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Show Fiction EXPERT RichardH Wilkk Corner hopes that Rex had entertained began be-gan to ebb. Then suddenly they burst out anew as Vic entered a narrow canyon, the existence of which was a surprise to everyone. A moment later he pointed down into a hidden valley where stood a couple of rough shacks and an astonishingly large herd of cattle. REX asked no question, but directed di-rected his men into a fan-shaped fan-shaped line, then ordered them to move down the slope. The rustlers were taken by surprise. They had no idea as to' the size of the attacking at-tacking force, and after a desultory attempt to fight off the invaders, the main body broke and fled. The big surprise of the affair occurred when Vio Stuart rode Dp with the masked leader of the rustlers and, slandinr. fore Rex and nil riders, 'r off the leader's mask, rr ing the snarling featnrti i Mark Eaoul. "Matter of brains," Vic p: . "Funny thing it didn't occur::; ' of you hombres who've lived:; country all your lives that is: j bunch of rustlers couldn't :; j where there wasn't watc water hereabouts is the E: j River. That was the theory 1 : ; on. I got myself a fortal-stick fortal-stick and used it to locate ' and to indicate the direction :! source. Forked hazel sticks -j fail to indicate the preset:' ; water if held properly in ths :-of :-of an expert." His bin! (j crinkled. "I reckon I'm an eF. . 1 NO ONE had much faith in the new sheriff. The night preceding preced-ing the day of his arrival the ranchers of the Roaring River Valley held a meeting in the Paradise Para-dise Saloon. Mark RaouL largest cattle owner in I the vicinity, was 3 Minilte the spokesman. , ex7ec z suits from this young deputy they're sending up from the county seat. He's a westerner west-erner with eastern ideas an' a college col-lege education. Probably got a head full of new fangled notions on how to run down a bunch of Arizona Ari-zona cattle rustlers. Thing for us to do is organize a vigilante group on our own, and wipe them there cattle thieves off the face of the map." "How we gonna do that," Rex Rupert wanted to know, "when we ain't got a notion where the rustlers rust-lers is takin' our cattle?" "We got as good a notion," Mark shot at him, "as any smart young deputy sheriff what aint dry behind the ears yet." Vic Stuart, redheaded, freckled, blue-eyed and friendly, arrived the next morning and announced himself him-self to be the new deputy assigned to the Roaring River Valley cattle rustling business. Rex Rupert, self-appointed self-appointed committee of welcome, looked the youth over and decided the ranchers had been smart in postponing their vigilante organization. organiza-tion. But Rex betrayed none of the confidence he felt when he explained ex-plained the circumstances. Vic listened and smiled and his blue eyes crinkled at the corners. "Natural," he said, "for Rao ill to feel that way. Fact is I have got some new fangled ideas. It takes brains to beat a bunch of outlaws these days, whether they're stealing cattle or operating a racket." Rex's thoughts' were rather glum as he rode back to the ranch. About midday of the next day Vic Stuart rode in just as Rex finished his lunch. "How many armed men can you provide me?" the youth asked shortly. Rex stared. "You ain't found the rustlers' roost?" "That was easy. Thing to do now is scare up enough men to take care of the rustlers, who are at the present moment engaged en-gaged in branding your stolen cattle." Vic Stuart led them to a section of country familiar to them all; the |