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Show I! GUNSSPASS I mtV BEGIN HERE TODAY j n Dave Sunder?. r.-inge rider on the D Bar I-izy It out(P, learns that hl pet I H' pony. Chiqulto. has beetf stolon by Ad Pi H ' " i(on Crawford. Sander's employer. H H n Aavcs him from his enemy. Bradley 0 lors Joyre ( raw ford, his employers" daughter He trails the horse thieves H ! to Dener and recovers Chiqulto after , a gun fight In the dark, lie is arrest- i ed. accused of the murder of Doble H and Is sentenced to ten years In prison. 1 After hJfl ii lease he returns to Mal- apl, his old home, but believes that his prison record has made It Impossible for him to hope for the hand of JoycS 11 ... WITH THE STORY Dave's heart warmed to this fine loyalty. Bob would do to tie to, Snn-ders Snn-ders told himself with a rush of jrrat- 1 Itude. None of this feeling showed In "Thanks, Hob." ' t knew id) hal Dave had g bach . changed num. He had H , ,. Bfl by the fires of experience and dls- elpline. The steel-gray eyes were no H longer frank and gentle Thej judged warily and Inscrutably. They arranged an hour of meeting ut the 1 1 liiKiuii o re.staur.int. In front of the postorrico Bob met Joyce Crawford. The young woman bad Fulfilled the promise of her glrl- BMlpJ hood. As down the street, HHVHM 111 mi. I slender, there was a light. E Joyous freedom in her step. MIns Joyce, lie s here,'' Hob said. "Who Dave?" N "Yet ma'am, Dave! He'a right fc- I n half an houi MJ When can I Wfl him?" she asked. Hob looked at his watt h. "1 got an appointment to meet him at Del-inonlco's Del-inonlco's right now Joyce was a young woman who made swift decisions. "I'll go v. 1th you." bho laid, B Sanders wu standing In front of .flP . i the other direction. His flat mus-B mus-B cular back was rigid, in his attitude . u.ih ,i i iTtum tenseness, a." though bis 111 tdy was 1 bundle of steel wrings BH - il Id I r (:,,(, , ,. ti.tx I'b-d hwIMv past him to a fat man rolling up the street on Hl the opposite sidewalk. It:; Ad Miller b;ick from the pen. I heard he got hhhhH out this week he told the girl In a low BsYBBsH Joyce Crawford felt the blood ebb J from her face. It was as though her jHL- n nl I .In i. h .1 v. ith l e r7 v..it.i. W'li.it I" tit k.- pl.nf B A between these men" Were they arm- H jL she knew thai - was rcsponsi- H M on ' i i H W Sanders tlx- to j Denvei and Found them with his I horse The crook bad lied Dave HI into the penitentiary i swearing that V the boy had fired the flrM shots. Now JH they were meeting for the first time BA Miller had been drinking; The sign H of the Delmonico had t aught his eye ond he remembered that he was hun- sBse He took one step and stopped . He B had reoogrilzed Banders. Hs eyes narrowed. The load on his short, red m; neck was thrust, forward "Gfoddlemighty!" he Bcreamod, and ; HL. . next moment was plucking a revolver V "ni un(1or nls lcfl armpii, HV hind him, with hi- HV best be i ould A1 th i time 11 Sanders plunged mp straight ind swift Th irolvei crs I i ei ond i a l 1 Ird HjH bis hole HV lbrain with enig, MtjM hurled himself the road us HB thoiiKht he had been flunj from a cat- HHHj a streak of fire ripped through H his shoulder. Another shot boomed HHgH almost simultaneously. He thudded HVHJ hard into the fat paunch of the gun- HKI man They went down together. HHJ The fingers of Dave's left hand HH9J closed on the fat wrist of the gambler HHBH His other hand tore the revolver away , HHB from the slack crastn. The gun rose i HHH iind ftli. .Mllb-r went into unconscious- I HHVI ness Without even a groan. The cor- j HVVJ rugated butt of the gun had crashed ! HHnfl down on his foreh' HHfiB Dazzlly Sanders rose. He leaned HHJI ngalnst a telephone pole for support. ' "Are you hurt '" she asked, HHtH Dave looked at Joyce, wondering HH one I I ihat'8 hurt." he answered quietly. HH "I thought I wa.s afraid " Her Bfl voice died away She felt her knees BB grow weak. To her this man had ap- HV peared to be plunging straight to ffjfr No excltenient in him reached the H f Surface His remarkably Steady eyes .still heltl their grim, hard tenseness, Bl but BIM feet. He was absolutely impciturb- mt m BH "He was shootin' wild. Sorry you fH hero, Miss Crawford." His H swept the gathering crowd. 'You H i. ell. tlon B "Yes You come too, please," PS The girl's broke. KH At the Mcund corner h stopped. H evidently Intending to go no farther. pH "I'll say goodby. for this time, I'll H want to sec Mr. Crawford right B W "Can you come up to see father t0 B tomorrow " B "He'll bo anxious to mH want you and Bob to come to dinner H Don't hardly think I'll be here H Sunday. My plana aren't settled. HBH Dave with mo If he feels up to It," Thank vou Just the same, Miss Craw-1 ford.' She took his words as a direct rebuff. re-buff. There was a little lump in her throat that she had to get rid of before be-fore she spoV.c again. Sorry. Perhaps some other time " ' Joyce guve him her hand. "I'm mighty glad to h"ve seen you again. Mr Bandera," He bowed. "Thatik you." After she had gone, Dave turned BWlftly to his friend. ' Where's the nearest doctor's office"' Miller got me In the shoulder " . CHAPTER XV To Crawford Dave made light of his wound. It was only a scratch. "That's good, son." Crawford an-i swored. "Well, now. what are you aimin' to do?" "Oil." saltl Dave w ithout a moment j of hesitation. I want to learn thatj business from the ground up. I've been reading all I could get on the i subject." "Good enough, but don't you go to piayln geology too strong, Davo 1 OH Is where It s at." I suppose it's i gamble,'' agreed i Sanders. ' Worse n I he cattle market.'' said the owner of 'the D Bar Lazy R. "Bob. you better put Dave on the oreW of that wildcat you're spuddin In, don't you reckon '" 'I'll put him on afternoon tower in place of that fellow Scott. I've been intendin to fire him soon as I could get a good man." "I'll drive out tonight and lake Bob (aught Joyce and swept her hind htm. said Bob Then we 11 know the foreman fore-man keeps humpin'." They drove out in the buckbonrd behind the half-broken colts. Th.; young broncos went out of town to a flving start They raced across the plain as hard as they could tear, the light rig swaying behind them ns th .-.heels hit the high spots. The driver stopped nt the location of Jackpot Number Three. 'Make yourself to home, Dave." Faintly there came to them the sound of sn engine thumping. "Steelman's outfit." said Hart gloomily. "His UT old engine goes riKbt on kfckln' all the darm-d time. If he get to oil first we lose Mini who makes first discovery on a claim; wins out In this country " "And Stoelman won't stick at n thing. Wouldn't trust him or any Of Iks crowd any further than I coubl sling a bull by the tall. He'd blow Crawford and me sky high If he thought he could get away With It.'' "Hello, the Jackpot!" Bob looked at his companion ami grinned "Seems to me I recogni.e tiiat melojlous voice." A man stepped from the gloom with masterful, arrogant strides, ""Do Hart.' he said "Can you lend me a reamer''" Bob knew he had rome to spy out the land and not to borrow tools. "Don't seem to me we've hardly got any reamers tj spare. Dug." drawled the young man sitting on the porch floor. Suddenly Dohle recognized Dave. He leaned forward, his body rigid, danger written large in his burning eyes and clenched fist. "So you're back." he said at last In a low, harsh voice. "I'm back." "It would 'a' pleased me If they had put a rope round yore neck. Mr Convict." Dave made no comment. The big ex-foreman rose snarling "For half a cent 1 d ffun you hero and now like you did George." Sunders looked at hlrn Steadily, his hands hanging loosely by his sldOS. "I wouldn't try that, Dug. " warned warn-ed Hart ' Dave ain't armed, but I am. My hand's on my rixshootcr right this minute. Don't make a mistake." mis-take." Doble backed away till his figure grew vague In the darkness. Came the crack of a revolt cr. A bullet tore s splinter from the wall of the shat l In front of which Davs was standing. Bob whipped out his revolver, but he did not fire. Am i that like Dug. the damned double-crosscr .'" whispered Bob. He's one bail eitizen. If you ask mo." continued Hart. 1 Know how-he how-he came to break with the old man ' He had the nerve to start beauln M Iss Joyce She wouldn't hae it a minute. He stayed right with It tried to ride over her. Crawford took a hand and kicked him out Since then Dug has been one bitter enemy of the old man." "Then Crawford had better lookout. look-out. If Doble isn't a killer, I never met one " (Continued In Our Monday Issue) |