Show ir tj b I 1 TAW AM L MACLEOD raier OE ofle STORY STORT SO 60 FAR FAH over calhoun terry protest 1 the big ranches have Ini imported ported larie number ol of texas ex peace to round up and killous peeled r us several kill I 1 preceded dd this i and jeff brand a rustler rustier 0 CHAPTER from thebon the box 68 to lee hartt place it was wag eight miles across the hills jeff rode fast before he had covered half the way to the hillbranch hill ranch he heard the sound of firing farto his left first a single shot and perhaps a minute later two more though he listened for or more no popping reached his ears to jeff there seemed something sinister in these breaks disturbing the silencer 1 his imagination pic alc cl a man man peacefully hoeing a po iam patch or mending a fence m the direction of the report it might have come from wade scotts place it if so wade would probably have been whistling his mind on a girl in cheyenne who worked in the railroad restaurant one he was expecting I 1 to marry in a few months instead of taking the g gulch he followed the rim keeping to cover as he came close to the edge looking down his gaze swept the clearing and picked ap up details he saw two men crouched back of the barn evidently there were others in it for or as he stood there a puff of s smoke m 0 ke came from the window opening in the hayloft at least one man was stationed in the bed of the creek cheek a hundred and fifty yards from the house A shot from that point told him so there was a small alfalfa field to the left of the house it r ran an to the draw leading up to the ravine he could see the ditch crossing it in the direction of the house rank grass covered the edges A wild idea jumped to his mind why not 1 into that ditch crawl along it 1 0 he was close to the cabin and ake ke adash a dash to join the defenders near the top of the ravine he picketed his hia horse then moved down it cautiously As he came round a bend in the gulch he be looked down into the little basin which held the ranch thirty yards below him a man crouched behind a large boulder a rifle in his hands he was was watching the log cabin evidently hoping to get a glimpse of one of the defenders lower down in the draw and fitly fifty yards to his right another marksman was also waiting behind cover tor for a shot jeff tiptoed forward revolver in hand he had not been a big game hunter tor for nothing no perceptible rumor of his movements reached the lank texan toward whom he is s soft footing unwittingly the densely Oen per helped at his own undoing ensely sely preoccupied with the job in hand his mind was following a single track which led straight from him to the quarry in the cabin when brand was about ten strides from hi him m he drewa drew a bead and fired As the rifle cracked jeff flung aside caution and took the last stretch on the sun run the texan whirled too late the long barrel of the 45 smashed down on his lifted forehead his body swayed and collapsed nobody had noticed what had taken place 1 e jeff helped himself to the mans rifle and cartridge belt he moved to the left and stepped down into the dry ditch he had seen from the bluff above crouching low in it he crept forward the alfalfa hid him pretty well crossing tile the field was a slow business he wint went on all fours dragging the rifle beside him he was near enough the cabin to see atad fling splinters splinter s krom from the logs he called softly hello the house and when no answer came back to him he called again more loudly it was after his fourth attempt that somebody inside answered who is 11 it what you want jeff brand im gonna make a n for the door fling it open for ki when I 1 give the word there was a perceptible silence before the man in the house replied how come r you there it if youre brand dont talk you tool fool do as I 1 say 1 r jeff came out of the ditch running from the edge of the valley he heard a shout somebody had discovered the texan chehad knocked out and was spreading the news the guns roared roar e d lie he bowled s over all the power knocked aked out of him in an instant that he had been hit he knew though he felt no pain still clinging 0 o the rifle he 1 tried to clamber to lis is feet the ground tilted up at him and he went bent down again still cons conscious clou he crawled forward a tool foot k two fathe the cabin door was flung open two wo men showed at the entrance ent rande one ran toward jeff in long reaching strides the other bovere covered d the rescue firing firina at att the figures which had come into the open to get brand it wai was a matter of se seconds cords but they stretched interminably the man reached jeff gathered him up and plunged back toward the house chaiker CHAPTER calhoun I 1 terr terry y and larry rich ards on their way to round top to meet a cattleman who had bad a regis i I 1 hereford bull for sale struck installment THIRTEEN himself braces tracei them to itch turley a spy py nor does doe jeff like ilka calhoun foreman of one ol of the big ranches ranch ci ellen terry seems interested la in both ol of them lee hart a rustler rattier rancher report sef ol 01 the mobilization ol of the texan invaders across country to hit johnsons prong and take the short cut down box canyon they traveled at a road gait not pushing their horses for or there was a long journey ahead of them when they talked it was mostly about a new enterprise in which they were to be partners they had ma made e an arrangement with john Q powers to buy the old terry ranch once owned by calhound Cal houns father and with it a fine stretch of river land adjoining larry had lately inherited some money this was to make part of the initial payment they came to the lip of a small mountain park and dipped down into it terry pulled up his cowpony and pointed to the opposite slope A large body of men on horseback was moving down it the texas invaders larry said yes and wed better get away from here his companion decided too late they wheeled their horses the sound of a rifle shot across the park larrys horse went down and flung him his friend raised the palm of his hand to give the peace sign but the answer was a splatter of bullets come a running larry called terry richards vaulted to the back of the horse and they were on their way from the ridge they headed down into a country of huddled hills and jeff tiptoed forward revolver in hand ravines where outlaws had their abode the roan gelding did its best but when larry looked back he knew the race would be a short one coming hell tor for leather he said we wont reach the hills he held up his handin the peace sign but it did not stop the th e crashing of the guns well have to hole up at lee harts till we get a chance chalice to explain were not the men they want terry said yep theres lee le down there with his stock he walling waiting to ask questions either dont blame him hes on their list they reached the clearing flung themselves from rom the horse and raced for the cabin by the creek once inside they slammed and bolted the door from the window larry saw the leader of the regulators regula tord disposing ot of his men they could hear bear bullets thudding into the logs one shattered the other window wed better move back out ot of sight larry suggested have to dig holes between the logs to shoot through ill try a white flag calhoun said it if hold back long enough to listen to us well be all right he found an empty flour sack opened the door a few inches and waved the white sack he called out his name to ellison the noise of the guns killed the sound of his voice lead tore into the door quit that foolishness cal his friend snapped get shot up first thing the darned tools are crazy with the heat A foreman of the circle C C ranch a big blustering fellow who rode his men hard bard gesticulating was violently and pointing toward the ithe cabin apparently he was urging them thern to a i charge terry shot him in the irm arm and he took cover behind the barn arn A few seconds later Cal houas rifle scored another hit bit A lumbering texan behind a cottonwood tried to improve his bis position by running to another tree closer to the house he stopped before he reached it lurched sideways and fell to the ground with scarcely a moments delay he began crawling back original position you got himl himi larry cried in the leg I 1 want lantto to kill him maybe his friends will ge get thi the and how they debased two men into hii big cabin he H himself managed to 1100 be without them the no two men man are calhoun terry and his big oreman ore maa 8 but ui jeff did not know this when he be de decided to aid them idea that they fi avent been invited to come any nearer some folks cant take a hint unless a methodist church falls on them larry said lightly wish I 1 had a rifle alne too my six gun wont carry that afaf far with any accuracy looks like ill have to be an innocent bystander until they begin to crowd us both of them knew there could be only one ending to the battle it it went to a finish but they were cool game men used to danger and they could take whatever was waa in store for them without weakening the attackers grew more wary of exposing themselves presently the firing bring died down except for an occasional shot Some things up calhoun said probably getting ready to rush us he laughed sardonically 1 I X never was in this kind of a jam before all we have to do Is let them know who we are and they would lit let us alone but as soon as we poke a nose out to tell them they blast away at us larry was watching the attackers through his peephole they are getting their horses his voice grew excited by the jumping horned frog riding away they figure it would cost too much to dig us out of our hole seems too good luck to be true it was too good to be true more than forty men took a trail into the hills but enough were left to keep up the attack ori the cabin terry tried again during the lull in hi the firing to let ellison aulson know who they were but he was fired upon the instant he opened the door at the end ot an hour another adother plan was tried to dislodge the be men two horses were taken into the barn A few minutes later they came out drawing a wagon with a hayrack on an it the wagon was driven into a meadow of wild hay near the center of the field was the remains of a stack of hay most ot of it weeds tossed aside as unfit food for stock men began to gather this trash with pitchforks and load it on the rack at first calhoun was puzzled but the purpose of this jumped to his mind ellison Is going to burn us out he said larry caught the idea sure they aim to get behind the hay and push the wagon by the tongue up against the housed house then they will set fire to the hay after a moment larry spoke youve been favoring these fellows cal and that was right so tar far but no longer they mean to kill U us even it if they have to burn us up it its I 1 a the them morus or us I 1 wont jet let them rub me out without fighting back calhoun nodded agreement nor 1 I but maybe the tha time quite come forthal tor for that larry the thing is to delay them all we can help Is on the way to us by now I 1 expect hart could not have recognized us lie he thinks we are some of his outlaw friends when he reaches black butte he will start gathering men to save us that will take some time but not very much it if we are lucky terry was watching the wagon and the men with it they had loaded the refuse hay and were picking up brush to piled pile on the top of it the driver swung the tea team m round to return to the gate he was nearer the house than at any time since leav leaving irig the barn calhoun took careful aim and fired bred one of the horses sank to the ground that will hold them tor for a while hf bm said said A voice outside not far away hailed balled the house it came from the side larry was defending richards searched the alfalfa field and saw nobody someone has worked up right close to us he told his companion sounds like hes only orAy forty or fifty yards away ask him who he Is terry said we can send a message by him and tell ellison who we are larry shouted the question the answer astonished him he passed it on to his friend claims hes jeff brand and Is going to make a run for the door lie he must have crawled up the ditch larry demanded more information mation from the man outside A moment later he cried in excitement hell its jeff all right hes coming on the run hit him hes down Ter terry ryian ran to the door and flung it open he thrust the rifle into the hands of richards and raced toward the man on the ahe grounds ground who was crawling toward the house stooping calhoun picked up brand the rifle still in his hand and hurried back to the house he reached it in safety and larry bolted the door terry put the wounded man down on the bed where did they hit you se he asked jeff grand did not knot answer he stared at his rescuer in vast astonishment ment they got him in the ankle larry said pointing to a hole bole in brands brand boot TO HE BE CONTINUED |