anyway they'll likely likely like like- ly y bring Goldie fo to me She's up An be too tired fo what I want him ilm to do doo She sensed the change in his voice Intuitively guessed but womanlike asked What do you IOU mean Sandy Arent Aren't you rou coming home with me to Three Star If It wasn't so o far Id I'd love to togo togo too go o back just like this without meet meet- lag Ing ng anybody makin fo Nipple peaks i ian on an hes he's likely to Sit alt clear Me I aim to 0 head him off an an settle th the account ac ac- count I. ac Sandy There was a plea In her voice that plucked at his heart strings lie Ill didn't harm me Sandy lIe He tried to a aHer Her hand slipped to his shoulder touched his cheek She reined In Maze Blaze Sandy stood beside her her straight might and stern his eye eyes able lIe He aint fit to live he went onI onI onI on I be fit to go back to Three Star where yore rore daddy lies an know knowle he le was there In his grave grave while I let that hat coyote go loose What you rou think of ot me if I let him n slide slider I know she I answered 1 A horse whinnied from down the Blaze answered be Sam an an the boys boys Molly Mol Mol- ly ar lIe He cupped hands a and d sounded a Yahoo I j The answer came back clear through the evening multiplied by bT bythe the he rocks about them Im afraid she said sold Afraid TI y T yI I know I never was before But Dut 1 She broke off off leaned swiftly down from the saddle and I kissed him I Come back to me soon Sandy she said sold CHAPTER The End of the Rope Rop Pronto bad chosen his own trail and gait to the Three Star It was was Goldie that Sandy rode under the |