Show u M HE DESERTS DESERT'S PRICE PRICE- CHAPTER R I I Ida 15 t de h Muerte i da Me- Me Wilson lIson where l Gt-l bench cb bf looked Ike lie he 1 horse his n tiP I desert die l ie iet el wast wa le e were sunt sun sun- EL tin be t d of which la t the to toi 14 rest Ill I'll welcome 1 Iia landscape so flooded s Ira i II of these arroyos rp ro one l Frio coun P the nil to 10 d tide ride y letH M hen of 01 his 1 the a 6 tl the e the be haw 1011 fed aDd 10 1 man Toting u It lifted fro from the stir stir- tras la i the Ibe oTher other olber supported pa part rt of d brown face was WiS l dark Pub The set tight Noth- Noth oth e loan lean Jaw tb behind were 0 ate thoughts inscrutable gray eyes 1121 r p lt the he heart e tat sat for many minutes 5 fascination for him rt held heh I Influence not notI I I At tine that of nil thiS f nn o l Ife fe but hul of 1 liar sr At Att time he hI bated every err wr ear t k j for lit II n bone ll It and nIl victory certain n It wax wa a 1 aJ aWi aits tIll the less None J 10 Wi his tho Ms What t il of Its nl 1111 H W tt If find fad lie the kp Key to its It hidden I ll tit II de la In lI h came from early dI liS as the name of l n 1111 its wlm Those se rt 9 arch used the Spanish lani h deft lItt P for It To call tills this sOlid sand stretch Y of heath would have 11 1 been and In to dread sentiment l Inn 1 n to id fop cared to make Tainted word ford these lad lad- A ins ns the theford tell ft preferred C the Ike Spanish name was a well I. I For everything e reach of birr Irr winds fought for existence al f desert set the conditions for tor fork k ho young youn McCann thought hit- hit n To survive he be must have hll In int t of the tough skin kin of ot 1 l of 01 the pol poison on of the side side- e I of tie the pouncing lust to kill l of oft t rid rold cat rat lie Ile must endure heat t anI and hunger or he must the It S the stillness sl of the drowsy r t shot rang out sharply Me- Me h listened l t Intent and crouched f i i the Ibe explosion might June elf ne of many things n a man In inu u his back bick to a n rock wall wait PI r de defiance anre at n circle of ot ene cne- i i h bullet hunet flu flung ns from ambush anda and a figure ure huddled on the dry a a lm lost and strick panic III site f the mere wanton exuberance of lets f Mond and a third shot followed F evenly spaced It was a n eo signal a call eull for help l Inn nn drew his revolver re a and lid 11 fired file the sir air to 10 let the one In n need that tat help belp was on the wn way Then l pj I but bat without panicky haste he ht M 4 Ind n rode along the bench another shot echoed down I Drone Brine up ti he Ill was moving H meant to direct him McCann wi ld and he lie fired once more for fur forto to ee ceto to the one In dl distress tress e l a to It tt Jim Dandy he urged e P 1 t his s horse borse at nt the die steep incline inclined d t op from the n arroyo e slope led from the edge of e l to the Die base l of ot a n hogback 1 rose like emaciated me ie of Mother Iother Earths Earth's spine pIne pick luck eye ere of the rider sa searched ltd lid found a away way up III as the summit McCann looked on os a small tra grassy park Th This la Mf lid d Jim Derby's Derbys place In what lid 4 to this young oun fellow pre pre-hiis- lUI wi bys he had settled here because rin that not en e In the most i dried drIer entirely Among Amon the he hee e Wi outs nestled a low adobe cabin front t of the hut but a n woman was wasa r g. g She had In her hands a u a It Ie rider elder looked across aWIS the little Imd fred discovered Jeered that the woman Toting almost a girl slender and dal daI of figure He lie wondered who Wald be 1 T for hurt hurl she Me said MM wait ait to 00 Introduction lIes He's broken it Horse fell on nn him line ke she he the fact the it 11 mans man's train of thought still t to her What t wa was she t Where had site Come corne from I did It happen ll he be did not know of ere few In this Hl slid the iiiI country an e he was s ach ac- ac Ith h them nil un a followed his lis I her tier Into the cabin room one j shack shack- rectangular pane four ne windows window's A lay o on a home male of le bed d In one the room d 1 fellow lIe Ue was 9 a little td with In blue overalls gray gruy- Small quick ck I beady eyes Jim v the newcomer one butt bust my lal laig eed rid the timer old tilt l fell nonchalantly Jy lly d-d d on me Got at a n bark back T. T q reckon In II e About Dry dI of V Canyon canon I l seen 1111 toh eb cattle an an was the P piled l me get on OD yore ore ure loss hoss 7 COue out too for iI Id I'd liked hiked tr I laid but I didn't get to go bOO three right there on them thera g. g tl 1111 al Julia tn Leo leea me come ha lad gently beep been a hot hoti the thO theme hot I ure liD an me dry dryas a a cork g 01 d tie an nh 4 nry up P Qi Ce is tale eer y fill filled Id I'd al I Prospects looked r h me JUlia Julla In sauli dropped round n In ll howdy lYd 1 to 10 mae me E i t I disremember ever spendin a n night an an a day flay so 1 long No water bag Jim Wasn't that kinda careless McCann naked asked All 11 of that lint Vils An that aint but half of It Id I'd run outa the makins He lie was urns a n garrulous old fellow and the reaction of relief from the long hours of helpless s waiting hours walting slur dur ing lag which he had not Mt known whether life or death was In store fur for Mm him him- loosened hI his itis tongue anti and lifted him to 10 toa toa a mood moot akin to gUI gayety lie had hael broken his leg III of tit cour course l' l but hilI he had hall hadnot not riot come lime to the nIl ond of th the he passage There would he be plenty of time In III the weeks UH when he was tied tild to tu n bed to cuss about the Ihl I log Irs Wilson McCann stepped out nut outside the cabin took sonic some Om water frost from the olla and washed his hits This Chi done he examined th the broken leg und and matte made pt in to sot set It temporarily until n it doctor could he be brought lie Ile fount found same me bau ds from the tilt top lop of ot otIn an In old box and I whittled 11 III It-I It them for splints t while the tile girl w was waR as n In Veil rIh Veils Veil's s 's us-ti us war r hu bg for a n f lean cotton shirt lIht This she lip ht tore Into strips Irl to 10 serve Jr as nR Heady Tim Jim till the 1111 mini man rile 11 t Sine Stine II ls night Kl dd tl-d no now now- l by endured w without a II groan lan a afew afew few fw muil 11 s of nf p t pain lie t had the till virtue of nf the frontier elo torture that would ha have Litre set net 11 man u II Ill I'll city nun man tiling ming When 11 the SUI surgeon Imd hlll fin Yerby with will tt II sl nigh Ih h. h I reckon I the he II ltd Iii I us some come OIT nn it my private can of ru U cuss s words If you jou Ou hadn't been n here hlf he ho told the thu girl grinning cheerfully Silo She he hll hail had 1 su differed feted with him hint during the ordeal but the hands hanels Mint had helped Mcann had not trembled I know know It hurt a lot she he replied Now uw Im I'm going to wash your OUr face with cold colli water You'll You feel fel better then As soon lIOun as ns she had gone one out of the cabin to pet get water from the olla the younger man fired llred a question at Yerby Who Is she Into the black beady heady eyes Ers of the timer old-timer a n gleam of humor flickered Boy Ploy ride yore jore ore own range Aint this young oun lady Indy done lIone saved sa me when I hind had hada hinda a through ticket for Kingdom Come You go read yore jore ore story books nn an see how bow It always alwa's comes comE'S out after that hint You old alkali all 11 come clean Who Is she 7 The timer old slowly blew smoke rings toward the ceilIng My Iy this tills Hl boys boy's a n regular parrot Dont Don't know but one sentence looks like Course I dont don't blame him non none She's a n mighty easy young oung lady Indy to look at Hut But no use him look lookin in lIes lIe's clear outa the before he ever starts tart II Why h am I 17 She Isn't married Not ot furs fur's I know Or going to be Le Yerby looked nt at him reproachfully Sure she's going g to be er Ewer know one like her that wasn't when w-hien she got good an ready You lut ct told me yet jet et who she Is The old man looked ed at nt him and grinned with friendly malice Rhes Miss lIss Julia Stark Slark daughter r of old Matt Matr Stark who's such a n close friend of or you OU and journ yourn Over O the eyes ejes of young McCann a curious film dim of blankness passed Ills face set to harsher lines lIns There was wasa a slight narron narrowing Ing of the 11 lids lIs Of course lie He might have known It Who Vho else could she be lie except the daughter of the arch enemy of his house that daughter who hud hind been away to school In Los Angeles half a doz dozen n years During that time he had not seen her The last glimpse of her had been a characteristic one J V a Jc f I e et et t r t t I Jim Yerby's Hurt She Said Waiting for No Introduction Astride a bareback blueback horse borse she hind had flashed past him a stringy thirteen thirteen- year old girl all long legs II's and flying black hair anti and big dark eyes tet It wa was hard to believe that wll wild 1 little hoyden had grown up Into a beauty He lIe remembered remembered re re- her a pert rt and anti saucy minx bro brought up wholly among men except for tor nn on old Mexican cook Even Hven then there had been war between the McCanns Me Me- Canns and the Starks Ills Instinct now was not to let her know Just yet tt who he was lIe He did not search for the reason of It The Tte feeling feeling feel feel- ing was enough It was clear she did not Dot recognize him Five years ears had transformed him from a gangling boy boyto boyto boyto to a man In the Unless you ou want a rookus house better not tell her who I 1 am alii McCann suggested Sites She Jim Jima 0 I n By Dy y c Villi William am MacLeod Raine u lIn Settle Ie Cow Cop tight right b by William MacLeod McLeod a sure enough pepper box when she gets to going good Yerby chuckled Thas right rl Willi I dutno dunno as ns there's theres nn any lI use e Martin anything Shell She'll find out soon lIoon enough nn anyhow holThe v. ho The girl returned with a n basin of water a towel and a piece of torn rag for n a wash cloth The old timer protested Now ow looky lanky here liero maam ma'am Im I'm n a heap obliged ell t to you Sou but I 1 can cau wn wash h my lilY own face fall an nn annot annot not lint trouble von I been doing It t a It aright aright right smart time without a valley Oft Off an nu on on for for a n hundred hU nn an how many years Jim murmured the Swinger man n limp 1 Im I'm seven fifty If It f you jou OU wan want I to 10 know knol An n I 1 ne never e was us-as sick lick a tiny day In 11 my life You young joung sprouts sprouts sprout think think Jin became inart In In- art articulate I 1 liKe 1111 mature men myself Miss lIss Stark announced and sat lIal down on the edge Idee of the tilt bed prepared ret for business Yerby could master ler effective opposition nl a II soapy rag was traveling over O hi his face Wash sit him corn grand behind the ears maam ma'am advised ahlsell McCann solicitously You go to to Yuma J i retorted the indignant In In- homesteader III Ills nurse took charge Imperiously Boller go co out and take the saddle adlle off ofT Mr Ir Yerby's horse I put flut It 11 In the corral M McCann went When hen saddle and anil bridle wore wIre oft off the animal flung up Its lis heels hells and went flying round the corral Meanwhile Miss lIss Julia Tulla Stark was wall asking ask aliI lug big her host last n question Who is he Fellow from over o the FrIo Fria way ny I get gt them riders all young oun mixed up he answered evasively lly One of McCanns McCann's riders she he asked askell quickly I dont don't remember him ThEre always In nn out Mostly their homes are under their hats hills Yes 1 I. I she agreed not wholly sa satisfied satis satis- fled fied with this explanation She had hadan hadan an nn Impression that she hind hall seen 1111 him before and ought to remember who ho hohe he was McCann appeared In the doorway Expect Id I'd better go o for Doc Sanders now he said snit to 10 the girl Unless you'd rather ride home and have one of yore ore boys go for him Maybe that would be better beller No 0 Ill I'll sin stay But Iut I wish you'd oud stop at the Circle Cross and tell my father I wont won't be home till late Hell He'll get t to worrying Tell him not of to sent send for forme ine mI Ill I'll come back with the doctor On the brown face of the young joung man was n a faint sardonic grin In not letting letting let let- ting her know who he was he lie had built hullt a trap traIl for himself lie He reflected that he would he as ns welcome at nt the lie Circle Cross Cros as a II June hall storm In n raising grain countr country But lie be had to togo togo togo go through now or drag his tan tall Ill stop slop on my wn way he promised I The suns sun's rays rn's streamed down Iown the Cite arroyo arroo through which McCann and Doctor Sanders rode rolle By ly the IIII time fume th they came clime to a sight of ot the desert Inn long shadows were stretching across s from the lomas McCann Mcann drew up I reckon heres here's where we part Doc See you OU later laler Doctor Sanders anders a II small plump man manIn manin In n a land of lank giants gave ga him the valedictory of ot the plains So o long then deflected to follow a trail trait leadIng leading lead lead- In Ing to the right Ills hits companion pu pushed hd into a small gorge In front of him The hying VY 1 and the Circle Cross Cron ranches were twenty miles mills apart but Lut distance could coul not obliterate the hatred of ot the owners The They had hud been close friends once Peter Ieter McCann anI and Matthew Stark tark In n their youth they had side b by side chased Texas bru brush brush- h splitters over the salt grass bumps Together they had followed the westward west ward tide of migration to Arizona In c their hours off duty they had frolicked as tide bide partners at the up round camps ramps and at lit the small of the border border bor bora der towns Their comradeship had been ben a byword In the country where they were known Into their lives a n girl had come Je tes fessie lf Farm arwell ell daughter of It th the cattleman cattle cattle- man Inan for whom hom they Ihy both worked They quarreled Stark won Jessie for tor his bride The years passed and each ench left both hoth men more mare prosperous more powerful In Inthe inthe the till community Their enmity was known of nil all men even e before their political ambitions and their financial Interests ts collided On opposing tickets they thy ran for sheriff and McCann was wa elected Their wandering herds over over- lapped The punchers of It each ench clashed i over water wilier holes hole over r calves wrongly branded by mistake Charges of rustling rustling rus rus- were wre bandied back hack and forth at lit first out oUI of ot animosity rather than any serious belief In their truth Trouble followed Then Theil dramatically tilt the curtain rolled up 1111 for a scene of grim grin tragedy A Circle Cross CrIllS rider rhIer was wall found lying face down at nt the bottom of or a cut bank II He lie e had perhaps been d dry shot from front ambush but hut this wa was urns not sure Who did 1111 it nobody knew hut but at nt the Stark ranch lIu suspicion Hew flew straight to 10 the Flying VY tY This had hall been less than two weeks before the line afternoon when Wilson McCann rode rodo through In s to carry arry word to Matthew Matthew- Stark that his daughter would not be home till late Inte lie was descending Into a n valley Before him were checkerboards che of Irrigated irrigated Irrl gated 1 grain and pasture meadow C ceil- ceil centering II around the houses houst's of the ranch niacin Cattle were brow browsing In the valley leisurely a rider was moving mo across the tire plain |