Show ROBBERS ROOST by zane grey copyrighted feature 4 J THE STORY CHAPTERS I 1 AND II 11 while at green river utah jim wall a young cowpuncher from wyoming saves the life of hank hays a rustler by bluffing a gambler out of shooting him hays who is plotting to steal from his bis employer herrick asks jim to join him and with hays happy jack and lincoln jim starts for herricks ranch but soon regrets the step he has taken CHAPTER in the four arrive ri ve at the ranch herrick announces nou rices that his sister helen is coming hays and his hia lieutenants ride away to drive off the first bunch of cattle and leave jim to shoot it out if necessary with heeseman Hg eseman hays rival heeseman tells wall that hays once his partner double crossed him heeseman leaves CHAPTER IV continued herrick was evidently a free careless impressive man who had been fulfilling his desires his eccentricity was not apparent except in the fact of his presence there in wild utah he liked horses dogs guns the outdoors physical effort but he had no conception in this unsettled country countr Y when they arrived at the barn he asked jim to ride up to the house where they would look over some english guns the big living room had three windowed sides and was bizarre and strange to jim though attractive herrick had brought with him a quantity of rugs skins pictures and weapons the heavy english guns earned jims solemn shake of head no good at au all here mr herrick not even for grizzly get a forty four thank you I 1 shall do so im fond of the chase herrick had his desk near a window and upon it standing out in relief from books papers ornaments was a framed picture of a beautiful fair haired young woman the cast of her features resembled herricks that was a portrait of his sister jim carried a vision of helen herricks picture in his mind as he rode back down the bench and he cursed the predicament into which he had allowed himself to become inveigled ill have to stick it out he muttered that fair face and shining hair before his inward eye 1 I might have chucked this outfit ill have to hoof it up to see the boss tonight hays said after finishing the late supper tut put me wise to come off in my absence weve had no sign of smokes outfit so we dont know where his camp is 1 I do good place an out of sight night I 1 gave smoky orders to pack supplies back from grand junction every trip Il hank lank reckon youre fig gerin up a long hole up said happy jack with a grin have you run into heeseman went on hays ignoring jacks hint yes he called on us replied jim casually humph I 1 dont savvy that dodge its no good heeseman is the slickest slackest slick est customer in utah just bryin to scrape acquaintance eh 1 I think so it struck me that he might be wanting to throw his outfit with yours whet ahue I 1 had thet hunch it might wal bel be 1 replied hays meditatively tat ively herrick put heesemann Hee semans outfit to cutting and peeling logs he wants more horses and barns for them taets good keep that outfit from ridin down limestone way an the cowboys where have they been plenty of work around but little arding except after the hounds I 1 had a chase after jack rabbits with the bo boss ss 11 hounds an jacks what next however its not so bad an any Y thin for us but regular haw haw herrick took me up to see his guns went on jim easily with furtive furtis a eyes cy es on hays ha y s have you seen them yes funny lot of knickknacks knick knacks theres on one e thing im coln to own though jim laughed he did not need to ask any more suddenly then a gerish tri sensation shot through gh his vitals it was like an unexpected attack id like to own all that stuff he said carelessly three days of genuine labor around the ranch followed but on the fourth day herrick approached pro ached jim wall I 1 want you to go to grand junction tomorrow after my sister he said take the cowboy barnes with you his home is in grand junction Jun cion have him hitch the black team to the buckboard and start early boss I 1 reckon ill go along with wall hays said coolly hays I 1 did not ask your services returned herrick you are needed here his tone as much as his words settled the matter jim purposely delayed his hour of quitting in order to avoid hays after supper hays lighted his pipe then without facing Jim he said jim had bad the boss mentioned this here trip before no I 1 was as surprised as you wall wal suppose you make some excuse an let me go instead but herrick wont like that hays protested jim he turned down your proposal cold shore he did D n funny I 1 take thet too but if you or go id be next choice hays you surprise me here you are on the eve of a big deal the biggest of your life and you risk angering herrick at this stage hays puffed his pipe he was beaten wall wal he said finally 1 I reckon debbe youre right jim only it seem so no by sunrise next day jim wall was on his way to grand junction young barnes the cowboy had his hands full with the spirited team presently jims ever watchful eyes caught dust far ahead and dots of riders getting off the road into the cedar thickets they would be smokes outfit jim calculated cu and gave them credit for seeing the buckboard first they did not appear again and jim knew they were hiding on their way back to star ranch at four they drove into grand junction which was considerably sider ably larger and busier than green river barns here we are said jim this is a metropolis compared to green river fust ive been home fer ion long 9 rejoined barnes ill take care of the team at my paws barnes bames drove off down the road and jim leisurely entered the lodging house which it turned 0 out ut was run by a buxom woman who made herself agreeable she was loquacious and very shortly jim gained the surprising information that no cattle herds had passed through grand junction this week after supper jim turned in to be continued |