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Show I BLJ'ANDUNN e way now. Speshully OOLDl Jif the courts Lack up n ninn llko - Oopright,iira,br J.AiUnDann soil. Lead's cheaper than rope qta -To the Three-Bar Prison owned Jointly by nourUo. "Mormon" Tctor. oT-Water Sam" Manninc ollle mnke lis way. In tha a of exhaustion. Inscrlp-its Inscrlp-its collar says Its nam property of P. Casey." . .desert tra.fe.ty. Bourke m mount and let the dos ,, The two find a dylns "trick Casey, pinned, under turned wagon. Kncellmt the wacon Is his youmt r Molly, fifteen. They ex-irh, ex-irh, old Vospector. who dies Molly-mlnesl" "III t for that, pardnor," says It Is nirreed that Molly , mascot of the ranch, she , "Three Musketeers" be-rartners be-rartners In the mines, upon an education lly, Jim rllmsoll, gambler, the ranch, insults MoJly. Ims he Krubstaked CnBey. mode him the old man's , Mormon drives htm off. with a gold eal, Molly's ce, Sandy, with Sam. plays : inimsoll's place, wmnlnu It ts arranged that Molly o East to be "eddlcated." ibor, Miranda Bailey, warns chers that Jim I'llmsoll, as Casey's "partner," claims nshlp of Molly, and the nu. i stand In with him. Sandy nes to take tho irtrl to Now to an old friend. Itarbara r, for advice. ttho threa Ith the Etrt, set .out. Pur-f Pur-f the sheriff and I'llmsoll, chers separate, Mormon and eturolnc. and Sandy and going; on. The two are In a pass by a. cloudburst, which Sandy eaves Molly's rhey reach the town of Sandy meets a friend, lps the pair eluflo the pur-lerlff, pur-lerlff, and they safely board In on their way out of the CHAPTER a Sandy Retirrns. lays passed before Sim ng back on 'Goldlc, lcadl reaching the Three Star )f sunset. Mormon was with the -one letter th 1 written, on his lap. pulled in the mare beyo . lie could hear the sou harmonica and pictured h Instrument cuddled up t eat mustache. re good to be home, Goldli laid Sandy. Then he let out a mlgh "Hello, Uie house I" Sam's Hit censed abruptly. The r era came hurrying. Sam oppean with Mormon waddling after, t twlftly for his best case or graco motion, both grabbing at Sandy, sw ting him on the back as ho off-saddli "Lerame go," said Sandy. "I'm hi py as a spring b'ar. Where's I'edi Pedro, I'm hungry muy hambrlen Despachese Vd. Pronto I Huevos (els hucvos frltosl ErIJolcsI Jomo Cafe I PanecllosI Xtodo el rancli Pronto I" "SI, scnor, lmmodlaturacntc." Ai with a yell for Joo the half-brci 1 Pedro hurried away, grinning, to p pare the six fried eggs, tho ham, t coffee, tho muffins, everything In I larder I Ills two partners watched Sandy c plying lilm with food and then w question after question about the tt about Barbara Kcddlng and abi Molly's going to school. "Holly's got an outfit Darbara It ding bought her," said Sandy. "Tit an' leather grip, all kinds of do-da School costs fifteen hundred buck: year. The rest of Molly's money banked. Barbara picked out a sell I In Pennsylvania she said was the bei "It's been all-fired lonely with b joa an' her gone," said Mormon. " the dawg ain't eat a mouthful, I d( believe. Mebbo you enn coax h Sandy. Set around an' howled Ilk tick coyote fo' fo'-flve days mos tights. If the gel balks ni stand h f her to quit an' come back 'to Tli Star." I "An" have Jordan git her .nway ,i put her under I'llmsoll'a guardoi IHe c'udn't do that MlrandyUall 4 itf.ock him." "Be c'udn't do nnything," said Si J. ""I got myse'f app'lntcd lej narUaen to Molly whllo we was SMa Uosa, one day Barbara i Molly twos shoppln'. John Hcddln iyeriflxed It up." The .months passed without cspec ""Went M the Thrco Stur. Soil Jarchusefi a champion Hereford b r the herd out of tho ninth share 'wo winnings. Other Impro were .added, and the three psi seemed .on tho fair way to pr ttrlty. Occulonal letters came from Mo MMlckne88 and unhnppln "Jfed betwoe the lines of the fl Wes, despite iher evident efforts them. er wnys were not "H of the other girls. She nppnrc 'Mormed no friendships and It seen mt none were Invited from her. 'Hit I'm going to stick with It tl iL 2 ns t,,e n'stn Uio outsl . he wrote- "l don't kti I ti.ml0' t,ie,u work IilsUIc. It n I lU J ut rv st"rted tWi nnd y I C iTJl B throug"' 1 v I tor X 'onesome ns a sick I 1 t,0l't swear any m I to w aw'ul troul,l 'or spill I ilM , ' dlc"nary. I reckon I UlhJ 7' w breaU. but then, I I i2,2 1 ,,on,t ",nk ' wc I fWlC T t0 lmvo Gm' I " t0 look out tor Ulm nnd let him forget me. 1 hope you wo do thnt yourselves. Don't think 1 unhnppy, becnuso I'm not." "If she's happy, I'm a Cilia Uzar snltl Monnon. "Whnt's tho sense bavin' her miserable fo' tho sake o UT book leaniin'. She's gettln' spell so I can't make out wlint si wrltln' nlwut." At Inst Molly wrote thnt sho 1 made tho basketball team and v honors and favors. She gnlncd lnux for tho college In swimming and t nls, and life went more morrlly. I .in CHAPTER XI Pav Dirt. In September thero wns n kllllns tho Good Luck poolroom, the mur of n stranger whose friends mndo s nn Investigation, hacked by tho l Inw-and-ordcr clement of Ilcref thnt the exposure brought about frlturo of all licenses nnd n strict si ting down on gambling nnd 111 liquor. I'llmsoll left Hereford for horse ranch, deprived of the slier official countenance, nnd Jordan be to worry about election. One evening In early October a II body of riders enme to tho Thrco S all strangers to the county, men wl faces were grim, who cracked no Jo Whose greetings were bnrely more t civil. "Tills Is tho Three Star, ain't asked the lender of a cowboy, ' nodded silently, taking In the npp anco of tho visitors. "Bourke, Peters nnd Manning?" "One and nil," nnbwered tho Tl U Star rider. "Find 'em nt chucl reckon. You-nll are Jest In time, you aim to stay overnight I'll I yore hawsscs an' put 'cm In tho d, rnl" ntf "You seem hospitable here." Bt The tone was half sarcastic. In "Itule of the ranch," replied Bi at "Folks arrlvln' after sundown, same beln' strangers, Is expected ltd pass the night, If they're In no hur nd Sandy personally bncked tho lm lm tlon a moment Inter and steaks v uv being pan-fried ns the men dlsmoui nnd lounged on tho porch, awal ," their meal. The leader Introduced 1 ty, self by the name of BUI Bran claiming previous knowledge, wltl Id- actual acquaintance, of Sandy, 2 d, mon and Sam In Texas, oo "We're out after a man who's 1 of collectln' hawsses too promlscuc at- said Brandon nfter supper. "We k id. you gents by past reputation an' in- whnt they say of you In Here o? Also, by that last rockonln', I i to. flggerln' you ns any spcsbul pal ot i man wo'ro tryln' to round up. I roc n l you know who we mean. Jim PUm "Lead's Cheaper Than Rope, oy Somehow It Ain't So Convlncln in. who owns whnt ho cnlls the Wnte: jal hawss ranch, sixteen miles ens "in you, more or less; nn' who gits i m fancy breeds out of tho mangy cay 5B he shows his breedln mares an' lions, than there Is different fish i sen. From nil I can flggcr most o l(1y mures must have fo' foals a year, ull "Some of us aro from this str of Mojave county two of us from ve- vndn. Me, I'm from California. V irt- all been losln' hawsses off nn oi 09. we've final' got together nn' comp notes. Seems most of the mlssln' i Hy, sorter drifted ncross tho Arlzony eSs somcwheres between Mojave Clt r8t Topock. Most of 'cm have been to or passed on. All of 'era have tho faked nn' doctored more or less. ,nt. points to PHnisoll, 60 do eorae i ied hut not enough." "You been over to his ranch V t 11 I Snndy. Ide, "Jest como from Uiere. He's iow nnd' cool, Is I'llmsoll. Wc was In't posed to bo lookln' over linwsse ou- bujin, but he's ct-reful who ho rill, to. Wo eiiw some. An' wo recog cat tome. But you know how I oro Bourke, It nln't hard to clmn Inir lmwss. I'll say this for the ninn pell the finest brand-faker I've mot up cry But we're goln' to git lilm ye I'm wlx-u wo do, there won't bu nny ivns lmwss-stonlln' an' fnkln' In Cm tuld county, Arlzonn. Huwss-fitenlln so n hnngln' mntter when I first not West nn' I reckon there's sonio somehow It nln't so convlncln'." Brandon changed tho subject n't he bad spoken, but It wns plain 'in ho and his companions had not up the matter; clear nlso that d." were suro of PllmsoU's guilt nni of Ing plans to trap him. They s f n until tho next morning nnd depa; t Tho Incident was forgotten n e 9 roundup days grew near. Mnllj not to como liomo nt Christmas ,n" nil. Sho formed n friendship, tin 'on close ono she had made, nnd Bn cls Bedding ndvlsed thnt tho Invli cn extended by this new ncqunlntnr D.inml .lm 1... II. . ......... Snows fell, tho temperature r down far below zero nt times, gave reluctant plnco to spring unl Inst moment when It turned an ' 'n nnd, fur Into the desert, myrln 'ler flower-blooms sprang up ovc ucl' whllo everywhere tho cactus gli ronl In silken blooms In yellow nnd ord. son. tor- One April night tho Bailey i iut- camo charging up to Three "clt smothering Itself In n cloud ol his thnt had not settled before Iff's sprang out of It Miranda Bnlle Bnn tho lanky Ed, temporarily charge a tremendous activity. Tho cm ttlo young Ed's gnlvnnlsm was so tar, that ho actually won from his a ioso bearer of the newB. kes, "Gold I" he cried. "Thoy'vo han pay dirt at Dynamite I 'Chunks vnnlto thnt swent golU In the fir It?" say thirty thousand dollnrs i who Wholo streaks of It. Vein's car- foot wldo. Tho wholo town's sti In by way of Whlto Cliff canyo goln'. Got a pick an' shovol In tl lireo Aunt Mlrandy, sho was bound , I como this way. Mebbo wo cai If you all In. But you got to hu tend they'll swnrm over Dynamite 111 or uu u cuuiik u wvur i "It's true," backed Miss B "Folks over to Hereford haTe crazy. I caught a word or twe k PllmsoU's to tho bottom of tho ' An' ho'll grab thoso claims of 11 . first thing. That's ono reason I . Ed como this way. Thought you like to come erlong, on'y ho too ,tn words out of my mouth." rT "You goln'?" asked Mormon, tine "Sure nm," sho answered. "Ei ilm- lcy Son,or' no 'lows tnere' no . " In chnsln' gold underground. St t likes to see his prospects grow! , under his on eyes an' gnzln ( own land. I'm tho adventurous i tho Bailey fam'ly, though you ml ,een, guess It to look nt mo," she soli us' a twitch of her lips. "Pllmsoll nw BOt much lovo for me. Ho flgi , J lost him his license an' his brot ' , Inw sheriff his badge He's rig "n ' did. I flggered you'd not be ni ",e to let him have his own way kon Molly's claims nn' I 'lowed I'd '1 s" bo along nn' sco tho cxcltemcnl an' Ed here' 11 stake off suthl: ourselves. I'd Jest ns soon git easy monoy as tho rest of 'cm." Sandy, after a swift word of nr turned nway toward tho bunk Mormon, with a sweeping salute his bald head to his knees, vole opinion. ji "Mnrm," ho- said, "you'ro n dj Q thc-wool sport an' I admire to Sg with you. 'But that fllwer '11 H bu'st Its cinches with wc-nll rid jl I'm no Jockeywelght, fo' eno:" S. 'It'll stand up. We'vo got to time." X With orders to Buck, with sora ( visions, .ammunition nnd a fow K tho hurried Btart was.mado. M j clambered to tho front seat Bn young Ed, Miranda Datloy sat be k I Sandy and Sara. Whatever lack ergy tho lank Ed Junior dlsplaj M his feet, ho toUralnated ns n ZjE Tho springs creaked, chirpings from various iparts of the car ran. but ho coaxed Uio engine formed .miracles nt bnd places ! road, nursed tho insufficient ra surfaco nnd kept tho fllvvor nt i mer. They .made tho down-road i but sun rose above tho run of tho e '" range, so Jagged It seemed try rllno cmw l)nclc 11,0 mounl,nB BUn- 13 t ot view below them luy tho lntermo nore vu"c'y ''n which tho enmp hnd bt uses Cllte, Thero were a fow tents, stnl- wagons nnd picketed horses, and .. " were a great many mnchlnes i this nt wU1, 1Ioro n,ld tliero unl glass In tho windows flung lnu sun. Suddenly smoko Jetted f; ?7 tumbled chimney, other puffs fo , , nnd steady vapors mounted. A ev; men emerged from every bonne, 1 nn ered In llttlo knots, busied then ared wjU, tno ilorse8l hurried buck to itock fnstH. Fnlnt sounds enmo up lino travelcrs. r an v'udn't Uilnk thnt place hai 80,(1 dead as u cemetery fo' years?' been mented Sandy. "Stahted up ov Tnlk like an old engine. That's tho JactB, wU, t,0 i,Rti front. Furnlturo It an' In tho cnblns. Most of t iflked tures left In the saloons, nu the n plenty of them. Two hotols, fl slick tyronts, seven gnmblln' houses, t sup- two saloons un' the rest sieepl s for ins. That wus Dynamlto. tit sells gt It dusted off and Btttrtcd nlzod run ortonnntlc." t Is, "Cuttln' out tho snloons," bi go a rnndn. , bo's "I'm not so sure of that," Mil with, mon, turning In his sent. "You-n t nn', to remember, ma'um, thnt this nioro unco'porated town nn' that onlno ullug a Bhnrtngo of law nn' ordt ' was whiles wherover there's n Btrlk cnuif oil or whatever 'tis. Eighty por feels rh rubh Is a hard-shelled lpt an' you weren't the kind you are," Mormon, "I'd tell you thnt down ain't no place fo' n woman I" tvhen "Mcnntn'7" snapped Miranda 1 IMIm- But there wns n gleam In her cj , but showed of n compliment ncceptt "Mennln'," said Mormon, "th after you'll take It 'thout offense, you- thnt plumb up-to-date. When wlmme given up the ballot I flggcr they wnsn they ready fo' equal rights, they kne I lay- to git 'cm. 'Side from tho shoot tnyed ot It, I'd iny you wns ns well eq rtl. as any mnn to look out fo' yoi s tho Interests." - was "Thnnks," replied Miranda. ' nfter Pso '01' '"("nn that us n comp j first Als0 1 know one end of n gun fr rbarn other an' I can lilt n barn If I lotion Mo'." ico to rolled down to the vnll over tho dusty road to the cam onged foro they reached the main stre vlntcr Passed them from behind with til the driver and passengers reckless, d fled '"K ns they rode, ono man wn ids of bottle, another firing hts gun li might " earned "That's the kind that'll flggcr crlm- Dynnmlto fo' n while," Batd "I'll bet there nlnt twenty oi flivver 'n N'0 camp real miners, I mc Stnr, The street wns nllvo with cl t dust BrouPS. merging, breaking up t there t0 ROI"o fresh report of n sti y and opinion as to the prospects, dwlth were no women In sight. Tl uso of were of nil sorts, from cowl strong their chaps, who had left tin unt as fr the chanco of sudden wc , storekeepers from Hereford nc struck towns. of syl- Mormon's pronouncement tl e. As- town, nfter Its long deserth a ton. automatically rcfunctloncd, v twelve tar wrong. Rudely lettered sli imped- claimed where meals could be n. I'm nnd boldly nnnounccd gamblli ho car. KENO CHUCKALUCK AND 1 we'd CHAPS AND DRAW POH n pack THE OLD RELIABLE FARO irry or j. PLIMSOLL, PROP. - ll'UU OUUUJ. "He's .here, lookln fo easy 'aUoy-' both ends an' the middle," he c gone .v'udn't wonder but what w ' 'thAt up og'ln' him 'fo' we lcava" rush. .v0U'ii wnnt to go right thr tolly s Moiiy.g cinims, I suppose," st m" nnda Bailey. "Do you know ""S" theyarer k'tno "I can soon find the locntl plied Sandy. "But there al extry hurry. They've been r 1 Ual- They'll keep. We'll git us so sense i,ot grub nt one 0f these rcstyr iys he nsten n bit to the news." In UP "Ain't you afraid Pllmsoll n his one'u have Jumped those i Dno of nsvcd the spinster, ghttt't "W'udn't bo surprised. Bui 1 with niiUg two wnys to Jump, M 1 nlnt nndy. In an' out Let's Krs 1 Simpson's plnce. I knew him hcr-ln- wnB njnnln a chuck-whgon. I ht' 1 somo cook If It's him." nxlous Thcy pnssei through the about, gtrect t0 the sign. Next doo llf0 cnbln that Simpson hnd pre-en t-i JIc the flrst-come-flrst-served on a tor prevailed, was ono of the o somc loons. Through door and wind could sco the crowded bar w lology, tics and tin mugs upon the house. Binh of wood. Somo looked c i from nt Miranda Bailey, but tho ed 'his ; her escort checked any fan Covered with dust from thi ?od-ln- jms on hip, the Three Mu trail did not encourage persiflage al I Bure pense of their outfit nnd thej Un' It. unchnllenged Into the entli where a Btubby man with a bit mnke shouted greetings nt Snndy. "You ornery son of a gun l . io pro- mon. Tills yore last, Mormo tools, i beg yore pardon, mnrm. I d orraon, wished Mormon ud struck s besldo sensible an' satisfactory at In twecn, ha loss roore'n your'n. Whf of cn- have, folks? I've got steak ed on an' beans. Drove over son Irlver.- More comln' ter-morrcr. I'll arose rei mCnnoo by the end of tl 08 !t StenM Segurol Biscuits nn' Pr- jje touted orders to a hel In the imrreti 0ff to pan-broll the st dlator "Whnt's tho Indications?" B'm" Snndy, nfter Simpson had is the ..1gi IjO0k here. White astern 11o ,)Ul0(1 out a piece of tl ln2 to nineral with n brilliant metf ver in jer( Bj,nrkllng with curious untuln "SylvnTilte twenty-flve per ci en lo- nn. tweivo nn ,nlf silver. 80,no In the porphyry. There's a y i?ri BaJ'er cme 1" lnst night. Ho ' inrked ByvnI)te, same ns they have jroken Roui(ier county In Colorado. :k the kdi Ut j udn't wonder r.?m a. knows what he's talkln' nboul f calls u tellurldc. But It's i nt-iiico rIenti an. there's n big vein ot K! to the surface on the knoll iseives f Flvv,r cricit." break- . . . .. hand to liand, examining It wl 1 been cur'osltJ' Simpson rambled ' com- hotel' "Lndy back here ln th8 cr |