OCR Text |
Show Ur2 LL1AM PATTEP: Ot T TTK ITE $k iktS Y?n by . is't$r' -aasiS1 Little Browr. djulCbmpiTy ' CContlnuod from nur Last Issue ) Tho district attorney looked over al Rafe. 1 suppose we gotta " Kafc came flatly to the uoint. "How about gettlu- rid or Tip uGorman?" "Lessee what Sam Larder and , Crafty ay," the district attorney 01-fered 01-fered uneasily. So, not thorn, either of 'cm," Raft-declared Raft-declared firmly. "They're friends of Tip's." Kate hi ought hi? open palm down on his knee with a crack like a pistol pis-tol shot. I got It!" cried Rafe. "I got It' We'll get three of 'em at one lick. We'll gel Simon and that foreman of his drunk. We'll sick the pair of 'cm on Tip O Jorman. They 11 put J the kibosh on Tip, nnd lhe word will bo passed for the sheriff Ho will I go 10 mako tho arrest und they'll plug him. Being drunk, they'll be desperate desper-ate and won't care what they do." I CHAPTER XII. Spring was in the air but winter; still held sway In the heart ot Lilly ' W'ingo He had not been ilL1'' '" make up his difference with Haz 1 Walton, or rather she had not made up her difference with him. Came a night of heavy rain and j wind. Billy Wlngo. a ump on the table at his elbow, was reading a Don- i ver ncwspapci A sudden gust drove; a spatter of rain iicros.'. thi windows j There was a soft thump followed by i a sliding sound against the outside door. Somo one uttered in a woman's voice a muffled wail. Billy went al once to the door and lifted the latch. There was some-, thing lying on the doorstep and sill, something thut moved a little. Billy lot the door fly open. The some- i thing was apparently it woman In dls-treas, dls-treas, Billy bond down endeavoring to slip his hands under her shoulders. Billy bent a little lower und Sm.i-li ' He's coming out of It," . toico was I saving. "I saw his eyelids flicker." Billy kept his eyes shut, although he was now completely conscious. He believed ho knew the owners of those j three voice". Sam Larder, Felix Craft and Tip M'Gorman H".- opened his eyes. Yes. he was right. There they were, the three of them r.ut it was daylight, and B day of sunshine too. And th- last thing he remembered was a night of wind and rain. "Glad to sec- joutc coming round, said Tip 0 Gorman. ' How you feel pretty good?" "Bretty good considering, "replied Bill W here am 1 and how did I get here " "You're In my house, " said Sam Larder. ' You were uh brought here. 1 "Who was the woman?" Inquired Blllp. "1 was the woman." replied Craft demurely. "That was one on me But 1 m Still Wonderin'. You tellers u nt lo a lot ot trouble to carry me clear out here I suppose you fellers think you II be mMh ti. vet Dan Sllke off bv kldnaolh' I me." "About Ian Slike we don't care three whoops in hell," respited Tip. "I didn't really ti.lnk you did." said I Billy frankly, "but knowing how you and Tucklcton " I No. no. Bill." Interrupted Tip hastily, hast-ily, don't go russth' about Rafe. Our business Is with yoe. Hero we are. Here s you " j "BUI. you left your office In Golden I Bar last nlk'ht and look your rifle With you and both your guns," resumed re-sumed Tip. Tou went to the stable and saddled your red-and-whito pinto irrtl rode out of town Several people saw you, saw you so plainly that they could swear to vour Identity on the witness stand." "That's KiM.d Go n. Tippy, old settler. set-tler. You've got to where me and my gallant steed are a-skulking In the underbrush With half the town watch-Inj watch-Inj us like lynxes What did I do next ?" This afternoon you'll hold up the , 1 1 . i in ....t, Will I wear a mask " ' 'Naturally and your horse will lel seen, your red-and-white pinto that everybody knows. It'e something like th! trick you worked on Driver and Slike. Lvtrybodj n tho Mage will he able to swsai to our clothes and your horse and your gun. Uue of your guns has a brsjss guard That gun especially will be remembered." look here, fellow citizens, who is going to take my pari In this stage hold-up?" asked Billy. "I will." said Craft modestly. "I ru le your pinto out of town last night, and i think I made a pood Impression. Impres-sion. And I havo more than a sneaking sneak-ing idea I can gel away with the holdup." hold-up." "Don't doubt It." eald Billy. "Don't doubt ll for a minute. You've got nerve enough I know that and we're about of a size. I uh 1 thought there Was something familiar about that vest you're wearing;. And aro those my other pants you have on?" "They are. and your coat nnd hnt are hanging on a i".ek in the kitchen. kit-chen. " "1 see I ain't gonna get a chance for my alley a-tall Who'll nrrest me my own deputies?' asked Billy. 'No, we'll do that. Hero's the story: Your horse gave out and Sain caught you trying to rustle a pony out of his corral. fc'am threw down on you held up up and when wc, Sam. Craft and f, y understand searched you. we found on you a couple of pocketbooka and Jerry Kern's watch. Jerry's driving tho stage." ' When am I going to be arrested for rustling one of Sam's horses'.'" ' Soon after Craft gets back from robbing the stage " Billy rolled over on his stomach rammed his head Inlo the pillow and completely relaxed his body. but. although al-though his breathing soon becsmi deceptively regular, ho was far from being asleep. He was thinking as purposf fully as ever he had In his life. He had to escape. To permit his enemies ene-mies to do this thing was Intolerable. There was a way out Every strait, no matter how close and awkward it mav be has its way out. He built many plana while he lay there. But there was a flaw in each and every one of them. Felix Craft returned about the middle of the afternoon. As the door opened and Craft entered. en-tered. Billy sat up. "Have a nlco time?" he. draw If .I "Went through like clockwork." replied re-plied Craft, slumping into a chair beside be-side lhe lable. "Lord A'mlghty, I'm hungry." Craft said carelessly. "Got any more eggs and him. Sam?" If you want anything to eat. jou can cook It yourself," said Sam. When Felix '.raft brought the eggs, he drew up at one side of the tabic and Billy at tho other. The platter of eggs was between them Tip looked on from his seat near the fireplace Sam lounged comfortably In his chair. Billy looked with a dissatisfied air upon the eggs. "Ain't there any bread, Billy Catfootod 1 p Behind Tip and Snatched wa His Six-Shooter. I Felix? A 11 1 butter on the bread I wouldn't hurt neither." So Felix made another trip to tho kitchen. When he returned with the bread and butter. Billy discovered that the pepper had been overlooked For Gawd's snko use :-alt on 'cm-" Implored Felix Billy pushed rig lit back from the I tablr and refused lo be comforted. "I I want some pepper! Sam, you lazy lump of alumstilllon, got me some pepper win you?" "No, I won't. I'm too comfortable and you're too flnlck " Hill glanced across at Tip. "You going to refuse me lOO, Tip. uld ilil-zon?" ilil-zon?" ' No," said Tip with a weary air. I suppose not." He arose and betook himself to the kitchen. Returning with a lurge old-fashioned old-fashioned tin peppSr pot h. thumped It down upon the table in fn.nt of lhe captive 'There y'.-irc. .Now, stop your squalling." "Thank you. Tippy. I will Yeah." Billy scraped up to tho table as Tip turned away "What's the matter mat-ter with this pepper pot, anyway?" Tip turned to look. Billy picked up the pepper pot slowly and stared hard It It. l-elix I'ral'i craned his neck "I don't see anything the mailer with It. ' said Craft. "Don't you?" murmured Billy, his fingerx busy wllh tho removable top. "Look here." Sam harder did not move, bul huth ! Tip and Craft obeyed. In fact, thsjf obeyed with such good will th.it the handful of pepper that Billy Instantly Instant-ly swept inlo their facen dusted up their noMriN n well u.-. Into tin ir In throwing the pepper Billy had employed his left hand. Tills left hand had not completed th- motion before Billy was reaching for the plat-, tor of eg-Rs with hl right h.ui.l It was unfortunate for Sam Larder that he vvns .1 flow-Foinr; pentb mi.i n The platter strnck him edpewise 0 the eye when his Blx-ahooter bad barely cleared the holster. The shooter thudded to the floor. Sam and his chair went over backward and lay together in s tangle amiJ tho fragments of broken platter and tile remains of several eggs. He was unconscious. un-conscious. Billy, arriving in Sam's immediate neighborhood, a split second after Sum struck tho floor, ucooped up the fallen fal-len six-shooter and wheeled back to faco his other two enemies. But th-Q were too occupied to bo an Immediate menace. Kellx Craft was Bitting 6n the floor, clawing at his eyes and swearing continuously, Tip. coughing cough-ing and sneezing, was not swearing. 1'erhaps he had not sufficient breath At any rato. he was on his feet, arm1' spread wide, feeling hi.-t Way along toward the door going into the hall. 'Billy cat-tooted up behind Tip und snatched away hH six-shooter Tip spun round ru the touch, but Billy dodged away from the clutching Bang! a revolver bullet cut a but-ton but-ton from his vest and tucked Into th wall at his elbow. Billy's sudden naovernenl Tiad saved his life. He j leaped bak another two yards to get out or the amoks and crouched j balancing bis tense body on the ball of his (Continued In Our Next Issue.) 00 BBBBSB |