Show ar r U RANCH 0 by FRANK I BL SP SPEARMAN earmark copyright frank 3 spearman service CHAPTER IX VC continued par Pr daloe dajoe rose some experience in frontier courts of this kind had I 1 walin convinced ced him that it was time for a or an ex sheriff to be amov ing ar on run along bill added well see you later maybe with the ex sheriff gone called for opinion as to what if av ny action should be taken if adyr any exclaimed mcalpin echoing dlo irig the words scornfully marl man lofe you know it aint a question of a what kind of action got a rope here mcalpin got em big and little old and nw dont misunderstand me boys interposed bawdy 1 I 1 want to gring airing hini him up and down a few times to get the story out of him A little tl argument like bring it boys said mcalpin ive an idea you can catch right here in town if he set the fire hes got money aplenty its barnin boles in his pockets catch your cat in the red front saloon call him bin out the back door set him on I a horse hom arid and ride him down to the bridge gentlemanly and private its the first time in your life but I 1 guess you are right mcalpin said weve just got to set the rope watch on barney ten minutes later found the worthies concealed e except mcalpin detained at the barn bam lined up at jack spotts bar have you seen barney this evenin asked lefever casually spotts face darkened he too hated barney 1 I aint seen him and don dont t ask bothin like that to make me swear boys he added addressing the group you know panama spent a whole year bryin to break me of my bad habit of shearin sw Ew earin now when its too late for him to know im goin to quit shearin sw earin I 1 give public notice here and now it if any damned man gets me so angry ive got to swear im not goin to cuss him out like I 1 used to no im just goin to lick hell out of him then and there so you fellows can tell the boys what to expect at that moment the back screen door banged on its hinges and mcalpin sharp faced keen eyed and out of breath rushed into the room with much celerity and many pantomimic gestures the scotsman Scot sma drew bawdy far into an empty corner of the saloon up scotty hes in there whispered mcalpin hes in there right now who barney 11 where VI in bolands saloon I 1 seen been the sorrel at the hitch rack in front when I 1 come along up the street to join you here so I 1 went in hurry hes there bawdy pulled a moment at his bis mustache no hurry he said reflectively its early yet for him if lies hes our man hes got a pocketful of money to blow he thought a minute further look here scotch tell our boys over there at the bar to string out quiet and meet back of the barn watch your chance sneak around to the hitch rack and get the sorrel down to the barn on an old feed bill claim ill tackle barney in the saloon and see what chance there is to gettin him down the a rope ready 1 I have vamos mcalpin joined the men at the bar bawdy slipped out the back door and half a block down the alley walked out into river street and down to the red front saloon but from the moment the big adventurer stepped out of the back door of one saloon and in at the front door of the other a curious change took place he had bad left spotts place sober was in fact a very moderate man he strode into red front reeling the bar was well filled saw at a glance that among the men lined up there were a number of town loafers who never drank except at expense when bawdy caught sight of red stock with the loafers around him inference was swift and correct barney had money the saloonkeeper harry boland foxy eyed and alert at the head of the bar saw bawdy stagger in through the green bai baize he watched the big fellow closely bawdy zigzagged zag 9 ed back towards the loafers among whom barney was holding forth he greeted barney gravely then ordered drinks for everybody in barney Reb stocks honor having lingered over the round bawdy cast his eye approvingly upon the thirsty crowd passed the forefinger of his right hand thoughtfully under each wing of his mustache in turn drew from a vest pocket a gold double eagle and made a general proposal ill match any man here for twenty dollar gold pieces it was a fairly safe offer because he be well knew all the loafers put together could not raise twenty dollars barney after some shilly shally ing accepted the challenge he asked boland to lend him a gold piece when boland produced a twenty dollar coin and tossed it out to barney it did not take bawdy ing long to figure out that barney had money and that it was in the keeping in of the saloonkeeper notoriously lucky at matching lost out after several trials he quit forty dollars to the bad but he had barney greatly inflated by his hia triumph with the whole room crowding eagerly around the contestants te after a round of drinks at bar charge brought the talk around to a fine looking sorrel outside at the hitch rack barney claimed it wanted to buy it barney demurred boland heard the talk he drew barney barmey to the rear end of the bar sell it to him you fool whispered boland dont you see hes drunk as a fiddler you can get t twice rice ivl what at the horse is worth thus encouraged barney out of doors door stepped s with bawdy followed by a little circle of the curious curio US the horse was gone this thia fact caused no great excitement bawdy suggested he had got loose and strayed up or down the street and that they take a look around to find him the curiosity of the crowd weakened and they reentered entered re the saloon hoping for another chance to get a drink bawdy and barney walked down the street together wrangling as they went over the mischance and the merits of the missing horse As the pair passed mcalpine McAlpi ns barn it occurred to they had better look in and ask for information CHAPTER R X A hanging lantern lighted the bar gangway dimly call for a hostler was answered banic by mcalpin himself who lantern J n hand ambled in his peculiar gall gait briskly forward hello mae mac exclaimed bawdy waving like a tall tree in a number four breeze were looking for barneys barneis Bar horse he continued gruffly got loose up the street just now seen anything any thin of a stray mcalpin raising his lantern looked at why yes I 1 seen a stray he admitted sulkily was it a sorrel asked with some hope it was a sorrel bawdy saddled and bridled what about it its probably abl barneis barneys Bar horse lets see it where is it mcalpin jerked his hia head back over his shoulder in the box stall your four horse barney sure its my horse right this way barney returned mcalpin Me Alpin put out your cigars boys and come along with me he added lantern in hand he scuttled down the gangway and bawdy after af ter him stopped at the stall box hung his lantern on a high gangway hook unlatch ed the stall door and pointed within iri thin theres your horse barney maybe I 1 better give him a bit of oats before you go no water then and bawdy had stepped irto into the stall with mcalpin the liveryman led the horse out started to follow bawdy laid a hand on his shoulder just a minute I 1 want to talk to you barney well join you in a minute mac mats up asked eyeing bawdy closely and always suspicious bawdy was standing backed against one side of the box stall barney he said in confidential fashion id like to have just a little horse to horse talk with you what ayou mean horse horbe to horse talk snapped barney just this do you feel just exactly right leavin your money with harry boland what mat do you mean do you feel safe I 1 ask you as man to man barney and an old friend do you feel safe leaving a roll with boland barney fumbled mentally why IVI I 1 he countered bluntly id hate to see you after this trouble youve had lose your money with harry boland persisted the cowman ill tell you honest and you can tell the critter himself if you like I 1 never leave five hundred of my iny money with harry boland never ever had aitto it to leave eave did you well no boolin barney I 1 do it so what I 1 say as man to man keep your money in the hank bank not in a dive have you got a receipt for your money no how much money are you leavin with him none of your damned business how much im headin up the street get out of the way dont get sore barney im jeanin the best for you just wait a minute an ill walk up the street with you gettin kind of thirsty myself did you hear barney about bill Deni sons place gettin burned down 1 I heard about a fire out that way what about it demanded why bothin bothin at all but barney this is why I 1 wanted to talk to you theres folks here in town well as I 1 do are mean enough to say you know a lot more about that fire than you want to tell I 1 claim wrong I 1 tell em cm tell em cm to go to hell suppose they wont do it barney asked calmly shuffled angrily look here you cant bunk me any more if they dont want to go to hell you go for lem cm with this suggestion started again for the stall door sandys hand came down a bit heavier on barneys barneis Bar shoulder the slippery fellow tried to jerk away when fingers sank deep into the coat and shirt of his victim barney I 1 want to be friends with you the facts about that fire with a volley of oaths tore loose from grasp backed hurriedly away and tried to spring over the side wall bawdy was too quick he jumped to him caught him by the arm and slammed him halfway across the stall barney landed on his hands and knees sprang to his feet and faced his old time acquaintance with wicked eyes in the dim light of the lantern high in the gangway bawdy caught the flash of the blade of a knife to be continued |