| Show THE DESERTS DESERT'S PRICE t CHAPTER X Continued X-Continued Continued X-Continued 12 12 Out Ont of ot til hi ef eyes ejes 1 the tenderness died grew hard and cold ai as Ice Involuntarily In III voluntarily ly he straightened ned his den ders tI Then he tat sat down on the edge edgo of the cot to walt wait Wilson topped In the doorway of ot I ithe Ithe office taken by surprise The woman worn worn- an n he hs taw saw was wu not cot th the on one he be had Ian to see lee Ann Clifford pallid to th the th lips came forward eagerly Can you fOU save laTe hi him ml slie ahe a asked t. I Well We tr try he promised promise Jle Ike didn't do It It I did I cant can't let them kill him It Its It's awful Her Iter yes yei el clo closed td for tor a moment to so that he thought thought xh ahe Will wee going to faint taint Dut But she he caught at it the back of ot a chair and herself henelt I want to give my sett elt elf up op If It they mint must hang hani somebody Homebody why why why- The young mans man's eyes picked up two tWI others other In the room Jim Yerby and Stark Slark II lie He pa poised aed the question of ot I her ber guilt as Immaterial for the mo- mo ment The mob was wal In a II hanging temper tern tem per lIer ter and would disregard any evidence lIce she he might offer no matter malter whether true or fal false faIlle o. o You boys here to help Mike h h. h crisply haa hll whatever lever Wits WIls Yerby answered an nn- ered promptly for both bolh Good Wilson turned to Mike It If Ills Ilu Cliffords Clifford's story satisfies you why hy dont don't you 1011 turn Stone over to me mo ns as 8 deputy to 10 slip him outa town lown Ill I'll be responsible for him The rho Jailer rasped his chin dubiously That aint a 0 bad IMa either If Its It's not mot too late You menu meant for the re rest t of ofus ill us to stay Itay an nn hold hoM the Jail Make a bluff nt lit It It ye yen yes Question In is have hare they got Kat the jail surrounded They've got Kot a dozen men with lIh rifles rifle strung out In front This cam came from I Just got tot In the back way by the creek celk bed bet Wilson said Hut nut well we'll I have bave to hurry Get Stone Mike Mike nn nn dont don't waste a second The Irl Irishman hman nodded d and left the tho room almost on the run To young Stark his hll Inherited enemy gave gar a orders Got Oot Mist Gifford Clifford away from here Ill I'll havo have Mike 1 let you out the front door There wont won't be any trouble with the guards outside They'll rhyll let you through except maybo maybe to 0 ink ask some questions question Take her hu to the the hotel It If yore rore sister Isn't there them they will know where she Is ts at Get at hold of my brother Ln Lyn an nn an tell him to com corns up UI the tho creek with what men mm ho he hohas has hili gathered When we hoar boor an owl hoot twice well we'll know ties tie's there therean theren re rean an n open the back door for him Ann demurred de I dont don't want to go roo Id I'd rather stay here so 10 I can go out and tell the mob he be didn't do It I 1 mean If tl you IOU and he lie dont don't get away That would sure do a lot of ot good about ns as much as DI to persuade a II tiger r not to make malle Its kill kilt Wilson scoffed Ills harsh voice soft loft ened d If It you OU want to help theres there's a way Go 00 to the hotel I and tell yore II tory story Or wherever Miss Him Stork Stark Is now She's Bhe likely gathered a n few good Sen ns stir cm em up to help hEp Well she agreed doubtfully lUnd hand came Into the room with Stone The Tho prisoner prisoners face fare was teas hard hartl and Impassive Im Im- passive as 1 rim rim rock lie Ile looked round the room and nodded to those thole present Heady asked Wilson The deputy sheriff handed a revolver ver yer to Stone Me I believe this young l 4 C tJ a ai i aY aYa 1 a 16 3 Out O of His HII Eyes th the Tenderness s Died DId Thy They Grow Grew Hard and Cold Coldi II as i let Ice lad ladys lady's story nut Hut Im I'm askin you jou OU t to o give In up whenever er Hank cal rails calls l s for tor you 1 Dave f Y Yes 1 i th the Texan promised Rand nand led the way to tho the b bark back ck door dou r through the corridor lie He unlocked th the e bee heavy f door and stepped outside A bullet flattened Itself against a boulder boulde r two fe feet t from him Nothing doing Mike a voice vole e called from the brush across acron the creek Weve Wee jot got ot you OU covered good an an plenty The deputy stepped hack back Into leto the tin e corridor and closed the d door or Too late They'd gt get t you yon both bolh sure ure he said IBId Yes ye agreed McCann No chance They returned to tho the office odice e the back wa way way Hand nand ex t Now what about Miss GIfford GIf GIf- Gifford ford tord Do you reckon she had ought ough t to go gor Stone and McCann answered Yes 1 The The sooner the quicker Yerby added adred Well call nil out first nut an tell tho those e In front she he Is coming so there wont won't be beany beany any chance for a mistake McCann said Ann look looked Id I'd piteously at tine the Texan and followed Mike without a word ord of ot protest Her lIer heroic gesture to save lATe the man who had hael come to play ploy 10 so large largo a part In her life lite was under aveto n a veto of general masculine opinion No doubt douM their view was wall a commonsense commonsense common common- sense lense one that the mob would listen n to no explanation she made but none the Ie- Ie less II she longed to try what still seemed to her the only simple way wal that might save nave bloodshed f To the watchers watcher outside the deputy sheriff explained In a II shout that a woman was a 1111 leaving the Jail accompanied accompanied by a friend Let Iet em come com straight down the walk an aD well we'll meet em pm both boat Mike lIke some pome one answered Hands In the air airall airall all the time an no DO shenanigan Were We're not Phil IM I and Ann nn were let out and the thedoor thedoor thedoor door locked behind theta them Hand up op they InO moved v Ill I'll forward to meet the guards guard The man In char charge e of the Jail blockade ltd did not Intend to let uny any trick be played upon him He lie had hael heard ord of prisoners escaping dressed as a. women omEn When he recognized Ann he took his hat hot off orT nut limit he held her for for a short examination ol What hat you been doln doing there maam ma'am he asked I went to 10 give my myself elf up This afternoon I heard beard Mr Ir Stone had been arrested for killing Tom McArdle I shot him myself The man mon laughed grimly a anew anew anew new play behind a woman I wouldn't hardly have ha expected that of Dave Stone Hut lint that Isn't true Ann Alln cried Idid I Idid did shoot him Jasper Stark Stork anti and that n nw ma mw n I nn Ask Alk them They cant can't deny It It I We cant can't ask uk them They've The lit hit out somewhere an nn an that's funny too Know anything about It It he asked suspiciously No Xo But nut It Its It's true Mr Stone hadn't anything to do with shooting Tom Me- Me Ic- Ic Ardle I did it It I shot him because because- because of what he did to my ray sister I was coming homo home from one olle of our camps when I met him He lie tiled fried tomake tomake to make up to me tae me so ho he could come como and see come see come and Tl visit lt at lit the house We quarreled and quarreled and I shot him You dont don't e belle me and It Its It's the truth before God sh she cried desperately No maam ma'am we dont don't believe you fOU We think youre you're to save lave Dave ve Stone Slone th the leader said ld not unkindly No Xo man confesses to a killing he didn't do That wouldn't be reasonable Well We'll tell te-II Dave you rou done yore ore best for him If It you'll take my advice you'll light right outa outs town Its It's no place for tor you tonight lie He turned to up at the Sail Jail with Anybody else eliI at all alU Four others Who Phil looked him hardily In the eye Ive forgot their nam names I. I you wont won't I tell Just that There was os a n short silence How lIow come you mixed In this Stark If It Dave DaTe killed McArdle It was ns In a fair lr fight an an he was Willi Justified I know that Dave OaTe never neter shot anyone without without with with- out ln gl him a chance lies lie Just a kid kid Is someone someone some some- one spoke up You know kno how kids ar are about gunmen I wouldn't call rail Dave a gunman exactly exactly ex ex- Phil protested lies Hes absolutely absolutely square square lIn an hes he's game gome Ann broke down and anti between her sobs lobs be begged ged for the life Ilfe of ot her friend She he kept hope repeating that Stone did not kill McArdle IcArd I that she one had hall done It herself herself her her- self that he be was ral sacrificing himself lf because because be be- cause he heTa was Ta to trying In to pr protect her hr Tho The net r of ot her br passionate te entreaty en trendy treaty was that In their minds she sho convicted herself only of ot being be In love with the Texan Tevan Phil escorted 1 her hr still shaken with sobs to the hotel The They pa passed groups of lurr hurrying excited men The question question ques ques- tion they ther heard repented repeated seu several Iral ral times was as to what had become of Ja Jasper Stark and inner Ann found the hotel a n nucleus of activity for tho f few who rho opposed 11 0 mob law Julio Julia wn here and tarn nm Sharp and IMI In McCann But the leader was IS wasa ISa a loan lean grizzled brown man a trifle bow legged bow logged with hard e eyes es and shaggy brows Peter McCann nn had h been fn enlisted en en- enlisted listed by hy Julia to 10 support his hI son Wilson With sharp In Incisive questions he hI drew from Phil Ihl the situation at nt the jail JalU You say yore ore brother nn Ginner are there too loo he asked after the boy had bad told the facts Yes n as pried prisoners ners Phil answered a n little sulkily He Ile did dill not enjoy sur aur surrendering rendering command to the these thelie e McCanns as ns he hI had bad b been en forced to d do both at atthe the Jail jall and h here rl Tore son BOn got Jot em m there somehow lome Arrested d the two of ot em one at nt a II time Walked Into their crowd an took them the awa away u oo Peter ter Incredulous incredulous- ly Iy lie He couldn't do It No Xo single Ingle man could All 11 right H Jle Ile didn't do Ia It It then snapped the boy All Ul 11 I know Is le that Mike lIke Hand says sayi By he did an claims to have han Jas Ju an Gitner locked up UI in cells for fer Inciting riot Peters Petr's eyes eves were shining If this was true true tt If n really had bad carried through this cutting out adventure and arrested the leaders leaden of the mob mob mob-he he certainly would be proud it rf f his hI boy bOT Ann AnD A no had been talking t. t to Julia who s Dy William Villiam MacLeod Raine Str Service l Copyright 1 b 1 Rains now Interrupted McCann by leading the owner of ot the sheep ranch to ta him Do fo you ou know Miss Clifford Mr Ir McCann Mc McCann Cann she said by bf way WOT of tion She has haa something to tell you Again Ann told her story of the trouble with McArdle that had led to hi his death McCann listened and be bi- It was Will possible that Stones Stone's story was wn true too Perhaps she had missed the range rone rider and he had been Ipen killed later r In a fight with the Texan Teun Or perhaps which was Will Ju Just t tRI ns RI likely the little gunman had made up op the story to prot protect t her In any event Hent It W was II clear cleor to 10 bm that Tom McArdle had bad earned his doom dom and that he had not been murdered but shot ahot down after due warning There were Ire half halt a n dozen dozeD men mon In the room In addition to 10 Phil and tho owner of the till flying VY Y To them Peter Ieler gave ga In Instructions Theres Therell two ways ns of doing this Job jh boys One Is III for us liS to get Ket Inside the Jail nn an stand off the mob moho We can cnn cando cando do It It but there might be bloodshed The other way Is for me to step In an take the leadership In this Jol Job That la last t Is III how It will bl be You boys bos will sift In amon among the time crowd nn talk me up as a hO boss bons of ot title this rodeo They're around out than and dont don't hardIT hard hard- IT ly know where they're there at t now J Jas a Stark nn an litner hll have 1 gone So Ill I'll take charge When I make a II play you OU back bark It t i strong what lint Hut what hilt are you OU going to do do Julia Julin naked asked Peter Ieter looked nt at her flushed and eyed bright and quivering with life She was 8 a 0 lovely picture of ot youth and anel at sight of It his hi eyes for a moment i played tricks with him The girl he i saw law was the one he had loved td and lost twenty odd years b before fore Im figurin on playing their game B nut Hut ut well we'll change chango It II some ome Well We'll be he v and not That calls clIl for a II trial trl Dont Don't you OU worry Jessie Je I It'll work out floe fine Julia Julio understood now now when hf n Inadvertently Inadvertently he had hod called her by her mothers mother's name much that had puzzled d jj her In Peter McCann's McCanns attitude In his eye while he ha had bad been staying at atthe atthe atthe the Circle Cross she had more than once seen Ie-en an nn expression she could not f fathom nut Hut she he knew now what It had bad meant She was very verI like her mother and when he looked at her the jj hatred for her faintly was no longer In his heart The of Jessie m L L memory F wane maGe u It Can you save lIae him that way Ann asked If you'll youl come through with yore story clean If you'll tell what Tom McArdle did to ruin the lives of ot yore fatally family Ann shrank bock back white white faced faced and trem trembling I couldn't before couldn't-before before every every- body bolly Just enough h so they'd understand he i said raid gently Julia Julla put her arms around the other girl Ill be with you jou OU Ann she whispered whimpered And to 10 McCann she said Leave e It to me mp The old cattleman nodded He ITe Judged her competent to handle that end of the situation CHAPTER XI twigs Dun Park Mesa Meca boasted a band blind of six pieces pIerIs called d upon for music on all patriotic occasions such luch as 81 ball gamos games and Fourth of ot July celebrations The Theman man who played the big drum was Medford clerk nt at emporium HI Him in the owner of the the- Flying VY VT pressed Into sen service lIe Ice They repaired to the steps of the courthouse Let It her go 10 son lion McCann ordered Kinda slow an steady With heavy measured I strokes Medford Medford Med Med- ford heat bent the drum The sound of ot It filled 1 the night It arrested the attention atten atten- ton tion of or every ery man an and every group within hearing C. All knew knew- It was n a call C It to gather ather for concerted action Within three minutes the courthouse e squire square lu re reVa wu Va II full The slow MOT Io reverberation of or the drum died down Peter Piter h began bepin jon to 10 speak peik The gift gIrt of or Inning an nn audience audi audi- en ence nt was wn native tI n to 10 him perhaps In In- inherited from the ancestor ancestors who had come I across s from the Emerald isle Ule he had been speaking three minute he h. was u-as not nol only one of ot the mob but Its lis accepted 1 leader lII Ills o as au assumption to begin with was WIlS that Stone mu trust t pay ray the penalty of his crime crimI Hut But Mesa was he tie claimed a law abiding community It did dill not Intend In tend that killers should come In and shoot down do Its citizens All It wanted was Va to make sure of the fact rt before It proceeded to summary Ju Justice To that end a court must be organized anti and the arcu accused ell man tried If It he was found guilty of ot dry Tom McArdle Mc Ic Ardle Ardle- of murdering him without giving ing lag |
