Show SAD SADDLE RIDE by ERNEST HAYCOX WN W N tile THE STORY STORT so BO ma clay morian morgan III ha AS decided to play a lone ione hand against men ben herendeen deen a rancher bent on run zing ling the cattle country countr his bli own way the th two iwo men ha have a been lor for years yean I 1 having I 1 it V arst i ough tover r clays clay wife L llla f 11 3 who died le d hating him him and believing oh he should have married herendeen deen morgan morga n li is it f solitary loll tary fiure figur 0 devoted to his nine year old daughter janet although two women catherine grant and nd ann mcgarrah McG arrab abare are lo in love with him they know be cannot forget llla lila of 01 his former ormer friends glendi rl endi only hack back breathitt bit bai not gone over to Heren deens side gurd gard grant giant Cather catherine ints brother hesitated a bout about joining herendeen but became worn sworn enemy when h be dincov discovered ered that catherine had been to his ra ranch h when he be learns learn that heren deen has at lent int a party arty oat ut to 1 find I d rack flack and kill in him on clay tarts starts out to find him first he finds ends him at freeport then herendeen Beren deen arrives and there is I 1 a fre tree e for all fight 1 leren diens men are dri v en oo off but hia hack ck to li forced to bide in the hills day clay Is talking to catherine grant and janet when fox willing a neuter 1 he 8 0 once e befriended rides up saying laying mr M morgan I 1 r rode ad p over to ten tell you yoa something now continue with the story CHAPTER XIII morgan watched janet came over to the porch to Cather catherine lne she paused there the polite disinterest gone from her small face ace she moved her hands across her dress and suddenly sat in front of catherine tell me about the time you wen went to your first dance it was with your father ather said C therine catherine 1 I was just sixteen n 11 morgan turned his back to them astonished at the relief he felt willing wiling said 1 I was down at the south edge ol of go government vern ment valley last night coming up from a gulley I 1 baw saw a man bun bunch chin ln some ot of your beet beef I 1 got go down d 0 wn and watched it was a pretty br bright ight night but this fellow was a mile away and I 1 sure might have been one of your crew so I 1 waited till I 1 saw him drive the beet beef over ever the ridge headin south I 1 figured to lo take a shot then only it 11 looked like he had some friends farther down toward the potholes potholed Pot holes so 0 I 1 risk it he seemed to be troubled about that and quietly explained pla ined ive got a wife you see morgan said thanks fox well said willing you gave us a break harry jump said were bastin time yes said morgan well have a look morgan got hick back on his horse he interrupted catherines talk janet well be gone awhile but mose and pancho will be here i harry jump said some impatient ir ord under his breath moving away with fox willing and cap vermilye morgan followed and thus these four headed down the flats in the warm brisk air of middle morning breaking a lonely nights camp in y the cache mountains parr gentry entered freeport quite early that morning smoke eddied up irom from the street from still hot piles of rubbish from brush and blackened pines adjoining town there anything let left except one tog log cabin at the head of the gulch parr gentry sympathetically clucked his tongue it at kern case mighty shameful thing to happen for a tact fact hard on you too kern kem if theres anything I 1 can do tor for you just drop the word meanwhile I 1 been lookin for a band of horses up this thi away seen anything of em taciturn from a sleepless night case said he and walked away from gentry gentry took the burnt ranch road out of freeport riding the up and down grades with his soft body loosely shaking his bis toes pointed outward and his tipped his whole shape was idle end and seemed without energy but his eyes showed a lively interest in the tracks traces on the road and presently entirely governed by what he saw he entered the potholes potholed Pot holes later parr gentry found another trail and left the potholes potholed Pot holes by a circling detour reaching heren to deens valley the ranch quarters were a mile or more behind him and tor for a little while he paused indecisively in the road while he seemed to debate a course in his head his quick rummaging glance saw a we file of riders come down the slope of mo mogul gul through the scattered pines this apparently determined his direction for or he turned northward on the road heading beading tor for war pass and eventually awen twenty ty minutes later was abreast the party as it reached the valley from a distance he be recognized charley hillhouse by arranging the gait of his horse he met hillhouse Hlll house as the latter lV brought rought his men toward the river apparently bound into the cache mountains there Thee were four in the party H hiu house bouse two other herendeen riders rand gurd grant parr gentrys Gent rys presence stopped the group he removed his hat to dash the sweat from his forehead and said warm tor for a man of my bulk aint een any horses have you seen a thing said hillhouse YO you u seen anything parr gentry murmured affably just a couple of jack jackrabbits rabbits Wb ats up parr barrt westin Wa stin your ume time around here charley Cn arley said gentry hes in the potholes potholed Pot holes by the little meadow on froy creek 7 I 1 17 17 1 MIT ill ill 71 I 1 1 I 1 I 1 dj 4 i i i 11 F 13 trouble had crelot behind vance ketchell he saw it on their faces fron from a viewpoint high on the side ot of the cache mountains vance Ket ketchel chelli watched the land below with the eyes of a man whose own fortune was pretty much in balance and this was how he happened to see parr gentry come coma along the freeport road disappear into the potholes potholed Pot holes and later emerge from them at this elevation he had a complete sweep of the valley below a sight of the south running road halfway to freeport and a birdseye view of the small meadows in the potholes potholed Pot holes A all 11 movement in so wide and lonely lonea ionea a stretch of country at once caught his glance and though he be did not immediately identify parr gentry he followed the mans erratic course there were other riders abroad this morning creeping slowly in and out of sight on the various trails looping below he noticed Hlll Hill houses party come around dell lake and was pretty certain of their purpose from the way they scouted the land as they moved catherine grant and the man with her had reached the top of the mogul rim there was nothing much left to see and no particular activity around Heren deens whereupon vance ketchell got on his horse I 1 took the upward trail into timber and reached his own small ranch less than an hour later the moment he came into his meadow he discovered visitors herendeen and bones mcgeen were dismounted by his bis door mcgeen said irritably where the hell you been trouble had crept behind vanoe vance ketchell he saw it on the fac faces e s of 0 both these men and heard beard it in the domineering voice of me ble geen gean vance ketchell had his shadowed moment of dismal certainty before another word had been spoken he knew he had lost his ranch riding before these two he be stepped from the saddle a distinct chill threading his bis nerves morgan was up here last night he sure answered ketchell what 0 ot f it Y youre ure through around here sit said id herendeen herendeen facing herendeen vance ketchell suddenly remembered that bones mcgeen was behind him and tor for a moment he be thought he was a dead man something in Heren deens voice had been like a sharp signal to mcgeen vance ketchell had meanwhile backed off a good twenty feet and now he saw them both before him clearly they have him flanked banked any more all right boys he told them very calm about it just fly right at it I 1 know damned well I 1 can beat one of you to the pull bones mcgeen drew away from the horse he set hl his 1 legs wide apart in the dust A crease ran across his forehead and he stood with his chin lifted staring at herendeen as though something had gone wrong he called to herendeen you want me to go ahead herendeen studied vance ketchell over the stretching moments he had the impulse in his mind ketchell saw that pretty clearly mcgeen rasped out 1 I never saw the time I 1 was afraid to bust into you vance say the word ben hell hes only got two arms both good said ketchell pointedly herendeen shook his head shut vance you be u up p bones listen out of 0 here by morning vance answer he watched herendeen ump limp over to his horse and tep step up making a second try before he hit the saddle bones mcgeen want to leave it like this he was wai reckless and sure of himself and hated bated to see herendeen back down he called to vance ii if it was me line id see that hole card sonny and damn you IN ill see it ye yet it if you stick around ketchel laughed at mcgeen A couple of tinhorn bikers that fits both of you jaspers come on sn come air on 7 im right here just have a try mcgeen youre a yellow bel be I 1 lied jackass for a man with putty guts he let that sink in quietly turning wild he laughing any more he settled his bis boots in the dust of the ahe yard and spoke poke again naming oft off with biting precision the things he thought they were it went like toils the list lengthening out until he could think of nothing else suitable he lifted jilted his right hand knocking back the brim of his hat black hair fell across his forehead and sunlight glittered on the quick film of sweat creeping through his skin he said as a parting shot youre pretty tough on old men and women and babies it if im in hell when you boys come along you can bet your last dollar ill pu put the blackball black baU on both of you herendeen said mcgeen mcge en to in a begging voice just ride along tor for a minute herendeen took his tongue lash tog ing with a smart unmoved coolness he spoke to ketchell be out ot of here by daylight and turned his horse away calling up the reluctant mcgeen come coma here you damned tool fool the two crossed the meadow mcgeen staring behind him with a dry thin look of regret ketchell moved along the wall ot of his shanty to keep them in view when they passed into timber he stepped back to shield his body only his head showing he saw mcgeen w wheel h eel and lift hisgun his gun a bu bullet ret ripped the corner comer of the cabin three feet above ketchelos Ketch ells head and another shot dropped ketchelos Ketchel Ketch ells lt horse ketchell had to step away from the cabin to clear his bis own gun tor for an answer he threw a pair ol of bullets at mcgeen and watched the latter fade back compelled by keren heren deens yelling authority ketchell squatted by the shelter of the wall listening to their horses fade on the trail he stared at his bis own pony dead in the sunshine and spoke to himself kind of close vance kind of 0 close his arms shook a little bit As soon as charley hillhouse entered the potholes potholed Pot holes he halted the party to explain what was in his mind now well take up this trail quietly tor for echoes run a long way through this timber and hack has got mighty sharp ears theres a couple places J used to camp with him and it is likely hell be at one ot of them if hes here at all U any of you boys see him before I 1 do draw right down on him do not fire just draw down I 1 want to talk to him gurd grant threw charley a very odd glance you two were pretty close friends once close as they come I 1 guess assented charley gurd said 1 I dont get it at all 11 hillhouse shrugged his shoulders gravity pulled his face together his expression was matter of fact seem ing to hold away imagination and his coolness was something that never left him As they went on single file gurd grant thought about abod his own part dart in this affair with a growing unease he had joined hillhouse much to in the cheerful spirit a man goes out on a hunting bunting party now for the first time on Us this trip he began to understand what they were hunting and what might come when they found hack it gave him a distinct chill chili when he reasoned it out this way it put a different light on the affair charley he said 1 I dont want any rough stuff charley rode in front of hum him not turning and not answering gurd grant got the impression of a will in hillhouse as hard as rock more and more disturbed he be had bad his fervent wish that he were out of the whole thing by disposition a sunny and agreeable man he be had never in his bis life lifted a gun at anybody an and d though he be bad joined this group because of anger toward morgan an anger be a still nur nursed ed h he could not now that he thought of it seriously see himself in the role of hack captor squirming around the saddle he was on the edge of dropping out of the party when charleys voice drifted dryly back at him you dont have to go on mr grant the tone of it affronted gurda P pride ride he said stiffly just do your own thinking Cli charley arley and ill do mine an instant later he be wished he be said it gloomy and ex troubled he fell silent TO BE CONTINUED |