Show the settling of the sage by HAL G EVARTS copyright by bt hal 0 evarts service CHAPTER X continued 21 FL killing Illi tig twelve three bar bulls r on n the last day of august harris stated 1 I was out with the ranger slade said laid back in the hills you know ow that yo yourself arsel that charge wont stick then thed maybe it was the second of hay if ny harris returned 1 I 1 sort of forget slade suddenly grasped the cance of this arrest how many of you fellows are pus my by footing round out here he be inquired of carp 1 I 1 dont mind confessing that several of the boys are riding for you carp informed but while weve cinched cincher morrow we been able to trace it brick back to you I 1 even got put on oil the black list thinking you might do business with me direct after that knowing my word stand against yours rut not you I 1 covered your tr tracks ricks 11 carp spoke softly as if to himself detailing his failure to gather con cleave evidence against slade 1 I even run your on fifty alft v or so Thre enar cows you knew there a dollar ch changed ringed hands when nhen morrow gore gave me that paper aich licen licensed ged me to rustle my own the she stock the ties idea in my starting up was to run your on any num bor of three par bar cows later morrow would buy me out acting for you cant be firmed oh youre in the clear all right slade S lade broke in upon the monologue this recitation of his probable prohn ble ammu anity froni from convict conviction inn on every count far from reassuring him served to confirm his original suspicion as to the renson reason for this arrest without witnesses it if the sheriff had find wanted him hp he had find but to send word for sande to corne in ile he threw out one lost line find and the answer convinced blin biro beyond yond all doubt then a lawyer will have hare me out in on hour he predicted A lawyer could alden said if you saw rine one but weve decided not to let you yon have access to legal advice for the first few days slade blade turned on carpenter tills this sort of thing Is against the law he sold said youre a united states slates marshal how can you go in on a deal im not in on it carp shrugged the sheriff asked me to arrest you at the first opportunity ive turned you over to him the rest Is his of at fair resides besides like I 1 was mentioning they cant prove a thing on you As porm a n incel of that turn you yon loose the sherill u n iiii bif gravely the very pry i lay joy im satisfied harris cant prove his charges ill throw open the doors he a free man that thai minute A vision of the near future swept across slades mind if he should he be locked up tip for three months and dis als charged for lark lack of evidence it would wreck him as surely as the rumors rumor of 1110 1 lie lil lam few months had find cut long lang nit airn n olt off from file lie rest reaf of the world squatters had filed on every available site tits hla range and now waited to see fee if the three bar or would win light fight it if the news should be that he was locked tip op these now rs rush in on lo Is release tie lip wo find them everywhere will scattered through the of lim ills own men intent on upholding uphold ini flip homestead laws lie he would be help less to drive then out it if chev locked haru up tip pit lit this time he be was 10 lost at lip HP slowly well I 1 guess youve got me he sold 1 I 1 dont dollt see that 11 II will amount to much ser or later laler ail II if let trip top out 1 ile he raised his arnis arms high atie ahme his head and sl relf left culler vo boier er nl lit ills ihla casual biffle he fily raised one foot shide his bo belot on the edge of rho light fable und and gave a tren ieti dai ohp far bilge caught tilt he filiurin fili slie crin riff krivig i tro tire rhe legs and nd overthrew him hill ohp lantern crashed to the floor and at al HIP flip same instant morrow allord a 41 doise tweezing twe kli 1 of al Vurlie riter k lrichs As he file marshal erni down his the cornet cornel rim 01 11 a hunk and he did not rise willi a single weep morrow caught laughl flig imel f blo chair find neung it 11 nh fihn te e his head for the saw which hal neen tiled at al flip instasi the light went out the weapon splintered in his hands bunds us as it found 1 Ps mark ald jr d us sis the big man struck the dirt floor morrow leaped for the dim unlit which indicated the open door A huge raw clu clumped raped on one annie end and a backhanded back handed wrench sent him fl filing illg scroll the room to the far wall with a sweep of the other hood hand wad riler the door with a bang that burred the cabin weve go ern em trapped the big rolee mulled weve got ern em sewed to lo a sock back hunis harris hun Is made one long reach and swung auna the butt of hl his pin gun for or slades head bend as the table went down but glade blade with the ibe same motion tuo tion vaulted vaul terl the prostrate sheriff the force of the blow threw harris off his balance sod and as he tripped and reeled to his bis knees slades buot boot heel scored a glancing blow on his fits skull and floored him ue he regained his feet gripping grippin a fragment of the choir morrow had bad smashed over waddles head dead and struck at a dim form aria which loomed against the me vague light of the window the shape closed with him biro and he went down in a corner with slade slade struck him twice in I 1 lie file face writhed away and gained tits lila feet back slashing at harris head with his spurs harris caught a ban annd hold in the long fur of the others chaps clinas wrapped both boll arms round slade above the knees and dragged him back ills hand found slades throat and he squeezed down on it as the loan raised both knees sod and thrust them against ills his stomach to brenk break the hold slades arm anil swept a circle on the floor in search of the he gun gim harris had find dropped but lie he ans jerked a foot fool from the lie floor and harris tits ills head again ogain and slade crumpled into a limp heap harris hold held him there unwilling to take a cannee lest the other oilier might oe e feigning unconsciousness but sinde ans out of the fight the sheriff struggled to his feet as V waddles tossed morrow back bach from the door ard summed it II shut ile he closed 0 3 dragged from the saddle by ta the e jerk of one mighty hand with morrow but hie lie roan man eluded him ile ie dared not shoot with friends and enemies struggling all about the black pit pl of the little room morrow leaped one way then the opposite the sheriff groped for him alden turned toward a rattle at the stove a he heard slades head crunch against the wall under harris savage thrust down him halml I 1 waddles roared tear rear him down I 1 tear him blin down I 1 im holding the door from the corner by the stove an iron pot hurtled across the room for the sound of the voice and crashed against the wall a foot from his head A second kettle struck alden in the chest and he be went down waddles sow saw the light vanish from the window then reappear morrow had find made a headlong hend long dive through the little opening waddles swung back the door and sprang outside as morrow vaulted to the saddle the big man lunged and tackled both horse and man as a grizzly would seek to batter down tits his prey the frightened horse struck at him numbing one log with the blow of a an n iron brou shod forefoot then reared and wheeled away from the thing which sprang at him but waddles retained his grip in the animals wane ills his other oilier land hand clamped on morrows ankle the rider leaned and struck him film on the elie head the crazed horse a shook hook waddles off but as lie fell the ther other uteri nan fell with blin drugged dragged froin from lie so saddle idle by lie jerk of one mighty hund hand they rhey rolled apart arid and morrow leaped to lis ills feet feel hut but waddles had wrenched wren clied the leg eg already numbed by the file ing horse and it buckled inder him and let him tack to the ground as he put his weight on it ile he reached for his gun A form loomed above him a heavy rock upraised in both hillias hii hil nils lids the guu gun burked barked just us tw a ch downword sweep of the arms started tibe the rock tor for his head morrow pitched down acro across him an am waddles Wn dilles swept him aside with a single thrust ue he rose and stirred the limp shape with ills lit toe as the sheriff reached his side bide dead biedl waddles waddle announced and turner turned to limp back bach to the cabin A match flared inside as harris lighted the lantern carpenter stirred and sat fat up op moving one hand along almonr the gash in his scalp the sheriff stooped and snapped a pair of hand cling cliffs on slades wrists they splashed water on his face and he opened his eyes ue tie regarded the steel bracelets at his fits wrists as he was helped t tf his feet and turned to harris pont dont forget that ill kill you yon for this he said it was a simple statement made without hent or bluster and aside from this one remark he failed to speak a syllable until the sheriff rode away with him the waved the lantern outside the brior and before he lowered it two deputies rode up leading tits horse we started at that shot one of them announced in explanation of their prompt arrival alden motioned slade to ills horse and helped him film up shoot him out of the lie saddle if he makes a break he ordered briefly now you yon can move against those nien men ive sworn out complaints coin com plants for harris sold said to alden public sentiment has turned rigl inist them to such an extent that they wont get any help belp and there wont be any to fill their places once weve cleaned them up deputize the whole three par car crew when youre ready to start the sheriff cherix nodded and led the way with the two deputies riding close behind one riding on either side of slade CHAPTER XI the freight wagons rattled awny away from the three car bar athe first light showed in thelast the east and the grind of wheels on gravel died out in the distance as harris and billie fin finished thed their breakfast the bands ands bad come in from the roundup round up the night before prior to the return of harris and waddles from froin their mysterious two day trip lo in response to the he sheriffs message anil and evans tau iau led them to 11 brills rills for a night of play they were due back at the ranch in the early forenoon and harris had find allowed the freighters to depart before the others arrived what did alden want billie asked referring to the trip rip from which he and waddles had returned late the night before we made a call on carp he said lie he had some good news weve leen waiting for then carp Is a three bar plant she said hes a 0 S plant harris correct ed cut but hes been working to in witt will us to get something 06 on slade t ti gather proof thai ties hes behind ebest squatter raids of the last few bev year and the ones aimed at us ul ui to date he get a shred thai w would hold la court but slade Is at al most through ills claws are clipped the girl started to question him al a ta carps activities but after the fin fini i sentence slie she became aware that lit ht attention lon was riveted on something other than her words tie he had throat up tits his head like a startled buck soil anil was peering down the valley tier her range bred ears caught and cor erectly interpreted the sound whirl which had roused him A distant reached her and the surface of tin thi earth seemed to vibrate faintly bo be neath her feet slie she knew the jar for foi the pou pounding 6 of thousands of hoot hool the drone for the far off bawling of 0 frightened fright ene iq cows A low black line filled the elie valley from side to side rush rushing irig straight on oil up the gently sloping bottoms for the three bit flat on us harris salt sal t 11 1 I might have known get back to the house quick I 1 As they ran she noticed that lit hi eyes were not upon the surging mass of cows in the valle but were trained on the he broken slopes back of the house anyway they dont want you he said well do the best we can I 1 made that prediction about clipping slades claws too soon what will wilh up and morrow six feet feel underground I 1 was overconfident 1 I might have known it was planned ahead ills his fice was lined with anxiety an expression slie she had hild never before seen him wear eien een in the face of emer gency she had bud no time thile to question quentio 0 him film about the assertions relative t to 0 morrow arid and slade the front rank of 0 the stani stampede rede was bearing down on the lower fence the border barrier went down os as so much spider web veti before the drive posts pogo were broken short wire was snapped and dragged ond and throe three thousand head of cows pounded on across the meadows TO ITO BE CONTINUED |