Show J 1 ra vr I 1 lu C K 13 it A N C E iaz CA T B fra frach H spearman frank H spearman 0 copyright cp riS stir vice CHAPTER XIV continued 21 nj chance that rarely favors des denison sprawled measures arte the final leap across the bridge from into a fringe of 0 sand and wilk lows lop that overgrew overgrow over grew the eastern bridge threading the undergrowth on in his horse denison pot got away trembling afton irom the bridge as fast as lie ile could lo lomely c meby dy was still throwing rille ride flags toward it but bt once away y from point he lost no time in the danger himself heard out on the old ill L troll trail the steers alarmed by the shooting and borne d secretly by the two indians were millins milling and mccrossen shooting limiting bud and clil curs Shig lii was trying to order out oot 0 of the confusion denison from tle willows called chos driving these cattle calt lol llo loudly odly the min man that owns em ein shouted riding out olit into the open daty yards awny away who the liell hell are arc roil ln in that bruehl if youre a 0 ad show yourself penison dison pushed into the open driving tills this bunch aritt 1 I am what do you yoa want IB he demanded angilly angi ily 1 I 1 want these steers land I 1 want you these steers belong to nie me fur for images an ive got t twice ice as many bit bai k there yet now NOV ive got just one oord biord for you denison get out of my say ay an keep out of my way it if youie youe got any rights in these tattle turn tern em back to the ind god lay your claim for wages before the Stock mens claims doard board retort it ej denison dellson Den lson what the hells all this to you do jon ion claim lem em demanded SIc mccrossen Crossen savagely tm gely 1 I 1 dont claim a hoof but I 1 want to talk with you yell mccrossen Crossen Nc before you jump to the panhandle what about about who fired my ranch house load tod about aenry bryin to pick a quarrel with me eh li denison Den lson well you try very bard I 1 dont like you denison I 1 i sew didi never dever had any use tor for you now will you pull off these bums that are millin my steers will you head tern cm back for the meadows and talk to me ONO no I 1 ano no I 1 the two refusals were fast but y hile the second was being uttered JR ebstock Eeb stock cried crowd him davel dave sod fired at denison Den lson the next instant three hol horsemen semen vere plunging at one another on rear ling ng horses and throwing their shots at ones another in a very uncertain light retreat was out of the thinking denison caught between the two laen BBS as forced to divide his tire fire with a blow stinging his left arm he jumped his horse past the two whirled sod nil came back outside with mccros sen shooting at him fast the maneuver of Deni sons put mccrossen Uc tIc Crossen into Eeb Reb stocks line of fire but hardly had denison dellson whirled then len he be felt a sickening blow in the stomach from gun hardly ten yards away tie he had been crouching tren ching on his big horses back and was shady stirrup loose ile he slid off and killed foiled like a eat cat toward the brush Beb stock saw the trick but forgetting that list a wounded man Is the most din dan wong man he be yelled and spurred straight at him the horse refused the smell of hood ile he shied spurred As the horse reared the feeble light of the moon struck for an I 1 instant Eeb stocks features in that instant denison fired bred point blank at him the blow was terrible Reb neb stocks urns alms jerked ill high b and his gun flew into the air lie he convulsively til upward ward toppled and as his big frightened orile whirled lurched from the saddle to the ground gound he never spoke again fully felly expecting that BIc mccrossen Crossen would ride lo in to finish him denison lipped aped open the loading gate of his big fi gun instinctively and punched out the apty pty shells his bis head bead in a whirl expecting that say y instant would be on libla wa denison tried to reload just BB as ae 1 got the cartridge into his revolver rc volyer te lie caught the sound of a horses hoots hoofs m then heard bob scott calling WI bob exclaimed denison a the he brush look out for lie ble ott slipped off on his horse mc ale wasta wont bother for a while alle are you hit elair bill 1 1 I bow topped stopped a co couple uple of slugs somei what about mccrossen Crossen bIc he be listed 1 irritably sei es byln over by the bridge he lots to to talk to you bill ball a tourniquet around this arm tort i try it bob dont trust tite mc bit wen I 1 u hate ave you yon got his guns gunst hed clothing ng better than another crack J muttered denison Den lson staggering scotts help to his feet feel blared stripped stripped clean det plain scott w the lid ad truth C cant an t you make up your 1 to 11 see what he wants 00 allaead d but give and me my gun lay ill out muttered ered denison Den lson tron the light ot of the moon oon BIc mccrossen McC Crossen against oil ly by frying pan reclined fill bi th the e tr unk k 0 ot f a hall half grown tree qed were closed n m erell baill dave scott spoke poke low ekak iky gently to him 0 jon YOU o said laid you wanted to Y es daver said laid Den Deal laon sou haltingly alb ione done BUL bill daie exclaimed denison Den lson im sorry it lind to enil end this way 1 I talked pretty rough tonight said McC Ic Crossen bro brokenly lenly spitting the blood out of his throat nil right dave dam really mean it all youve always shot square bill if some folks ive trained with lind done that way I 1 be here tonight bill a favor go on dave V e got an old mald maid sister back bast ashes all ive got id hate her to know this come rust brustlin lin hilll never lc ile said dae let it tip IP a out fight you know 1 I alio know w ome I 1 know her address addres qI in my trunk MII murmured ne ilc crossett crossen thickly promise 1 I pro inise alte me your Pardi lop was as the first to frencl G gunlock un on in flip way home shortly beffie bedol e J 1 ibi V 40 11 f 1 I know dave I 1 know her address daylight lie ile rode in on his way to town to set get hold of dr carpy for denison whose condition worried him fortunately the surgeon was already at gunlock whither he be had bad been summoned to care for or with Sa gaidys idys flesh wound already bandaged carpy sat in the living room drinking a pot of coffee supplied by jane ue he was enjoying in leisurely fashion his third or fourth cup of steaming stimulant when the sound of hoofs was heard beard in a moment a resounding rap came at the door jane started in ter terrified rifled appeal she looked at the doctor carpy responded by calmly wiping his lips chos there he demanded curtly bill Parda loel came the response carpy flung the door open jane ran out odthe bedroom oh mr Parda Par daloe loel she cried where Is bill where Is he be iles hes on his bis way back to the hospital Is he be hurt Is he be wounded tell mel I 1 c cried the frantic girl why no yes yea that Is he was at alman min to get back to the hospital before doc found out he be was wag gone parried the veteran awkwardly carpy intervened sternly where Is he be now talk bill aint I 1 tall talk in ln hes on the way here with bob scott then hes bes not hurt cried jane why no yes a little malbe mabe stammered Par daloe where you from demanded carpy still stern 1 deep creek was there a tight fight there was a little brush brit li doc was denison wound wounded edVI awby I 1 guess lie was pinked picked doe doc 11 y yes was lie he hit bit demanded ca carpy rpy in the forearm doe doc we got a t tourniquet on that he got another in in the stomach carpy felt the force of fhe he disel discs S ure Is he be bleeding alc edling at the mouth he thundered why no doe doc but he claims hes all in well bring him out if all who was in fit the fight talk fasti pire lile mccrossen Crossen and bainey with hill 11 aln where re ate aie mccrossen Mt NIc Crossen and right where they were when john fryan ran pan left me lie ile was on hla his way to the reservation to hunt up tip a couple of bucks to bury tern cm and bring in the cattle said Par daloe in mat tor ter of fact fashion sit down dow n here bill jane directed the doctor get the boy a pot of coffee A and n d boll boil plenty of clean water on the stove yes doctor bill Is going to stop here on the way in he be clr pard nine aloe asked jane tremulously Par daloe nodded ought to show up after while aldin kind of slow jane ran to the kitchen she roused quong to heat the water find and came back with supplies no continued rard Par aloe daloe deep in a saucer of hot coffee 1 I see it IL I 1 was as over on the west side of the creek its bad crossin there I 1 dont know how bill came up they never could a got him across down there we cut over the be reservation and plugged for gunlock lie ile pricked up his ears and interrupted himself shucks Shuck sl that sounds sound like somebody now bowl I 1 jane listened eagerly 1 I cant hear anyone she said you will in a minute there they are again jane ran for the door hold on a minute missy exclaimed Par daloe lets make sure who it Is ile fie opened the door himself stepped quickly outside and shut it behind him in within a very few minutes ages to jane she heard the stamping or horses Par daloe flung the door ipen and called tor for carpy jane hurried out with him drooping low denison Den lson iron willed had bad stuck to the end of the gruenling gruelling gru elling ride scott told how they had followed up the east bank of the creek he himself on Reb stocks horse how by great good fortune they had bad found a flask of whisky in Reb stocks saddlebag and that this had helped revive the wounded man when they halted to spell him and how they had crossed deep creek at a reservation ford not far below gunlock ranch carpy and Par rard daloe aloe lifted denison down from the horse jane supported his heat beat and stooped to caress him and murmur low words they laid him on her bed while carpy tore open Deni sons clot clothing bing and made a hasty examination buckets of hot water were brought in the surgeon with wearied back presently straightened up jane he said solemnly youre a lucky girl the bullet that meant death for your boy struck his belt buckle and tore around his side look here this was all I 1 was afraid of this stomach wound I 1 think so much about bill here but jane I 1 want you fixing for a funeral when you ought to be fixing for a weddin wedding 1 I 1 well got get him back to the hospital in a few days oab oh no doctor exclaimed jane unsteadily but with cold decision why what do you mean girl 1 I mean hes bes at gunlock to stay hes des never dever going to leave TUB END |