Show urn ww v WV F Rimrock Trail AM Author Etc I of Mate I By J. J AlLAN DUNN 1 bp J. J Duna I I A CLOSE CALL To lo To th the tho Three Hires ranch Arizona owned jointly by Sandy Sand Bourke Mormon J Peters Petera and Water Soda Sam Manning a fine tine collie make makes Hi Its way In the lilt lut of Inscription tion tron on It I. it collar says sari IU Its name U II Grit ant property of P. P Ce Cuey ey Scenting a desert lesert tragedy Bourke Bourk and Bam Sam mount and let the dog dOIr lead them The two find t a dying man Patrick Ca Caie Cuey y pinned under an overturned wagon walon Kneeling beside the tho wagon wag I is I. til lie his young daughter Molly Holly They extricate ex ox the old prospector who dies diu repoRting repeating Molly lolly Ill look out for tor that pardner pays aya SandY Bandy It U ii agreed aneed that Moll Molly stays taya as mascot malcot of the ranch she h. h and the tle Ue Three Musketeers Musketeer becoming becoming be be- coming partners In the mines Sandy Bandy Insists upon upen an education for Molly folly Jim gambler r visiting the Ole ranch Insults Molly lie Ire claim claims he grubstaked Casey Caller which made molle him hint the old Id mans man's partner Mormon drives drive him off Starting with a gold Rold e eagle Molly's Molly I luck piece Sandy with Sam Barn plays I Zero taro at place winning It Is 19 arranged that tha t Molly shall If KO go 0 East mait to be A neighbor Miranda Bailey Dalley warna the tho ranchers that Jim as a. claims claim Patrick Casey's partner Cr guardianship of Molly and the authorities au au- au- au stand In Is with him Mm Sandy determines determine to take the girl to New Mexico to 10 an old oLt friend 1 Barbara Redding for tor advice The three throe turn men with the girl set let out ut Pur Put Pursued sued hiM by the sheriff and the ranchers separate Mormon and Bam Barn returning and Sandy and Molly going Om on CHAPTER VIII 7 7 The Pass Pall of the Goats Goat In the throat of ot the gorge the sun shone Bhone red d on the tawny cliffs It was close dose to seven Sandys Sandy's lean leon face was anxious The girl drooped In her seat sent tired from the long climb dim not yet jet Inured to the saddle Sandy had llad only one once crossed the Pass of the Goats and that was vos years before There list Imd been washouts since then Several Severd times they were forced to dismount and ond lead th the n nervous nerv nervous nerv- nerv ryous ry- ry ous Feasts beasts Sandy doing the coaxing helping Molly lolly over the difficult places lie He role rode a mare more named Goldie an anthe and the he girl girt a bay with a white blaze bloze that Sandy had chosen for the mountain work worle and which bad been brought to them at nt the lava lova strip The mare halted neck stretched out turning It to to look Inquiringly nt at tier her master A sharp Incline lay ahead the path little better r than one made mode by the goats goals for tor which the pass was named homed Behind Molly's lollys mount fol followed lowed suit blowing at the dust Sandy patted the tile mares mare's neck and dis dl mounted Yore sure Ure game Molly he be said admiringly you rou must be clean tuckered tuck tuckered ered out She shook her head bead with an on attempt at a smile Ill TH be bo glad when wo we start stort goin down fer ter a change she ehe admitted admitted- looking Into the gloomy trough of the canyon through which the night wind soughed Ill tighten up yore fore cinches said i Sandy Worst of ot the climbs climb's Jest I ahead Then we start to drop down side You dont don't have hae to git off oft He lie tugged nt lit the leathers hU his knee against the Ule bays bay's ribs as she grunted You aint much h to to go RO Hl UI he chatted on Downhill all the way soon lOOn an then a drink drink- to wash out yore mouth an nn an the best feed in Careen to fe the pair of ot you Gits dark mighty quick up ere ere said the girl girt A great greut cloud was ballooning above them like a 0 dirigible that bad lind lost buoyancy had and was bumping along the mesa ridge Its It belly black Its western side sile ruddy In the sunset San ly viewed l It apprehensively ly The cloud was soggy with moisture BurstIng Burt Burst Ing lug It would send rend torrents roaring down every ravine rn wash out wath ered masses of ot earth sweep all before be bo- fore toro It ns as S It gathered forces and ond rushed out on the desert esert Where Molly anti and Sandy rode they were exposed to 10 the first drench of ot a S cloudburst Sandy examined Ms his own cinch and ond tightened It before he ho mounted And he be whispered ered something In the mores mares ear that caused her to Up lip his lils sleeve e. Let Iet yore oro hove have his hll own Va way Molly he sold said Im lettin Goldie do the to fo the lend head Heady It was growing lC cold ld la is the twilight One spire ahead glowed golden The cloud drifted down upon It It glooming and glowing on Its lis sunset side The rhe crag crug pierced It ripped It as RS It glided along like the knife of ot a diver In the belly of a shark A cold colt wind blew from the tile riven mass Then n carao camo the tite hiss of ot descending waters Through the steady patter latter began to the Ule savage so voice of ot torrents falling over pr cliffs rapids rising and anti Urging In deep gorges The wetness and the cold sapped Molly's lolIs vitality She rode ft hands on the saddle saddlehorn horn born her ber head hend bowed bowell water streamIng stream I Ing from the rim of ot her Stetson tile the thull of ot the rain on her ller tired heavy y as ns hot She glie saw Sandy Sundy ahead I rumly like a sheeted ghost twisted In llis Ii b. b saddle watching her lier To her ller right tight was the cliff slimy with water the trail so narrow that no now and then her elbow dug Into the s soft oft stuff The Tho light rayed upward at an on acute angle In a 11 few tew moments I It t would b be dark nut But they wore were c close lose to the top The Tho The mare mare already s stood tood on a level levei ledge of sl side Jutting e rock from which one could look down i Into nto the canyon of the oaks and the unfailing stream Sandy heard a cry from Molly and s saw aw through the curtain of the tallIng fallIng fall tall i Ing ng rain the wide-flared wide nostrils ather of at her horse It Its ith eyes protruding as liS the brute with the ground slopping slopIng away beneath him slid slowly down toward t the he gutt the girl her weight flung lung forward forward for tor ward on the withers her face white as paper turning to him mutely mutell for help It was a bad moment Sandy SandI bad no space to turn In no ne chan chanto chance t to o whirl his lariat even for tor a n side t throw There no time to spin a h loop nut But Ills hand detached the rope flying fingers lingers found the free end as ashe ashe he pivoted In the saddle paddle thighs wel welded weld welded 1 ed to th the mare more Take a turn about shout the horn horni I he s shouted Hong hang to the end yosef i I IlIe lie l ie sent tile the line Una Jerking back whistling whis wMs- t liag a as It streaked across the girls girl's shoulders She clutched for tor It with plenty of slack clack snubbed It about the s saddle addle horn clung to the end made madea maden a n bight of ot It about her ber body Sandy spoke to the more mare Steady Ul lIt lady steady 1 I Th The rope was about his own horn he be t thanked God that he had examined the cinches of Molly's lollys saddle The bay boy was footed cat with the help of the themore mare more Sandy believed he could dig and ond s scrape crape and ond climb to safety lIe He felt Goldie Oddie stiffen beneath him braced against the strain she knew was coming The taut lariat hummed i It t bruised braised Into Sandys Sandy's thigh Behind t the he bay snorted I. struggling gallantly They Tiley were poised on the brink of death for a moment two two three three and t then hen the tho mare began to move slowly t f forward orward neck curved ears cocked rocked to her masters master's urging while the bay s sloshed through the treacherous muck f found foothold lost It made a frantic l leap eap another and landed trembling on the ledge Sandy leaped from his Ws saddle and caught Molly lolly sliding from her seat In sheer exhaustion and the revulsion re of terror clinging closely t to o him Im all right she ehe said I I was scared an pa nn yet I knew you'd pull me out Im I'm pl plumb plumi shamed of myself Jest like Uke a d d-d d d gel to act that way Shucks 1 I You wasn't half as scared as the bay Wonder did h be he strain himself Ho lIo passed clever hands over the bays bay's le legs s. s talking to It Yore all right 01 ol Right Bight as os rain Sandy recoiled his lariat gave Molly n a hand to her foot toot to lift her to her saddle mounted himself and ond they rode slowly down The turmoil tur tar moll moil of running waters far below bu bur bur- deo deD d the night but the tho dan danger er from the storm was over Train time was long past Sandy Sands knew nothing of the change of schedule schedule schedule sched sched- ule but he heos was os confident of winning clear lie knew a man In the little littletown I town they were aiming for tor whose liv l 1 She Sho Rod With Hand Hands on the tho S Saddle SaddleHorn I IHorn Horn Her Head Rowed Bowed wed W Water ter r Streaming From the Rim of He Her Hor C Stetson ery stable was In the march of tb the times divided between horses and ma chines There he lIe expected tl to put tip III the horses borses until they could be returned re rt- turned to Three Star and there hi he a figured ou Oil hiring a car car and u driver r rIf If It ns as he be anticipated th there re were n no nomore 1 more trains that night lie He d ol 1 that Mormon and ond Sam Sail had I Ithe the sheriff Probably the latter hitter Rim 1 ghen given up the chase chas but there was no a 0 telling They should lose tose no time In Ii 3 getting out of ot the state stale CHAPTER IX Caroe Sandy led the way on the mure mare ti toa to toa L a shelving Ing bench tench a place Ilace l he bl t. t had camped once lon long before and I with his out mans craft never forgotten noll Molly was tired almost al roost most to Insensibility as to what might be going on soaked and chilled to limpness Sandy got her out of cf the saddle and Into a shallow cave In a sandy bank bonk The next thing she knew a fire was lea leaping and tending sending light and ond warmth Into her bel nook Eat this Molly foll an we got to be beon beon beon on our way wal Sandy SandI was handing her hera a cupful of hot savory stew made for tor the trip warmed up hastily the b best t of a meal after their strenuous steen experience experience- SI though Sandy bemoaned bemoaned be be- bemoaned moaned Its quality you on an me ud eat cat en on the Pullman lie he said nut But this do us no harm Well We'll git acup a acup cup eup of coffee In ip If It theres there's a chance the reviving food gratefully gratefully grate grate- fully strength coming back with the fuel that gave both warmth and motive motive mo mo- tive tWo power Soon the they were jogging on down the wide trough of the can yon yen They crossed a white road unfenced tin un- fenced but evidently a main sour source e of ot travel though now deserted County line Una runs plumb down the middle of the rond road announced Sandy Theres the Ule lights of blinkin away owal to the left Too bad we missed the tile train Sleepy 7 Some she admitted Me Ie too lied Sandy companion companion- ably Coming down from the mesa he h had bad d talked with her about Barbara Redding Red Redding ding how welcome she would would make Molly and ond what she would do for her Molly had bad listened silently They entered the little town once a cattle station now renamed In musical musical mu mu- Spanish A Careen A Caress Caress ll a aspot spot where fruits were grown and flowers bloomed the year round wherever ever the water caressed the earth Sandy SandI rode the mare Into the livery where the last lost skirmish between tween ho hoot hoof t tand and rim Iron and rubber tire was being fought and called for Chuck Goodwin A stout man came out not so heavy not so big as Mormon but sheathed In flesh tIesh with the armor of ease and good living lIe He peered up at Sandy then let out a shout You long legged ornery emery freckle freckle- faced gun galoot Sandy Bourke Bourkel 1 I Light off oft n that se you an yore lady friend Where Whore la In latime latime time did you all drop from Come across the mesa meso Like to git washed across through Paso Cabras said Bald Sandy SandI Miss Ca Casey Case ey let me make you ou with Chuck Goodwin one Urea time the tho best sheer In the seven Cactus s states now sellin oil an gasoline gasoline-at at fancy prices not to mention machines fo to which he heIs heIs heis Is agent Got a n few tew oats left to fo yore Sandy Miss wont won't you come Inside the office Where you OU bound Sandy We was aimin to catch the seven en o'clock train east rest makin fo to New Mexico an anthe the Redding Bedding ranch where Miss Casey Is to visit fo to a spell but we found the trail troll bad an an a cloud cloud- bust finally set us back bock so we quit an an loafed in la Chuck have you you got a n machine you cud rent us with a driver You can have hare anything I got in the place with or wheels an wel come come Coin to the old Redding Bedding ranch Give my to Miss Barbara or Mrs Irs Barbara as ns she la Is now But nut But He lie looked nt at the wall clock Its a quarter of ten Yore trains train's been altered to suit main line lint schedules schedules- She dont don't come through till thirty nine-thirty an on an she's late lote makin the grade 1 I aint heard her lier Hop In my car ear an on an well we'll Jest about make e her She dont don't do much moren hesitate at when she's behind time He Ife hurried them out on the street to where a n car cor stood by the curb Molly and her few tew belongings Jot got In behind Sandy mounted with Goodwin YouJI toke take good Ore core of ot the thee the Chuck Chuk he tie said s. Ill pro probably ably be bocK baek for tor em In three three- fo to days dUR S Seguro ro Goodwin stepped on his starter and the flywheel Pl whirred to sputtering explosions Another car ear came Ime limping down the street list flat on both rims of ot one side Its paint plastered pins plas with mud one light out the theother theother other dimmed with mire The driver called to Goodwin Which WilY to th the depot Goodwin Good In his hand on the It Ib foot toot on the clutch was astounded to heir hear r Sandy hissing out Dont Dunt tell em ern Scoot attend ahead full tull speed Then over o his hU shoulder to the IRis girl Crouch down there thre Molly Goodwin W was v IS s still a man of action and he ht knew Sandy Bourke burke of ot old Out me f tho the pedal the pears gears engaged nil and 1 the cur eur t hot abend ahead l a swinging arc nrc light Sandys Sandy's rim hat did not shade lii his face or Molly's action had hod not been swift enough There came callie a u yell anti and a I i hiring of curses from the crippled ear cor which tl and turned and followed tol fol lowed ld Its 1111 torn treads flapping Goodwin asked no questions qUE of ot Sandy It If the latter wanted ever er to tell lell him 1 why he required a n quick exit out of ot or why hy he was followed fol I lowed ved lie he could If It not never mind He lie slid sUd hi his gears gear Into high and dodged around lC corners recklessly A red lantern lantern lantern lan lan- tern showed ahead In the middle cf ot the road They Thel em crashed shed through l a alight alight l light ight obstruction of boards and aad trestles treaties tres- tres ties tle overturning the lantern and plowed on over rough stone stones Im mayor said Goodwin with a grin my my myown own rules but I figger that broken bother em cm some Well We'll chance it It IL They lunged through regardless of ot tires and behind them the pursuing car rattled lurched skidded A |