Show W WILLIAM I 1 L L I 1 A M MACLEOD RA R A 1 I 1 N EIS E S 0 w ot aa ih ole xa 0 0 WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINS RAINIE SERVICE CHAPTER V continued all through the night rain poured down the campers rose in the in morning orning wet and sti stiff ff they warmed themselves at the fire dried off as best they could and saddled as a chill sun broke through the mist chiswick divided his men one half of them he sent with D dan an brand to comb the mat flat tops his son bob and stayed with him they dropped in on half a dozen mountain ranches on the far chance they might hear or see something of the missing stock the owners of these were away from home the others showed no pleasure at sight of L C men lee questioned them sharply the answers were either evasive or sulky they had no information to give him for all he knew his cattle might be hidden in some gulch or hollow less than a mile distant late in the day he joined brand and his men at an appointed spot the foreman had made a wide sweep of country without seeing any L C stuff wearily the riders returned to the ranch getting in late at night ruth knew from her fathers dejection that they had been unsuccessful cess ful she waited until after he had eaten to ask quest questions lions while he smoked his pipe he told her of the expedition this fellow gray was in it he said abruptly when he had apparently finished she was clearing away the dishes and turned slim figure aler alertly kiy poised to find out how he knew pat had checked up on his horse and knew the hoof prints chiswick explained they must have sent him here ahead of them to locate a good bunch to run off and I 1 believed his bis lies ruth k said bitterly dont blame yourself for that he might have fooled me too the fellow looks you right in the eye when he talks he look like a sneaking coyote well we live and learn leam girl frank Chis chiswick rick took a room at ma ala Pres nalls the only place at tail holt offering accommodations he could see that he was eyed with fth surprise by one or two men who knew him but he took no overt notice of that to curly he mentioned casually that he was waiting for an expected cattle buyer whom he was going to take back with him to the ranch ch this information he felt sure would reach sherm howard and his rustler friends once he caught sight of lou howard in the distance and at that young mans strutting arrogance felt his fists involuntarily clinch he had an urge to change the contour temporarily temora rily of the mans vapid good looking face but he was under orders to keep out of trouble at the end of the second day he went back to io his boardinghouse boarding house he washed up and went down for supper at the long table in the dining room ma Ala put him next a crook nosed stranger with reddish hair presently the man mentioned amiably that his name was gray tile the words were a little shock to frank his swift gaze swept the man down and up he noted a certain parit herish lightness of body a hard recklessness of face A chill ran through young chiswick his first impulse was to fling out a challenge but he remembered his fathers instructions he was not to get into trouble with their enemies stiffly he answered iron in his voice 1 I am frank chiswick two ivo or three of those at the table were watching them 1 I reckon you dont feel friendly mr air chiswick drawled gray would you expect me to feel friendly with a man who tried to murder my father and later helped to rustle rustic his cattle frank asked harshly youve certainly got me wrong sir gray replied with unhurried courtesy but I 1 dont expect I 1 can convince you of it not in a hundred years frank retorted hotly 1 I dont wish to talk with you sir or to know you when we meet short and sweet gray said with a smile his manner cheerfully indifferent its a blow but I 1 expect ill have to get along without knowing mr air frank chiswick 1 I 1 he turned and began to talk with the man on the other side of him As soon as supper was over frank went to the landlady and asked her to change his seat to the other end of the table the day after frank reached tall tail holt he saw morgan norris and mile high jog into town and tie at the hitch bar in front of the golden nugget young chiswick sauntered up the street and turned in at curt dubbs place he knew he would not be exactly welcome there but the objection to his patronage would probably be expressed only in pointed hints morris and mile high were at the bar slaking thirst after a short visit to a hidden cache A poker game was in progress but the wheel heel and the faro fare table were both deserted it was too early in the day for them inside of an hour they would be going full blast around a poker table sat six men curly and jeff gray were two of them to mile high his companion said out of the corner of his mouth tail holt sure is being honored these days mile high glanced at chiswick hastily to see if he had caught the slur batin you morg he said hastily no use raisin a rookus am I 1 raisin a rookus because im grateful the big moguls have st started arted dr appin in on us he asked offensively frank moved away he heard borns say without troubling to lower his voice 1 I was aimin to ask him how his old man is getting along putting down rustlers the tall cowpuncher laughed then tried to cover his mirth with a decorous cough chiswick flushed angrily the rage rag ge was vas still simmering in him when he passed the poker table and met the bland smile of gray he was not philosophical enough to ignore insults without letting them burn bum him up nor neat enough of tongue to answer them with a stinging retort that could not be construed as a challenge out of the back door frank passed se into a night roofed by a star peppered sky he cut across a vacant lot and walked up the narrow dusty road leading to a crooked canyon the black mouth of which opened in front of him in the shadow of a cottonwood lie he saw the figures of a man and a woman locked in embrace the murmur of the mans low voice reached him as he passed at the end of the road where it terminated in a narrow trail running up the canyon frank turned and retraced his steps the girl beneath the cottonwood ran into the adjoining house and the man came out to the road he was just behind chiswick whistling gaily goodby good by my lover goodby his brisk stride presently brought him abreast of frank 10 lo fellow how are cases he asked cheerfully his good spirits subsided abruptly lou howard did not feel like a conquering hero when he recognized in the man beside him frank chiswick so youre at it again frank sa said id grimly there was a false note of heartiness in the glib reply of howard 1 I been wanting to have a talk with you prank frank he said 1 I reckon you have done heard ruths side of the story you know her better than I 1 do how bossy she is when she gets a notion in her head and has to have her own way I 1 tried to talk her out of this eloping business and finally I 1 did it all right told her to go home and behave like a good little girl which of 01 course cou arse she is come down to brass tacks you liar frank said he had heard gossip since he came to town howard bristled looky here you cant talk th ataway to me I 1 wont stand it for a minute 1 I am talking that way im telling you that youre a liar and a yellow cur right now im going to whale the life out of you frank weighed twenty pounds less than the other man he was only nineteen years old and howard was twenty four in actual physical strength he was no match for the tail holt loafer but he had one great asset he yearned to get at this scamp who had according to his view insulted ruth and dragged her name into common talk whereas howard had gone panicky at the thought of a fight dont you monkey with me fellow 10 w blustered lou my friends frien ds will make you mighty sorry if you try to do me a meanness put up your dukes frank ordered the larger man backed away protesting that he did no not wan want to fight but youre going to all the same insisted chiswick and lie he drew his hand insultingly across the cheek of the other howard reached for a gun T the he fingers of Franks left hand closed on his wrist and twisted the arm with a yelp of pain howard dropped the revolver to the ground he broke free and tried to run within a dozen strides frank landed on his back and brought him down As he scrambled to his feet chiswick crowded him against an adobe wall and lashed out at his frightened face feebly howard put up his arms to defend himself he took for five minutes a hard drubbing then collapsed to the ground for gods sake dont 11 he whined ive had enough you youre I 1 re killing me ive heard beard about yore talk frank panted still hot with anger listen if you ever mention my sisters name again ill beat you till you cant stand he turned on his heel and walked down the road frank had no feeling of elation at what he had done but he could not blame himself to thrash a man who was too cowardly to fight was no pleasure yet he be had at least stopped howard from tal talking about ruth the fellow would keep I 1 his mouth shut after this it would be better to go back to the rooming house bouse chiswick decided to hang around main alain street now would be asking for trouble someone very likely would take on the quarrel for lou if so it would be with guns by morning a more reasonable point of view would obtain he turned into main street down the alley beside the golden nugget As he did so he caught sight of a man at the hitchrick hitch rack in front of the gambling house the man was jeff gray frank stopped in the shadow and watched him gray was examining the hoof ok of a horse he put down the foot of the animal glanced swiftly at the door of the golden nugget and moved to a second horse tied to the rack he stooped and picked up the left hind leg of the cow cowpony pony long and carefully he studied the hoof not forgetting to look occasionally casio caslo nally in the direction of the door clearly he did not want to be caught at this inspection he straightened dusted his bis hands and walked into the golden nugget on his way to the lodging house frank asked himself questions the horses at the hitchrick hitch rack had been tho the ones upon which morg norris and mile high had ridden into town a little while ago what was gray trying to find out why was he interested in these horses more than any others he seemed on friendly terms with the outlaws yet frank had sensed a latent hostility between the stranger and morgan norris oh well thieves fell out among themselves wes frank went to his room and forgot the incident very likely it had no importance five minutes later lou howard pushed open the door of the golden nugget and moved feet dragging to the bar gamme a drink a stiff one he ordered the bartender stared at his bis bruised and bleeding bacce holy mackerel you been tangling with a grizzly lou he asked he jumped me when I 1 looking howard said almost weeping with self pity who jumped you morgan norris wanted to know frank chiswick who A kid norris jeered no such thing an he lit on my back while I 1 was walking down the road then beat me up something awful you sure look like a tiger had clawed you curly said cheerfully frank certainly worked you over considerable he was immensely pleased at the retribution which had fallen on howard time someone cut the comb of those Chi norris growled ill go along with you any time you say to fix this fellows clock lou how much help do you reckon lou will need morg curly inquired with intent to insult young howard you th rowin in with the chis wicks vicks curly murmured norris norn s derisively would I 1 have to ask yore permission morg the black haired man demanded coolly or am I 1 free white and twenty one the eyes of morgan norris flickered over curly the killer I 1 leaned called negligently against the bar his body slumped his eyes sleepy but in him was the suggestion of violent eruption one sees in a crouched tiger 1 I like to know who my friends are curly he said softly dont get you morg when a kid whops chops a loose mouthed scalawag bigger and older than he is do we all have to get on the prod about it he whop me blustered howard you hear me say he jumped me when I 1 looking 1 I heard you curly said with a skeptical grin 1 I never saw the day I 1 comb that birds feathers for him the damaged man bragged he finished his drink and went away to repair his wounds jeff gray watching him caught the look that passed between young howard and morgan norris presently the latter left the bar a and sauntered back to the wash washroom room after lou gray also drifted in that direction he sat down at a table close to the washroom wall and began to deal out a hand of solitaire intently lie he listened to catch anything that might be said back of the thin wall to be continued |