| Show am ROBBERS RO WIN 13 FM RS r af M 01 oh Z 7 I 1 ZANE G REY GREY COPYRIGHT SYNOPSIS jim wall young cow cowpuncher pun cher from froni wyoming seeks a new flold field in utah lie meets hank alays who admit e being a robber and tells tell wall he be 1 la a working for or an L englishman named herrick who has located a bis big ranch in the liaa has maloyed mp loyed a small army 0 of o rustlers rust lera 0 and gun and hays and others are plotting lna to teat steal their mp oyer cattle an and money CHAPTER J continued 2 sister bo be a li hief ilof it note af 1 she ehe did 1 wal aint tie no country for women it seemed scorned to jim wall that tills sully sally completed a definitely conscious feeling in tits mind toward the B self elf confessed robber if I 1 it t had not been dislike and disgust before it certainly fixed at that now wall sensed a gathering interest in tho the situation he had happened upon hays called for drinks and instated on a handshake which lie ho executed solemnly us as it if it were a compact which implied honor even among among thieves shortly afterwards tile saloon gradually began to fill with loud voiced heavily booted men among them were happy jack lincoln and a giant of aman a roan with a russet board beard whom hays intro intra deuced ns as Alon montana tana then ft a man undoubtedly a trapper entered lie he wore buckskin find and seemed ried out of place oace in that crowd the bartender red did a thriving business seems to be no lack of money I 1 observed wall to the watchful hays where do they get itta W wall surprised I 1 see so was 1 I tilts burg here la Is a stage stop atop for points in utah an west lota of travel wit hut theres li crea big cattle ranges oft to toward Nyard tile the ron non rys PI 1 I so see e aai nut at that bur there are 1 halt a dozen nion men who tire are not trav celeri la 18 w or ranchers or riders will wal for thet matter all mob men in thela diggans hayo baye got to bo be r riders id its ita a long way fram one WA place to another but you lilt into things nl at thet The theres roii four or fio fellers fel leril t never seen beto fore ro chos the joud teller the one ivich tile tho plaid name so or other seen been him before an MAI aint crazy about him lets play poker shore but not lust just among ourselves 11 got tiny any money hank flank asked H appy anck 1 I old you over ever see me broket broke brad go dig df up eonis suckers but not thet lombre they call stud lio lie got get thet name tylre i there were only two large gaining tables ono one of which was waa loiuse in use mallo mako it six handed come nu an sot fiot in n wall said eald alays friendly little litile game of draw sky limit wall vall laughed 1 I play penny onte ante 11 wal ill stake you ll 11 0 no o thanks id rather watch 11 no sooner soone r had find thoy aliey scaled themselves than the trial tanti flays had called stud anrode up am I 1 abeln left out ut of this on oil pitr poso tie ho demanded and alid evidently lie ho addressed flays lincoln got up the game ro difed hays flays coolly you ask my friends fo set sat in on nna not roe me 1 wal it if youre so BO keen about it why set in with us went on hays lingering fingering a dock deck 0 of carda allut hut it you want to know bad im not stuck on with you mean alean thet to insult me stud queried bis als right hand ria inato ing to t the lie tape lapel of tits ills open vest it if wall had not observed the bulge of two guns inside Q this ats lie would have divined from studs action that thai thero there was ivas tit at least not at alln ali replied flays t leaning back in his chair that signify signi fl cant movement ot of studa had not been lost tipon him film I 1 A little cold glint appeared ili ani tits pale eyes itcan aioo too slick ilick a poker player for ilana hays I 1 want a run for trig lay money slick till wal WAL I 1 dont mind byln called thet its ita a went meat ive yet to sea the gambler who be slick ac he could but when you ask ray lay bards t to 0 play ae n not mo shots different set in ddll rejoined nays civilly cly llly ns its he bolma to shuffle the cards 1 I feel lucky luct y tonight lost last tl you had atall it all your way game began then with hap capr dyjack and wall looking on A player K t W ade rather a pol move anent walls standing I 1 shore ill change seats with you replied flays obligingly but it was plain tie ho felt irritated never mind hays interposed wall deliberately tha th gentleman evidently fears ill tip on off hla his cards so rii ill stand behind you if I 1 may CHAPTER II 11 RON tile very first deal hays was lucky morley stayed about even brad lincoln lost more than lie ho won the giant montana was a close wary gambler ga abler playing only when lie ho had bad good cards I 1 stud was undoubtedly a player who required the stimulation and zest ot of op post giov alon but he could not wait for luck to change clin ngo no ile had to be in every hand moreover BIor cover he was waa not adopt adept enough cards to deal himself a good hand when ills his turn came he grew sos so sullen ullon that wall left orr off watching ieng and returned to the fireside tilt presently he had cause to attend more keenly than ever to tilts card game tho the drift of conversation wore to toward wardan an I 1 inevitable no light fight those these men were vicious characters wall wail know knew that thai life out hero here was raw there was no law except that of the six sit shooter while he be vent bent a more penetrating gaze upon stud to whom tits his attention gravitated walt wall saw him perform a trick with the cards that was pretty clever and could not have been discerned except from walls position nevertheless fickle fortune roost most certainly had picked on st stud ud he bet tills hand to the limit of ills his cash and then such was ills his confidence dence ho he borrowed still lie he could not force hays to call ile ho fell from elation to consternation then to douht doubt from doubt to dismay and from tills this to a n gathering impotent ango all of which proved how poor a gambler lie ho was when at last he bo rasped out I 1 wal I 1 call calif I 1 heros here mine lie ile slammed down nn an ace full lays hays lind had drawn draven three cards stud I 1 hate to show you this hand drawled flays yes you dot lay it down I 1 called you whereupon hays flays gently spread out four ten tell spots and then with hands raked in the stakes stud stared with burning eyes three card draw I 1 you come in with a pair of tens tans ifopo I 1 hold held up one ten an the ile ace ll 11 replied hays nonchalantly 1 I hada had a hunch stud steal coppers oft off a dead mans eyes eca hawl howl bawled the vic victorious tort agn gamester li lster mit but he was the only ono one of the alio sit players who seemed secured to see anything funny in the situation that dawned upon him 4 stud I 1 was waa thet th et crack of yours youra huni humorous i orous was you sou snapped stud shore I 1 was retorted hays with congealing voice wal 7 I 1 mean apan it humorous stud retorted abah collie to look at you I 1 see you aint gay suppose you say just what you did mean 1 I meant what I 1 said paid shore im not so awful thick hut but apply crack to this hero card ganio on an my hays you pa palmed lined them three ton declared stud hotly then there was quick action and tho the rasp of scraping chairs and the tumbling over of a box bos seat stud and hays wore left alone it at the table youre it a liar isaal I 1 hissed hays bud donly black in tho the tace face here jim wall thought it was time to Int intervene ervenO he read the glint in studs eyes hays afis waa tit at a disadvantage so far as drawing a gun was concerned and wall saw that stud could and would kill him hold afi on there called wall in a voice that mado inada wh both moa men freeze hays did not turn to wall but lie ho spoke tard pard lay oft off I 1 can handle this teller feller take care stranger warned sud who ft ho appeared to be able to watch both hays and wall at once they were however almost hillane in line tills this aint any or of your luts inix 1 1 I 1 nat list wanted to tell hays eisaw you slip an itco fice from the bottom of tile the deck said old wall nall lie ho might as voll have told of hays irregular irregularities irl wot I 1 lie ile filled hta his ace full thet way roared hays he most certainly did all right let tt it go at that replied stud deadly cold it you can say honest thet you pulled any tricks tricka go for your gun otherwise keep your shirt on this unexpected sally exemplified the tha peculiar conception concepti on of honor among thieves oves it silenced fillen ced hays the little gambler knew his man and shifted his bis deadly intent to ii a moro doubtful issue jim wall vail oil eh he queried insolently at your service retorted wall ivall he lie divined the workings of the lit tie gamblers mind stud needed to have more time for the thing that made decision hard to reach was tile the quality of tills this ot stranger tanger ills his motive was waa more deadly than his bla will or or ills his power to execute all tilts this jim wall knew it was the difference between the two men im m atin I 1 cheated sald said stud harshly hut but I 1 aint stand ln to be tipped off by a stranger well you going to do about it asked wall vail while the a spectators ecta tors of the drama almost held D their breath studs lean dark little hands lift ed cd from tile the table dont drawl draw 1 yelled wall the man live who can sit at a table and boat beat me to a draw 11 II 11 1 I you say panted stud but that ringing taunt had cutche cut the force 0 of tits purpose youve got a gun in each inside vest pocket said wall contemptuously the gambler let tits hla lianda hands relax and slide off tile table stud shuffled to his feet malignant nall t and beaten for the mome moment lit hays flays you abu an me greeven are even 11 hie he said gruffly but ill meet your now pard some other time and han then therell be a showdown show down 1 shore stud no hard feell fe ellna ns on my side drawled hays the little gambler stalked to the bar drank and left the saloon hank ilaya hays turned round jim thet bellr feller did have two guns gun 9 inside his vest I 1 never saw them till you gave it away lie he would have killed me 1 1 I think he would nays flays returned wall you were sitting bad for action 11 right you are jim and im much obliged 16 ta you id 11 like ke to know something 11 that did you bluff hiell hardly I 1 had him figured 11 it was a pretty good bet he try vodraw to tol draw but it if he had made a move ahue been all day with him tills this gambler stud has T I 1 sister bitter do a 3 H I 1 of a note it she sha did a nanis name out hero for bein byln swick on the draw iles killed kahl I 1 cut in wall iyall good humor edly 11 men who enn can handle guns dont pack them that way 11 presently they wo red ned gabd night and went outside where you asked hays left my pack in the stall out back bach with my horse what do we do tomorrow 1 I was think ln of thet well shake tho the dust oi of green iziver I 1 reek reckon on tomorrow wed bettor better stock up on every everything thin an lilt the trail for tho the henrys i sulta me replied wall wal then good night break fast here early concluded hays A red sunrise greeted wall upon tits his awakening when a little later he presented himself ache at the back of reda house for breakfast he was to find hays happy jack and brad lincoln allend ahead of him they had breakfast broA fast brad you fetch your pack horses borses round back ordered the lender leader when they got outside happy you get yourself a hoss boss then meet us at tho the store quick ns as you can get there jim you come with me inc hays im in need of some things sald said wall hays haya drew out a handful of bills and pressed them upon wall shore duy buy what outfit you need an dont forget a lot of shells replied hays flays it if I 1 dont miss my guess well have a smoky summer haat rawl haw I 1 heres the store half an hour later the four men driving flye five packed horses find and two tire unpacked rods rode ot off behind the town across the hat flat toward tile the west coming coining to a rond road hays anys led on that for or a rollo ratio or so and then branched off on a i seldom used trall trail toward sunset they drew down to the center of a n vast swale where the green and the eye of tho the range rider could see the influence of water hays halted caltea for camp at ai a swampy sedge plot where water oozed out and grata was welt enough lf in hold the hersca ahat aha I 1 good to bo be out again boys said eald hays heartily throw saddles nn an packs turn the bosses loose nappy happy youre elected cook rest oi of us rustle rustic something to burn jim rambled for far afield to coll collect act an armload of dead stall stalks s of cactus greasewood grease wood sunflower and dusk was mantling the desert when he got back to camp happy jack was waa whistling about a little fire days bays knelt before a pan of dough which ho he was kneading lincoln was bulyat busy at some camp chore wall I 1 dont like store bread hays flays was saying any ing give lve desabr me sabr dough biscuits how about you JIM tie me too and id like some calce cake replied jim dropping his bis load cekot wal listen to our now new hand jack can you bako bake cake sure we got flour nn an sugar an milk did you fetch some eggs haw I 1 haw I 1 thet reminds me though well get eggs over at tar ranch none of you ever seen such a ranch why fellers heri ricks boullit every durn boss burro sow steer chicken in the whole country countr so you said before r returned etu arned lincoln im sure cir curious to see this Engli slier must have more money than brains ile he got any sense hut but lordy the money hes spent 1 jim sat down to rest and listen queer deril deal a rich englishman alrin men like us to run his outfit pondered lincoln in a puzzled tone 1 I dont understand it wal who does doea I 1 cant thetas shore but its a tact fact amwel an were to golu ib to be to so rich pronto thet the t well jest about kill each other more afore truth than fun in that hank bank old boy an dont you forget it rejoined lincoln how do you ulm aim to get rich shore ive no idee thoth nil all come ive got the step on heeseman an his bards hell be almin nt at pro precisely cisily the same deal as you shore well have to kill an soon or later id like it sooner 1 I dont like the deal concluded lincoln forcibly presently they sat to their men meal and ate almost in silence darkness settled down one by onether one they sought their beds and walt wall was the last dawn found them up and doing wall fete fetched bedla ln some bUthe the horses lincoln the others by sunrise they were on the trall trail which about mid afternoon afler noon lei led down through gli high gravel banks banka to a wide stream bed dry except in the middle of the I 1 sandy waste this herba the ithe muddy announced hays for jims benefit bad enough when the waters up but bothin not liln to the dirty devil at all the dirty darll asked jim its a river an its well named youcan gam gamble bleon on that well cross it tomorrow some time next camp was on higher ground above the muddy here hays and lincoln renewed their argument about the herrick ranch deal it royed preyed what chit wall had divined this athla brad lincoln was shrewd cold doubtful and aggressive aggress iv e hais hay s was not distinguished for any cleverness he was mer merely merelean elyan an unscrupulous robber these men were to clash that was inevitable jim calculated early the next day jim wall had reason to be curious about the dirty devil river for the descent into the de denies filosof of the desert to reach it was a most remarkable one the tracks iracks hays was following failed end and he be got lost la in a labyrinthine maze of 0 deep washes impossible to climb and seemingly impossible to escape from froia lincoln |
