Show GUNLOCK RANCH RANC I 1 H SYNOPSIS sleepy cst cat desert town of t the south west Is c e le brating the fourth of 0 july cambel beautiful daughter jane van hated owner of 0 of ou go van cambel the grolock ranch has arrived from east for the hrat first time she watches tin the celebration in company frontier day tenderhearted hearted tender tends r crusty with dr carpy friend of the community henry in tricked circle dot ranch the of da dave e before by raco rac the day fake horse lc plans gunlock Gunloc mccrossen foreman at enters dill bill denison a he revenge venee re in wrangler handsome young mccrossen texas Is favor favored ca which the rodeo him on to win and lays heavy bets and saloonkeeper harry boland with to the trony of tle mccrossen Crossen unknown horseman crowd denison Is a champion mccrossen find and the th young stranger they are tie in the various events stunts then asked to propose their own VP up w winning inning the toss picks mccrossen handkerchief from the ground riding a denison full peed facing backward east easily follows lows sult suit CHAPTER I 1 continued it was now the theto thetos texans s turn to tits side give ran out on the track him the saddle and bridle trick he whispered still breathing fast demurred the nw r wrangler angler hes seen it done probably tie be can do it himself 11 no atno matter make a lift hit tire him oat ini im setting getting tired or of this show my self belr its ita been pretty long objected the rider leave it to in me e will you ril ill give him one hes never seen one there was a fur youve joure never seen ther whispered conference go to itt it exclaimed after a moment seemingly confident of his representative then he turned to the attle grandstand ladles n gentlemen a an W honorable judges be began circle dot has tried to contribute in a humble able way to your entertainment tills this afternoon youre all anxious to see this contest grand as it has been brought to a decision our entry for the prize will now present a feat never before seen in sleepy cat reining to the middle of the track the wrangler drew drew from a buttoned breast pocket of ills his jersey a packet of cigarette papers and a small sack of tobacco seated on his pawing horse he rolled his big cigarette put away the in makings akIngs hung the cigarette on his lip and lifted his hat as he looked up at the spectators and felt in another pocket for a match while doing so he awkwardly dropped the cigarette it fell from his big lip to the dusty track ile he bent over ever in the saddle to look regretfully down at the ca cigarette garette where it lay then turned his horse and slowly circled the offending object as he carefully scrutinized the lie ile stepped to the side of the grandstand and after his bis u usual sual salutation began hat in hand band our circle dot wrangler seems to be a little awkward today nervous maybe you tee see ladies indies be had such a bevy of elegant women to look at for many many weeks weve been on a long hard drive an seen so much as a picture of a smart girl for nigh three months no wonder hes nervous heart heart cried carpy and his group surprised looked up where he demanded and getting only a laugh continued whatever the reason ladles ladies an gents the boy has bag dropped his cigarette iles hes makile motions to me to pick it ii up but its too much to ask ot of a tat fat man let him pick up the cigarette himself go boy go el I 1 As aa the wrangler cantered leisurely down the track as sp leler continued to explain ile he will now try radin at top speed to pick UP hla his cigarette if he sue suc teeds deeds I 1 am sure you yon will all be willin to see him enjoy lial it after a hard bard hours work if he falls under these speed conditions he be will retire a gracefully as 88 possible fram the track an turn a similar job 0 over ver to his esteemed rival our wrangler will use the quirt on his pony for the first time today all well ask is just please give the boy quiet when he rides up the wrangler had wheeled his bis horse fifty yards down the track and sat waiting for sandys signal the cowman raised a warning hand are you ready the w wrangler nodded got gol shouted quilting ting his pony smartly and bending in the saddle as the wiry little gelding sprang in long leaps ahead the wrangler nearing the stand swung gwun over ever to the right so low I 1 in n the saddle that he trailed hla his hand in the dust ile he was going very fast and his big job to in this straining posture was to locate Q narrow smudge of brown paper lying in yellow dust CHAPTER II 11 in the grandstand there was a craning of necks a straining of eyes and a hush only the toft soft clatter of 0 the ponya hoof boots as he now flew down toward the grandstand struck the ear A slender streak break of dust rose from where the fingers trailed along the track As aa he neared the vicinity of the cigarette the wrangler lifted his fingers just above the dust and bent his bis straining eyes ahead he passed the grandstand like a flo flash sh As A he be ud ild so fo his right hand band was flung out just once and his fingers struck at the dust lie ile dashed ahead straightened himself gradually in the saddle and holding tits his right hand high back checked the pony and rode slowly the judges clambered down from bair and ran out on the track f by frank H spearman frnk H sp arman service they looked in vain circles for a trace of the cigarette stirred up the dust where it might be hidden but the wrangler riding back toward then them held the damaged cigarette between the thumb and the forefinger of his right hand band boland was wild mild ue he rushed out to join the judges its a plain trick he shouted lie he pretended to pick up one cigarette an had another in tits his hand hell blurted out bill Par daloe Wh wheres eries the cigarette lie dropped liere here in the first place he ask asked ed pointing au to the track it was right here I 1 seen it lie he appealed to the other judges you toil seen it the two nodded assent what you about bo boland was industriously searching the track find iti but be damned careful you dont try to cigarette like it I 1 watch him john warned Par daloe wrought up the horse might have picked it up on hla his hoof bellowed boland yes commented selwood yes yea examine the donys mouth too boland lie he may not have swallowed it yet I 1 say gentlemen he added the circle dot boy has done a clean job now lets see mccrossen Crossen Uc perform but mccrossen SIc Nc Crossen stubbornly rejecting all bis big backers entreaties refused to perform I 1 be a sucker to try to beat a man at his own game he be demanded that tricks no part of front frontier ter aldin its never been done before at a sleepy cat celebration its progress gentlemen progress I 1 call it it if it aint been done in slee sleepy py cat its been done plenty at other celebrations ebrat eb lons so you thundered want a brilliant crowd of fair women and beave men to set here year after year an be bored stilt stift with the same old tricks gents 1 he be appealed to the judges 1 I call for judgment the bludges judges huddled at a little distance and lefever huddled with the wrangler ter on the gelding presently lefever stepped over to the judges gents he announced ced before you de r L again the pony took the quirt cide we make another proposal our man will now cow undertake to duplicate any trick on a horse that mat the gunlock champion wants to try we want to be perfectly fair you mean retorted selwood youre mean enough to beat t the he boots off him an car carry ry away the boots well boland he called out turning to the saloon ionia keeper you heard that do you want to take that challenge mccrossen has done all the tricks and done em cm well it you decline declared selwood judgment for the fancy goes to circle dot it is 13 so ordered stop your yawp harry boland boland continued to protest but the verdict announced to the spectators met with wild approval they declined to let the wrangler go they swarmed on out t on the track and refused to ae let t him ride away lie he was assailed with cries do it again I 1 once more morel I 1 again I 1 after a conference with the favorite made a stentorian announcement it all get off the track and shut up cp he began our lad will give you one more exhibition when the track was cleared and the men were again seated the portly continued to show there was no trick in the cigarette ride and to show theres no collusion rii ill ask any lady in the audience to throw any little littie personal ornament of wear out on the track now hold bold on ile he held up his hand in warning as several women began to search for something to throw out the object must be not too small to grasp A ring doubtful A hatpin no tor for gods sake bothin sharp hold still that you young ng lady next to dr carpy he pointed that a small bracelet I 1 see on her left arm am just the thing lady if lend us that bracelet for a minute well show you some same riding 1 was addressing jane van cambel oh I 1 wont do it I 1 exclaimed jane looked pained but kept his eye fixed on the bracelet go ahead girl throw it out I 1 suggested carpy never 1 the pony might step on it I 1 protested jane vexed but unwilling to igno ignore re the growing clamor of the spectators jane rose reluctantly passed the slender blender gold band over her wrist and pausing for an awkward feminine throw flung it out ungraciously on the track the crowd applauded jane anne blushed the bracelet fell close to the grandstand side of the track thought too close but the wrangler riding over nodded that he could make it the wrangler wheeled his horse and cantered down the track wheeling again he be patted his big donys rieck neck and headed up toward the grandstand again the pony took the quirt leaped ahead and with the onlookers mostly standing to see and holding their breath the wrangler dashed for the bracelet once more lie swung over to the right of tits his saddle till lie he could trail his hand easily along in the dust of the track with PCS straining and every nerve taut the wrangler sight sighting liag the shining object struck for it at the same instant out of perfect silence a sudden vicious yell rang from somewhere about the grandstand the pony startled sprang straight sidewise throwing his rider head first into the dust and bolted across the track dragging the wrangler caught by one foot in the stirrup A murmur rose breaking into cries of anger and shame every eye was fixed on the dragging rider the pony headed for the inside guard rail of the track fence hilf a dozen circle dot riders now shot after him if the panic stricken horse should leap the fence lie he would dash the wrangler against it probably to death but while the panicky spectators stared speechless the wrangler dragged along at breakneck speed shook loose his foot and rolling with the momentum over and over on the track sprang to his feet covered with dust the bolting pony cleared the fence and dashed across the field the angry wrangler steadied himself after a step or two his eyes roving over the faces before him striving to catch his breath with his quirt still hanging from his wrist bis big hair rumpled and his bronzed features dust smeared his shirt torn halt half off his back and bren breathing thIng hard and fast he be stood eyeing the crowd and raised tits his voice in a loud and clear drawl if the calf that just bellowed tor for milk too much of a coward to walk down here ill agree to bottle feed him with a quirt there were a few applauding laughs many murmurs and a general feeling of uneasiness among the spectators suddenly from the midst of a riot of men talking at the end of the grandstand near jane came a clash of angry voices the next instant a bald headed man with keen been gray eyes and a dyed mustache scattering onlookers right and left pushed his way out of the gather gathering lug crowd and stretching out his arm yelled at the three circle dot cowmen standing on the track beside the contrite pony look a here texas yelled the bald head beckoning come here you you too lefever Lc fever I 1 quick I 1 its jake spotts said the excited come on boyst with lefever and followed by the wrangler hurried to the irate barbers side theres the skunk that yelled cried spotts almost beside himself as he pushed the wrangler forward and pointed that yellow faced skunk right there barney Reb the grandstand emptied as it if a cyclone had struck it it youre a liar ilar shouted the man accused a slender shrill voiced sharp faced ranch hand 1 I never did it A long haired mild voiced indian standing near him spoke up yes you did I 1 stood right behind you I 1 heard you 11 jane was sitting so close to the altercation ter cation she could have touched the lie nearest man she rose in alarm dr carpy pushed her to his other side she heard thunder no more byln ayin barney 1 theres two witnesses that was almost all she could remember e there were a few more sharp words then the dusty wrangler shortening his quirt sprang at It ebstock knocked off his hat with one liand hand and with the other brought the heavy handle down savagely on Reb stocks forehead jane saw the red follow the blow like the cut of a knife there was instant uproar mccrossen sprang forward to defend reb neb stock he was too late ills his hand slipped to his gun holster bolster carpy lumping jumping up stood almost over the bra brawders brawlers braw ulers lers hold on there hold onil he be thundered the first man that draws a gun here ill run out of sleepy cat I 1 dr carpy was the only man in sleepy cat who could have done it if but his word was the last word in sleepy cat no one cared to face his wrath ile he turned to jane dontee Dont be lie frightened girl its all over cheers greeted the wrangler as he walked back bach with his cronies to where the contrite pony stood on the track although his attire was in much Ms dig array his manner put his hearers perfectly at ease 1 I know he salt said to those who had bad returned to the grandstand and patting his mount that this generally well behaved little texas pony Is as much ashamed of his conduct its as I 1 am and I 1 know lie he would like to apologize it if give him a chance ato TO BE CONTINUED CONTINUE DI |