Show I VAL VALo o I P J 11 1 Ih oD bg I vrn h lr r- r N i I BEGIN HERE Y TODY TOD JOHN SOH-I HANNON NOX wealthy ranch their bea beau beau- beautiful his huis wife tee BELL and owner osner VAt VAL 11 hip happily lly to- to toI wonderful ranch In Hannons Hannon's gather the greatest Paradise Hannon flannon I home cd Cd by b I In l the t mes mesas s country 10 lCt er po family and hated by lila his hl neigh neigh- neighbors his In that land owner richest bors ii 1 I the section The pride o of Hannon a heart hea his wondrous Red Belt Brood of horses hors is the tho envy en of all au cattlemen the tho king is I beyond com coin cor to He vr Is 1 an alien nIlAn ve rn horse horne ts hr brought tw parison if u ii pur Paradise ParadisO by the master aCt after after f fa a mys- mys mysterious to Journey Into distant lands lande In store In anla Paradise ranch II a again nearest neared to town tonn n to been boen running since the night nisi gain game has before man of ot mystery Is Inning from all GO g Os 0 oTA 1111 TIlE THE STORY Today as aB the men steadily lost to shadow darkened the thedoor tl a door and a S girl stood there She leaned gracefully against the tho Ill and smiled h her r little head hend tilted side side- Iso also like a bird birds s her black eyes c cs rot rot- with a I bold 11 Ingo oter o 0 er r eT acer e Pr T face ace there bright glance Silo Sho lS clad In gay ay garments of scarlet and black blaek It nith nitha It n a sash suh of o striped silk that hun hung to toh o h her r knee at the left lert after aCter it had most saucily bound her slender waist In a altIe tI tight ht girdle At the tile sound of or her ber l r light foot at atthe atthe t the sill till tho pia rs looked up up Bride man with nith Ith a n leer I r and a laugh and a 0 compliment the CO CObos cowboys bos It It that Interest which all their Ilk feel fed fe 1 in but Paul San San- SancheZ i- i chez with Ith a 0 black scowl I for tor she aile w was his daught daughter r Lolo 1010 he said go lion hom home pronto pronto But she aho only leaned more comfort comfort- comfortably comfortably ably against the doorpost and smiled at the tho men Lob Lolo likes company said man and why shouldn't she shut In tois forsaken town T Toll Tell TollI me that Come Conic watch atch us play little one inc he added turning Ills his grote face I to ard the door But Sanchez was nas on his feet his dark face faco flaming Ho lie lifted an mi- mi finger and ond pointed d north and arthe id the girl with a 0 last glance I and antI a 1 pout slipped gracefully oft off the step and disappeared Sanchez nat at down again picked UP UPI his cards and called for tor ft I dr draw w cool cool- coolly cooly ly iy but there was nas fire In his black bIMI blackeyes bla I eyes And no now as If It ho he lost command of I usually sane judgment he lost the thelast t last of his hla sold Kold and rose nith Ith a bow his cards thrown on the table Your Tour pleasure g gentlemen lie Ie said Drink V with ith me If It Hunnewell ell elI III a ill trust me Hunnewell Hunnel II behind Ills his worn old bar trusted any one Moreover he knew know barI I that Sanchez was as as only onh temporarily broke broko So the tho pia placers ere left loft the table nub much noise ot of scraping chairs and nd jingling spurs and lined up for foi forthe forthe the fiery refreshment which would have floored a 0 stranger And Arid Lob Lolo swing down clown the tho little street beneath the elms and cotton colton cottonwoods her slim brown hands high higl with Ith offended dignity stopped short I to stare with Ith wide eyes to where here time the open road led from the tho sage brush sage plain A great creat reat dust was on the le el lei el for many horses ran rail thero there fleet horses she knew Ime tor for they poked their dark noses no es ahead of o the dust e eten een e en though the wind Ind blowing blotting Ing with nith a I keen leen trash trash- freshness ness noss lS vi is behind them themI fresh I I I Lob Lolo turned back to watch the on on- on oncoming oncoming coming coming- cloud cloutI of dust with Its poten- poten It came with an art increasing sound of thunder with nith the rattle anti and am creak of chain and saddle and pre pre- e p band hand of men mon rr rode de Into the enof end of the sleepy street and pounded don donn ill its length lenth toward f They were nero ere lean loan bro brown broun n chaps to Il a IlI Ilman aman man they rode like Ilka centaurs and 1 I every man-jack man of them Cal two tw guns s swinging at his hips Their gar gar- garments gar I ments were ere good and showed a gertain of such as an os- os I Ion of spotted belts and nd riding gr cuffs cutts But the lIJe thing about them that tha took too eye of every eHry beholder In that tha I land was nas their horses t Grand horses they vere nere ere wild ramp ramo- III mettlesome creatures all ali big all allI al hard hartI as nails from long and oud strenuous I ous Otis use and ond the tho one that raced ahead was as more beautiful than all of them I And If It the horse shone up In tn sharp contrast among those behind him not no 1 less lean Ics did his rider also I This was a oung man not ova over A I I Stake me nie she said I ele gise on onlea leR e lea lean c seven and antI t ent tall talI lean loan as II a beneath hound the broad shoulders his flannel shirt slipping with mUi- mUi mucie m cle cie the Ion long hands hand on his pommel 1 slender as IlS a n womans woman's and as os tine fine grained Brained his handsome blue eyes In odd contrast to the darkness of lit ill hiS hair and the tho smooth dark dar tan tm of ot his cheeks Iho Ilie group of newcomers falling In close together as s if from habIt crossed the tho street to the store mount mount- mounted ed the steps with a clatter of ot spurs spui and antI entered The Tho leader stood first inside the tho door and looked around with the sparkling smile that lighted his face IlS as a with nith lh an Inner flame The Themen Themen men at the table looked up and though they knew perfectly well nell ell had of their ar- ar arrival known kno n for ten minutes rival they showed no surprise l Every very face there was placid shallow with wit an alert Indifference alone alono 10 looked keenly o er 0 er the crowd with an appraising glance Hello boys said the tall young oung I chap setting Betting the tho broad black hat I Iback back upon his head at an angle ongle rooi room for tor some moro 1 Alwa a room for tor moro more said eald the genial Hunnewell you have havel said the tho theother th Molten hell for tor those these other airly with frith a wave o of his slim hand toward to those behind him water for me mo Gentlemen ho Included i players at tho the l table ble who began n to torise torise t trise rise at the time-honored time Invitation tIon what Wh-what did you say stranger asked Hunnewell a grin TIn to spread on his florid face But the louns oung man turned and looked at him and all the smile all althe the sparkle was gone one suddenly from his face I 1 said salol water waler Hunnewell h he sal said eveni Just plain cold ordinary water hater Suits Sulta my particular typo type of beauty better Keeps my complexion smooth Play asked Hunnewell If It we may Sanchez out O of It it drew up a chair chai and sat smoking and md nd watching as If ho he had not but now now lost the last motley mot met motley icy ley bag of dust dollars and pesos ho In the world A game Wilt was wasa a 0 game ame and he ho was a born gambler feeling Its lure viciously At the table where pla e ethe the the stranger had taken seat scat naturally as If one strong force drew mother another I As 58 the tho cut for tor deal doal wont went around thes t tito 0 men looked at each other and I a keen keon observer would have hate d a i measuring an appraising as If it each cac tested the others other's mettle Corey Corey had I joined the second table l and antI Hun Hun- Hunnewell newell nowell the third while the tho rest rost of the tho thi original players wore were about enly e dis- dis distributed was waa rich for tor the day 1 a Whether or not he would be tomor tomor- tomorrow row was another matter However ho he had but to ride away Into the dis- dis distances dis which swallowed and ond disgorged disgorge him at fitful times to come bac again laden to tho the ears with gold And many odd things this man had put up at times limes with luck ent wen against a him once him once a wonderful rim ring of beasT vy carten gold which upon noon pressure a 0 had said the steel was WI poisoned and the gamblers had Whereupon he had leane leaned suddenly and touched the cat stretched among the barrel barrels In tn the warmth ci the fire tor for it was as winter-time winter Tile The thing thing- was effective for tor the creature died promptly and with scarce a or SancheZ won but had forced him to continuo continue the play for twenty hours until he hewon hewon hewon won It back Again he had staked the beautiful Ivory hand of a II sacred statue got fot from none knew what sacked Mission Minion of the Border silent client sign of the mans man's depro Ity Sanchez had won that too and play aa Ill he would had never bees been able to win wio It back Hunnewell's was Wall due that da day toBee to see Bee e such high hirn play ply ag II It had bad not seen for or yea years and It was as due to see the tho breaking of a thing tiling which It had never leVer seen seln For Por It was not long before esery e ery eryman eryman man at the tho table and table and at the one ad- ad adjoining adjoining ad adjoining joining through subtle glances and keenly cocked knew ears ears knew th that t Bride Bride- man had met his hl match his hia real match not a spurting Ictor who ho won and lost again such auch aa oe Cor Corey and Sanchez Sanches but a man who played to him steadily and aDd beg n to win So the tho day drifted by with sweet winds In from the plain and a higi I sun that th t sailed In a cloudless sky 1 and the tho stacks Blacks ot of coin b before Coro Bride man man loan dwindled to grow trow at the ers er's ers er's elbow Maybe Maybo youre you're tired said the young man once halting a 0 moment would you like to rest rut and begin begina a again aln late late 7 Quit a IL quitter Deal Da them cards ards At one o'clock pushed oter OHr with a watering hand the last lut motley molley heap of gold before him and called for two cards He Ht had scarcely scarce ly Iy mo ed from his chair for tor twenty two hours bours This was the last t doll dOal and anet It seemed Impossible that the run of luck could or would chance change and those In the circle drew In tn closer So Bo Inter Inter Inter- interested eted ested they that none had bad seen 1010 Lob u as a she ho Stood tood for a long longtime lon longtime time In the door watching the face of the man opposite whose back was Wu wa toward her And Amid as thie man called for fot the last time and It came to the th down show while th the giant threw hl lii cards upon the cloth with a b muttered oath and made mad as M to it-to it- it to push posh back from the tb table the tb girl dri pushed bushed hur hur ridly through h the th crowding men tn n and laId a hand on hl his hili houlder shoulder Broke 1 she he aske softly looked up with hl his red red red- rimmed rimmed eye that wets were full ot of r rage g It t to you he ha h asked bru- bru brutally bru brutally tally Nothing nl- nl sai LoIe Lol OBly oDlY If It you want another try you can have It Yes he sneered I stake sta Pm Im cleaned And he h made mad to rise way way- tired suddenly to the poInt of breaking But Lolo Lob pushed him down with Ith little he-little be- be belittle little hand 1 Stake Sl ke me she said eald I ghe I Ie e you ou leave loave Continued In Our Next X sie I 1 |