| Show The TheBy 0 I o of Settling f the Sage Sagel l By fly t I HAL G. G EVARTS t 4 Copyright by Hal fiat HalO a o. o U CHAPTER VIII VIII-Continued VIII Continued 16 16 But Carlos Deane could not see It was WIlS his last evening alone with her herand herand herand and after the meal they rode across the through the be moonlight In that hour bour she was very ery near to doing doings IS s he be wished If It only he be had suggested suggest suggest- ed that she come to him as soon as the Three Bar was once more a n prosperous pros brand had bud only pointed out bow how she could spend months of each year on the old home ranch then ranch then he might have won won his point without waiting But that Is not the way of man toward woman His nis pl plea a was that she leave all nil this t behind for behind for him And his hold hoh was not quite stron strong enough to Induce her to gl e up every ery link of the life she had loved for long years before Carlos Deane Denne k had been even ven a part of ItI ItI It to I cant can't tell yo you voy now she said ns as they rode back to the corrals Not now It ft would take something out OUI of me the me-the the vital part If part If I 1 had to leave the old Three Bar In the shape Its It's In today Its It's sort of like deserting a crippled child The next day clay her stand was unaltered unaltered unal unal- and In the evening when the whole Three Bar personnel swan to their saddles saddle Ie and headed for the frolic at nt Brills Brill's Deane Denne had been unable un able to gain her ber promise There were but few v horses at ot the hitch rails when they reached the post As the Three Bar girl entered at the head of her men she saw Bentley and Carpenter leaning against the bar well toward the rear of the room Within the List last st week she had heard that Carp after being let off by Harris Barris had bad started up a n brand hrand of his own down in Slades Slade's range ranee Harris Harris' liar Har ris' ris remarks about Slades Slade's mode moe of ac ne- acquiring quiring new Dew brands blands recurred to o her her her- that rhu he fostered some small outfit for fora a few seasons then bought u It out As the men scattered she commented on this to to Harris The Three Bar fore ore mun Likely the same old move mo be he said Like I told you theres there's no way to check Slade up ap on the number of our If It Carp arp gets caught Its It's his own hard luck lurk A dozen men from the Hal Halfmoon moon D swarmed In the- the thedoor door Mrs M McVey Vey the owners owner's wife stationed herself herselt In one olle corner with the tune Three Bur Bar girl while the men gravitated gra to the bar Harpers Harper's men came In the albino standing half halt a head bead taller than any other on tin thi and the they mingled with the rest II a ay If it their records were the UlO most t tE of the lot T Two To o of Slades Slade's foremen formen arrived with their thelt families Burt Burl Eppe Epperson son a trapper from far tar back in the tle hills hud had brought his family to the frolic Mrs AllS Epperson was a tiny liny meek woman who bad had bul but little to say tier Her two daughters In their lute teens La glos glossy y blur black hair hall high cheek and faint olive tinge of skin w which betrayed a trace of In Indian dlan dian ancestry Late Lute came at nt the head ot of otHis His Ills tribe Two T of ot ifs sons were mar married ried vied anti and living nt ll the tile home ranch much ranchy y hey came to the dunce danle with the rest reSI l 1 ot of the family Lou Brandon's wife wIte r Jolly Dully was a 6 former hall dance girl Irl of off f C l r and und A Al AI Brandon's pellet bolter halt half Belle Ilene was the daughter of a u ui i Utah cowman t An extra rolled plied In from f and und four couples Joined the L throng F school Ex Ex st linol teachers Harris In j. j formed They marry them so su tom fust t that it I Its It's hard to 10 keep one line on nn the flip Job oh t i truc the he rising generation In I I rite he er school f- f Demie alt shrunk rat ii IC from frum the thought of at th the Three Bar girl II In ID such sueh a mixture r Some u way she seemed st Ulan many simile liner than thun n I the he r rest 1 II If couldn't b be otherwise Harris said when Deane e expressed sed Ihl this thought She was rimed raised a at al the Ule knee of one olle ot ut the tile tint finest women In la the rile world I remember her mother hel III rny my self self u u little and Ive I've heard my toy own mother muther sing the praises of ol Elizabeth n 0 f t limes tuns fc The interrupted them thern 4 e Cal I how come corne hp hI greeted The three men lien convened ed In th tire the trios most cus cas huh friendly fashion us liS If It it there hind lind never rw he been n it a tint hInt of friction between Harris anti In he the past pastA A great greul vole nice rose above e the buzz ot of ri piling Ibe hl her room roomi to In lie HIP pr rafters house your tot rUl the th dunce dance l' l Waddles addles b bellowed front from II the makeshift at at one end ol tt the room norm n J it get gel Cr Jilt K gai a als nisi I Deane mowd arro across f to ro flit rhe I three Bar girl Tin There wa war u it general al rush for r the he s sir opposite the Ill in III n here hert the ladies trait hart gathered Couples squared un lor tor the rill he- he Virginia reel the shortage e of nl ti reel rectified rec hy try a nand Hand lied 1111 on lie Hie mm id ut I u IJ IH ti II sd hal tint I lie Ile was r fir t r the moment n fJ I p puked d his hie guIll two Irv riddles broke broke- III nl tote into In Ip tic Ill St urn Ih 1111 dance was wal oo on with calling the turns All Al throng the room they shuffled shut shuf tied fled and ond bowed towed whirled partners locked elbows and swung the he shriek of ot fiddles and scrape of ot feet reet punctuated punctuated the callers caller's boom Slade came In alone as the first danne dane wa was ended A croupier and aud lookout Imported from for the event ent opened Brills Brill's roulette hl layout out In one corner orner the rattle ol of chips the whir of the Ivory hory ball bull and the professional chant of lookout and croupier sounded sound sound- ed between dances The Thc full enjoyment of a 8 none nove scene Wilt was spoiled for Deane iane by the sickening sicken ing lag realization that the thc Three Bar nar girl was part of It It rubbing elbows with Die Ule nondescript throng He nc looked again at nt Harper the rustler chief at ot Slade with his peculiar tur tur- nce ace Slade the cattle king king tile the killer Willie Warren Worren stood between the two Epperson girls whose faces fares betrayed ed the taint of Indian nilion blood an arm about aboul the shoulders of each of them Tt Tr sheriff who had said that men must humor was leaning against the bar Denne Deane turned to Harris narrIs but found him looking across the room He turned his own eyes that way glimpsed a dark man with an ov overlong ov thin face and nd n a set bleak s stare re Morrow had Just come In FI Five e minutes later Harris stepped out the hack door and Deane Denne followed him At the till soon soun- of M a footfall he hind him Hi whirled on his heel v a The Next Day Her stand Was Unaltered and when he confronted Denne Deane the dim light from the door glinted on something In his hand Sho Harris Barris deprecated Im getting get ting Ling spooky I 1 thought It was some someone someone one els ens els He lie slipped the flie gun un back In Its holster Theres one or two tl ul would like right vel velm to run across ae e from behind I Moved ed f you out to tell you It II was decent of you to Insist that flint I stay over oer a few days Deane said II was a white thing to 10 do considering that we both want the same slime thing We uWe both hath want her hei to have hn what's best lIest for her said And I dont don't know as she could do any better than han to take up with you It may sound rather ruther ther trite trite coming after otter that Dearie Denne s said ld But nul an any way Ill I'll have to say that thai 1 I feel the same ame way about you you Then If It were we're both right In our es estimates why she cant can't go very ery tau in far wrong either way she turns Harris said So I reckon were we're both con content tent Harris BarrIs moved lUu on and motioned Deane to accompany himI himI him I thought though t I glimpsed 11 u II own main n I h knew kne a 11 few minutes buck Harris said Id like hike right well to have e a II talk with him They wandered completely round the post and nud looked In the of the outbuildings but bul could find no DO noI DOI I trace race of ot life Likely I wu was mistaken ln Harris said at lit last lust I 1 saw ma I t face just outside the door hur He liE more or le less on my mind the mind the he party I thought though hl It was w s Some one else I 1 expect and hes he's gone Inside They returned d to the tile hall Morrow stood with two n D r en ul al the end 01 ul I the hI bar har Harris motioned him tiny ashl and Morrow withdrew from the others Tills This IP Is pretty prell far tat north nort h for you MOIro Morrow Harris suggested Is there any anyone on one restricting mj my range Morrow v demanded If It therIs there ther Is Id I'd like to know Then Ill I'll II tell you Harris Barris an nn The road la 18 open open open-as ns long longas as you keep on the road Any time you ou stray ort oft the beaten trail youre you're on 00 the Three Bar range I J dont don't figure to gl gc git t gunned up tip from the brush more titan than once by hy the same man mau Every Three Bar boy has orders to shoot you down on sight sigh any time you heave In view v anywhere within twell miles of ot the Three Bar nor so 1 I wouldn't stray oft off the he traveled main road any anytime anytime time youre you're going through Lanky Evans had bud detached himself from a group and Morrow looked up to find the tall toll man moo standing 8 at this his shoulder So 1 ye yr brat brnt In pairs Morrow farrow re reo marked I And later Inter In packs Lanky re re- turned Wh Why dont don't you ever er come up and ond visit us Every ime Im I'm I riding north I keep looking back expecting expecting expecting ex ex- to see sec you come cantering up from the south the object of all this conversation con can v Morrow flared If youve you've got anything to say to me why get It over with Nothing special Evans said I 1 Just thought maybe 1 J could goad you Into being Imprudent enough to come up lip our way which way which Im I'm sure hoping hailing to observe you ou north of the line lIna and ond within a thousand yards Evans Enns turned away and Morrow Morlow rejoined the two men he had left lett at atthe atthe atthe the bar Deane Denne looked about him Apparently no one had bad noticed the little by didn't exactly mean quite all of that Harris explained Of course If It Morrow does come up our way Lanky would prefer to see him LIm first first first- but he be would rather hed he'd keep awny away He lIe staged singed that little talk as a safeguard safeguard safe safe- guard gunnI for me If Morrow acquires the flue I Idea that several oe folks are ure anxious to I Isee see hit biL up there hes he's apt to be real cautious how he prowls the Three liar Bar neighborhood looking for forme me Deane Dlane crossed over o.-er to Billie mille The music started but she shook ht het head as he 7 u uld old have ha led her to the floor Sit do dot n n. n I d want to talk with you you Long lm no see urn ura after te night she said be da daylight lIght soon and andIe Ive I've a n ions tale to tell As the others danced she gave gae him hima a dozen messages te to impart to various arlous friends Tell Judge Colton that Three Bar Barstock Barstock Barstock stock Is rising she said And that as soon a as things are all smoothed jut ut ur he cun can expect me for a boarder Through ar opening in the dancing throng Deane Denne suddenly bad bod a n clear clearview clearview view of the open rear door one door one brief glimpse before the t c closed once more and shut off orr his view He e had an Idea that he had seen Slen a Q f face le hazy huzy I and Indistinct n u few feet outside the thedoor door Jp le p wondered red If It cu Id be he the friend for tor whom Harris rind had search d d. Make he the visit soon Billie be he urged Its been hen a long month since weve we've had hud you with us We thought maybe be you'd deserted us hack there How now soon will tills this visit start start and and how long will It last 7 It will start as soon as the Three Bar liar doesn't doesn need me she said gold And lust last a long time Again a lune lane opened through t tre tle crowd crowe affording a view of ot the door Denne Deline sn- sn the face outside In the night and aud a 8 foot or more mure below It some bright object glinted n cn n the dim light which filtered through The music music mu mu- sic Ic ceased and ond the chant of the roulette rou rou- roulette lette croupier begun began mingling with the smooth purr of the Ivory ory ball I I There cattle came a sidden hu hush h from the vicinity of the rear door a 8 hush that spread rapidly y throughout the room so 5 fire are the perceptions of n a frontier fron tron frontier tier gathering Old tile Foster stood Just Inside his Ills gun raised before him Can Can- anfield field and Lang stood to together In the center of ot tea th floor fluor sprint from the he rest j-esl and with no others In line be beyond nd I the t I i. i nile tossed n R boot buol heel on to 10 the floor fluor un am na ni It I rolled tI the two men he hot hll anfield through the chest Lungs Lung's ng gun Jun crashed Clashed almost with his own Idle s knees ander under un nn der him and he pitched fore down on 00 the thc floor his arms ltd out nut b before tore him The surge ot of the crowd pressing i hack haele out of rue me threw the albino on I the Ille edge of It II his big form towering j R atomic The rhe old oid man rul e co hi his head lid h from flora om I the the Ono fino any anc crooked his wrist with tile the Isms Ins of Ill his ebbing strength h I Four for timings Bungs hp hI said and shot between the e eyes eves pR I TO BB I CONTINUED ED |
