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Show I r WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE'S M w &m KWM fflvsfa 'K COPYRIGHT WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE WNU SERVICE - Curly lipped out nn angry oath. "It you hurt Miss Ruth " Smoothly Howard interrupted. "Let us hear the story, Curly. Mr. Gray sent for us to toll it, don't you reckon?" "Go ahead, Sorreltop." Norrls laughed derisively. "We'll believe every word you say." Gray told the story of his adventures adven-tures in the L C territory, with careful editorial elisions. They heard it to a finish. "That Chiswick girl is a tough proposition," Howard said, shaking his head gravely. "She'll come to a bad end, like enough." "Nothing of the kind," retorted Curly hotly. "She's a mighty nice little lady." "Some hot-tempered, but with the making of a fine woman in her," Gray concurred. "She's sure a wampas cat," Nor-ris Nor-ris cut in, his slurred voice a sneer. "Leave the girl out of this," Curly snapped. "Mr. Norris only meant she is a little lively," Gray explained. "I can tell him what I meant, fellow, without any help from you," Norrls blustered. "And I didn't bring her name into it She was in the fairy tale this bird has been giving us." Ignoring Norris, the crook-nosed man spoke to Howard. "I don't claim to be so law-abiding myself. Maybe I left some place in a hurry. Maybe I didn't Thought it wasn't good manners to ask a stranger about his past" "You can't catch a mule without an ear of corn, Mr. Gray," the big SYNOl'SIS Chlswiok of L C ranch, obsessed ir o( danger to her outspoken fa .Leo. from a band of lawless ms--Vieaded by Shenn Howard, decides Ve him by elopini! with youn-: Lou -d Shorm's son, and conies to the ISf Tall Holt to meet him. While In Tjanser's store, a crook-nosed stran-"Niiers, stran-"Niiers, si.'es up the situation, and ''. a drunken cowboy. Jim render, 'f' in nod starts sliootins. protects -while Lou Howard hides. Dis-:usi-'.ulh Lou's cowardice. Kuth calls oiT "-NOpeinent. and sends the stranger Vr father at the Kamblins house the street. There the stranser, ij?' himself JetT Gray, meets Mursan . a killer. Curly Connor. Kansas, Wiih, Sid Hunt, and other rustlers, hevm Howard. Lee Chiswick en-w.vith en-w.vith his foreman, Dan Brand, and -Xsherm Howard of his orders to -;, rustlers at sis;ht. JetT Gray res', re-s', to Ruth and coldly reassures her father's safety. At supper, Kuth uces JetT to her father and Brand, Sanger's store later she speaks -illy to Curly Connor. Coming out If- store, they are greeted by sudden -tay, Lee is wounded, and Jeff Gray rs with a smoking revolver. Two ' Plater, Ruth tells her father of her ted elopement and her disillusion l;" Later, Ruth meets JetT Gray, ---t she thinks tried to kill her father. Ci; he tries to hold her bridle. Ruth C,:ntally presses the trigger of her nlind wounds JetT. She takes him to Ktr-orlev's camp. Talking over the )tng with Sorley, Ruth is credulous ' "if's story of shooting at the assassin than at her father, and later CI;; with Lee to listen to him. When -rrives at Pat Sorley's camp, he o-jnly a note to Pat from Jeff. Mean 'j : Jeff rides Into Tail Holt and sends - 'to Sherm Howard he wants to see S'.i CHAPTER IV Continued , pulled on his boots and swiftly ined his revolver. That the 5" "on rested lightly in its holster ' - it there would be no hindrance liiuick draw he made sure. This vion in force might or might nean trouble. Curly had prob- tr'come with a chip on his shoul- :orris was a killer of the worst 'j On the other hand, Sherman rd had the reputation of doing lighting by proxy. He might brought Morg merely as a de- precaution. Jeff hoped, if 'il'iid not open up with a blast of T. to talk them out of any i-Lht of vengeance. It would not Tisy now, not with Curly all hot - -o him out -t. . i ciis throat there beat the pulse -.citement that always accom-lid accom-lid deadly danger. His fingers Mnock on the door sounded. s nervousness vanished in-.j-rTy. He said, "Come in," his J3ng voice cool as ice-water. li! -T CHAPTER V C'. jj,ir host maneuvered Norris to - i;king - chair, Howard to a ht-backed one. Curly he seat- - the foot of the bed. Gray rjj'in a shadowy corner farthest J,, the window. He was giving If the best chance possible. Of '-ree visitors, Norris was prob- "TT'the most dangerous gunman, rocking-chair is not the most f p.tageous spot for swift and ac- .;-'! shooting, j. - zUttle crowded in here, gents, ill - said lightly. "Hope you don't """"sitting on the bed, Mr. Con-Te-tI'm short of chairs." tii -its me," Curly answered, n ;;y nodded, turned his attention 4-;!' big man. "I hated to troupe trou-pe jou to come here, Mr. How-he How-he said apologetically, "but I i a busted leg that interferes -walking." "-'lidn't mind coming. I wasn't ' Howard's leaden opaque eyes lifted from the stranger. ist reached town and I thought Setter see you," Gray men- " nped in the chair, the gross t of the man overflowing, How- Aminded Gray of a prize hog. 'ard said nothing. He waited ., j.e situation to develop. The "'iad a capacity for effective si- .juring I might want to stay portant in Texas. Arizona sure ought to give him the glad hand." "The name is Gray in Arizona," corrected the crook-nosed man. "Worth two thousand on the hoof or as meat, I reckon down San-tone San-tone way," Norris continued. "The other guys who helped rob the train only rate at five hundred apiece. But Mr. Doke he's an honest-to-God Jesse James." Gray ignored the jeer. "Like to correct you on one point, Mr. Norris. Nor-ris. Two thousand on the hoof. Not a cent if shipped down in a coffin." He thought it just as well to stress this, to avoid being shot in the back. "That's right," Norris assented. "I didn't read it careful. Well, Mr. Doke Gray, I meanit's a pleasure to meet up with a famous man like you." "This Is private information," the fugitive said. "I don't expect the word passed around among yore friends. I'm lying low for a while, you understand." "It still isn't clear to me what you were doing In the Sweet Spring valley," Curly insisted. "Or why you wanted to kill Lee Chiswick." Gray smiled. "I was in the Sweet Spring valley because I had to get out of Tail Holt in a hurry on account ac-count of Curly Connor making a target out of me," he told the black-haired black-haired man cheerfully. "Me, I was going somewhere In a hurry, and I happened to land in the L C country. coun-try. About yore other question I never have wanted to kill Chiswick." Chis-wick." "You just shot at him for practice," prac-tice," Curly suggested. "I didn't shoot at him." Gray let his cold eyes rest on Norris. "I reckon that's not information to yore friends." "Meaning me?" asked Norris, his eyes slitted. "Meaning only that this has been talked over among you. Someone took a crack at Chiswick. Whoever It was, I could just see his figure In the alley, and I ripped loose at him." "Why?" asked Howard. "Had you any chips in the game?" "I've asked myself why often enough since," Gray replied, shaking shak-ing his head. "Damfino why. Nary chip, Mr. Howard. But I had just been eating supper with him as his guest and I reckon my notion must have been to see he got a fair break." "But that isn't yore notion any longer, Mr. Gray?" Howard queried lightly. "I'm not drawing a pay-check to be his bodyguard," Gray drawled. "Is it straight goods what he says, Sherm?" Curly demanded. "I reckon so. Curly. One of the boys got impatient and cut loose at Chiswick." "Who?" "I don't know who. I'm telling you only what I've heard." "All right," Norris said. "This busted leg of his. Do we have to take it on faith?" "It needs some attention," the wounded man replied. "Is there a doc in town?" "No doc, but Sherm here is almost al-most as good." "Fine. Would you mind looking at it, Mr. Howard?" Gray asked. Howard examined, washed, and dressed the wound. There could be no doubt it was authentic. After he had finished taking care of it, the fat man gave a decision. "No objection to your staying here, Mr. Gray. This community doesn't aim to be hard on a man in trouble. Of course, if Lee Chiswick finds out you are here, as he is liable lia-ble to do, it will be up to you to look out for yourself." Gray said he would try to do that. Tony Flores, one of the vaqueros, rode in to the big house with word that there had been another raid on L C stock. "How do you know?" Leu Chiswick Chis-wick demanded. "Ran across the tracks of a bunch being driven up Box canyon," the Mexican said. "New tracks?" "I'd say not more than a day old, senor." "Sure they were driven that they weren't strays?" asked Dan Brand. Tony explained that five or six shod horses had followed the cattle. "Too late to catch the thieves or pick up the stolen stock," Brand mourned. "Maybe not." Lee gave curt orders. or-ders. "Arm yourselves, boys. We'll take off after them. Ruth, help Frank rustle grub for us enough for two-three days. Bob, get Pat Sorley and Buck Conrad. Cut across and meet us at the mouth of Box canyon. Tell them to bring rules as well as six-guns. Be there inside of an hour." Ruth gathered all the food she had cooked, had Nelly grind two packages of coffee, chose a side of bacon, added flour and corn meal, as well as salt pepper, and sugar. The food she put in gunnysacks. Her brother roped a pack-horse and put on a crossbuck. With a lash rope he threw a diamond hitch expertly over the supplies. "Bring your slickers," the boss snapped. "No war-sacks. We're traveling light You won't be sititng on your spurs any this trip. Got to hot-foot it over a cold trail." At the entrance to Box canyon Lee found Sorley, Conrad, and his son-Bob waiting for them. Sorley was sniffing over the ground like a dog looking for a scent. The old man was an expert trailer. He had been a scout in the army during the Geronimo campaigns. The cattleman turned his horse over to Frank and strode forward to join Pat "What d'you find?" he asked. "About half a dozen of 'em with a bunch of young stuff traveling lickety-split" Sorley said. "They're in one hell of a hurry. Here's a big long-stepping horse with outsize shoes. This one has a broken hoof. You'll be pleased to know, Lee, that the lying scut who calls himself Jeff Gray is with them. Must have ridden rid-den right over from the line-camp." "Sure?" "Unless he has loaned his roan to someone else. I made it my business busi-ness to take particular notice of that animal while he was at the line-camp. line-camp. The blacksmith who shod that roan was either short of time or nails. There's a nail shy in the shoe on the left front hoof. Take a look at this track." Lee Chiswick studied the footmark. foot-mark. "Here it is again. Begorry, I'd swear to that on a stack of Bibles. Gray's roan made it." "Hmp! We've got him at last so he can't lie out of it. He's one of the Tail Holt rustling gang." Chis-wick's Chis-wick's salient jaw set. "I knew he was a bad hombre first minute I clapped eyes on him," Brand said. Lee drew Frank to one side. "Son, we're following a cold trail. Look at those clouds. It's going to rain tonight, and all tracks will be blotted blot-ted out. Might as well hunt a needle nee-dle in a haystack as these scoundrels. scoun-drels. I want you to go to Tail Holt and keep your eyes open. There will be a lot of whispered talk among the rustlers there, but you won't hear any of that. What I'd like to know is who is in town and who, isn't. Find out who has been away. Notice who drops in. If two Or three come together, check up on that I'm pretty sure Sherm Howard How-ard is back of these raids on our stock, though of course he doesn't do any night-riding himself." (TO BE CONTINUED) I Mm "No objections to you staying here, Mr. Gray." man said. "If I get you right you are asking our help. Before we give it we have a right to know all about you." "Fine, for you," the cornered man replied. "But how about me? How do I know some fox won't write a letter and have me dragged back to to some place I don't want to go?" Howard looked affronted. "If a man throws in with us, we don't betray him." "Is that a promise?" Gray asked, looking to the others for confirmation. confirma-tion. "Y'betcha, if we're satisfied with yore story," Curly said. "If," Norris accented, with an ugly ug-ly laugh. Reluctantly Gray drew from his pocket the .poster. Still slumped in his chair, the big-shouldered fat man read it carefully. "So you're Clint Doke," he said. Gray did not admit this in words. )D-n Tail-Holt awhile," Gray on easily. ii,Vi a free country." Howard's was suave. J" some folks," Norris added )N''in insolent laugh. y smiled. "My idea, too, Mr. ti- I want to find out if I'm I those folks." st time I saw you that roan - iggin' it outa town fast," Nor- Jnted. "You looked like you i .irry-up business anywhere but ' Mr. Gray, if that's what you oreself." iV'hanged my mind," Gray said, kjy?" Howard asked bluntly. jj- a busted leg. Shot up the iay." .Of.front of the Golden Nugget?" a . (' inquired, suspicion in his ray eyes. ri7er Out on the L C range." pel? ile you were gunning for onJ '.Curly charged. rce-1 " bf"it so?" Norris snarled. "Who jjef , How come you out there?" -elk fast, fellow," Curly ordered o -s Ruth Chiswick did it." Gray t look at Curly. His stone-, stone-, j.aze was on the killer Norris. 'eS., ! there on personal business t0" own." "Draw yore own conclusions, ne told Howard. "Lemme have a look at it," Curly said impatiently. He read aloud: "Height five foot ten, age twenty-nine, twenty-nine, weight about 158 pounds, crook nose, light red hair, gray eyes, scar on back' of left hand. Will probaBly fight desperately before being taken." tak-en." Curly lifted his eyes and grinned at Gray. "Certainly reads like it might be you, unless you've got a twin brother the spittin' image of you, even to the scar on yore hand." Norris reached for the poster. "The picture is sure ugly as galvanized galva-nized sin," he sneered. "But it looks a heap like this guy, I'll say that. I knew all the time he was from Texas." "Says you and these three other fellows are wanted for robbing the Texas and Southern Flyer," Curly mentioned. "Where are the other guys?" "On the dodge, down in the Texas brush country." "How come you not to stay there?" "The Rangers were after me special," spe-cial," Gray explained. "I figured I had better light out." Norris looked at the poster, his lip curled. "Mr. Doke is real im- |