Show laub 0 EEF HAROLD channing WIRE cat cwt LEW BURNET his TOM been eti enticed gated by ARNOLD owner ot of the cross cros T I 1 to act it as trail rail toi boas on the drive from rom southern lout bern texas tei to ogallala in n the tee apri 9 of 0 tom TOD with hit his son 00 oo and daught r STEVE anil and joy are moving to ajo 0 aning tom must deliver moo longhorns too to the indian agent by september 1 I or 1 lose loie a profitable table contract lew has hai rea 1 SOD on to believe tint that the indian supply co li is trying to delay the cross T herd and he suspects that clay steve and ED are in ten league with ith the company lew heads bead west weft and runs ram into a furious dut dust storm that chokes and blinds blind men and nd cattle anke the herd li Is near death from thirst when hen uie the storm ends endi and a misty rain laus falls CHAPTER VII far off in what he knew now was south lew picked out the first col imn of his scattered herd two others were separated from it by per laps three miles on behind them he found the white tops of the wagons but as he moved his gaze on slowly around the sharp horizon there was no sign of water nor the double butte to set him on his course ills his moments gratefulness sank to a heavy dread they had come too far ar from the last watered camp the cattle go on another jay day would bri bring ng its killing heat for clouds that followed a dust storm sever hever held long he was staring east he gave his head a sudden jerk to clear it he wiped one hand across his swollen eyes they tricking trick ing him h As if from the grass roots smoke twisted upward over there it rose and d shaped a pillar broke and rose and broke again willy nickle sending ending up his balki he spurred his tired horse south halfway toward the scattered co columns he drew his gun again and fired bred it he pulled his horse around into short last fast circles they heard beard his shots that time and saw his signal little figures of men started out toward him he rode on and met john Quarter night first the old mans beard was muddy white his eyes puffed almost closed boy he said we got here wherever that be theres some ones camp though yonder willy nickle I 1 think lew said im going to look ill leave you to gather up the creek was still two miles off and before he reached it the smoke ended riding into a little grove of trees he found only the embers no sign of willy nickle at first until he saw the forked stick it had been thrust into the ground with one prong like a thumb pointing downstream he followed in the sticks direction sheltered from wino wind and rain a snug engg retreat willy nickle sat contentedly tent edly smoking his black clay pipe he threw up his left hand in a silent salute and dropped it his gentle face was brown and smooth from a recent shave lew grinned and shifted over into one stirrup ii halting alting well he said eaid we had a wind willy nodded so you did 1 I guess lew said we clean missed the double butte camelo Came too oo far north maybe but heres a river south branch of the pease said willy ile he took the cherry pipestem from his mouth and pointed with it if a man heads out of here quartering qu east of north hell hit a creek of the red hell follow that to the red herself ten miles above doans store two days maybe if his men have made I 1 it t in three days they were still crawling through low hills south of tile the red blindness healed slowly in both animals and men three had ridden in the cooks wagon day clay and steve rode with joy they both had bandages smeared with abic axle grease over their eyes end sat up w with ith h her er on the seat he had a queer feeling sometimes seeing them in a row like that when he dropped back bacic along the ahe herd he could see their tun furi and hear them laughing together they ang a lot old songs that he used to sing with her it took him back back to three little apaches only it was ivas cl clays ays big shape there now instead of his but today all of his crew were in their saddles eager to reach the red re d that meant something it was halfway to dodge it was the lashof last of texas soil beyond the red river lay the indian nations and nd the north every trail drive marked it with a cele celebration of 0 f some kind kim he rode the point with quarter night and could see old rebel john was feel feeck ling what he felt A roan man would never feel this thi s atie sorrie riess about leaving ony any place up nor noth th he w 3 sure of that not a texas teas man there was tom arnold tiding back behind the horse herd what must this crossing the red river mean to one like him 7 it must go hard ile he was leaving the biggest part of his life down here the best besl part what waa tom look ipg ahead to in wyoming not much so far ar if he was counting counti nj on steve that had been his hope at the start well what wis was he looking ahead ah ead to himself nothing that ahat he could coul j see eee nut not the roach ranch hed planned plan ned there on th powder when he had thought he was going you pen en to build it up alone two bulls in the same pasture get this herd to ogallala beyond that he know his head bobbed to the slow walk wa ak of his horse ile he let it nod peacefully d drowsy s until Q u arter nights arole W quick voice came ame aar across os s to him there she 1st he looked up the fold between the hills had widened beyond Us its mouth lay a five mile level shell shelf of grass gass far off red bluffs marked the river I 1 high and shining in the sun he grinned and said A mans I 1 glad to see that old girl somehow glad when hes across her well sure he said right men had reason to want this river behind them no other except perhaps the canadian with its farther north had taken so many lives in a little while he was pointing out upon the open shelf as flat as a floor and he could look far east along its great bend no other herds swarmed across its grass doans store and the main trails crossing were ten miles downstream were alone here john he said thais good behind them the crack of rope ends against leather sounded like pistol shots swing men were crowding the dongho longhorns ans on but even the c cattle attle had sensed the river and walked at a faster pace of their own accord ills his plan had been to cross at once and go into camp on the north side there would still be time for an aft I 1 ile he let the herd spread out to drink er errio ons rest and the nights fun but riding ahead he reached the lower bluffs of the south shore share and looked down upon an angry churning stream the red was full from bank to lo bank there had been heavy rains somewhere west lie he swung back and met the point and told Quarter night chois up john too high to swim well have tp 19 hold aver over he shook his head 1 I dont like it much mu ch we may get some neighbors we dont maat he waved his swing men up no use parrying now VIL ill ride down to doans after we water and see what herds herd are on the trail under the added pressure of swing riders he bent the point west toward 0 a creek ile he let the herd spread out there to drink and afterward left them standing drowsily under a two man guard gurid lew is thiis this a holfdan holf day asked clay part then im riding down to doans it was as an ordinary enough request alman aman get i a few things at the S ture store but that was rot riot the reason he felt with clay ile he shook hit his head none of the crews going there I 1 dont figure it its s safe clays stare esthre sharpened p d on him kindol kind of highhanded high handed banded arent you maybe Y it hard to maki that orden ile he answer but afterward standing ankle deep irr in the water shaving in front of a mirror propped against a allow fork he went back to find clays de meaning aning it lear clear c harnan deserted against the tra trail il boss orar he might as well quit C clay pa uld do that ile he c continued his ich shave the adi sdi scar made de his cheek stiff he had bad ford forgotten about clays threat and he felt good cleaned and dressed once thore more walking back into the shady grove of the camp then he saw ed had not been at the river and he had wondered only jim hope and torn tom arnold wre were on guard with will them th herd but he was herp here in in caan now naw with his horse hone saddled alto hi clothes that he had worked and slept in for a wf week ek been changed id tell you he stated bluntly tm im ridin down to lo do deans ans you wont need me till 1 lew walked past him and tossed his war bag into the cooks wagon Hel turned back and said not this U 9 triv trip and started on Sp lanns surly growl jerked him around what the hell kind of a boss are you ile he walked up close his high shape comin coming grabove above ed Sp lanns broader and more powerful build He could feel the scar acar burn hot and red Butt but there bere were times like tills this when he let his voice come out ot of him in a slow drawl my friend he said ill tell you what kind of a boss I 1 am no man in my outfit tools fools me any you dont ile he let it hang there watching weigh it behind his pale eyes they narrowed coolly you think you know something what bouve got no warning coming hebald he said sald his voice still held to that quiet way but ill 1111 warn you this much id as leave eave have a rattlesnake in my bed as a spy and traitor in Ws this c camp mp you dont need to ride to doaris s ill see your friends for you Is that clear A wicked brightness leaped into Sp lanns eyes you talk tough you got anything to back it up show or lay down burnet ive called your handt hand ile he underestimate this man there was the experienced gun fighters arrogance about him ile he let his muscles go slack and ready and felt only that cool alertness as he said any time ile he could almost see the huge right gh shoulder begin its lift that would bring the gun up out of its holster his own fingers curved Sp lanns eyes went past his and swung back A subtle change came over him he leaned forward a little confiding burnet you stay clear youve got a lot to learn some things you dont want vant to know and youve got a lot to lose ills his eyes moved again footsteps crackled in the dry leaves leavea ana ana then joy called gayly jewl come and cooki she passed beyond them looking pleased with something bundled in her arms she was barelegged and her long hair washed and dried wassoff was soft around her head Sp lanns eyes followed her through the trees then they came back with a knowing shrewdness you take my advice and get your pay one thing about you aint hard to read he wheeled and led his horse arse toward the picketed mounts joy was up on tier her bed in the wagon sitting cross legged with both ands covering her lap lew eggel she lifted her hands handi turkey eggs I 1 found a nesti ile he leaned in to her and turned them with mock gravity real eggs think of that but it was her scrubbed fragrance he was wag aware of her soft hair and skin that was worm warm and glowing it put a tight quietness in him that was not mockery then she laid both of her hands on his the laughter was gone from her bejes ejes eyes she looked up soberly lew ive been sorry about something dreadfully sorry I 1 mean back there when steve went blind I 1 hating you it was only that everything t seemed so wrong I 1 understand what youre going through these days I 1 make tt it any arder harder ile he pulled his hand from under hers ive never asked for pity joy not from anyone let me pity myself it if I 1 want to we all do that sometimes amt I 1 mes but I 1 dont want it from outside this dont you understand something turned her lips soft and beltle parting them with a slow ani even breath her dark eyes eye searched his face weve meant so go much to each other nothing must end it I 1 want you to know that she stirred him with an irritable violence past zoy joy we arent children any more youve grown up and what I 1 have is 13 not a brothers feeling 1 I know it ifer her voice was wai hushed h ush e d look herel ile he put his hands handi roughly on her arms and pressed them against her sides he hurt her and wanted to hurt youve got one man what do you think you can still offer some little part of you to another no its only she tattered faltered ills his grip tightened joy this li is nothing you can play with better not bryll try I 1 her breath was quick ile he could feel the tremble of her body beneath his hard hands ile he let hei go and stepped stepp oia gac back I 1 Any thin thins you want from doans store she answer but only shook her head staring at him 11 wheeled from her shaken by tile the vi olence of the feeling she hod had aroused in tive anve illes nilles n he reached the bend of the he river shelf and saw an un expected sight beyond far on east easi of the bend bed a dozen trail herds flood bound south of the red made darl blots against the grass that was wai the crowd he had missed by taken an tin unknown known route ile he could nut nol judge the number from this taij di tance anywhere up to forty thou sand a bare traction fraction of the long horns pouring north TO BE CONTINUED |