| Show J I 1 1 M t L AM I 1 I 1 anu RAINE s arvice installment FOURTEEN TUG THE ST STORY 0 RY SO FARI FAR ellett ellen carey ley who turns out to be a spy for or the me eels cell to small ranchero terry and ids bit seems into interested calhoun Val led in jeff brand dashing bis big ranchers the latter bring a lot foreman idleman larry are fired upon by the rustler and calhoun houn terry ranch manager ol of texas tit ex peace officers to wipe ripe out big owners invading army and they four ru 1 alert are mysteriously tho the rustlers by actually killing them off flail cover in a small cabin there too killed suspicion u a n a ens 0 on n T terry rry and calhoun protests prote iti and persuades the owner jeff goes wounded he ll is dragged dragi eit into him associates 13 but a t jeff ki kills Us jack tur tor ot of his ranch to sell it in small par the cabin by terry p 14 CHAPTER R better lie there on the bed terry said without looking round let larry have hava your rifle jeff looked at terrys flat strong back with cold dislike this was a nice pickle to be in without knowing it he had come to rescue an enemy and by another queer topsy quirk the man had saved him how soon will your friends get a 1 here larry asked 1 I reckon they are gathering quick as they chiy can 1 I sent lee hart out to pass the word my guess would be in another hour and a halt half after a pause paus c we cant stand them off another hour and a half terry said A sinister light quickened jeffs face ace he said iro ironically nica lIy be able to make a nice deal lor for yourselves now they wont have two to hang but one Is better than none terry did not answer larry flushed angrily you have a fine way of making friends jeff he said im particular about who my friends are brand jeered ive noticed that A scoundrel like lee hart who shoots from back it df a wall at a man not expecting it A bully puss r ruffian like jick jack turley A scalawag like dont talk about turley being my friend jeff interrupted 1 I killed him this morning larry stared at him How cne y you ou to kill turley we found out he was the traitor who shot jim tetlow and the other boys 1 gave him an even stephen break which was more than the skunk deserved we found the blood money in his cabin stopped the wagon larry interrupted someone has brought ina in a horse without a rider looks like the roan you were on bet a dollar they have recognized the horse and are having a powwow pow wow about it it looks like only one of us may be dead in ten minutes jeff snarled ill take that rifle now larry I 1 aim to go out in smoke larry looked at the diamond reverse B manager give aitto it to him terry said his gaze fixed on the outlaw but dont make a mistake brand I 1 have chosen it that way but were all in this tight together we all come out of it alive or none of us do d 0 let me do the talking that is if any of us get a chance to do any i with these fellows were getting a chance all right larry cried someone is running out a white flag from back af 1 the barn terry walked to the door unbolted it and waved the flour sack ellison and sunday brown came out of the barn and walked toward the house when they were about forty ards bards distant the no by jo manager shouted a question what made you run away terry he demanded irritably you might have got killed the diamond reverse B man waited until they were nearer so we might he agreed sarcasm riding his voice whether we ran or whether we stayed your hired killers are too ready with their guns ellison I 1 told you it would be that way into larrys face beneath the tan dark blood swept your hired killers have been plugging at us tor for a couple of hours youre no better than that dead wolf turley you were telling us about the sooner you are run out of the country the better larry had made a slip and ellison pounced on it did I 1 mention turley how do you know he was the man never mind how I 1 know he has nothing to do with our complaint against you im going to see that it gets into the denver papers that you attacked us sunday brown spoke tor for the first time who is the man that slipped into the cabin a little while ago terry looked at him bleakly you wounded the man whoever he Is enough tor for ono day I 1 adise ise you sou all to mount your horses and get et out of here while you can dont try the high and mighty with mp me terry the no by joe hanagr r advised restraining his temper with difficulty im asking you two questions and I 1 dont clont intend to leave till I 1 get answers the first Is how do you know I 1 vurley turley was killed unless you were in on the job the second is who did you carry into the cabin a little while ago go youre out of luck in your questions ellison drawled terry we wont answer either of them A man appeared in the doorway of ahn house he leaned against the jamb tor for support but the rifle in his big hands was quite steady youve got me so plumb scared that 11 at I 1 expect id better answer r yore questions ellison he said not raising his voice im the guy in the cabin and im the one who told them about turley I 1 knew about it because I 1 shut him this morning maybe im uit af pf of the men youre looking for the color slowly drained from el ilson 13 gray face his guess was that brand meant to kill him now CHAPTER sunday brown said 1 I dont know who you are young fellow but yore own words convict you and im arresting you im standing in the doorway waiting for you to try it brand answered 1 just a moment terry said to avoid any mistakes larry and I 1 are declaring ourselves all three of us are in this tight together youre not taking one without the others other ill do the talking tor for our side sunday ellison told the texan no need for guns to smoke here its been such a nice friendly afternoon mr ellison would hate to have trouble start now leered jeff ten your crowd to get the hell out of here before the boys come to help jeff unless you want cant a real war on yore hands said larry brand offered a suggestion why drag anybody else into this mr ellison you dont me like my way of life and not a thang about you pleases me we can settle this right here in three seconds with six I 1 his guess was that brand meant to kill him now guns if you feel lucky start smoking 1 I dont fight duels with outlaws ellison replied curtly no you hire killers to shoot em down from ambush you go raiding their homes with sixty gunmen at yore back brands voice was heavy with scorn when you open the pot you have a pat hand and you sure play it close to the belly ellison stood stiff and straight 1 I dont explain my conduct to thieves he said shortly meaning me mr ellison jeff asked gently his light blank eyes very steadily fixed on the no by joe manager terry stepped in front of the leader of the regulators to prevent the rustler from getting a shot at him the three defenders moved back into the house bouse and watched they had not long to wait the invaders ran out the white rag again to indicate the battle was over men and horses poured out of the barn and from the creek bed into the open cal gave brand a wet towel with which to bathe his hot face while he unfastened the bandage around the ankle and washed the wound he tied another handkerchief around the leg the rescuers arrived about an hour later roan alford and bill herriott at their head A flour sack was na nailed fled to the back door of the hart cabin but roan spread his men and approached carefully the ca cabin bin might be filled with enemies ready to turn loose a blast of gunfire at them bill herriott came forward atone alone waving a white handkerchief terry stepped out of the house to meet him what are you youl doing here herriott asked curtly full explanations fill followed billowed owed terry leery and richards rode with the party as far as the box 55 they were not very welcome the members of the rescue posse poss e made that clear wild rumors circulated lane carey and his daughter come came out of the ranch house to get the news from a little distance terry watched ellens face as the men eased brand from the saddle so that he would not have to put any weight on his wounded leg he could see her breath catch and the intent tear fear in her eyes jeff limped forward an arm i round around the shoulder of roan alford back from the war he told elph len with a sure enough hero story for or you only trouble Is two other guys were the heroes we had better have him carried upstairs ellen eile said to her tather father he can have th spare room jeff shook his head sorry but I 1 have to say no thanks lady if I 1 stay here these texas wolves aou would id be liable to collict collect the only scalp I 1 have the boys are going to take me to round bound top in your wagon ihlen ellen had jim bring down a mattress and put it on the porch the wounded man lay down on it protesting that there was no sense in babying him the girl made him a pitcher bl bf cool lemonade and he drank several glasses of I 1 it t she waved a goodbye good bye at him as the guarded wagon rolled down the road watching Vat ching her terry thought there was a kind of light flying grace in the girls movements will you tell me all about it just what happened she asked larry described their adventure in detail 1 I expect they hated to let jeff go larry concluded the blamed idiot stood in the doorway and told ellison he was the man who had killed his spy turley ellen gave a little groan did you say that jeff killed turley she asked yes the color had bad washed out of ellens len s face im responsible tor for tur leys death she said in a lowmon low monotone 1 I told jeff the man might be turley and I 1 said the writing on the note left by the killer looked like his then you did a service to this district terry told her bluntly dont worry about that the fellow had to be killed yes hut but why did I 1 do it I 1 might have known what jeff would do and I 1 sure maybe maybe maybe turley the tb right man they found the money in his cabin he was the right man larry nodded reassurance hes better dead dont waste any pity on him youre so sure about that arent you the girl cried in passionate protest only god can make a life but its all right to cut one off if you take a fancy to play at being his agent terry explained gently when a mad dog is loose it has to be shot to protect people calhoun is right ellen carey agreed you are arc not in the least to blame but you surely would have been if you had concealed any information you had about the identity of the killer lane brushed the doubts of his daughter aside as of no weight what happened to any number of better men Is of importance I 1 am thinking about the outcome of this raid I 1 dont see how a pitched battle can be avoided and it if so BO a great many will be killed that your view calhoun yes and Elli ellisonsr sons men will be defeated in the end this invasion has been botched from the beginning the texans wont escape without heavy loss unless they get out at once why did mr ellison start so crazy a thing ellen cried there any way to stop it cant you do something mr terry calhoun shook his head how cerl can 1 I since both sides distrust me and I 1 have influence with neither 1 I 1 have thought of one thing to ask the government to send troops front from fort garfield to stop the war I 1 have no influence at washington mr powers probably has if I 1 could get word to him larry and I 1 are going to town ill see horace garvey and try to get him to loin join me in a wire good ill come to town as soon as I 1 can get off that will be after the down stage passes said carey larry went with carey to saddle fresh horses from the box 55 cor corral rat terry started with them but was detained by ellens voice smaller in volume than usual just a minute please mr terry he waited his gaze on her 1 I w want a nt to fess ess up she said at last you must think im a dreadful little prig the way I 1 have treated you his voice sounded cold because he was keeping a tight rein on his emotions 1 I any complaint miss carey he began 1 I like you she admitted 1 I thought you were horrid and I 1 was wrong in all this dreadful business nobody has been as right ahyou the color in her eyes deepened as she looked at him her heart was fluttering against her ribs and she told herself not to be a tool fool it was splendid athla th vay you ran out ot of the cabin to get jeff I 1 know you dont like him but you you went just the same 1 I tike like him as well as he does doe 3 me calhoun said wryly the girl was in love with brand of course he had no doubt of th that atlie athe nodded goodbye good bye to her stiffly and walked away to loin juin her father and larry at the 7 0 BE cona |
