Show RED R A I 1 by ay EUGENE cunningmam cunningham Ws J I 1 THE STORY 80 00 FARs FAB I 1 alter after till his way tram from chicago con COB camer on sol tile to BIT bic riders and ana goes oi with the them m ta to wild mid horse hon thir there he h art and an a other 18 r to 20 bar rider Caramb aVest en counter AIR age brock 1 a cattle buyer who with the marshal dynamite downs runs nu the he town brook li if WE to per eer fund nevil lowe a cattle macnew to the tk town own to men lell to him lowe low fetuses ahei ai ei MS and uter later that hit night con can WM saves ui his are IU ta in ft a sva gun igat with brock dynamite and a deputy marshal called el hu alter after that wild iiorio Is I 1 no looser longer sal to lor for him so 10 hi he bit hiu the trull trall agala fain at FroB irron terai teras town notorious for or it COD attracts attract ur the attention ot a rancher named LM lee welsh by y gettin the ti best beg ot of quirk quick gulf euli a Fron fronteras toras tam man welsh loyan liaa outsider on too and immediately invites con COB to join oln him and his companions companion ur the reuters but when con COB learns they are near dear UTU where nevil lowet lowes ranch li Is located cate dIbe ho le clde to head for or divan now hi he and walsh and the raffers are rid ing IB toward than now cont continue lous with till the story CHAPTER TV IV the th real canlers I 1 to and welsh kept together that mo morning aning con was content to let them argue the discus sion ion of his bis three companions companion be bame am a do downright r ight quarrel con watched the them m curiously and decided that as ai soon loon a ai they reached ilvan hi be would ride alone at noon in a little crossroads tienda alenda kept by a squat quat mexican they ate and drank the storekeepers hot whisky neither of the went beyond a second cupful con stopped willingly after his hi first but lee welsh continued to drink while con and a young vaquero who spoke english after a fashion explored the spanish tongue go among our people and forget your english for a month he complimented ted con and you will have more mor e of the spanish than many of our gente use easily you ride to civan but your compa companero neros i seem of two tivo minds about that as abo about ut othor other things all ali right then I 1 lee welsh said angrily dont go me and the klell make a pair the vaquero looked suddenly at con and his bis manner changed stiffened a little what a bus cadero con asked in a low voice the word Is spanish after a fashion I 1 but the thing why that may be spanish or anglo in the territory and mexico and som some a 0 other ther places it means one who Is hunted bunted and oni one is not bot hunted bunted except for reon reason now I 1 ridel he whirled and went out cut fast noody nobody b spoke tor for a while then welsh turned to con let bets gol go he said they went out to where the horses dozed for a time during the afternoon welsh amused himself by singing B u t toward sun sundown d own his mood ach Kc banged to grimness and when they sprawled around their fire in the darkness he be faced the cousins but talked at odd well split in the morning he be said aid harshly you can head for hell bell if you want to be the devils hard luck but me and con can make a team count me out con stopped him it I 1 had known that you all are busca deros I 1 have sided you no hard feelings I 1 im just saying baying that WE its not common sense tor for a plain cowboy to hang bang around long riders so we will split I 1 tomorrow morning ill ride by myself nel ne mind that for right now lee welsh thrust in what 1 I want out of you two is ii enough to make up my even split spilt and my third of Co Cona anches manches cut him leaving no DO heirs like the lawyers say I 1 reckon us ui three fit the hole and it was me that put him on his horse after that posse shot him and held him on it it too till he be cashed his chips maybe that makes me entitled to all his bis cut but I 1 aint hoggish ill take a third s take just what you got chick ranier snarled cona con a little to the side of them lad jad moved his bis hand with snail gnau slow ness on his bis lap until it curled around the butt of his bis colt chick end and odd were eyeing welsh with e steadiness then odds hand seemed to explode in flame twice with the heavy roar of the palmed dl derringer hr ringer welsh sagged rather than fell foll forward and sideways As it if jerked by a spring automatically mati cally con had snapped out his bis pistol and steadied it upon his bis knee leveled lei tied toward the two chick was abat to draw a colt when cons thin harsh snarl checked him both eboth of youl re reach ch up and take your ears this is a little strange to me im likely to shoot ragged U you dinst instead ad of crippling you pl cupi this Is cocked abey ey regarded him uncertainly it t when he moved the pistol slight they raised their hands smoothly you think tor for a minute youre eting stick knowing all you found t about us chick snarled con me quickly smoothly to i his et stand apt but keep that da dally lly 1 your ears cars their faces were like devils asks in the firelight he was tr angely calm now now buthe but he did ot lot make the mistake of careless less of odal put down one hand and your belt let it drop lck you just imitate a status OW aw 11 two days later he was on the down slope of the drave valley pronto it would be a good job tor for the country it if I 1 got jarred into killing both of youl you better think of that stiffly odd un buckled his hl belt with one hand it thudded with his hi pistol into the dirt then chick was disarmed con went over them both carefully took a second derringer from odd and stood back now he be said we can get along without having to kill you chick bring pancho in a little closer and saddle him for MO me like a nice fellow con with the heap of weapons at his feet watched both chick and his cousin not so tight with that back cincel con ordered chick he wont buck but hes not fond of it now he got into the saddle without losing the drop and sat for an instant looking at the pair he touched poncho with the rowel and rocketed into the darkness out of sight kneed the sorrel to the side and kept at the pounding gallop tor for a quarter mile then he slowed to a trot and went on for what he ha guessed to be three miles or more across arroyo gashed country be tore fore camping he slept lightly nervously that night he was out of his bl blanket before daylight stiff and uncomfortable of mind but after the sun rose he felt better two day slater later he was on the down slope of the bravo valley at midday con ate at a farm trying his spanish upon an ancient woman and a girl of fifteen or so learning more words gathering news the girl managed with her small stock of english and cons increasing spanish to tell him the surprising news of milam F ants arrest by vigilantes for murder and cattle thefts he asked who had been appointed sheriff to succeed milam fant A very good danl the girl told him neall lowe of the NL a ranchero who raises horses north of civan 11 when he left the pretty and friendly mexican girl a dollar richer tor for his meal he looked tor for a good p pool 00 I 1 in the little creek that flowed civan ward when he be found the place to suit him he splashed clean shaved changed into the town clothes he be had worn so briefly in wild horse and beat the dust of miles from mi his black hat pistol and belt went into an alforja a saddle pocket then he be rode on he swung off pancho before a sa aloon in he went into a crowded room and to the bar most of the drinkers stared calculatingly at him but the bartender served him w without saying anything while he be fingered his bis glass a pale slender young man with nervous hands and restless dark eyes stood talking in a hurried undertone to a grizzled cow boyish figure they atoo stood d two yards down the bar from con with a vacant space e between like I 1 been telling you H hearn earn we its nothing to me no affair of mine matter of actual tact fact its no business of nevus nevils neither I 1 dont see why youre talking to me you save that wind tor for robards bobards its itin his grief because I 1 want the whole bunch of you to agree not run to robards making him go counter to his own opinion you and lowe and smith can persuade him the other shrugged heavy shoulders and straightened he turned and con saw the badge on his but conless vest ile he was a deputy sheriff his badge showed and he be came toward con without taking his eyes from him while con swallowed his drink and put the glass back upon the bar then someone at the door called baina and the deputy looked that way frowned slightly and went past con trailed him out so did the pale man A few sieps steps from the door bain stood with a small elderly man in dark citizens suit and derby hat ahead of con the pale young man went to join the pair they faced him hearn the derbies man said slowly 1 I dont want to accuse you of anything without being certain but the way youre going about this business of cants leaves you open you ought to see that it ca can be taken as an attempt at bri bribery beryl nothing ol of the fortl the tha pale hearn cried im simply trying to make bond for fant and slade ten thousand theres no reason why men of cants position should stay chained like wild animals at the whim ot of local authorities at the mercy of you calling me riffraff the tha deputy sheriff demanded of course not baiel hearn cried instantly 1 I mean this so called vigilance committee not mot one of them has the nerve to meet fant tace face to tace face but under cover oft of darkness enough of them might get together to there was more argument before the three went together down the line of divans buildings presently con met a florid fattish young man in all the glories of derby hat pomaded hair cheap perfume a reddish brown suit with wide yellow stripes the young me man n seemed to like the attention co con n gave him he paused straightened a lapel took the cigar from his mouth and nodded stranger in town he inquired 1 I can usually spot a newcomer know everybody around never for torget a face my business makes it important to remember faces and judge em im cashier of the bank yonder out of a store behind the cashier two girls came bearing packages one was yellow haired pretty the other was janet lowe the cashier turned with sound of their voices he called both by name the yellow haired girl it seemed was marian they called him cicero and looked curiously at con then returned to their talking con turned his head slightly to look past the girls at the red faced bain who was coming toward them bain passed janet and marian with vaguest grunt and came on to stop before con cicero began to talk but the deputy stopped him with impatient jerk of the chin without looking at him con grinned faintly so youre packing a hideout in town huh bain grunted hideout con returned shaking his head uh uhl not mot even a water pistol mr bain my on my horse yonder yen yeh I 1 know about that one in the alforja bain said calmly come along salado wants the bunch of you for that slinking bunch of killings there and the robbery listen I 1 con began anxiously 1 I want to talk to sheriff lowe iv ive been looking for him I 1 met th the bunch at fronteras they were strangers to me left handed banded for his right hand was hooked in the belt conveniently near his bis colt bain caught cons coni right arm and jerked con twisted free and stepped backward keep your hands bands ofaf you dont have to drag me anywhere I 1 told you I 1 want to se see lowe eLowe I 1 can t tell ell him some interesting thin things gs and when I 1 finish talking I 1 think heu hell tell you that im no bus cadero bain shot out his big left hand again and clamped it upon cons coni arm when con jerked angrily the deputy ignored the pistol at his hi side and whipped up his gunhard to sla lap p con savagely across the face shut cupl he snarled 1 I hate a mouthy kid and one that hangs out with a bunch of killers like that 21 con forgot his good intentions under ander that smashing open band hand blow even forgot the pistol that bain wore he struck three times so fast that bain could no not t guard against the blows with the edge of hard hand band upon bains left and right arms arm s then with smashing fist to the deput ys belly the slow un deputy tor for all his forty odd pounds advantage in weight had no chance against the cat quick attack his knees buckled he crashed forward under alternating hooks that thudded against his big chin lay still something was like a shadow above cons head he slid sideways and felt the very wind of nevil lowes blow with pistol barrel without thought he pivoted bark back and smashed a terrific swing into the taller mans face lowe dropped as if poll axed con stared almost dazedly then before he could straighten something seemed to explode in his skull he heard a dull roar saw streaks of flame then blackness took him TO BE CONTINUED |