Show soe ot T L I Ir Q r 0 l The l Fighting Ranger B 1 Novelized for Newspaper 1 By 7 Y J 1 Serialization by bv 0 t HORACE I P. P J. J McCONNELL c N EATON and W. W N. N U. U GEORGE W W. Cc Corporation fm Q E l I 0 o CHAPTER XIII XIII-Continued XIII Continued 13 13 Bill aint In the habit of rough jol Jokes es in n the dark Terence Terence Ter- Ter fence ence said calmly but menacingly Maybe you kin shed some light Yeve been missing Buck snarled i Accusingly Wh Why Ive Ime been savin your our necks b by them ranch punchers off your our trail tran that's what I been loin doln Terence Terence Ter- Ter fence ence answered derisively I I Ye mean ye double-crossed double us on I the Job Buck hissed an nn an Terence leaped from his horse an and grabbing p Buck b by the throat cried a You He Ile I got good o eyes eyes an e an I 1 they re ce lU ui me un ne guilty ley bUilL now nova I II Buck answered with a staggering blow to Terence's jaw Terence retaliated retaliated re- re In a flash nn and the time two men closed In fierce combat Two of the themen themen j Ben men made to to- to interfere but Taggart BIased stopped them Let em era fight it out themselves be he said They dl did For half an nn hour Terence Terence Torence Ter- Ter Ibe ence held the offensive almost through- through out They The sloughed and punched each 7 1 other merc mercilessly Each hit the ground roun 5 time after time Buck more often than 15 Terence But both were game fighters t gluttons for punishment always corn corn- log Ing back for more Until finally In one 7 of t his rushes Terence plunged at Buck hitting like a battering ram regJ reg reg- J d iron blow after iron blow till tillI I I Buck fell crumpled up on the ground 2 cut bleeding battered and complete completely ly j ly 11 done In a Be In lay still and Terence facing 2 1 about bout to the others well battered up himself but grimly game same for more 1 shouted I Any of or you other hombres got r funny Ideas about me me 1 None Kone responded Then from now on Idaho Bills Bill's running this gang Terence yelled The They exchanged looks of approval at this announcement and Taggart stepped forward and looked looke him over with j calculating half suspicious e eyes es I fter a n moment fag Taggart art said fl Guess the right man won you'll you'll t do i for the Job Hn and offered his hand MAt At the Bar M l that morning the they 1 t rno 1 f n. n t c o n I VV l t I IV A ng AJ 11 J pans HI J i-J pro F I against f further l er attacks Ck Wl wined when liK Komi i In nn and delivered the note from Terence rence to Mary ary Excitedly l she read aloud to Stella and Bud Rush word to sheriff at Pico he can trap rustlers with stolen steers at nt Coyote Co ote Pass near Mexico line You rt r- r t j de Ide to Komis Komi's hut but quick and await a ime me e there Ive I've found foun m my wolf If It we can J-can loc locate Laqui gol gold a your our troubles i will rill 11 be ended I Idaho Whon blazes Is Idaho asked Bu hind Bud Mar Mary was on the point of revealing that It was Terence then she S n ered he asked e that no one one be told find simply replied 9 A friend frien we can rely upon She S Went vent ent on I T The e phone vIres wires were cut last how how shall we get word to the theS j S s Is l Is the airplane in shape for lEse rise fuse 5 nU Bud scratched his head and said Slay be he a little risky b but but but- t nl i u go with you ou Bud liuti stella broke r t In n If Its It's got wings well we'll make It Il itI I 4 as we use used to In the ol old flying cir clr- s days s He hesitated a moment an and finally fn greed agreed and Komi can go with me c d Mary and an the other boys bos wI will 1 stand j guar guard on the ranch until a a comes p Bud ran out Instructed the other boys b ys and got the plane ready Miquel c came me with horses for himself and anti ary nry The plane flew fiew off with Stella Mind Bud and Mary and Miquel mount- mount d tl d and und followed Komi to keep keen the time rendezvous with Idaho an nn hour later with the stolen E cattle Battle on the way x to the border in ini i harge of or several of oC the the rustlers In command OUr 1 of Terence alias Idaho Bill Bilk f and und several others awaited at ut their ser secret t ren rendezvous h Hearing learing f a n noise in the tl sl sky y they saw Pe Ibe Ule plane hovering up above aboe them pt r 1 I hat In the e hell does sloes this mean 1 J i oiled rl Ta g art watching Intently Up there In the 51 sly sky Stella sitting f f behind ehIn Bud had been betm b gazing down Iff the Title side of the cockpit for some t O. line Finally seeing teeing what she wanted ll r Wll on the ground she deliberately ld one of the steering b wires ecel f hl ch passed through h her Iter compart- compart ent 1 Bud felt the tl flying ln machine len leave in 8 as la control He lIe grabbed desperately the levers leers then cried j The steering controls have l If we ue fall fail with the machine it ir may f 11 h ost st our lives Stella replied Theres ly one parachute but one of us UCh reach the sheriff Ill I'll Jump it lw nd she he be began nn to t. ran unfold the time n para para- ara lute Ir ii Bud protested but Stella ignored his pleas lie He could not leave his place tr trying Ing to pilot the plane in the face of death Before he lie could realize It It Stella leaped from the plane with the parachute just as ns she had In the old circus days das as a stunt The plane kept on Bud nud could not regain control lIe He s sought a n safe safe spot to make an emergency landing But nut there was none In sight an and the plane kept dropping dropping dropping-dropping- dropping I M Taggart and his men saw the daring daring dar ing leap from the plane watched the parachute unfold and rushed to the spot where It seemed likely to lan land Down through h space Stella came falling failing nn and finall finally landed safely She quickly disengaged herself from the time parachute nn and bolted toward Taggart and his men As Taggart came up he lie lift lifted her onto his sa saddle le faced about and ro rode e back whence he lie had come The crippled plane fell into a n clump of trees a few minutes later Inter Du Bud emerged from the wreckage miraculously miraculously unhurt Looking about he saw the parachute l lying ing on the time ground not far tar off oil nn and started toward It While he was staring starIn at nt It he became became be be- came aware of horses approaching It was Mar Mary Miquel l and Komi They pulled up in surprise as os he ran to greet 1 them lIl Ul The Time plane wrecked he said But nut Stella dropped with the parachute before before before be be- fore the fall foll She must have gone to the sheriff Then come with us Bud there Bud there isho Is Isho ho no time to lose cried crIe Mary Bu Bud leaped up behind Miquel and they were off You chose a good way to come laughed laughe Taggart to Stella as os they rode into the time camp Well VeIl I was in a hurry she replIe re re- re- re plied Wait Walt till WI you ou hear what Ive I've got to tell you ou She recounted to him hlin what hind had ha transpired at ut the ranch how by ll flying Ing to him she hn had prevented wor word reaching reachIng reach reach- Ing the time sheriff an and about shout the time noto nolo from Idaho Bill nm concluding And the Marshall girls girl's on her way to the hut but of this Indian Komi Kolni at Sierra Diablo to meet this Idaho fellow fellow fellow fel fel- fel- fel low for some treasure hunt r this Is serious glowered Taggart fon fondling his topaz watch charm as ns he lie realized the real reason for all his plotting was endangered We Ve must act at nt once known he was a double- double crosser that Idaho put In Buck As Taggart he began nn making plans with Stella one of his men broke In upon them ahem Just saw that Marshall girl and a n couple of fellows riding like fury down the roa road there he lie said They stopped and and picked up the guy who fell In the time plane then beat It off Give chase at nt once shouted Ta Tag Tag- gart Seize them nIl all Buck Bucl and the other rustlers mounted mount mount- e ed hastily and amid led by the time man who hall bail seen pen Marys Mary's party part dashed dashe oft off on the chase Down In Co Coyote ote pass Terence still disguised as Idaho Bill was supervising ing another group of the rustlers driving driving ing the stolen cattle through the pass They ha had run only a R few through when after looking looking-at looking at nt his watch he lie called caIle out no Boys s 's keep these steers In the pass until I return from front from from the boss hoss The men no nodded ded un nail anil II Terence wheeled his horse nn and spurred off olf We neatI neatly nearly there said Komi Mary glanced hack back and perceived the group of rustlers In the distance dashing furiously toward them She emitted a nervous cr cry Look were we're being followed All turned turne and saw then spurred their horses on to greater reuter efforts Komi pointed ahead See there It is he cried The They saw his lams hut lint an nn ol old tumbledown tumbledown tumbledown tumble tumble- down rickety ety affair on the e edge e of Sierra SIl Diablo high above the gorge gorse It protruded over o the very edge of ot the precipitous mountain side Its bottom supported b by two t o en supports not vel very staunch looking a great perch for a hut Staid said Bud BLid But the they spurred their horses on On behind them and seeming to gain at nt en every ery r step came the pursuers At last they pulled up at the door of the hut They found Terence al already already nl- nl ready rendy there standing In front waiting for them Hurry flurry hurry he cried seeing time the rustlers pressing forward In hot Itol pursuit pur pur- suit lIe He helped Mary from fro lien her horse and the they all rushed Into luto the hut lint Terence Ter ence lust last Just as us the enem enemy drew up lIe He had only time to slum shun the time door In their faces and lock It D Dya n see that cried Buck Luck to his fellows as us they dismounted In front of the down tumble structure That was Idaho Bill with the therm-the them the d n d-n n double crosser Well ell eve wc mil emit em I trapped now non This Is their lust stand From Frum crevices between the theof b Tas I of at the hut but pistol and rifle barrels b ho- ho hogan gan to protrude spitting bullets at the rustlers The rustlers retreated a short ways an and took cover coyer So that's their game Is It said Buck Well well we'll give em nil all the they're re looking for lie Be gave Ye orders to his men to deploy deploy deploy de de- ploy themselves taking advantageous ad positions under cover at various angles from the hut and keep a s steady endy fire Ore on It The siege was soon raging The They rained bullets down upon the fragile structure Buck himself took careful aim at nt the weak rotting wooden wood wood- en supports underneath the hut He lie chuckled as he saw the wood of ot one of or them splintered by his bullet He fired at it again It cracked and sagged The hut but staggered as ns if It about to fall lall but hung on precariously CHAPTER XIV Inside the Hut Poor Miquel shrieked clutched wildly wildly wild wild- ly at his breast swa swayed ed and dropped to the time floor One of the time enemies enemies' bullets bullets bullets bul bul- lets piercing the woo wooden en walls of ot the hut had caught him Mary an and Terence Terence Terence Ter Ter- ence rushed rushe to his side Horror spread over their faces What Is it what it-what what Is it cried Bud Dud Hughes his nerves on ed edge c. c us as he lie bent over oyer his faithful little sl side kick e Dead Dead dead Komi remained at nt his post shooting his rifle through a crack In the wall There was a creaking cracking sound the sound the hut but rocked backward The supports are giving way way way- they're shooting at the time supports said Bud hoarsely Komi suddenly stopped firing threw his rifle on the time floor despairingly and motioned that he lie was out of ammunition tion lye We cant can't resist much longer said Mar Mary Look all my cartridges are used up too Terence and Bu Bud each had a couple left The Time hut but was swaying perilously sl as its rotten supports ga gave ye way more They exchanged tense glances Desperately Desperately Des Des- Terence ference and Bud Dud fired their last bullets vainly hoping to get one of the enemy with each But nut it was Impossible to take careful aim through the time cracks Were ere at the time end of the rope A few minutes after they ha had ceased firing they heard henr a terrible battering at the door The re breaking In 01 on us The hut but rocked rocke and swayed more dizzily than ever Perhaps wed we'd better let them In la in Terence started toward the door to TT open it u n and nuu He lie ue never readied reached it There was another terrible terrible ter ter- crash against ng it from the outside the the strain lind h been too great great the the hut but sagged and creaked The They henIn heard henI hearda a n crackling sound as the ts t of the wooden supports c. c LT wa way way the the the hut but started to cps cp Terence e T made a wll wild reach for lor Mary an and held her in his arms they arms they falling down falling down down o 11 down down- down own own- K IA I- I A As the hut tottered ln and sll slid over the crumbling edge of ot the mountain side Buck Duck nn and his men quickly retreated with the heavy log the they hind had been using as ns a battering ram Just in time timeto to save themselves from dashing o over or r and following it for the they hind had ha put their whole force behind that last plunge e and the momentum almost carried them over O The They wiped the perspiration from their foreheads s then peered downward downward down down- ward over the he side sille of or the mountain and saw the splintered remains of at the time hut but where It had smashed to bits far farbelow below With Ith a hard grin glIn Buck turned and andI said I d done for for and und that double double- crosser Idaho Bill Bm along with em This'll be big new nc fer the boss Cumon lets let's bent beat It and tell him bIm They ran back bock to their horses mounted nn and sped away While the hut but was vas falling fulling Its weak weal walls gaped open the rime occupants slid u L out and lUlU were hurled to 10 earth ai nt different dif un- ferent points Terence clinging to Mary ar In his arms tt was as first to slide out They landed In a n clump of brushwood on a alede ledge lede half n way down clown The brush broke their fall and saved them from serious Injury Coming out of his daze Terence Ter Tel Terence ence nee turned his attention to Mary Maly She revived a n few moments later and Hud the they embraced tenderly In the Joyous discovery dis- dis ery co over that both hoth hind had survived Then they clambered to their feet and started start stair ed searching for the others Descending cautiously down th the steep mountain sl side e the they found Bud nud who luckily had escaped c ped similarly The Time three went on farther At the bottom bottom bot hot tom the they found the dead bod body of poor little Bu Bud deeply touched knelt at nt his sl side e pressed the cold hand bund and murmured mur mur- immured murel sa sadly l little Good by Good by pal TO BE DE CONTINUED |