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Show I CROOKED TRAILS STRAIGHT MJIl&zn MacLeod J?zn? H COPYRIGHT.BY' GW. DILL.rNGI-lAJ1 COTlFVNraf H Baasaaii-nnrar-inTTTiiii i i i mi 1 bbbbhsh 1 1 " KKsaaasmammmmmmmammMaBaassssmamm H 8YNOPSI8. H Pari H CHAPTEIl I. Adventurous and reck- H Uss, rather than criminal, and excited by H liquor. Curly FUndrau and his rhun, H Mac. both practically mere boys, becom H Involved In a horse-stealing adventure. H Disposing of the stolen stock In the town B of ftaguaclie, Ariz., the band separates. Vj Curly and his partner staying In town. fl They are awakened and told a posse 1 H In town In pursuit or thorn. They elude H their pursuers. Overtaken next day, Mao H Is killed by the posso nnd Curly made H captive, after he has shot ono and him H self been wounded. The man shot Is H Luck Culllson. M CILAPTEn It.-Culllson's friends, all H cattlemen, determine to lynch Curly as H an oxample to cattle thieves. With the H rope around his neck ho Is saved by the H Intervention of Kate Culllson, Luck's H daughter. H CHAPTER III. -Ills wound dressed. B and further vlolenco not apprehended, H Curly Is sent for by Culllson. He quos tlons the boy concerning a notorious out- law, Soapy Btono, real loader of the rus- Jl tiers who had been Curly's undoing. M FUndrau learns that Soapy Stone Is Cul. llson'a bitter enemy and oxerclscs n bule- ful Influenco over the ex-sheriff's son Sam. who has quarreled with his father 1 Culllson goes ball for Curly. M CHAPTER IV. Curly rescues Soapy H Stone from a bear trnp Into which he has H stumbled, and discovers that the outlaw B Is young Sam's rival for the hand of Lau- I ra London. Bhe gives Curly a note to deliver to Sam. and Flandrau and Stone H set out for the letter's ranch. fl CHAPTBH V.-There Curly meets his companions of the rustling expedition and H delivers Laura's note to Sam. Young H Culllson believes Stone In his friend and H-- aays he will stick by hlrn. Flandrau sees some move Is being ptannsd and becomes H convinced It Is train robbery, Sam leaves H the ranch to go to Saguache. Curly ac- H companies him. H CHAPTEIl VI. - Eavesdropping at a H meeting place, Curly hears Stone and his H lieutenant, Lute DIackwell. arrange to H hold up the train at a crossing known as H Tin Cup, and after the robbery shoot H young Culllson nnd leave his body on the H scene. Stone thus glutting his rovonge on B the ex-sheriff through his son's death and H disgrace. Curly Is accused by Stone of H being a npy of Luck Culllson's. They are H separated, but part with the understand- H Inc that their next meeting will mean a H fight to the death. Curly makes a con- H fldant of Dick Moloney, cattleman, and H they Inform Luck Culllson of Stone's plot H against his son. H Part H CIIAPTEIX I.-After an all-night ses- H alon at the Roundup club, In which Cullt- H son has lost heavily, there Is an exchango H of sharp words between Luck and a B sheepman. Cass FendrlcU, with whom H Culllson has a feud. r. -. CHAPTER U.-Saguache la electrified W messengers, the bandits securing fJO.OOO. V Culllson pays his poker debts, and shortly afterward Mackenzie and Alex Flandrau. H his closest friends, learn he Is suspected of the express robbery, his hat having been found on tho scene and he being H missing. VB CHAPTER III. Kate goes to Saguache WJ for a consultation with Mackenzie, Alex Flandrau and Curly. All are convinced BSBV of Luck's Innocence. The sheriff reveals that besides the finding of Culllson's hat, und his payment of his debts, Cass Fen- drlck had seen the robber and Is almost certain It was Luck. Culllson Is about to V enter a homestead claim which will prao- H tlcally put Fendrlck out of business. VB ' CHAPTER IV.-Knte's shrewdness ic- BVjVJ reals how Culllson had taken Fendrlck's hat when he left the noundup club, and suspicion points strongly to a framoup on Fendrlck's part and to his being respon- sIMe for Luck's disappearance. The slier- Iff receives a series of notes turning on the "Jack cf Hearts." Curly finds a cl- J gar store by that name and secures evl- dene that the proprietress, Mrs, Wylle, knows what happened to Luck. CHAPTER V.-In the cellar of the cigar ci-gar store Flandrau finds a cipher message mes-sage left by Culllson. and follows the scent. Luck Is held prisoner by Fendrlck and Dlackwcll In a sheep herder's cabin In the mountains. Fendrlck wants him to sign a relinquishment of his homestead rights, conditional to his release. Luck lay stretched full length on n hunk, IiIh fnco to the roof, a wreath of smoko from his cigar traveling slowly slow-ly toward the. colling Into a filmy blue cloud which hung nhovo him. He looked tho personification of vigorous full-blooded manhood at case. lly the (able, facing him squarely, sut Jose Domlngucz, a neatly built Mexican with snapping black eyes, a manner of pleasant suavity and an ever-ready smile that displayed n dou-bio dou-bio row of shining white teeth. That smile did not for an Instant deceive Luck. He know that 'Jose had no grudge against him, that he was a very respectable citizen, nnd that ho would regretfully shoot him full of holes If occasion called for so drastic a termination ter-mination to their acquaintance. For Domlngucz had a third Interest In tho O. P. ranch nnd he was the last man In the world td sacrifice his business for sentlmont. Having put the savings of a lifetime Into tho sheep business, he did not propose to let anybody deprive him of his profits, cither legally or lllegully. The tluklo of hoofs from tho river bed In the gulch below rose through the clear air. The Mexican moved swiftly to the door and presently waved a handkerchief. "What gent arc you wlg-wngg!ng to now?" Luck asked from tho bed. "Thought I knew all you bold bad bandits ban-dits by this time. Or Is It Cass back again?" "Yes, It's Cass. There's some ono with him, too. It Is n woman," the Mexican discovered In apparent surprise. sur-prise. "A woman 1" Luck took tho cigar from his mouth In vague unease. "What Is ho doing here with a woman?" wom-an?" The Mexican smiled behind his open lltiiul. 'Your question anticipates mine, ,'rnori,I"too' nnHHh ntnr."-- The sight of his daughter In the doorway went through the cattleman with a chilling shock. She ran forward for-ward and with u pathetic cry of Joy throw herself upon him whore he stood. His hands wcro tied behind hltn. Only by the turn of his head could he answer her caresses. There was n look of Ineffable tenderness on his face, for he loved her moro thrt'n anything eUe on earth. "Mr. Fendrlck brought me," she explained ex-plained when articulate expression was possible. "He brought you, did he?" Luck looked ucross her shoulder at his enemy, en-emy, nnd his eyes grew hard as Jade. "Of mj own free wlll,".she added. "I promised you u better argument llinn Oiose I'd given you. Miss Culllson Is thnt nrgitinent," Fendrlck said. The cattleman's set face had a look more deadly than words. It told Fen-drlck Fen-drlck ho would gladly have killed him where he stood. For Luck knew ho was cornered and must yield. Neither Domluguez nor Hlackwell would con- ' sent to let her leave otherwise. "You've played n rotten trick on inc. Fendrlck. I wouldn't have thought It , even of a sheepman." "No uso you getting crazy with the heat, Culllson. Your daughter nsked me to bring her here, nnd I brought her. Of com so I'm not going to break my neck getting her homo where she can 'phone Holt or Mucky O'Connor and have us rounded up. That nln't reasonable to expect. Hut I altu to do , what's right. We'll all have supper ' togefher llko sensible folks. Then Joso and 1 will give you the cabin for ' the night If you'll promise not to nt- j tempt to escape. In tho morning may-lie may-lie you'll see things different." j Fendrlck calculated, not without rcn- , son, that the best thing to do would ' be to give Knto n chanco for n long ' private talk with her father. After supper tho door of tho cabin was locked and a sentry posted. Tho ' prisoners were on parole, but Cnss did not on that account relax his vigilance. For long he and his partner could hear a low murmur of voices from within , the cnbln. At length the lights went ' out and presently the voices died. Hut all through the night ono or the other j of the sheepmen patrolcd a beat thnt j circled around and around the house. ' Fendrlck did not broach (ho subject at Issuo next morning till after break- fast. i "Well, what have you decided?" ho I asked at last. "What Is It you offer?" Luck do-! m a tided gruffly. 1 "You sign the relinquishment and agree not to make us any trouble be-causo be-causo wo brought you here, and you may go by two o'clock." "Well, I accept your terras. I'll make you no legal trouble. Hut I tell you straight this thing nln't ended. It's only Just begun. I'm going to run you out of this country before I'm through with you." "do to It. We'll see whether you make good." "Where Is that paper you want me to sign?" Luck dashed off his signature nnd pushed the document from him. He Luck Dashed Off His Signature. hated the necessity thnt forced him to surrender. For himself he would have died rather than give way, but he had to think of his daughter nnd of his boy Sam who was engaged in a plot to hold up a train. His stony eyes met those of the man across tho fable. "No need for mo to tell you whnt I think of this. A white man wouldn't hnve done such a trick. It takes sheep herders and greasers to put across a thing so damnable as dragging n woman Into a feud." Fendrlck ltushed angrily. "It's not my fault; you'ro n plg-honded, obstl-nnto obstl-nnto chump. I used tho only weapon left me." Kate, standing straight nnd tall behind be-hind her father's chair, looked nt their common foo with uncompromising scorn. "Ho Is not to blnnie, dad. He can't help it because ho doesn't see how despicable ft thing ho lias done." At exactly two o'clock Domlngucz set the Culllsons on the homeward road. He fairly dripped apologies for tho trouble to which he and his friends had been compelled to put them. niackwcll, who had arrived to take his turn ns guard, stood in the doorway door-way and sulkily watched them go. From tho river bed below the departing de-parting guests looked up nt the cabin hidden In the pines. The duughter was thanking God In her heart that the affair waB ended, Her father was vowing to himself that It hod Just be-sun. be-sun. CHAPTER VII. An Arreat. After half a week In tho saddle Lieutenant Ducky O'Connor of the Arizona rangers and Curly Flundrnu reached Saguache, tired and travel-stained. travel-stained. They had combed the Illn-cons Illn-cons without having met hldo or hair of the men they wanted. Early next morning they would lenvo town again nnd this timo would make Soapy Stone's horse ranch. After reaching town the first thing each of them did was to take a bath, ths second to get shaved. From the barber shop they wont to the best res taurant In Saguache. Curly was still 1 busy with Ills pie n la modo when Bur-ridge Bur-ridge Thomas, United States Innd com-, com-, mlssloner for that district, took tho sent opposite and told to O'Connor n most Interesting piece of news. They heard him to nn end without Interruption. Then Curly spoke ono word. "Fendrlck." "Yes, sir. Cnss Fendrlck. Cnmc In about otic o'clock and handed me the relinquishment Just us I've been telling tell-ing you." "Then filed on tho claim himself, you snld." "Yes, took It up himself." "Sure the signature to the relinquishment relin-quishment wns genuine?" "I'd take oath to It. As soon ns he had gone I got out the original filing nnd compared the two. Couldn't bo any possible mistake. Nobody could have forged the signature. It Is llko Luck himself, strong nnd forceful nnd decided." IJucky rose. "See you Inter, Curly. Sorry I have to hurry, Mr. Thomas, but I'vo thought of something I'll hnve to do right nway." Ducky followed El Mollno street to the old plaza and cut across it to the Hotel Wayland. Among the nrrlvals of the day was the entry ho had hoped to see: "Cass Fendrlck, C. F. Ranch, Arl-zonn." Arl-zonn." The room thnt hnd been assigned to him wns 212. O'Connor turned away and went up the stairs, Ignoring the elevator. On the second lloor he found 212. In nn-nwer nn-nwer to his knock n voice said "Come In." Opening the door, ho stepped In, closed it behind him nnd looked at the man lying In his shirt sleeves on .tho bed. "Evening, Cnss." Fendrlck- put down his newspnper, but did not rise. "Evening Ducky." Tliclr eyes held to each other with the level even gaze of men who recognize recog-nize a worthy antagonist "I've como to ask a question or two." "Kick them out." "First, 1 would llko to know whnt you paid Luck Culllson for his Del Oro claim." "You better ask Culllson. The law says that If a man sells a relinquishment relinquish-ment he can't file on another claim. If ho surrenders It for nothing he can. Now, Luck may hnve notions of filing on another claim. You can see that we'll have to take It for granted he gave me the claim." It was so neat an answer nnd at the samo time so complete n ono thnt O'Connor could not help appreciating It He smiled and tried again. "That leaves me only ono thing to do. You'ro under nrrest." "For what?" demanded the sheepman sheep-man sharply. "For abducting Luck Culllson and holding him prisoner." Lazily Cass qnwlcd a question. "Are you right sure Culllson ain't nt home nttendlng to his business?" "Has ho come bnck?" "Maybe so. I'm not Luck Culllson's keeper." 1 Ducky thought he understood. In return for the relinquishment Culllson hnd been relensed. Knowing Luck ns he did, It wns hard for him to see how pressure enough had been brought to bear to move him. "Mny I use your 'phone?" ho nsked. "Help yourself." O'Connor got the Circle C on long distance. It wns tho clear contralto of a womnn that answered his "Hello I" "Is this Miss Culllson?" he nsked. Almost nt once he ndded: "O'Connor of the rangers Is speaking. I've heard your fnther Is home ngnln. Is that true?" An Interval following dining which the ranger ofllcer wns put Into the role of n listener. His occnslonnl "Yes-Yes "Yes-Yes Yes" punctuated the rapid murmur mur-mur that reached Fendrlck. .. l'respntly Ducky asked a question. "On his way to town now?" Again the rapid murmur. "I'll nttend to that, Miss Culllson. I am In Fendrlck's room now. Make your mind easy." Ducky hung up and turned to the sheepman. "Culllson Is heuded for town mid his daughter Is afraid he Is on tho wnrpath ugalnst you. You nnd Luck mustn't meet yet. Get out of here and hunt cover In the hills for n few days. You know why better than I do." "How can I when I'm under arrest?" Fendrlck mocked. "You're not under nrrest. Miss Culllson Cul-llson says her father has no charge to bring against you. So you can light a shuck soon ns you want to." "Which won't bo In any hurry." "Don't make any mistake. Luck ! Culllson Is a dangerous man when he ! Is roused." ! The sheepmun looked at the ranger with opnquo stony eyes. "If Luck Culllson Is looking for me ho Is liable ! to And me, nnd he won't have to go into the hills to hunt me either." Ducky understood perfectly. Ac- cording to the code of the frontier no I man could let himself bo driven from town by the knowledge that another man was looking for him with a gun. There are In the Southwest now many thousands who do not live by the old standard, who are anchored to law and civilization as a protection against primitive passions. Dut Fendrlck was not one of these. Ho was an aspirant to leadership among the tough hard-bitted hard-bitted denizens of the sunbaked desert. That being so, he had to see his feud out to a fighting finish If need be. "There are points about this case you have overlooked," Ducky told him. "Maybe so. But tho Importuut ono that sticks out llko a sore thumb Is that no man living can sorvo notice on roe to get out of town because ha la coming -on the shoot" "Luck didn't serve any such notice. All his duughter knows Is tlmt lie Is hot under the collar. Look nt things reasonably, Cnss. You've caused thnt young lady n heap of trouble already. Are you going to unload a lot moro on her Just becnuso you want o be pigheaded? Only a kid struts around nnd hollers Wlios afraid V No, It's up to you to pull out, not because of Luck Culllson hut on nccount of his daughter. Seems to me n white man wouldn't make her any more worry." "It's because 1 am a white man thnt I enn't dodge a fight when It's stneked up for me, Ducky. I tell you straight I'm going to sco It out." Ducky's Jaw clamped. "Not If I know It. You're under nrrest." Fendrlck set up In surprise. "What for?" he demanded angrily. "For robbing the W. & S. Express compnny." "II , Ducky. You don't believe thnt." "Never mind whnt I believe. There's some evidence against you enough to Justify me." "I won't stand "for It. That nln't square." "You'll stund for It, my friend. 1 gave you a chance to clear out and you wouldn't take It." There came a knock on tho door. It opened to admit Luck Culllson. He shut It nnd put his back to It, while his' eyes, hard as hammered Iron, swept past tho ofllcer to fix on Fendrlck. Fen-drlck. The lnttcr rose quickly from tho bed, but O'Connor flung him back. "Don't forget you're my prisoner." "He's your prisoner, is ho?" This wns a turn of nffalr for which Luck was manifestly unprepnred: "Well, I'vo come to have a little settlement with him." Fendrlck, tense ns a colled spring, wntched him wnrlly. "Can't be any too soon to suit me." Clenr cut ns a pair of scissors through paper Ducky snapped out his warning. "Nothing stirring, gentlemen. gentle-men. I'll shoot the first man that makes a move." "Arc you In this Ducky?" asked Culllson Cul-llson ovcnly. "You're right I am. He's my prisoner." pris-oner." "Whnt for?" "For robbing the W. & S." Luck's face lit. "Have you evidence enough to cinch him?" "Not enough yet. Dut I'll take no chances on his getting away." The cattleman's countenance reflected reflect-ed his thoughts as his decision hung In tho balnncc. He longed to pay his debt on tho spot. Dut on tho other hand he had been a sheriff himself. As an outsider he had no right to Interfere In-terfere between an ofllcer and his captive. cap-tive. Desldes, If there was a chance to Fend Fendrlck over the road that would be better than killing. It would clear up his own reputation, to some extent under a cloud. "AH right, Ducky. If the law wonts him I'll step nslde for the time." The sheepman laughed In his ironic fashion. His nmusement mocked them both. "Most ns good ns a play of the movies, ain't It? But we'd ought all to have our guns out to make It realistic." Ducky O'Connor npd Ills prisoner swung down the street side by side and turned In at the headquarters of tile rangers. The ofllcer switched on the light, shut the door, and Indicated n chair. Ilelaxcd In his chair, Fendrlck spoke with rather elaborate indolence. "What's your evidence, Ducky? What have you got that ties me to the W. & S. robbery?" "Why, that hut play, Cass. You let on you hnd shot Culllson's hat off his head while he was making his getaway. get-away. Come to And out you hud his hat In your possession ull the time." "Does that prove I did It myself?" "Looks funny you hnppened to bo tight there while the robbery was taking tak-ing place nnd thnt you had Luck's hat with you." The sleepy tiger look lay warily In the sheepman's eyes. "Thnt's what tho dictionaries call coincidence, Ducky." "I've a notion It will tnke some ex-plnlnlng." ex-plnlnlng." "Conlldentlnlly?" "Confidentially what?" "The explanation. You won't use It agnlnst mo?" "Not If you weren't In tho holdup." hold-up." "I wnsn't. This Is the way It happened: hap-pened: You know Culllson wns going go-ing to provo up on that Del Oro claim on Thursdny. He had me bent. I couldn't seo nny way out but to eat crow nnd offer a compromise. It was up to mo to hunt Luck up nnd sec what he would do. His hat gave me an excuse, to call. So I started out and enmo round tho comer of San Mateo street Just In time to see the robber pull out. Honest, the fellow did shape up n little like Luck. Right then I got the darned fool notion of mixing him up in It. I threw his hat down nnd shot a hole In It, then unlocked un-locked the door of tho express ofllce carrying tho lint In my hand. That's all there was to It." "Pretty low-down trick, wasn't it, to play on an Innocent man?" "Ho was figuring to do mo up. I don't sny It was exactly on tho squnfe, but I wns sore nt him clenr through. I wanted to get him Into trouhle." Ducky reflected, looking at the long ash on his cigar. "Tho man that made the raid of the W. & S. shaped up llko Luck, you say?" "In n general way." The ranger looked quietly at Fendrlck. Fen-drlck. "Who wns the man, Cnss?" "I thought I told you" "You did. Dut you lied. It was a moonlight night. And there's an arc light at that cornar. By your own story, the fellow took his. mask off as ho swung to his boree. You saw hla face Just as distinctly" ns I sco yours now." "No. I reckon not," Fendrlck r"' i grinned. I "Meaning you won't tell?" I "That's not how I put it, Backy. You're the one that says I recognized j him. Come to think of It, I'm not sure I the fellow didn't wear his mask till ho wns out of sight." "I am. The mask was found Just ! outside tho office where the man dropped It before he got Into the sad- Mv. die." f "So?" "That's not all. Curly nnd I foaad something else, too the old shirt from "Who Was the Man, Cass?" which the cloth was cut. And I hare n witness who saw n man shove that old shirt down In the burrel after tearing tear-ing a piece off." "Your witness got a name, Ducky?" "I'll not mention the name now. If It became too well-known something might happen to my witness." Fendrlck nodded. "You're wise there. She wouldn't be snfe, not If a certain man happened to hear what you've Just told me." "I didn't say 'she,' Cass." "No, I said it. Your witness Is Mrs. WyJIe." "Mnybe, then, you can guess tho criminal, too. I'll ask you a question. Can you tell me where I can find a paroled pa-roled convict named DIackwell?" Fendrlck shook his head. "Doa't know thor gentleman. A friend of yours?" The ofllcer rose, not one whit leas amiable. "I didn't expect you to tall me. That's all tight.. I'll find hlat.' Dut In the meantime I'll have to loak you up till tjils thing Is settled." From his Inside coat pocket, Fan-drlck Fan-drlck drew a senled envelope, wrote the date across the front, nnd handed It to O'Connor. "Keep this, Ducky, nnd remember thnt I gave It to you. Put It In a safe place, but don't open the envelope till I give the word. Understand?" "Whnt's back of It?" "It Ibu't intended thnt you should know yet. I'm protecting myself. That's all." Fendrlck rose, nnd tho two men passed Into tho street. CHAPTER VIII. A Touch of the Third Degree. It was Ducky that caught the convict. con-vict. The two men met nt the top of a mountain pass. DIackwell, headed south, was slipping down toward Stone's horse much when they came face to face. Deforo the bad man had his revolver out, ho found himself looking down the barrel of tho ranger's rang-er's leveled rifle. "I wouldn't," Ducky murmured genially. gen-ially. "What you want me for?" BluckweJl demanded sulkily. "For the W. & S. robbery." y "I'm not the man you wnnt. My nnme's Johnson." "I'll put up with you till I find the man I do wnnt, Mr. Johnson," Ducky told him cheerfully. "Climb down from that horse. No, I wouldn't try that. Keep your hands up." Duck took his prisoner straight to the ranger's ofllce and telephoned to Culllson. ! The lieutenant did not know nny-I nny-I thing nbout book psychology, but he j had observed that hunger and wenrl-I wenrl-I ness try out the 6tuff that Is in a maa. I Under tho sng of them mnny a will f snaps that would have held fast If sua-I sua-I talned by a good dinner nnd a sound I night's sleep. This Is why so many "bad men," gun fighters with a reputation reputa-tion for gametics, wilt on occasion like whipped curs. In the old days this yv enmo to nearly every terror of th f' border. Some day when he had a ' Jumping toothache, or when his nerves . were frayed from n debauch, a silent stranger walked into his presence, looked long nnd steadily Into his eyes nnd ended forever his reign of lawlessness. lawless-ness. Sometimes the. two-gun man was "planted," sometimes ho subsided Into Innocuous pence henceforth. The ranger hnd a shrewd Instinct that the hour had come to batter down this fellow's dogged resistance. Therefore There-fore ho sent for Culllson, the man whom tho convict most feared. Tho ery look of the cattleman, with that grim, hard, capable aspect, shook Dlackwoll's nerve. "So you've got him, Bucky?" Luck looked the man over ns he sat handcuffed beside tha table and read |