Show 1 p fly Ry PETER TER B. B KYNE i r THE STORY THUS FAR FAtt Mary Sutherland J a erland an eastern girl Is lured to Arl- Arl I I. I Bona rona by the advertisements of the Wagon Wheel dude ranch operated by Ma ilia and Pa Fa Burdan urdan She Is met at the tim station r by Len Henley rodeo rider who tells j 1 her ber that the Wagon Wheel has gone cone out of f business Len takes leer her to Phoenix 1 Bearing that the Wagon Wheel Is broke Ham Dam Henley Lens Len's father purchases the Cardan Burdan notes from the bank While at Phoenix Len enters the rodeo drawing draw draw- ing In a bronc broke known as Mad Iad Hatter tough toughest est horse In the West Ham bets Len three to one he be wont won't be able to stay on I the horse Mary learns that Len loves her She wagers one thousand to three thousand nd that Len will r del bd Hatter flatter CHAPTER VIII Ham Henley still did not know I where to find the but he suspected they would visit his son as soon as the doctors would permit it so he had a man sit in a car in front t 3 of the hospital with instructions that tf if an elderly couple should drive up in a station wagon he was to follow them when they emerged and Secure secure secure se- se cure their address When at the end of four days the thet t f had not appeared he commenced commenced commenced com- com to be anxious In order to tofile tofile tome file me foreclosure suits against them he would have to have them served personally with the summons and complaint t in action and nd undue del delay in fu locating the defendants would t make it incumbent upon him to petition pe- pe the court for permission to enter upon the Wagon Wheel ranch to conserve its assets And if it could possibly be avoided he did not Dot wish to enter foreclosure suits he did not want the Wagon Wheel ranch to be thus advertised as a ae e property upon which a supposedly experienced cowman had failed I i While Hamilton Henleys Henley's thoughts were thus engaged Pa Burdan had kept his promise to uncover the la lats lat lat- t- t ter's Iter's s sudden interest in the Wagon wheel ranch ranch ranch-a a task which it must be confessed was not remotely com- com He telephoned the president president dent Ident of the State Bank at Prescott tto to inquire if payment of the delinquent delinquent delin- delin quent interest on the loans the delinquent delinquent delinquent de de- taxes on the collateral and anda fa a payment of say five per cent on the principal of the loans might operate op- op J erate to forestall the filing of suits fin in foreclosure He was not surprised surprised sur- sur when informed that the bank Iwas was no longer interested in that matter because Hamilton L. L Henley had purchased both mortgages i So that was how the cat was about to hop Pa came in to Ma and paid said proudly Well Vell Ma I told you Id I'd ferret out Ham Henleys Henley's interest tin in the Wagon Wheel an I have Hes He's bought the mortgages 1 You through Ma IVIa de- de I Aint more to ferret Pa II I protested virtuously Ve Very w well th then thIll Ill I'll start Ham Henley wants an assignment of our state land lease to make sure nobody nobody no no- nobody body else slips in hi ahead o 0 him im an gets feets it after the state land commissioner commissioner commissioner com- com missioner cancels our lease for failure failure failure fail- fail ure to pay the rent I l 1 aint goin a to deny that Ma 1 An he wants a sale o to the cattle an a quit-claim quit deed to the home ranch sos so's he wont won't have to enter suit in foreclosure an can enter on the property an take charge right off He knows we cant can't protect ourselves so hes he's gone goneI II I hearted big-hearted an offered us as a gift I just about what it'd cost him to enter suit Now that Len was out of dang danger r rand and permitted a few visitors for a afew afew afew few minutes daily Mary wondered if he still harbored his plan for acquiring acquiring acquiring ac- ac quiring the Wagon Wheel ranch She suspected he was sufficiently tenacious tenacious tenacious tena tena- cious to cling to the idea that while unable to attend to the details himself himself himself him him- self he might engage a lawyer to attend to them for him for she doubted if he would ask his father to serve him In order to verify her suspicions therefore she asked him about it He replied sadly that he had abandoned the idea The had fled from the Wagon Wheel in panic when their panic subsided they would of course courser return to ton top t n p ack their o few fou 1 a 1 6 1 b but tUt tU t they yU would lc p not tU remain a there I until legally evicted Pa had to do something quickly to earn a living for himself and Ma Hence somebody had to take charge of the Branch ranch at once and the bank would of course petition the court for permission permission per- per mission to do so in order to avoid waste and spoilage of their collateral collater- collater ial al prior to securing judgment in foreclosure suits Consequently the moment such suits were instituted competition to secure the Wagon Wheel at an obvious bargain would be keen and of course a man flat fiat flaton flaton on his back in hi a hospital doomed to f remain there not less than two months a and d facing an additional convalescence convalescence convalescence con con- period of a month or ord d more could not compete When she terminated her brief a visit Mary went to the local bank fr where she had opened an account b by y I de depositing positing Ham Henleys Henley's check and I asked a bank official to recommend I a good local attorney He suggested a a. a Mr Henry Buller in the Henley building and to Mr Henry ers Butlers office Mary at once repaired Upon re returning turning to her hotel she visited Ma and Pa Burdan 1 I am thinking seriously of acquiring s lug ing ig the Wagon Wheel ranch she I began began What P price rice will you accept for lor your equity Mas Ma's acquired sense of leadership bade her answer Ten thousand ud dollars Young as she was Mary realised she was about to be played for a dude that Ma and Pa were not above employing a modicum of oi rural cunning So she decided there should be no temporizing For an assignment of your state land lease for for a deed to your home ranch subject of course to th the deed of trust held by the bank and for a sale of o of all of your cattle subject subject subject sub sub- to the mortgage on them held heldy by the e bank I will y give you twenty- twenty five hundred dollars and not a penny more Take it said Isaid Ma Leave all your papers with me Mary directed I must have a lawyer verify your lease and your right to assign it and approve the title to your real estate As soon as he has done that I will issue you youa a check In the interim let us go goto goto goto to the lawyers lawyer's office and sign an op op- op tion The moment the were back at the home of the relative with whom they were staying Ma picked up the telephone and called Ham Henleys Henley's number Pa put his hand over the mouthpiece Aimin to gloat a mite on Ham Henley eh I. I N t l lt t s q i i r-l r c s o j l k kt t 4 0 r i g Ear v 1 For tor a plaything she had taken the ranch he growled before the deal is closed final Ma youre you're askin for forit forit forit it so as soon as we git the money you take half an Ill I'll take half an well we'll go our separate ways Ma trembled and hung up That afternoon Buller verified the fact that the had a land lease that it was still valid and that they had a legal right to assign it The following morning the title to the real estate was found to be in order and at two o'clock that afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon the deal was formally closed closed- whereupon Ma Burdan picked up Henry Bullers Buller's telephone and demanded demanded demanded de de- de- de speech with Hamilton L. L Henley Evidently her request was granted for Mary heard her toss over the line a bit of ancient childhood childhood childhood child child- hood doggerel Smarty gave a party And nobody came but a big fat darkey Then she put the receiver back in its cradle and smiled happily If Ma hadn't had her gloat over Ham Henley I reckon shed she'd have bave busted wide open Pa opined Why is she gloating gloating- Mary asked On account Ham Henleys Henley's bought our notes from the bank an an was hell-bent hell on from us what ove u just bought Y J. J Why didn't you tell me Hamilton Henley had bought those notes Mary demanded You never asked Pa replied in all innocence besides which if Id I'd volunteered the information you might have we was try in into to whipsaw you You offered a thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand moren Ham Henley so we took it Mary sighed It was one thing to pressure high-pressure a bank but she had hod a avery avery avery very strong that to high- high pressure Hamilton L. L Henley was quite another pair of boots However However However How How- ever the fat was in the fire now and andall andall andall all she could do was to go to the assault I think Ill I'll handle Mr Henley myself she told Henry Buller while you go over to the state land office pay that delinquent rental and file with the land commissioner commissioner commissioner com com- missioner that assignment of lease She picked up the telephone called Hamilton L. L Henleys Henley's office and asked for an interview That morning Ham Henley had dropped in for a minute to visit his son Len he said youve wintered wintered wintered win win- for several years on the Wagon Wheel You sort o 0 like that property property property prop prop- erty dont don't you Its beautiful Len sighed Ive always wanted to own it and it-and and I c. would have too if Id I'd gotten oil off Mad Hatter sooner I been maybe you'd be happier with a spread of your own son his father went on Im in position to pick up the Wagon Wheel for a song an if I l thought you'd accept it Id buy it an give it to you an there wouldn't be no strings to the gift son except that Id I'd like you to put up at my house when you come to town an keep a room forme forme for forme me at the Wagon Wheel sos so's I can visit you when I come up to Yavapai coun county ty Len lo looked ked up at his father and the latter saw his sons son's eyes grow moist saw his one sound arm come up from under the sheets and grope toward him Ill be mighty happy to have the gift now gUt now that I know your love goes with it he said with some difficulty Ham Henley laid his big hard hand across his sons son's eyes to hide the emotion in his own for he was not given to being soft and it disturbed disturbed disturbed dis dis- dis- dis him Why son he said gently there aint I wouldn't do for you if I could I know I was hard on you when you was in your teens I it I-it it hurt me because me because you accepted your mothers mother's leadership instead o 0 mine mineI I I got the false notion you wasn't a Henley When I seen vou you ride I Mad H Hatter tie t to a gaspin finish finish I I knew you'd done no man mano mano o o 0 your mothers mother's clan would have I done Im Im I'm right sorry for a lot loto loto I o 0 things You talk too much his son saidI saidI said I UI dont don't need a blue Well Vell gather them Burdan scrubs an an culls an sell em for what they'll bring then Ill I'll stock you up with high-grade high cattle You visit all my ranches an help yourself to the best horses in the an as soon as youre you're up an doin again Ill I'll buy you a car like mine It isn't considered good medical good medical practice practice pappy pappy to pull the nose nose nose- of a fellow w with th a fractured skull skull- but keep on on-if on if it pleases you you you- You keep your tail up his father father father fa fa- ther roared and fled from the room Back in his office fI ee he said to Jess Hubbell Jess Mrs Bill Burdan is out to swindle me on that Wagon Wheel deal I dont don't know her scarcely scarcely scarcely scarce scarce- ly but Lens Len's fond of her her so let lether lether lether her get away with her swindle When she calls up again you handle her She riles me How much uShe's asking twenty-five twenty hundred Its It's a gift so give it to her I want the Wagon Wheel for my son and Ive I've got to get the out of my way so I can send a manager out to look after things Where can I find the Mr Henley I dont don't know But you needn't bother lookin Shell She'll be call callin in up this afternoon to accept my last offer offer offer of of- fer Poor devils they got to have some getaway money He gazed upon his manag general er a moment then laid a hand on the latter's shoulder J Jess ess he said I pay this crazy government too much income taxes so Im I'm a goin to reduce the inflammation by in- in deductible expenses Gim Gim- me the office payroll I aim to whoop salaries with you Im glad said Jess Hubbell that the boys boy's going to live Im I'm glad youre you're happy and thanks forthe forthe for forthe the raise Happy Jess Im I'm a coyote in a watermelon patch Jess my boys boy's always been right fond of me me an an I didn't know it Can you beat that It aint up to me to tell you how dumb youve you've been Jess Hubbell replied diplomatically You know somebody by the name o 0 Miss Mary Sutherland Yes What about her She uShe telephoned to ask for an interview interview interview in in- with you at eleven tomorrow morning I told her Id I'd call her herback herback herback back at her hotel Ill see see her her Jess All the remainder of the day he wondered what the object of the in interview interview interview in- in might be He felt vaguely disturbed about it after Ma BurI Burdan Burdan Bur- Bur dan an ha had t telephoned him i s some re p I tic nonsense about aou a party pany ana and a abig abig abig big fat darkey and his perturbation had not abated when Mary was ushered ushered ushered ush ush- ered into his office Good mornin dude he greeted her on your mind Good morning Don Hamilton On my mind this morning are two sour loans you purchased from the State Bank of Arizona m Hum Do it again I own the Wagon Wheel state land lease and the Burdan Burdan Burdan Bur- Bur dan equity in the Wagon Wheel home ranch and the cattle He blanched and flushed His face went out of control and as a mask for concealing his emotions he was aware it was no longer of any use to him and this knowledge combined with the blow below the belt this dude girl had so calmly and forcibly given him fired filled him with anger He thought rather incoherently She's robbing my son For a plaything plaything plaything play play- thing she has taken the ranch hes he's yearned for years to possess and she's robbing me of the tile fun of making making making mak mak- ing his dream come true She dislikes dislikes dislikes dis dis- dis- dis likes me and now she has come to gloat over me I must not speak too quickly If I do Ill I'll say too much after all my son is in love wi with th her and Ive I've just gotten my son back I mustn't risk losing him again TO BE CONTINUED |