Show I GUNLOCK RANCH By Frank Copyright Frank II H. Spearman n Service CHAPTER XIV XIV Continued Continued 21 21 By Dy a chance that rarely favors des des- Aerate perete measures Denison sprawled from the final fina leap across the bridge e gap Into a fringe frince e of sand sam and vii wil willows lows Jows that overgrew the eastern bridge e approach Threading the undergrowth under on his bis trembling horse Denison got ot away v from the bridge as fas fast t as he could I somebody was still throwing rifle 1 slugs toward It but once away from the danger dan er point he lost no time In making himself beard Out on the old trail tm the steers alarmed by the shoot- shoot shootIng shootIng Ing log Ing and worried secretly by the two Indians were milling and McCrossen shouting shooting and cursing was trying to toI I bring order out of the confusion Denison from the willows called I loudly lou uy driving these cattle The man that owns em shouted McCrossen riding out Into the open fifty yards away Who the hell he are you In that brush If Jt youre you're a aman aman aman man show yourself Denison pushed Into the open I Youre driving this bunch McCros- McCros McCrossen sen Isen I I hI am What do you jou ou want son t be he demanded dem angrily 1 I I I 1 want these steers McCrossen j I And I 1 want you i These steers st ers belong to me for wages an an Ive I've got twice as ns many man back back- there yet Nov Noy Ive I've got Just one word word for tor you Denison Get out of my i way an an keep out of my way 1 I If It youve you've got ot any rights In these cattle turn em e back to the the Meadows and lay ny your claim for wages before i the Stockmen's Claims Board retort retort- i i ed cd Denison What the hells hell's all aU this to you Do Doi i you claim em demanded McCrossen McCrossen savagely sa I dont don't claim a hoof but I want to talk with you McCrossen before you ou Jump to the Panhandle What about i About who fired my ranch house 1 t and about Henry i to pick n a quarrel with me I eh Denison Well WeH you ou needn't try very hard bard I dont don't like you Denison I I never did I never had any use for fori or orI i you Now will you pull puH off these bums that are millin my steers Will wm you head em back hack for tor the thet I t Meadows and talk to me j 1 Nor No 0 I II I Nol No The two refusals were fast But ButI while the second was being uttered I cried Crowd Crow him Davel Dave l I land and fired at nt Denison The fhe next Instant three horsemen I were plunging at nt one another on rear- rear rearIng lag Ing horses and throwing their shots at atone atone lone one another In a very uncertain light lI ht Retreat was out of ot the thinking Denison caught between the two i i men was forced to divide his fire With a blow stinging his left eft arm he Jumped his horse past the whirled two two whirled and came back outside with McCros McCrossen sen shooting at him fast The maneu maneu- maneuver maneuver maneuver ver of Denison's put McCrossen Into I line of fire But hardly had Denison whirled when he felt a n sickening blow In the stomach from McCrossen's gun hard- hard hardly Jy ly ten yards away a lie He had bad been crouching on his horses horse's back and was already stirrup He lIe slid off oft and rolled like a B cat toward the brush saw the trick but but forgetting that a wounded man mm Is the most dan dnn- dangerous dangerous man he yelled and spurred straight ht at him The Th horse borse refused the smell of blood He shied spurred him As the horse reared the feeble light JI ht of the moon struck for an nn Instant features In that Instant Denison fired point blank at him The blow was terrible arms Jerked high hl h. h and d his his' gun g gun Jn flew lew Into the air He sprang convulsively COD t hi not horse whirled lurched from tr r the sad sad- saddIe saddle dip dIe to the ground round He lie never nefer spoke again Fully FoHy expecting that McCrossen McCros en would ride In to finish him Denison flipped open the loading gate of ot his bis hisgun gun Instinctively and punched out the empty shells Ills HIs head In a whirl whir expecting that any Instant McCrossen would be on him Denison tried to reload Just ns as ashe he got the cartridge Into his revolver he be caught cau ht the sound of ot a horses horse's hoofs hoof and then heard Bob Scott calling Here Bob Bob exclaimed Denison from the brush Look out for Mr- Mr Cros en Scott slipped off oft his horse Mc Me McCros McCrossen Cro Cros Crossen wont won't bother for a while Are Arp you hit Bill Rm I 1 stopped a couple of ot slugs some some- somehow how What about McCrossen be asked Irritably Hes lies over by b the bridge e. e He Be wants want to talk to you yoo Bill BIJJ Twist a tourniquet around this arm before I try It Bob Dont Don't trust Mc Mc- Crossen Have you got his guns gons Hed He'd like nothing better than another crack at me me me muttered Denison staggering with Scotts Scott's help to his feet stripped clean de de- declared declared declared Scott Hes lies That's the plain truth Cant Can't you make up your mind to see se what he wants Go ahead But Rut give me mc my gun and watch out muttered Dentson Denison In the light lI ht of the moon McCrossen propped up by Frying Pan reclined against aJ the trunk of a half grown tree ills His eyes were closed Here's Heres Bill Dave Scott spoke low and gently You Yon said Bald you yon wanted to speak to him Yes Dave said Bald Denison halt bait bigly ingy Im done Bill BIU Bille I e JI JIt t Dave exclaimed Denison Im sorry It It had to end this way I talked pretty rough tonight said McCrossen brokenly broken spitting the blood out of his throat thront all right Dave really mean It all nIl Youve You've always shot square Bill If some folks Ive I've trained with had done that way wa I mightn't be here tonight Bill a favor favor- Go on on Dave Ive got an nn old maid sister back Last Hast t. t She's all nil Ive I've got Id I'd hate her herto herto herto to know wow this come Bill never be said Dave e Let It be a straight-out straight fight Bill Billyou Bill Bill- Billyou you ou know I know Dave e I know What's her tier hern address n 11 1 ress In my trunk Bin Bill murmured Mc Mc- McCrossen McCrossen Ic- Ic Crossen thickly thick Promise I promise Give me your me-your your hand was the first to reach Gun- Gun Gunlock Gunloc Gunlock lock loc on the way home borne shortly before I i I Ii t i Yi 4 Lj I I 1 Know Dave I 1 Know What's Her He Address daylight He lIe rode In on his way to town to get hold bold of or Dr Carpy for tor Den Den- DenIson Denison Ison lson whose condition worried him Fortunately the surgeon sur eon was al al- already already already ready at nt Gunlock whither he had been summoned to care for or With flesh wound already bandaged Carpy sat In the living hiving room drinking a pot of coffee supplied by Jane He lIe was ns enjoying enjo In n leisurely fashion his third or fourth cup of steaming stimulant when the sound of hoofs was heard beard In n a moment a n resounding rap came at nt the door Jane started In terrified appeal appen she looked at nt the doctor Carpy responded by calmly wiping his lips there he be demanded curtly Bill Bm I 1 came the response Carpy flung the door open Jane ran out of ot the bedroom Oh Mr she cried Where Is IsBill isBill Bill BIJJ Where Is he het Hes lies on his way back to the hos hos- pital I I Is he hurt Is he be wounded Tell Ten I me cried the frantic girl Why no yes fes that Is Is he was almin to get back to the hospital before be be- before fore tore Doc found out he was gone gone par parried Fled ried the veteran awkwardly Carpy Intervened sternly Where Is he now Talk Tak BI Bill I Aint I Hes He's on the way here with Bob Scott Then hes he's not hurt burU cried Jane Why no yes a yes a little Ittle maybe stammered There Where you from demanded Car Car- Carpy Carpy py still sU stern Deep Creek Was there a n fight tight 7 There was a little brush Doc Doe Was Vas Denison wounded Why I hy I guess he was pinked Doc yes Where was he hit demanded Carpy In the tile forearm Doc We got a tour tour- tourniquet tournIquet on that that that-be he got another In n the stomach Carpy felt the force torce of the discos discos- ts- ts tsure lire are Is he bleeding at the mouth he be thundered Why no no Doc Dot But he lie claims claims' hes he's all aU In Well We bring him out If It that's all Who 10 was In the fight ht Talk Tak fast fasti tasU Dave McCrossen and Barney with Barney with Bill ill Where are McCrossen and Heb- Heb stock Right where here they were vele when John Pan left eft me He lIe was on his way to the Reservation to hunt up a couple of or bucks to bury em and bring In the cattle said sold In mat mat- matter ter fact ter fact of-fact fashion Sit down here bere Bill Jane direct directed directed ed the doctor get the boy IO a pot of ot coffee And bon boll plenty of or clean water on the stove sto Yes 1 es doctor Bill Is going to stop here on the way In In Isn't he he Mr Pard Pard- aloe asked Jane tremulously nodded Ought to show up after while witHe They're ridin rid In kind of slow slots Jane ran to the kitchen She roused ronse-l Quong to heat the water and came back with supplies No continued deep In Ina Ina Ina a saucer of ot hot coffee I didn't see sec It It I was over oyer on the west side of the creek Its creek Its It's bad crossin there I dont don't know mow how Bill came up They never could could-a a got him across down there We cut over o-er the reservation and plugged for tor Gunlock He lIe pricked up his ears cars and Interrupted himself Shucks That sounds like somebody now I IJane IJane Jane listened I 1 cant can't eagerly hear anyone nn one she said You will In rf Ii minute There they are again Jane ran for the door Hold Bold on a minute Missy Ussy exclaimed Lets make sure who It t Is He Be opened the door himself stepped quickly outside and shut It behind him Within a very few fe minutes ages to Jane she heard the stamping or horses flung the door open lipen and called for tor Carpy Carp Jane hurried out with him Drooping low Jow Denison willed Iron had stuck to the end of at the gruelling ride Scott told how they had followed up the east bank of the creek creek lie he himself on horse how by great good fortune they had found a flask of whisky In saddle saddle- saddlebag saddlebag bag and that this had bad helped revive the wounded man when they halted to spell him idea and how they had crossed Deep Creek at nt a n reservation ford tord not far below Gunlock ranch Carpy and lifted Denison down from the horse Jane supported his head bent and stooped to caress him and murmur low JO words They laid ald him himon himon himon on her bed While Carpy tore open Denison's clothing and made malle a n hasty examina examination tion buckets of ot hot water were brought In 14 The surgeon with wearied back presently straightened up Jane he said solemnly youre a n lucky girl The bullet buet that meant death for your boy struck his belt buckle and tore around his side Look here This was all aU I was afraid of or this stomach wound I didn't think so much about Bill here beret But Jane I didn't want you fixing for a n funeral when you ought ou ht to be fixing for tor a wedding J 1 Well We'll get him back to the hospital in a few tew days Oh no Doctor exclaimed Jane unsteadily but with cold decision Why what do you mean girl I mean hes he's at Gunlock to stay Hes He's never neer going to leave UP It I ITilE THE TilE END |