| OCR Text |
Show A Qannesi Miction SeAial C H. C. Wr. WNU S.ryfc By HAROLD CHANNING WIRE SYNOPSIS Jim Cotter, forest ranger, had been mysteriously killed In the pursuit ot his duties. Gordon Breck, his best friend, takes over Cotter's job, hoping to avenge his murder. "Dad" Cook, forest superintendent, super-intendent, warns Breck that the Tillson brothers, mountain moonshiners, are apt to give him trouble. Before leaving for his mountain station, Breck buys an outfit out-fit and decides to attend the public dance run by the Tillsons in Lone Tree. At the dance Breck dances with Louise Temple, pretty "cowgirl" for whom he takes a liking. Unknown to Breck, she Is being courted by Art Tillson, youngest of the three Tillson brothers. Angered by Breck's attentions to the girl, he picks a fight which ends indecisively when someone some-one sets fire to the hall. Breck and his chief set out for the mountain station. Halfway, they are met by Sierra Slim, moss-back mountaineer who is also in the forest service. Around the campfire that night, Breck learns from Sierra that tracking down Jim Cotter's murderer must be done cautiously and by devious methods. Cook, Breck and Sierra continue con-tinue their ascent of the mountains. Stopping to rest, they sight the Tillsons, returning to their hideaway. Next day, Cook sends Breck and Sierra in one direction di-rection to repair the telephone Une, while he takes another. Over the campfire at night Sierra tells Breck more about Louise Temple. "That kid's a thoroughbred," thorough-bred," he says. He also believes that Art Tillson is not essentially "bad," but is the victim of circumstances. Returning Return-ing to Cook's camp, Breck is directed to go to Rock House Meadow, his permanent perma-nent base. On his way, he is the target of a pistol shot from an unseen assailant. assail-ant. The bullet misses, but his fright-ened fright-ened pack animals bolt and Breck goes in pursuit. Finding a deserted cabin, he takes shelter from the rain. A moment later two of the Tillson brothers arrive and Breck hides in the cabin loft. Then Art Tillson arrives. Breck hears the three Tillsons discuss a plot against his life. CHAPTER VlII Continued 6 Hep lunged. Art doubled his fists. Jud halted both with a look from narrowed eyes. "Art," he said, and the cold quality of his voice carried car-ried meaning far beyond his words, "you made a mistake. I told you to stop that fellow, and you knew what I meant." He paused, rigid, gave for a slow movement of jaw muscles. mus-cles. "Next time you do it!" Art turned impulsively. "Damn it, Jud, ain't I had enough of thisT What's it going to get me anyway?" "It has already got you a herd of a thousand cattle. I'm giving you that" "Yeah, with a fine lot of strings! I've got to keep 'em here on Sulphur Creek and work for you whenever you say. To hell with it!" '"Just the same," Jud urged, 'they're yours." Art rolled a cigarette, surveying Jud from over the edge as he licked it. "All right, if they're mine I can do what I please with them. So I'll just stop the bunch tomorrow and graze this season on Temple Meadow." Mead-ow." A sneer came across the stove from Hep. "Sweet! I reckon that would just suit Louy." "You leave Louy out of this. I know what you're thinkin'I" "And I know what you're doin'!" This time Jud made no move to interfere. Art's fist flashed over the fire. Hep slumped and when he rose Art followed, knocking him back into one corner. Breck found his own teeth clenched. He looked down upon Art Tillson with new understanding. In a moment Hep got up, wiping a bloody mouth and muttering under his breath. Art ignored him. "Now then," Jud said casually, "if you two fools have got it over with, we'll talk business. We might as well keep in here until daylight, then you'll go meet your herd at the summit. Art, and shove 'em down Sulphur. Hep and I'll go direct di-rect to camp and fix things there. As for that fellow next time I lay out a job, you work on it. No more mistakes!" Hep drew a box near the stove and sat down, closing his eyes. Jud remained standing, hunched over the fire. Art went outside. He was gone only a minute then reappeared in the door. "Jud, there's a couple of packs at the corral!" Instantly the stove was covered again. Hep sprang from his box. i Jud gave orders. "You two go to the fence. I'll stay off in the shadows." shad-ows." All three moved out and their footsteps foot-steps died away. Breck rose to his knees. Urgency of action drove the stiffness from him. Swift reasoning shot through his mind. He had to get out; those packs were his! If the Tillsons looked further they might find his horse. This loft was a poor place now. He was certain the men had gone some distance beyond the cabin, at least as far as the corral. Leaning from the loft's edge, he looked down Into a black, silent room. He swung over, clung to a beam, dropped noiselessly. Nothing showed beyond the door as he took a step, gun poised, every sense alert for sound or sight. He had reached the casement, case-ment, with one foot on the ground outside, when a gray shape sprang with white fangs opened at his throat As he met the body with his gun muzzle buried in the long fur, he remembered Tillson's wolf-like dog. His gun crashed and the open mouth closed weakly. Before he could move again a man's hulk blocked the way. Breck covered it keeping himself In the dark. "Stop there!" "No need for that, stranger," came Jud's voice. "You, Art and Hep," he called over his shoulder, "stow away your guns and come here." A movement sounded outside. "Keep your hands up!" Breck warned them. He watched the oblong ob-long of dim light that marked the doorway. Three forms appeared. He stood back against the end wall. "One of you uncover that stove." It was Jud who obeyed, and then spoke first. "Howdy, Ranger?" Breck nodded, surveying the man for any sign of what the next move might be. Yet if Jud suspected he had been in the cabin for some time, he hid it Art and Hep squatted on their heels and held empty hands to the fire. Breck felt the need of opening matters at once. "Too bad I killed your dog," he began, indicating the gray shape stretched on the floor. "He charged from around the corner as I came In." Jud kicked the carcass to one side. "Ain't going to be any trouble trou-ble about that. Suppose we talk things over while we're all waiting I ii I : : ... rain no longer beat upon the cabin. "I suppose you figure to head In with the cattle drive and take count at Rock House?" Jud observed. ob-served. "That's about it." "Then your quickest way would be south from here, meetin' the bunch at Long Canyon." No doubt there was a double purpose pur-pose In this directing, steering him out of Sulphur; but Breck knew he would have no Immediate trouble. Jud had given him a week. "Get out of here, boys," Jud ordered. or-dered. "We've got to be on the summit when they come over. So long, Ranger, see you at the count" He strode off without a look backward. back-ward. Art followed, arrogant disdain on his young face as he passed. Only Hep shot a sidelong glance; furtive, evil-eyed, his puffed mouth drawn down sneeringly. Breck watched him beyond the door, tense with a feeling that had grown strong and certain through the night Hep had killed Jim Cotterl He had no more proof than his own reading of treachery In the man, and the retort Art had hurled at him; yet he was convinced. His thoughts mulled on it as he returned to the stove, stripped off khaki shirt and breeches and hung them up to r. TTT ". ..iriWi j, .. I - I mil r I - I IIMtfMM Art followed, knocking him back Into one corner. for the storm to blow past. You're the new guard at Rock House, ain't you?" "Yes; and I'm willing to talk as far as the Forest Service is concerned." con-cerned." "That's what I mean. My way Is to come out .in the open with new rangers. Right now you strike me as being a fair-minded sort Understand?" Under-stand?" "Not yet" Breck answered, "but I'm a good listener." "Then here's what I'm getting at. Don't let yourself have any call to ride this Sulphur country. I want full use of it." Breck nodded. "I understand, Tillson. Am I to keep out just because be-cause you say so?" "I pay for what I get!" Jud paused. Breck felt the cold gray eyes measuring his price. "What does the government give you for riding this range?" Jud went on. "One hundred and five a month."' "Making four hundred and twenty for the season," the other added. "All right, in that same season I'll pay you two thousand to stay out." Breck lifted his head sharply. He had been prepared for a bribe of a few hundred. But this two thousand! thou-sand! It came to him that the Tillson Till-son business might concern more than he had been told. Or else this was a bluff. He saw a flicker of satisfaction cross Jud's face and knew that his surprise was being misinterpreted, so for a moment withheld his flat refusal. "We can all use money," Jud urged, "and that's a 'good little pile." "Fair," Breck answered. But I'm not ready to take it." Jud's eyes narrowed. "Good God man! What do you want? You don't need to take my promise. I'll have the money cash in full for you tomorrow to-morrow night. Is that better?" Breck had played the game, but now a sudden revolt checked him from any further show of dickering. "I can't take it" he said bluntly. "You needn't think it's a standing stand-ing offer!" Jud retorted. "Now or not at all." Breck met his eyes levelly across the fire. "Then it's not at all." "I don't believe you're that big a fool," said Jud. "And for once I'll go back on my own word. I'll give you a week to think about it" He turned away, drawing out his watch. "Hell, boys, it's three o'clock!" Breck could see that morning was not far off. The blast of wind and dry. Then came a clear realization. realiza-tion. He had entered into this forest job to fulfill a pledge. That was no longer the whole of it Tonight he had brought all things squarely upon himself. Firelight picked out the badge on his shirt and a warm pride possessed pos-sessed him as he stared at the lone pine tree, flanked by the letters: U. S. Since the war he had often recalled those letters. Something of the grim eagerness of first enlistment en-listment days returned to him now. CHAPTER DC With the break of dawn Breck caught his stock and rode into a deer trail beyond the meadow. The Tillsons had gone by the same route. Tracks of three horses showed in the wet ground. They led up a ridge, then climbed a backbone some distance before they descended descend-ed into the next canyon. Water was fresh in the first stream he crossed, but the second flowed warm and odorous. Here the trail marks changed. They thinned out only one animal having passed where there had been three. Art was the one who had continued. That was according to Jud's order last night Breck turned in his saddle. sad-dle. What had become of the other two? Ten o'clock brought him to the blazed Rock House trail, and a little before noon he topped a ridge that flanked Long Canyon. What he saw then gripped him with swift wonder. won-der. Thousands of cattle had come over the eastern summit and were pouring down the canyon in a red, bellowing stream. Cowhands, looking like black specks from this distance, darted along the line, pushing back bunches that broke from the main flow. Dogs raced in with them. The animals moved on endlessly, slowly 'heading down until Long Canyon could spew them Into the bowl of Rock House Meadow. There they would be held over night In the morning Breck' job of allotment would begin. He could see no real chance for trouble. A book in his pocket told the exact number of cattle on each man's permit Cook's instructions had been: "Allow twenty over your count you might make that much of a mistake but no more." To which he had added a word of warning: "Go out on patrol the night the drive reaches Rock House. Someone usually tries to push a few bunches ahead of the release day." When all the animals had come over the summit the stream was a mile long and a quarter wide, entirely en-tirely filling the grass bottom of Long Canyon. Breck rode down to fall in behind the drive, coming into the roar and bellow, above which the cowboys' "Hoosh! HooshI" burst constantly. Some of the hands were Piute Indians In-dians from the desert, short dark fellows on paint horses. They nodded nod-ded to Breck's greeting. Cattlemen shouted "Howdy!" as they flashed by in their ceaseless charging against rear animals. It was in one of these rushes that he saw Art Tillson astride a chestnut chest-nut horse. Then came a roll of dust and he could see no more than the rise and fall of red backs, white horns, lashing tails. Behind him his packs snorted out the thick air. He followed the example of other men and hung a bandana over his nose. The drive flowed on. At times the punchers dropped out to talk and drink at the creek; then dogs alone kept the line moving. Some of the cowhands came around Breck, sizing siz-ing him up, but for the most part they were aloof and he knew that any friendship must start from himself. him-self. One in particular swung often within a certain distance, remained there for a moment then darted off, riding a tall blue horse with more than the usual cowboy's abandon. Finally this figure approached closer clos-er in the dust and he realized it was not a man. He turned his mount that way. Louise Temple lowered the handkerchief handker-chief from her face. "Hello there. Ranger!" "We meet again," Breck laughed. He held out his hand to her. She grasped it across the space between their saddles. "You're surprised?" sur-prised?" she asked, adding, "So am I. You didn't tell me you belonged up here." They rode together for a time, and he made conversation in order to keep her near. He wanted to watch her. She was prettier than he had thought at the dance that night; at least more picturesque. She wore a roll-brim Stetson of deep brown. It went well with her tanned skin and dark eyes. A man's shirt of white silk lay open against her firm slender throat and was drawn down tightly over her breast to be tucked into blue denim jeans. Her cowboy boots were black with short spurs jingling at the heels. (TO BE CONTINUED) |
