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Show Reddy's Fake. nY w. calveu mooiib. Copyright, 1!W, by Dnlly Story Pub. Co.) Iteddy was not popular. A little wizened, sour-looking runt, who could not elioot and could not or else would not drink, hod but a poor chance of being well recehed In a Western boom town. Ho hod come over tho trail from Lnminlo a few weeks before, be-fore, "looking for a likely ranch," and that was about all that was known of his past history, but In thoso days a man seldom brought a reputation with him; ho generally acquired it during bis stay In any particular place. His fiery head and florid features and little brown eyes made him the butt of some not very friendly or gentlo chafing. Ho was sworn at, pushed around, almost walked over, hut no one could draw him Into a fight. These things were all against him, Dut Ilcddy had one redeeming feature, ho was n gambler, and what pleated better, an unlucky one. When there was a tarantula fight Heddy wns sure to bet on the wrong spider; If he sat down to a game of draw, some other player was sum to havo a hotter hand, and Ilcddy buffered accordingly. Ho took It all coolly and mado a good loser, but the boys did not like him, and so ho was a marked man. Another stranger hai come to town; a big rough man, who wns ready to drink, gamble or quarrel with any ono, and who Joined the others In annoying an-noying Iteddy till It looked as It tho llttlo fellow would havo shot him If ho had dared. It wns pay day and the cowboys were coming In from all tho nearby ranches to buy whiskey and gamble; that meant drunken revelry, shooting affrays, and last but not least races, and tho right material for a good race seemed to have come Into their midst that morning. Reddy's chief tormentor tor-mentor was tho central flguro ot a group around a maro whoso owner had Just anlved riding on a mustang nnd carefully leading her with a lariat. lar-iat. Sho wns as sleek and nice a llttlo benst as tho boys had seen in years. Her owner had stepped into the storo for a drink, leaving her tethered to a post. Reddy's tormenter was fondling fond-ling her and sho nosed around him and rubbed ngalust him Just as If they were old friends, but It was noticeable noticea-ble that sho seemed to be less affectionately affec-tionately Inclined toward her other admirers. "Looks llko she might know you." sold a short, dark man who was known as Good Graham. "Know me? Course she does," answered an-swered the big fellow, "why I eaw this here little girl break tho crowd last week over In Big Medicine." "What?" shouted Good Graham, "Is this the animal you were telling us about yesterday? The one that beat sharp's big grey for a cold hundred?" hun-dred?" "Yes, and done It neat, too. She's a beaut, boys." Hero ho lowered hla voice so that only thoso nearest could hear him, "If ho lets her run here, you know how to bet your dust." "What's your expert opinion. Red-dy?" Red-dy?" nsked one. "What's tho "perfesEcr" got to say about her?" asked another. "Not much." answered Heddy. "Can you talk to that?" "Say, give me a tip, pard. Do you think Bho can run?" Thlsy'th mock solemnity from Good Gmhat,- "Ilun? That critter? Dori't believe she can run worth n cuss." "Glad you gavo me tho pointer. I See anything around hero that cun beat her?" "Yes. I'll take thnt thcro boss ot Jones's and beat her down to No. 40 and back, If you cau find a Jockey for the ctltter." Ths big stranger who had been ex tolling tho virtues of tho mare, seemed to lose control of himself with excitement. He pulled a roll ot money out of hla pocket and shook it in Reddy's face while he shouted: "What do you think about It now,' hey? Can you talk to that?" tapping Reddy squarely on tho nose with his money. Roddy appeared to hesitate. "Give you two to ono on the mare," shouted the big fellow. "Now what do you think about heri" "Guess I'll tako a hundred of that." said Heddy, coolly producing a roll of bills that made the other's look small by contrast. The betting was rapid and reckless as Boon as It was seen WMSw "I guess I'll cash in." that Redely had thrown caution to tho winds and wns going to gUe them a chanco to win all his money. Tho storekeeper was asked to hold tho stakes and lie had a largo amount of money when tho bets had all been made. Heddy had staked several hundred hun-dred dollars, but 03 ho was getting tho odds the otheis were risking twice as much on tho speed of the marc. The raco was to bo neld just before sundown so ns to nllow time for tho horses to bo fed and watered and put Into as fresh a condition as possible. Good Graham had backed tho mare heavily and on account of his light weight hnd been chosen to rldo her. He picked out tho lightest snddle he could find among tho crowd, took oft his heavy boots and even put his bolt and revolvers IrX tho hands of the storekeeper. As flvo o'clock approached the saloon sa-loon was deserted and tho cowboyB collected In a croup around tho two horses clamoring for tho race to begin. be-gin. Good Graham smiled confidently as he swung himself lightly into the saddle and asked If "Reddy was ready." During tho laughter which followed this sally of wit, Roddy fumbled fum-bled nervously nt tho saddle girth, tightened his own belt, pulled his hat down over his eyes, and Anally crawled Into tho saddlo as if each foot weighed a ton; ho looked like a very unlikely Jockey. Tho horses were walked up to the line, a big six-shooter barked they were off. Tho mare seemed to ho living up to tho reputation the big stranger had given her. The regular rise and fall of her rider was ovldonco of a clean, long stride, tho kind that wins somo times Reddy and the mustang thundered besldo her until a suddon glimpse ot scenery showed that the mare was leading by at least a length. But something scorned to be wrong; the mare was getting "choppy;" her long stride had given place to a nervous ner-vous gait which showed painful effort It was the mustang that was taking things coolly now, nnd, yes, actually leading. A shout ot warning to Good Graham, ho rained blows with the Bqulrt on his mount. She put forth her remaining strength In a desperate spurt which gavo hor tho lead for an instant, but Ready and the mustang shot ahead again and the outcomo of the raco was no longer a matter ot unceitalnty. Reddy dashed over the lino a winner win-ner by fifty yards, reined up with a Jerk and bounded to tho ground. He had ridden woll, a crodltablo thing among such men; ha had won a great deal ot money. Ho would havo been treated llko a hero, but all oyoa were turned from tho victor to the vanquished. van-quished. The maro had stumbled, throwing her rider and falling on him, and In a cloud of dust Good Graham nnd Hs mount could bo scon strug- ' gllnfe nnd kicking wltn equal desperation despera-tion and frenzy. The . storekeeper, who knew better than to leave his whiskey unguarded, and bo had remained standing In the doorwny whllo tho race wns bolng run, turned round to get some of tho , liquor tor Graham, when he was sud- I denly confronted by Heddy, wh said in a quiet but determined tone: "I guess I il cash in." "Will you take it now or wait till" Tho rest of the question was rut oft sharply at the sight ot a big revolver which was drawn from some portion of Reddy's clothing. "Better listen to tho man with the gun; accidents with firearms are mighty frequent," said the big stranger stran-ger stepping into view. This reinforcement rein-forcement of his enemy from sp unexpected un-expected a quartor decided the thoroughly thor-oughly frightened storekeeper, who pulled the money from a box and laid It on the end of a barrel. Tho moon was Just rising over the tree tops and sending her pale rays through the dusk when three tired mustangs were brought to a halt by their respective riders near a clump of trees on tho prairie. Ono of them was a big rough-looking man who towered above a little fellow with red hair and face and brdwn eyes. Tho third bore a striking strik-ing resemblance to a cortatn owner of a certain maro which was led Into a certain boom town In Idaho that morning, and was last seen trying to extricate her self from a tanglo of loose saddle and fallen rider. Tho little red-headed ono was Angering a bunch of stuff which almost matched the young leaves in color, but seemed to possess some strong attraction for three men, who did not look like botanical students. stu-dents. "What's tho haul, Reddy?" "About eleven hundroJ." "Well, It wasn't a bad day's work, but it was a durn shame to leave Liz-zlo Liz-zlo behind, worth her weight in gold, she was." '"Yes, you could depend on her wind giving out if she run hard about a mile; had to push that mustang for all that was In him though; Bhe was feeling pretty good and came near spoiling the fun. Lucky she took a fall and gavo us time to slide; wouldn't would-n't want to be around when they And out hor tricks." |