Show I I II A liL I BY y c sASSy It I AP JOSIPH t HOIL 11 O YI 1553 e sy m N-I A o ivice u Ht 1 I I i I lOD OD tY 1 Dick Acklin big boss of the Dou Dou- Dou- Dou Double ble hlo A ranch plots with Buck Duck Po- Po Podine Po-dino Po dine new owner of ot the old Webster place to rob the Basques o of Pare Para Paradise disc dise Valley of o their water ator supply son of Jose JOBe Arra riding with a party in an nn alta attack k o othe the the Double A is wounded and I ca-I ca- ca caned ried ca-ried ned to the home homA of ot Acklin searching tor for E Esteban Is sn snot and killed from ambush h Bodine Bodin pursues Mercedes tho the Jau ot of J Jose o o u OW w GO 0 ov ON WITH ITH TIll THI STORY I The horsemen lorn seen Were were swifter Rounding Hounding it 11 bend in th the road old Peter light 7 Into them With a distinct sense ense of ot alarm the girl cognized r Bod Ine The men with Ith him irs v r little calculated to restore her hr 1 coin- coin Bodine had no intention of ot let let- letting ting Ici-ting ting them go He lie knew they were leI leI-I frightened and ho reveled in It ll II He bent do don doan n confidentially l I 1 Jo lost t my head a bit the tho las time I 1 Wll was at nt the hacienda I wa was wasas wasas dS as blind as ns the kid here I guess And I 1 m sorry for what 1 said though I 1 ain aim t sorry I kissed youlie you He lie felt rather than saw sa Mer- Mer er- er wince I learnt that nIght I though I m a peaceable man front now on I got an injunction 3 y c morning in 1 that II 11 keep an anybody body from touching that creek for tor thin days Seem Is belle ln I want to show it tu to you Mercedes C eyes es snapped You waste easte aste our time she sad defiantly I I do not care what ou I have havo or what you say I know knO I 1 do not go with you Oh ies ee ea you will Senorita n ne l smiled We Ve aint no argument ment we e cant can't finish Now ow ow yo you turn that team around old gray gray- graybeard graybeard gray beard he bawled at Uncle Peter Ieter emil and Tuscarora crested therise therise the rise at that Instant and rode I lly ly down the draw They saw the tha fractious panicky team with the I them horsemen HUrs il tryIng 11 to LU turn LU ili stirring nil all right Kent called to Blaze Better take this gun un I got my rifle They rhey were within a a hundred I of ot the rig before Bodine oIls oIls- dis discovered CO covered tred them I Blaze the big excite I demanded in steely tones Basilio had recognized Kildare I I I want vi ant to go home Mr Llazo he cried It snapped the tension Its Its It's home for tor v ou little chief Mercedes Merceoes bit her ber lip as she saw lift the blind boy to hIs horses back Why did this mitt n alternately hurt and befriend bet hel t She conscious of ot the tho grad gran- granual gradual ual swing siring of or his horse to a ft position protecting her from the sinister look of ot Bodines Bodine's companion Tuscarora's carora's carora's carelessly held rifle did not escape her nor did It escape the at- at attention attention ai of ot Gloomy Am Ain Aln t you afraid that there gun might go off oft you My Iy names name's Kent and Kent and It might the lover ot of peace drawled dra led It rought brought a 0 laugh from Bodine By Dy the way Joe went on ad- ad addressing ad addressing dressing the tho rancher dont you go gem to were we're ere licked because olo Jose is gone I aim to string along for tor quite some little while yet I got gota gota gota a date to talk taik to the 10 law Vr right now Youre slow elow Bodine grinned nastily I had my talk with the tho law yesterday esterday 1 There wont won't ont any any- anybody any anybody body touch that creek tor for thIrty da daIs s at least Ill I'll see se that my In- In Injunction injunction In Injunction junction is renewed too Kent concealed his chagrin wIth witha a cackling laugh But Dut Bodine knew he had hd gh given gisen en his foe toe a 11 jolt Lets ts t's hit dirt he shouted to his men mon He waved his hand at them airily aa as he and his tollow-I tollow follow follow- followers ers tollow-ers ers pulled awn away I Tuscarora shook his head hend He sure put one 0 over oser er on the old man Inan I that time ho murmured what he be wanted to show 1 iou ou ell eli eh that injunction 7 Brand Is waiting for tor me down nt at the hotel Ill I'll burn hurn It back to town You go to the Rancho nancho or tOI Basillo hugged Blaze Bla e tightly a as Kent uttered this dictum Peter pulled up his bis horses horse at the patio gate gilts Basilio va waved ed his tiny hand as I Blaze walked My Man lItan down P Pt pct t the tho corrals MarianO the lounged against the barn He tool took off oCt hI his hat to Kildare Bad time times these tor for the Buena Bueno BuenaVista VIsta Blare said to him Madre ladre de tIe Dies Dios but eBI What d would you do If It the lImen de came Blaze Blare asked sip sip- ap apprehensively ely At night the gate ces eeg shut be- be benor benor i nor e-nor nor I sleep outside the Senor Senor- Senorita's ita's door Good Here Hore In Is a little present Mariano Kildare took t for you the gun six Tuscarora l had lent him from his holter holster The Tho ant sers ants ant's H He had nad dark eves ees e es fairly glistened a t A raising al since Ince despaIred or of ever long g to the dignity or of o possessing a 11 gun eun ot of o his own CHAPTER Master blaster and tb 0 Puncher A broad grin spread over the taco face of o the tho Big DIg Boss Doss when hen told him blat of ot Bodines Bodine's Kildare wondered just what hal amused him so he came hailed Blaze Blazo as IlS Morro Morrow lorroW I Fourth out Tomorrow was as the ot or Suppose July youre you're go gobs In down to Golconda with the boys he lIe grum- grum grumbled grum grumbled bled blei Cashs Cash's tone showed plaInlY enough his hie lack of ot plea pleasure ure in the r Kildare re shook his head bead A A danes dance In his Imie present frame ot or mind held no lure luro for tOI him By supper time the specter of BodIne had become so menacIng that Blaze decided to ride down downto downto downto to the Rancho lb Ho He waited until the bolts bo shad had left lett and anti then silently followed them Dawn had found round him l eyed sleepy eyed on the little mesa that rose back of the hacienda He had had his vigil tor for nothIng It was as after seven even when he rode roda by the Rancho He lie saW sw a B table set with nap mry thin glasses heavy sliver silver and delicate cream colored porcelaIn porcelain porcelain lain Daintiness TO nn- nn an II 11 spoke there My Uh Man whinnied heard him And jumped down from ta the wide Ido portico I 1 know ou be here today Mr fr BInge he lie called as he be ran tan toward vard Kildare I I tell you OU come this morning Mercedes came out ot of o the house at that t moment nIne Blaze Hl i greeted r hr Sir v if 5 55 V 5 2 d da a took the six sun Tuscarora carom carora bad lent hint him and amid gave gate c It t to lathe the old man loan with a cheery cheer Good mornIng y you ou sleep out there all night she asked at last not Un- Un un gently Bisilio gave rave him his ans answer er I I hear henr My Man single foot along long the road last night night- Ho lIo stopped by the fence rence I told you so didn't 1 9 Aint no use I lying Ing about It Blaze said gall rather shamefacedly I figured Bodino might try to pay ou a visit I knew you were all alone here He stopped momentarily momen- momen Didn't tee see anything ot of him though MarIano came out with the coffee Mercedes turned to him hint Serve the Senor at once Marl Marl- Man Man-ajio eno ano she ordered order He lie has a along alon long r way WilY to go The ThA old bezo h hastened to her sIde Senor Kildare thanks you for caring for his revolver i she began He w you to return It It The old man lifted a n mournful face to hers as he pulled the rc- rc re revolver volver voler vol er from his pocket He lie put the tha gun sun on the tho table hid had caught the serious serious- seriousness seriousness ness of ot the con conversation It kept hint him silent though several se times he tu tugged tuB ed at his sisters sister's skirts as asIf asit asIt it If to catch her attention Mer Mer- Mercedes Mer- Mer Mercedes Mercedes cedes was ro so engrossed she paid no heed to the boy until Acklin rode Into the tho patio I wanted to tell you some one was coming coming- the sensitive child whispered in the natural lull of surprise following the appearance ot of tho the Big Dig Boss Boes of ot the Double A A- A Mercedes Mercedea flashed a quick gl neo front Acklin to Blaze who held hIs position near the table His face was as emotionless Had he known time the rancher was as coming Only by bythe bythe the slightest Inclination of ot her head did she acknowledge the cat cat- cat cattleman's mans tle greeting Sorry I couldn't get down to you fathers father's funeral he said The lie He did not pass Mercedes Your man do very ery ery well In our place she ehe answered Acklin loosed looKed from Blaze to her herand and back again The little by play by that her words carried was be- be be beyond yond ond him Better Bettor drift to the Bulls Bull's Head he ho said to Blaze It was Us lightly purred but car car- carneil car carried neil ried with It the dismissal osal or of o the theman theman man on the veranda eranda I Acklin followed him to where Mv MyMan I Man stood Kildare's ares are's stock had to taken Ien a decided in MS bs men men- mental mental men tal ledger What kept you down hero here he asked when they thoy were out ot of hearing of ot the girl on the ver- ver veranda veranda ver veranda anda Imagination w as s equal to the occasion The Th boys were seen when they went out out he drawled I ran Into Bodine and sl six ab or seven se ot of othis Ills 1113 men He didn't have o ft a good gooe he was so soI soI soI e excuse cuse for tor being where whore I hung around t to keep my eye on him Blaze jabbed his thumb In inthe inthe the tho direction of ot Mercedes I dIdn't tell her Acklin began to readjust hl his notes again as far tar as s Kildare was concerned Acklin was sipping the coffee cortee that had been set out for tor his hired hand as Blaze looked back in ans- ans answer ans answer to call Sit do down n Mercedes Mercedas suggested su quietly after alter he had Jad watched her for a n a te few fets second I want to taik to vou Ou The rancher fell tell back before the fire In he her ees eyes What the devil devil- devil he began belIan PRas he got up hut but he did not finish his sentence He lie was v as alone Met Met- Mer cedes had caught up Ea antI entered the tho house He TIc tried the th dool It was as looked locked So fo followed his man back to the Bulls Bull's Head Beai I 1 hel hei departing moods mood permitted of no choice The eaglet englet had bad scratch them both bOlh CHAPTER NiX Melody 1100 Finds a Clint iii rho rhe Uno BIll Big Dos Boss w a had 11 his saw In hand and It If Bodine could JaH seen een en the unholy glee with to the cattle nina looked forward for dropping him into space he lie would ha hate hae e lost loat some of ot Ill his swagger Morrow rode up to the Bull Bulls Bull's I fine head about 3 o'clock in a frenzy He slid from hl his hor horse e ennd and hammered on the office door eI I In la Oar Monday Issue Iut |