Show M LIM a 0 n d by HAROLD TITUS sen fco copyright 1929 1931 harold titus SYNOPSIS ben ban belott from yonder arri arrives es it it the little lumbering town of tincup by don stuart old very sick it man whom he has befriended lie ile ve groa lizes his coming by defeating bull duval king of the river and town bully in a log loe birling contest nicholas nichol bra brandon adon tho the towns leading citizen resents stuarts stuarta presence lie trios tries to force hlin him to leave town and elliott El llott rose resenting at ng the act knocks hirn him down elliott Is arrested he finds a friend in judge able armitage the judge hires him to run tho the one lumber camp the hoot owl that brandon has not been able to krab grab this thin belongs t to a dawn McM anui daughter of brandon brandona Bran dons a old partner who has disappeared with ft a murder chanuo hanging over his head CHAPTER III HI continued 5 without stopping even for to his 19 cap ben stepped out and crossed to tile mens camp lie ile did not burst into the place but opened the door casually and slipped inside in ID the center of the room close by the heating stove above which socks hung from drying racks stood hull dull duval dural his cap was tilted on ills his head he leaned backward from his hips in his uplifted right hand was a quart whisky bottle nearly full and his diee voice bellowed the words of a woods classic in the far end of the room a half dozer dozen men were huddled from several upper bunks concerned faces watched the dull cull the men dien were clearly afraid certain that tills this hilarity was only a prelude to a melee in which heads would be broken and bodies bruised the swaying of dugals body as he moed to the measure of the ballad brought him facing the doorway ben elliott stepped forward two or three paces and stood watching him ills gaze was steady and in ills his eyes danced a warning name flame the bull broke short ills his songs song good day ulster allster lie he said heavily in mock respect 1 I heerd you was th new boss at hoot owl and likely youre lookin ter fer good men aeres one elliott El llott heres th best man get a chanat to hire until th next nest blue I 1 lien den heedless of the increased tension sion which showed on the frices aces of the lie onlookers crossed tile the floor slowly you want to work for me duval he asked think I 1 come oer to spark you the other countered insolently ilae a drink he extended the bottle holding it in his g great reat hand grinning at ben 1 in n the first place I 1 dont want to hire you elliott said in the second th leres no hooch booch allowed in thI this camp scamp he snatched the bottle swung and sent it crashing against the stove store for a brief moment the hiss of its contents against scorching metal had bad the place while the bulls head bead thrust slowly forward and his small eyes grew red with rage ills his lip drew back exposing yellow teeth will sou walkout dual ben asked or do you want me to throw you through the d dor or throw me out duval cried thick ly throw me out why kid th best day you ener eer seen you lie he got just that far in his boast nis Is hands had knotted into great fists 11 bis I 1 S body swayed but before he could strike that first blow or fall into that initial clinch or carry out whatever plan of attack had formed in his truculent mind knuckles bashed into lots bis lips driving the words back into tits bis teeth it was a hard blow with everything ben bell elliott had from knuckles to ankle put behind its drive the sai savagery agery bilth which he struck threw pen ben olt off his own balance a ance but hard as he had hit quick as he had been the blow was not c enough to put duval down ile he closed with a roar one great arm clamped about alliotts elliotts lai Elli lotts otts waist tile the other hand smearing across elliotts alliotts Elli otts face shoving bens head backward as the fingers sought the ties ees ben twisted away from that menace interlace of gouging strained against that crushing embrace and struck hastily with both hands but the bulls chin was safe against his own shoulder ills forehead burrowing into elliotts alliotts Elli otts chest for protection and not until pen ben lifted his its knee with a arite like that of a piston did duval let go ne ile reeled backward then cursing inarticulately panting and heaving forward again from ills bis spiked stance on the rough floor as lie be struck with all his might ills his blow went home a stinging nging rushing crushing impact on bens cheek check bone find and dugals great weight followed hearing bearing the other to tile the floor bloor flat on tits his back the bull spread arms and logs legs ili 1 a smothering sprawl as lie he went down but before lie he could pin ben close and helpless he was wriggling threshing over eluding a hand which clawed for his throat grasping dugals leg lifting straining lining finally throwing him film oil off lurching to ills his knees and then got to his feet pitching forward olt off balance as he ran and coming to a halt against the bunks ile he faced about sharply to see duval duva standing blood on tits his mouth bent tor for ward arms hooked booked and extended like some great jungle crear creature ure stirred to ki billing ailing fury 1113 kliott ott old lud not try to elude lidil him with a grunt he charged head down one arm before ills his face the other drawn hack back and when he struck the sound was like that of a club on a quarter of beef the blow spun duval half a about b out and the next rocked him ue he grappled tor for pen den but ben bell was gone ile he rushed tor for ben but ben sidestepped and struck duval as lie he lurched past the pull bull gave up tip trying to close ile he struck out now with renewed savagery ag cry as they stood toe coloe to loe lor for a morn moment ent tie ile dodged a brace of drives which it seemed would have felled a horse so great was the effort behind them and then feinting sent to ID a slashing uppercut the great fist landed squarely on oil the point of bens jaw lifted him from his bis feet nut and sent him reeling clawing the air over on his back again elliott was dazed by that blow BOIS bells clanged thunderously in ills his ears cars and tights lights flashed dashed and flickered before III his eyes but as be crushed crashed down to the floor bird lyes eyes voice shrill and frill frantic itic cut abrou through it the fog that had folded oer him th boots I 1 th boots I 1 boots yes bull duval did not fling himself on his prostrate adversary this time erect lie he strode forward two measured paces three and on OD tile the fourth he bent beat blick backward ward from the hips lifted his right foot and raked it out before him raked those many spikes in the sole straight glit at the face of ills his fallen adders adversary r y but ills his hier boot only swung across the place where a face had been one lone spike ripped the skin oner oer the cheek bone a companion left a bright red trace ben had find jerked his head bead shi sideways eWaYs moved it that quarter inch which left his face still a face and not a mass of raw flesh ribbons doial teetered teet ered on oil his left foot hopping for balance and cursing because he lad had missed as ken ben reeling to his bis feet shouted keep out lly tight lie ile had seen as lie he came erect birdeye bird eye blaine leap for the wood box and grasp the heavy iron poker sly fight he repeated and his hoarse voice was commanding birdeye bird eye fell back clinging to the poker lips movin moving it was lIl lillotte lotts fight indeed lie had seen many men tight before had bird eie F e blaine born to a rough life he bad lived it fully ile he had seen countless battles but never had lie he witnessed such a fury as ben elliott loosed then lie ile drove out with both fists heedless of defense blind to dugals counter offen she he shouted as he struck ile he used a knee to break another hold bold be bit when duval tried to throttle him with the grip of both hands bands lie ile danced as the dull cull sought to trample L if I 1 I 1 the bull gave up trying to close his feet with his river calks balks and all the time he be was striking again and again his hard knuckles found their mark A bench went over as they waltzed into it their combined weight crashing ing against tile the bunks as duval tried desperately to clinch again smashed an upright and sent men in the upper deck scurrying dust rose thickly tile sink was ripped from its place as ben droe tile the hull bull into it with a body blow and a chair was wrecked as duval caught by another punch went over it backward with will a crash ren ben stood still spread legged breathing hard hands swinging in a swift rhythm of rage ger dupill cupl lie panted get api upi up ive only started duval rolled oer his back Elliott to El llott and shoved himself to ills his feet not until lie he had risen and faced about did the other move then he closed with another of those flying rushes with will one drive pinned duval against the wall with another sent his head crash ing against the window frame fraine the bull gave a bubbling roar slid and tried to grapple his bunds bands were struck down ile he swung mightily tily slowly and missed and as lie ho went by off balance a chopping stroke on the back of tile the head bead floored him again elliott waited get cupl lie he cried thickly get cot it up duval and take the rest I 1 tile the other started to move looking over his bis shoulder with one eye that remained open ile he saw a tall supple stipple young man inan hair awry shirt ripped open from neck to belt cheek bleeding jaws set stand there swinging one fist as though the knuckles were nere wild to strike again lie ile slink sank back to the floor shuddering on that elliott relaxed and moved close enough he asked sharply shir ply prodding the lull bull with a toe of his bis pac fine duval me moaned and shook his head lie made as if to rise again and ben bell stepped back giving him every chance A mutter arose behind him Fini finish sli th 1 a man cried cut but the boss at hoot owl would not do that ile he risked asked no odds adds the bull did not get to ills his feet he started to drew one knee beneath him heaved and then sank back to a hip lie he swore heavily and hung his head propping his torso forso by both great hands spread wide on tile the floor through duval ben asked and it seemed as though his bruised a and nd d battered a face tried to twist in a g grin in 1 the other gave no intimation of having heard beard theres more on tap or have you got enough and then when no reply came elliott stooped grasped the bulls shirt la in his hands and half lifted him let got go the man blurted let go or ill ile he tried to twist away tried to 0 strike hens bens legs but his strength was gone beaten from his great body tie he w was as dragged across the floor river boots traill trailing ng over the boards straight bt to the doorway with one foot elliott kicked open the portal and with a heave flung dinal the tincup terror into the trampled snow outside A halt half hour later inter bull duval who had washed ills his bleeding head and face in the horse trough against the sho shouted ut protests of bird eye blaine that it would be unfit thereafter for his teams to drink from shoved himself erect and wiped trembling hands on ills his mackinaw the door of the van opened and elliott emerged ile he walked straight to the bully and examined his visible injuries critically fair job he be sold said ai as though to himself and grinned A fair job duval but remember this if you ever set one of your feet in this camp again or on any operation where im in charge ill ghe you a licking remember I 1 the bull whimpered 1 I know when I 1 got enough he said and ills one serviceable yet blood shot ee searched alliotts elliotts Ell Elli lotts otts countenance 1 I I 1 mean no harm he whined 1 I was drunk no you drunk if been drunk I 1 have lilt you you knew what you were doing now duval rhyd you come out here this morning morales who sent you duval looked away nobody dy d he said weakly 1 I got drunk drunk but but it if youre a man I 1 can work for a better man than I 1 anit am ben bell shook his head no use chum youre going to tell me why you came and who sent you was it brandon no evash evasively ely sure how much did lie he give you to corne come here or are you on oil the payroll to do such slid chores 11 II 11 1 he be youre a worse liar than you are a fighter by a mile or two duval mine aline was a good guess it what were his orders well he said it I 1 that hed good all I 1 want to know theres tile the road ant and you can take this little message with you to brandon tell him that he be needs to send more and bettor better men here tile the next net time and as for you I 1 lit hire r e no men who can be hired to fight another mans battles make tracks duval it was a week later old don doi stuart propped on pillows in the narrow cell like ilke room of joe pieties Pl ettes hotel listened to the colorful account that birdeye bird eye blaine with many gesture and considerable profanity rendered for him of what had transpired at hoot owl since ben lil el diott had taken charge of the opera tion nd ad so lies hes pit got th tb will mill crew a their blessed heads off IT for him bin nil nd s got rugged ragged punts pants gang av beet beeders nd hay bay pitchers passes fer a loggin crew doln doin moren morea air done in their heir lazy bolves before I 1 good gasped stuart feebly and tried to smile good boy but hes oung and alone against brandou be that hard nut lie was fonkin for Il arrol birdeye bird eye glared at him bim Ll LIar arroll rd th harader they come th better pleased he Is I 1 sure nd hes a clutten fer work dannyl nd th saints they have a finger into ut too him a coelln just got pore por able licked be a tough foight or im a bad guesser but d n rue me eyes a fol ahrer th lad idill Is A restless light appeared in dons eyes and ills his thin old hands fidgeted nervously with the blanket A tough fight qu he ce dont know bird birdeye eye what ties hes up against ile he struggled to sit erect anil and his eyes shone brightly wa with ili an odd sort of desperation if brandon cant drive him out one wily way or another hell kill him lie ile gasped and swallowed cd evidently ninan making a great effort to talk rapidly im a coward birdeye bird eye been a d n coward for years ive been afraid to tell while I 1 lived now im afraid to die with it on my soul he printed panted and blaine looked in ID alarm at his friend as these last list words took on significance for him lay back donny darnt git yer self scalf excited by coward naw yere no coward ile he grasped the sick man by the shoulders and tried gently to force him back on the pillows but tile the old fellow resisted cant die cant with it on my soul I 1 he gasped still N 1 o 0 A e a e 10 10 1 17 fill S get paper lifted a face stamped with strange appeal appen pen to the little man birdeye bird eye lye stood back solemn and worried scratching tits his head So something methin troubling lin ye donny lie he asked soothingly the other made a feeble gesture with one hand A nuns mans got to fight tire fire with fire bre Brandon Bran doull ll get him unless lie he unless lie he pit put I 1 a hand to its his throat and moved his hia uplifted chin from side to side as though strangling want to write a letter bird eie get paper fight fire with fire bre this was obviously no whim of a sick man mail ills his necessity was not clear to elaine but the other knew old don was gripped by a burning conviction and hastened to ease his mind lay alny back donny ile be still now I 1 ill get ye things lings ti but kape hape quiet mon kape quiet I 1 saints but ie upset a mon men carrein car on so ye dol do I 1 ile he hurried down the stairs secured writing materials find and from the table in the little office picked up a mall mail or |