Show r r WN n INE s vice installment SEVENTEEN THE STORY SO FAR FAK ellen carey seems interested in two men jeff brand rustler rustier and calhoun terry ranch man ager four rustier rusteen had been mystery bously killed the big ranchers much over terrye protest hired an army 0 CHAPTER roan alford helped brand put on his coat jeff sat on the bed gripping the covers to steady himself gamme my gun belt he said you dont need no gun tonight jeff roan told him you use one good if you needed it and you wont ill take the belt roan I 1 feel dressed without it alford buckled the belt around him lane carey walked into th the e room they supported him to the wagon and helped him to get into the hay filled bed ellen arranged a pillow which she had brought from the hotel she said in a low voice to her father 1 I want to go with you ino no brand said we wont have a girl giri in this its a mans game jeff is right carey agreed you stay here honey and dont worry well work this out somehow ellen moved to one side her heart filled with a leaden despair and watched the wagon roll down the street but she could not go back into the round top hotel and sit there quietly while the in man an she loved was being lynched at least she could return to the holden house which was much nearer the jail ellen had come to a street corner from which she could see a segment of the milling crowd every step she took now toward her hotel 0 would o d carry her farther from the jail she found she could not do it she could not walls walk away and leave calhoun terry to his fate lane carey drove the team through the square and down the road leading to the jail help get us through carey urged ive got jeff brand here hes wounded and cant get to the front afoot but he has something to say its important athe the pack around the jail door was more dense somebody had been sent for an axe and those thoe nearest nearest were already throwing their weight against IK e door the sheriff shouted do down doam am a warning A lot of you are going to get killed boys terry and richards are armed we mean to fight 11 he was standing on a little railed balcony which faced the street terry and richards joined him 11 terry flung out the palm of his hand as a signal that he wanted to speak the thunder of the mob r redoubled e started to die down dewi swelled out again in crescendo terry waited his lean strong face showing f no sign of fear the voices stilled at last terrys scornful gaze swept the crowd no use to tell you im against this invasion of the texans he began no use to tell you that im responsible for the breaking up the first of the big ranches in this district and that on my advice the owners of the diamond reverse B are dividing it to sell to small settlers you brains enough to take in a simple little thing like that he was interrupted by yells but his strong clear voice made itself heard above them ill tell you something you can understand the stairway is barricaded barricades barrica ded before you storm it we can shoot down eight or ten of you think that over and then listen to my proposition 1 to hell with yore proposition someone shorted shod ted were gonna string yau you up to a telegraph pole from the wagon sent seat carey shouted another opinion sure well willlis jis ten go ahead cal im the man you lunk heads want terry went on taking his time larry a thing to do with this hes only a hired hand and today he saved jeff brands life from these texans you a thing against him all he did was wa s take a job at punching cow when he needed one and sheriff hart is a good man he means to do his duty and defend us very likely he will be killed that tha t would be a pity heres my proposition ill surrender jf if let larry go larrys voice rang out instantly no I 1 wont have it that way if you mutton heads dont know any better than to kill cal terry you win will have to kill me too all right have it yore own way lets ga go boys heres the axe the sheriff called down an answer to that he knew the voice come out into the open lee it if youre so anxious to have good men killed dont stand away back there but step out and lead the attack somebody laughed at that and momentarily menta rily eased the tension assisted by roan alford the wounded man in the wagon got to his feet it took him a momen moment tto to clear his head from the unsteadiness that went over him like a wave good old jeffa a black headed youth shouted they get you this time if they did cripple you the lightheadedness light he headedness ad edness had passed and jeff had found his voice why they he asked ellisonsr EUi Elli sons ol of texas ex peace oili officers cers to invade the countryside and kill without trial all suspected rustlers dy by mistake terry and his foreman lurry larry are attacked by the invaders and they run to cover in a little cabin jeff thinking them rut rus gunmen were plugging at me plenty and I 1 a chance to get away this fellow youre going to hang this bird terry ran out from the cabin where the texans were shooting at him and larry and he carried me back to cover while these hired warriors shot at him it if you all had the sense of a rabbit you would know neither one of these two men up there are friends of 0 ellisonsr Elli sons crowd the texans shot a horse under larry today while he was trying to escape and now you feeble minded jackasses jac kasses want to hang him what jeff had said came to most of those present as a complete surprise the men who had brought I 1 jeff to town had departed almost almoite at once to join those in the field and they had not had time to tell the story to many how do we know these texans shot a horse under larry richards somebody shouted lee hart saw terry and richards ride in on one horse with these birds chasing them like a bunch of 0 that right lee 1 I saw someone come riding in ill th ataway two guys on one horse t but I 1 dont know who they were jeff you be leadin us jeff red said making of the statement a question why would I 1 brand flung at him 1 I dont like a hair of this bird terrys head twice I 1 came near bumping him off but im not like A lot of you are arc going to get killed boys 11 you dumb beeze geeters geezers rs I 1 dont need a mule to kick me before I 1 cantale can take a hint terry and ellison are at outs cuts pro probably bably because the diamond reverse B is going to be offered for sale to small cowmen the texans jumped these two men up there and drove them into lee harts place they were emptying a ton of lead at them when I 1 drifted into the doings these boys not only yanked me into the cabin they told ellison later when he came with his flag fla of truce offering to let them go ana and hang me that there was nothing doing since we three were all in the jam together A shrill voice in the background made a contribution he wired vired the president for him to send troops from fort garfield to help these hired killers wipe out us boys lane carey said his piece 1 I signed that wire brad and you have it wrong we asked the president to stop the fighting I 1 want a lot of your children made orphans jeff is right about the diamond reverse B going on sale youve made a mistake better admit it and call this off I 1 or come a jeff told them recklessly count me in with these men upstairs he poured out a dozen blistering epithets at the mob and finished up by telling them they know enough to pound sand in a rat hole some of the men in the crowd began to laugh they knew the lynching lunching lyn ching was off and deep down they were glad of it all AH right jeff one of them called you have sure given us a good cussin out larry sat on the rail of the balcony and grinned down at brand heap fine oration jeff im for sending you to congress ill bet twist the lions tall tail proper he had grazed death by a very close margin and the swift revulsion from despair to joy was flooding him 1 I learned how from you follows today brand braad said he clutched at roan alford for support and slid down to the hay in a faint already the crowd was thinning the rest would be anticlimax anti climax ellen came out of her terror to awareness of herself she turned arill anu hurried back to the holden house tiers comes to help them Is wounded atter after their rescue terry and larry lany ate are arrested by the sheriff tor for safekeeping IL mob threatening to lynch them be causo of the big rancher activities ellen seeks jews jeffs aid ak CHAPTER ellen was too excited to sit in her room at the holden house and wait for her father to come and tell her the news A thought hashed flashed to mind her father would be at the round top hotel where of course he must have driven jeff after the storming of the jail had been abandoned he had told her to stay there so she had better return to it slipping through a side door she walked swiftly down the dark street several men were standing round the doorway of the round top when ellen drew near A buggy pulled up at the door and somebody got out it was doctor harris he ripped out the sense in patching catching up you dunderheads dunder heads when you start rampaging over the country soon as my back is turned A moment later ellen was face to face with Cal calhoun lioun terry none of the tumult that filled her found expression she said in a small murmur Is my father here terry looked at her surprised she ought not to bo be out alone on a night like this yes hes with i jeff ph ill tell him you are here better wait in the parlor he led the way closing the door behind them jeff saved our lives with your fathers help he said yes I 1 was vas there he saved yours as you did his this afternoon you were there lie he repeated yes jell jeff and father let me go with them but I 1 keep away A vibrant wire strummed strummer strum med in her voice she wondered if he could look at her and not know the truth he thought he knew why she had been unable to stay away and he said gently 1 I think jeff will be all right in a few days though his fever is high now he was fine he calhoun had a sudden sense of the tragic futility of life she was so young so eternally young and she demanded all good things of life the girl was dancing on the of the future the warm hope cope in her heart pt of a happl happiness nes ever after but life would maul her for all his good intentions jeff would failner fail fai lher her because of the fatal lack of stability in his character yes and so were you she said he said nothing for a moment but his look gave a significance to his silence that kindled in her bosom a hot excitement yet when he spoke his words ignored this would you like to see jeff from the door I 1 dont suppose the doctor will let you go nearer now because he want him excited not tonight she said ill wait here for father ill tell him you are here bere he returned in a minute your father has to take the wagon back to the corral I 1 have offered to see you to your hotel his restrained manner chilled her As she walked beside him ellen caught herself thih king how strange was a womans comans fancy out of a thousand men it flew to one when his voice was kind it played on chords in her heart if he walked beside her in friendliness she trod the hilltops in a world reborn but when hen his eyes had no gifts for her she was drenched with woe terry spoke of jeff he is very loyal to his friends and will go to any lengths for them I 1 suppose you know he sent mhd the money found in turleys curleys Tur leys cabin to jim Tet lows wife to support th thel little children calhoun did not know exactly why he was marshaling talking points in favor of brand unless it was because he had been a littleness little less than fair to him and fell fel he ought to acknowledge it to the girl who loved the reckless scamp yes ellen agreed listless listlessly lk and turned the conversation to the first subject that came into her head what do you think is going to happen when the settlers meet these invaders will there be a battle and a great ma many nymen men killed w lie he shook his head 1 I dont kno know W your father and I 1 are riding up the buck river valley wi we are leaving as soon as we hear from washington jo I 1 dont think we shall get any favorable response from the government ellison arranged for it to keep hands off our idea is to try to be mediators between the two parties and fix up a settlement of some sort 1 I dont see how you can do that with both sides acting outside the law trying to destroy their enemy you and father had better not get mixed up in it you will only get into trouble im glad jeff brand feel that way tonight he said smiling at her he took a lot more risk than we are going to run he might have done himself great harm perhaps he has though I 1 dont think so eo but he did his job just the same they had reached the holden 11 house ouse they said good night neither of them happy in their parting TO RE BE CONTINUED |