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Show & y WW J ;ktd I M'.iALAN LE MAY Es'ii-i k'" CcwfoU a., AUn. UM THE STORY FROM THE OPENING CHAPTER At the Inquest Into the death of John Mason, banker, Jean, daughter of Campo Ragland, owner of the Bar Hook ranch, where Mason met deatn, surreptitiously passes to Kentucky Jones the bullet which had killed Ma-son, Ma-son, she having abstracted it from the evidence. Kentucky goes to work on the Bar Hook ranch. The Mason verdict is accidental death. Bob Elliot, owner of the "8S" ranch, adjoining the Bar Hook, drives his cattle on the Bar Hook land. Lee Bishop, Ragland's ranch boss, expostulates, and Bill McCord, Elliot's foreman, insults him. Bishop and Jones are astounded by Ragland's Indifference to Elliot's action. Jones tells Jean Elliot knows she purloined the bullet at the inquest, which Jones has got rid of. Her reaction re-action mystifies him. Zack Sanders, cook at the Bar Hook ranch, is found dead, murdered. Sheriff Hopper announces his knowledge that Mason also was murdered. In a gun fight with riders of the "SS" ranch Jim Humphreys, Bar Hook cowboy, Is killed, and Billy Petersen wounded. Jones sends for fighting cowmen, but Ragland countermands the order. Jones seeks to trace the ownership of a gun found on Zack Sanders, as a bearing on the mystery. Jean sells him her share in the Bar Hook ranch, thus giving him a free hand with Elliot. Jones finds proof that Jean has concealed evidence connected with Mason's death. A gunsmith whom he had engaged to trace Sanders' gun says he sold the weapon to a Bar Hook cowboy, Joe St. Marie. Jones questions St. Marie without avail. Lee Bishop goes "gunning" for McCord. Knowing Bishop will not be given fair play, Jones sets out after him. The foreman Is shot from ambush. Jones carries him to shelter. Bishop dies. CHAPTER X Continued 14 Her words tumbled out of her incoherently. in-coherently. "It's because Bob Elliot was close to the Bar Hook when Mason was killed. Poor Lee Bishop knew that though I don't think he knew that he knew It. I " Kentucky Jones said, "Bishop told me that he knew." "And now," said Jean, "now I've got to tell you that I've known this all along almost from the first. And I" "You're sure you want to tell me this, Jean?" "I have to tell you you make me tell you" "All right," he said. "What, exactly, ex-actly, Is Bob Elliot holding over your father?" "Somehow he's guessed the truth : that whoever killed Mason killed him with my father's rifle. I knew that when I put the bullet into your hand at the Inquest; I've known for days that you must know that, too, though you said nothing to me." "Yes," he admitted, "I figured out that.". "And Bob Elliot knows it I'm certain he knows It. Though I swear I don't know how he is so sure." "But you yourself are sure that It Is true that the murderer used your father's rifle?" "The the yes ; I'm virtually certain cer-tain of that And my father knows It He " "Have you talked this over with him?" "No how could I? It's changed him so I hardly know him. He used to have a terrible fighting temper but where Is It now? He doesn't dare come to a showdown with El-Hot El-Hot ; he's afraid of the effect the shock would have on my mother." "And on you." "On my mother," she repeated, "ne doesn't dare face It out because of her. But just as he won't fight Elliot because of that something In his makeup keeps him from protecting protect-ing himself, too. Nothing would bring him to hide evidence though that evidence might turn against him, as well as against the true murderer. He must have known " "Then," said Kentucky, "his alibi about being somewhere else at the time Mason was killed is not so good as some people have been led to suppose?" "lie hasn't any testimony In support sup-port of It but mine. They'll discount that, because I'm his daughter; even even if they don't break my testimony testi-mony In some other way." lie did not stop to tell her that he knew by this that her support of Campo's alibi had been perjury. Instead In-stead he asked her, "How many people peo-ple know that Campo your father set out to kill Bob Elliot the day Mason was 'killed?" She cried out with a shudder In her voice, "You even know that?" "Bob Elliot told me that," he said shortly. Jean Ragland looked dizzy, and sick. "Then who can tell how many people Bob Elliot has told?" "And how many people," Kentucky Ken-tucky said slowly, "do you think can tell a living man from a ghost?" Her voice quavered irregularly, no longer fully under her control. "What do you mean?" "There used to be a picture hanging hang-ing In the Ear Hook ranch house." Kentucky said. "A picture In a dark wood frame. That picture was stolen because somebody thought It had something to do with the Mason case. When you saw that picture pic-ture was stolen, you were panle-I panle-I itrlcken, and hid the empty frame from your father. Now I'm going )o tell you what that picture was." "You can't you never saw " "It was a picture of a man on a horse. When you first looked at that picture It seemed to be an enlarged snapshot of Bob Elliot Only when you looked close, It was not Elliot but John Mason. Do you deny that, Jean?" 'No," said Jean miserably. "Yon see? It's just u I said. Nothing escapes you, nothing's able to hide itself away from you. That that's the rest of the case against my father. fa-ther. Lee Bishop didn't know who it was he saw near the Bar Hook when he thought he saw Mason, and Joe St. Marie only thought he saw Mason's ghost. But when they rested sideways In their saddles with their faces hidden, a long way off or In the dark anybody could could mistake Bob Elliot for Mason." Ma-son." "Or," he said, "an angry man might just possibly mistake Mason Ma-son for Elliot." She stared at him blankly for a long moment. "Oh, dear Lord," she said at last in a broken voice. "Why did I ever try to hide anything from you?" She did not avert her face from him, sitting very straight In the saddle. "Yes, I hid It. Campo must have known at once that Mason Ma-son was killed with his rifle; but do you think anything In the world could have persuaded him to do away with that rifle, to pitch It into the bottom of some canyon?" Watching her face In half profile he saw her begin to cry, silently, and without tears. "Is that all?" he said. "That's one side of It." She steadied stead-ied herself. "And what's the other side?" "The other side Is that he he thinks that that you might have killed Mason, Kentucky." He said slowly, "Jean, are you lying ly-ing to me?" She rushed ahead, a little of her color returning. "With everything against my father, what could I do but keep silent?" "And hide what evidence you could," said Kentucky. "And now you want me to jump this country," "For your own sake," she said quickly. "I swear to G d, Kentucky, It's for your own sake I want you to do that. All the time he's spent In Waterman, when we didn't know what he was doing, he's been trying try-ing to build a case against you. Everybody knows you were at the house at about the time Mason was killed. Campo's figured all along that only one thing was lacking to to Implicate you so deeply In the death of Mason that you could never " "And that one thing lacking was my reason for killing Mason." "Yes, of course and now he thinks he has it." "Jean, do you think he believes I killed Mason?" This time she averted her face; when she spoke her voice was hardly hard-ly audible. "I only know that he would be glad to believe It lf he could." "If he could." repeated Kentucky. He turned his hor,e toward the Bar Hook with a savage twist of the bit Jean cried out, "Where are you going?" "I'm going to hang me the man that killed Old Ironsides." "Kentucky, wait !" She booted her horse against his and caught his arm In both hands. "Kentucky, lf It weren't for me you'd never have been In this. Thla Isn't your fight It's never been your fight It's mine and my father's. You're not tied into It as we are. You " "I'm tied into It now." "No, no! Take your horse and ride out Take" "I'll go," he told her, "when I've done this job of work. I'm going to clear this thing If It splits the rim-rock rim-rock wide open." CHAPTER XI TTEN'TCCKT JONES came Into l- the Ear Hook layout on the dead run, dropped oT his horse at the door and went pushing Into the house. He made bis way straight to the little crank-sided wall telephone, and belled Waterman. Water-man. It was one of the deputies who. after a prolonged delay, finally an swered from Sheriff Hopper's office. of-fice. "Talking from the Bar Hook," Kentucky said. "Has Sheriff Hopper Hop-per left yet?" "Yeah, he left about three minutes min-utes ago. Wait, new ! Yeah, there goes his car by, in the street." ."Run out and catch him," Kentucky Ken-tucky yelled Into the phone. "Shout your lungs out but stop him!" There followed a protracted wait. It seemed to Kentucky Jones that an hour passed while he stood at the telephone waiting for the deputy depu-ty to return. But the wire opened again at last, and it was not the deputy who came back to the phone. "This is Floyd Hopper speaking," said the small voice from Waterman. Water-man. "Who's that?" "This is Kentucky Jones at the Ear Hook." "Oh, yeah? What the h 1 do you want?" "I've found out something. Do as I say and you'll have your man In six hours." "Why the devil should I do like you say?" came Hopper's voice, sourly. "I'll give you proof," said Kentucky. Ken-tucky. "If I'm wrong you can tell me to go to h 1. All I ask Is that you test It for yourself." "And when is all this going to be?" said the sheriff. "Right now," said Kentucky. "You can shake down the proof of what I know In less than five minutes from right where you sit. Have you got the bullets that killed Zack Sanders?" "Of course I've got 'em !" "And you've got the gun that was found in Sanders' hand." "Well?" "Take the bullets that killed Sanders San-ders and compare them with the gun that was in Zack Sanders' hand when he was found dead. You'll find that Zack Sanders was killed with the gun that was found in his own hand." An Instant's pause was followed by an oath that scorched the wires. "Jones, you fool with me by G d. I'll learn you to fool with me!" "All I say Is look at 'em ! It won't cost you the time It took me to get you on the telephone. I'm giving you your chance to get the man that killed Mason. You can do what you want to about It" "I suppose," came Hopper's voice, "you figure Zack Sanders committed suicide!" "Take a look," Kentucky repeated. repeat-ed. "Fire a bullet from Zack's gun and match It against those he was killed with. If I'm right call me back, and I'll give you the lay. Otherwise, you can go lamming around here blind until it's too late It's all one to me." Kentucky Jones smashed the receiver onto the hook. He turned to find Campo Ragland Rag-land standing In the doorway. Kentucky Jones leaned against the wall. He crossed his legs, and "What Do You Mean?" rolled a cigarette; and the two looked at each other. "I heard what you said over the phone just now." Campo's voice was lowered; but he sounded as lf he had accused Kentucky of misbranding misbrand-ing a calf. "I knew you were listening. I heard you come In." "I suppose," said Campo, "you've got more guts than any man on the face of this rocky up-ended earth !" "Maybe I have," said Kentucky. "Maybe If I didn't have I wouldn't be here now." "And you'd be better oft," Campo told him. "I've heard tell that the West Is dead," Jones said. "And I always thought that was funny, with the lands still here, and the cattle, and the riders working In the saddle like they always worked. But when the owner of a brand sets to working work-ing In the dark, and shoves one of his own rldirs Into the noose because be-cause he's afraid to face out the music himself I guess the West is gone, all right." Campo faced him In silence for a little while, and the blood came up Into his head, darkening his wind-reddened wind-reddened face. "Before a man can clean a range," he said, his voice low, "he must first clean his own outfit" "So you think," said Kentucky, "you can convict me of killing John Mason?" Campo snapped at him, "Who told you that?" "I've been taken for a fool, here." said Kentucky. "I expect maybe a fool Is what I am, for I've let myself my-self he used as a fool. But I'm not a blind man, and you should have allowed for that So you think you can make it stick, do you?" He did not miss the (lick of Campo's eyes as they dropped for an instant to Kentucky's bolstered gun. "What I can make stick and what won't stick," Campo said. "I don't pretend like I know. I only know what I'm convinced of in my own mind." "As, for Instance?" "As, for instance," repeated Campo, Cam-po, his eyes red and steady on Kentucky's Ken-tucky's face, "that you like to ruin us all when you shot John Mason down." They looked at each other for a moment more, then Kentucky Jones moved his hands to the buckle of his belt. He saw the quick start of Campo Ragland's right hand toward his holster; but Kentucky only loosed his belt and tossed It aside. "You needu't fret yourself," said Kentucky, "You're never going to get a gtinfight out of me, Campo." Campo said, "I expect not. But If you're holding off because you're gone on my girl, you can pick your gun belt up again. Because no d n sneaking killer is fit to so much as walk where her shadow's been." In the little pause Kentucky heard the outer door of the kitchen open nnd close, and knew that Jean had come. "Maybe you're right," he said. "Maybe I couldn't ever bring myself to gun you, because of the reason you've named. Maybe, if It wasn't for just that one thing, you'd have been talking for your life, Campo, these many days ago." Campo Ragland's voice rose hard and tight. "If you think you can " He checked himself. "I don't think about what I could have done, because that's past. But I'm asking myself why you don't sing mighty small." "What's the meaning of that?" Ragland snarled. "I'll give you just one little pointer point-er as to what's the meaning of that. Where's the rifle that killed John Mason? You don't know. But I know ! And I could lay hands on It now." The rounded receding sweep of Campo's forehead was marked with tortuous distended veins that stood out in bold relief in the unfavorable slant of the light "Bring it out, then," Campo cried out. "If you think I'm afraid to have that rifle brought out " "No," said Kentucky. "It Isn't me that you're afraid of. It wasn't that, thnt sent you prowling around In the dark trying to find a way to deliver up another man. It's the man that's swamping your range, while you sit by and watch your riders go out and get shot." "If you mean I'm afraid of Bob Elliot," said Campo, "you lie, and I put it to your face. And when It comes to you come out with what you've got, and all you've got! I'd rather be dead than think you held back from It for the sake of for the reason you're trying to make me think." "Put that reason out of your head," said Kentucky. "When this thing's over I'm going to turn my back on the batch of you, and move on." "No," said Cnmpo, his voice very deep and strong, but shaken with a repressed turbulence, "you'll never be moving on." He came Into the room nnd stood close In front of Kentucky, red-eyed as a roused bear. "Not any more," he said. "You hear me? I've found out what you supposed nobody would ever find out. I found out that you had more reason to kill Mason than any living man 1" "And I'll make It easy for you," said Kentucky. "I'll admit It." Ragland stared at him a moment, thunder-struck. "You you what?" Suddenly Kentucky laughed In his face, silently, with on ugly twist of the mouth. "You're a fool, Campo," he said. Campo Ragland blew up. "I've stood enough," he shouted, his voice rising In a shuddering gust He snntched up Kentucky's gun belt nnd tried to thrust It into his hands. "Take your gun belt, nnd I'll give you the break! Take It nnd drawl" "And If I don't," said Kentucky. "Then I'll see you crack your neck at the end of a mpe!" There was a small sound behind Campo Ragland, voiced Inarticulately, Inarticulate-ly, like a word thnt had tried to make Itself heard and could not. Looking past Campo, Kentucky saw that Jean wns standing there. In the doorway where her father had stood. I Her words broke thrnatily, jerked and twisted, forced their way out against an all but overmastering emotion. Yet they carried no Inflection of appeal, but Instend were hltt'T with an Insupportable conviction. "No! No, no, no! You'll never do that 1" (TO HE COMIMT.D) |