Show MARKED MANN N by H C WIRE service on D appleton century inc THE STORY THUS FAR summoned to the C C ranch in central nevada desert wise walt gandy Is on his way to help his old range partner bill hollister riding through unfamiliar country walt Is stopped short by a girl who holds a rifle in fir firing g position she knows him tells mm him that athey they will meet again walt is allowed to ride on within a quarter of a mile from rom his destination walt is stopped again this time by a grotesque misshapen mis man who tells him the C C crew Is in emigrant the e closest 1 0 sest town for an inquest someone has bas b been e e n m murdered ur dered riding to the inquest in emigrant walt leaves his is horse at the livery stable before attending ing the inquest he asks a few questions cash cameron owner 0 of f t the he CC C C ranch Is in trouble A hard bu but t h honest c nest man cash has many enemies gandys candys eye is caught by a roan horse tied near the doorway it belongs to the girl who stopped him earlier in the day chino drake former cook at the C C ranch has been murdered and sheriff ed battle Is s trying to pin the blame on cash cameron camero n the girl is called to the stand she is helen cameron cashs cachs daughter CHAPTER IV continued 3 battle swung his heavy head hold on lie he thundered the law aint satisfied here you hold on a minute I 1 got one party I 1 want to question again paul you sit down miss helen id like for you to come back here on the stand the brown haired girl shifted the hat from her lap to the floor and then in ris rising ing turned her face out over the crowd her head moved slowly but her eyes darted in a glance they found the aisle seat walt gandy met them and at once for that instant across the fifteen feet or less that separated liim him from this girl he felt a pull toward her as strongly as if she had reached out her hand something of the telegraphic bond that years together had established between himself and bill hollister seemed instantly alive behind the eyes of helen cameron that darting look was an appeal gandy edged forward on his bench helen cameron reached the platform A cough shook her slim body and she pressed a handkerchief to her lips doubled a little and supported herself against the table as if dizzy in the thick stinging i air noticeably a change had come over the room hard faced as these emigrant ranchers were and bitter against the power of cash cameron they could not hold back the softening of their looks as they watched camerons daughter she did not draw their pity but she drew out of them the best of their respect they admired her she was one of their own and beyond that she was an unforgettably attractive girl standing there quietly now poised waiting for the law to begin facing the girl from his station farther along the table battle said athis this inquest meeting was called for one today seems funny that all the C C people got here on time and you show up for more than an hour and then alone mind explaining why and where you were the handkerchief came away from the girls lips distinctly she said 1 I was not feeling well I 1 stayed home until the last minute on the CC ranch battle persisted 1 I was home I 1 can prove that 10 she coughed her head turned with an effort walt gandy remained motionless as for the second time that pulling look of helen camerons dark eyes reached out to him she was asking him to stand by her perhaps he alone knew the truth of where she was today was she going to call on him to his leap was automatic it had started in the split second that he saw the handkerchief drop from her fingers helen was going limp falling she caught herself on the table momentarily and with the release of spring steel that had hurled him forward walt gandy was the first to grab her as she collapsed instantly other arms reached for her he saw the stern face of cash cameron and behind cash bill hol hoi lister it was hollister who shoved through savagely brushing aside all others as he swept the small limp body close to him he looked into walt gandys candys eyes flickered recognition yet gave no sign of that knowledge audibly and walt knew then that he and the CC C C foreman must not be connected here he started to back away one arm still touched the girl and it was then that he felt her fingers slip swiftly to his hand grip it press something wadded into his palm lie he closed upon it and continued to back away walt gandy worked his way from the filled aisle he stepped across unoccupied benches and had reached the jam at the entrance when behind him he heard the bull voice of sheriff battle close those voorst lock emill deml deputies struggled to obey but the double doors hinged to swing inward could not be readily closed a against the thrust of men angrily battles two guards nailed flailed into the pack pa in time enough of the curious curick crowd was beaten backward to allow the doors to be swung and locked walt gandy had taken a blow on the head one on the side of his neck another in the ribs but when the entrance to gospel hall had been blocked at last he was among the overflow shoved outside he put his hand into his blue jeans pocket and felt the wadded thing thin 9 without looking he knew it was helen camerons handkerchief dropped upon the table recovered in the wad was a lump and then walt gandy needed to feel no further to know that he was carrying away the in quests key piece of evidence a bullet from the body of a murdered man with a queer cold sensation the truth came to him short cu cutting ing across all other theories and clements of this day bill hollister they were in love and hollister had murdered a man walt gained the open street and looked around men had been shot sho t for knowing less than he knew this minute CHAPTER V W WALT ALT moved in a moment going back along the street until he found the emigrant post 0 office fil he went in and asked for a box forty cents said the clerk and gave him a number and a key leaning upon a desk that sloped from the end partition left arm holding his weight he addressed an X iel oo 00 1 1 1 I was home I 1 can prove that envelope to himself then bought stamps and mailed it when he turned from the mail slot a man was eyeing him from the post office door apparently the man had stopped short in passing and stood now but half turned balanced in a pivoting movement on cow country boots the ramrod form and hard black eyes were vaguely familiar walt gandy knew he had looked into that sharp and swarthy face before T it was a kind he ought to remember r lets have the makings brother the ramrod figure had come beside him their eyes met brush popper are you the dark one asked so so said gandy down my way we work cattle in cover that rattlesnakes crawl into and get bi broken 01 o 1 backs trying to crawl out of yeah I 1 guess im a brush popper poppe r I 1 all right he took a drag on his cigarette the other grinned faintly the unceasing study of his gaze shifted downward no gun belt nor holster sagged at walt candys right thigh but a worn and faded patch along the sea seam of his blue jeans was a plain mark to any interested observer A revolver carried on border duty had rubbed that spot some men might guess at another purpose abruptly this one said id like to talk to you sure said gandy fire away not here over there the black head nodded across the street walt tossed away his cigarette saying nothing they moved tog together eth across to the wide maw ma W of the livery barn they had reached long covered grain bins beside the runway he backed against one and propped himself half sitting the ramrod figure faced him ive been ordered to hire some help the man said openly what im in town for with every one drifting in to the hearing it looked like a good chance to take my pick you want work P cows gandy asked moving about two thousand head said the man walt glanced past him short time job huh cayll make up for it 1 I dont know I 1 I 1 said walt slowly shaking his head 1 I dont like this country so much was traveling for utah maybe to quit this cow business and do me some prospecting I 1 dont know he mused more money in that see here said the stranger short tempered you dont need to stall me up for higher pay be enough oh sure gandy agreed but I 1 dont know your country why dont you pick yourself some men that already have the lay of things here good men came the prompt answer are hard to find even these days you think it but they are lazily walt gandy leaned upon the grain bin indifferent how many men you for his brown eyes poked into various corners about the barn ten twelve we wont be shorthanded huh abruptly gandys candys noncommittal gaze returned from an inspection of the stables and narrowed into the black face before him ten twelve men to shift a herd of two thousand cows where I 1 come from wed do that with a couple of boys and a dog hands on the grain bin cover he pushed himself upright onto his feet the other man moved back a step no ones prodding you into the job he said guess you got what I 1 thought you had brother walt smiled dryly suppose he suggested we quit boosting each other and see in the po pot t ive got plenty of what you thought I 1 had and im looking for work but I 1 dont figure to make t this s my last job meaning that you are going to move two thousand head of cattle and what else boundary line 1 boundary lines already moved only we aim to keep it so all this is going to take place on public domain where we want to winter in a certain low sink good place to winter too walt nodded if someone else already located there who is again through a minute of silence he felt himself being measured apparently patently ly he qualified for what this stranger wanted and he did not know whether that fact was a compliment or discredit cash cameron the man answered but the CC C C is done for everyone knows that camerons tangled up with the law right now over a killing on his ranch what this inquest is about hes in a hole and before he gets himself out of it those money bags of his will be too flat to carry much stock on this range and then as a conclusive amendment if he gets out at all cameron caught that bad will be sunk sure as taxes what and the emigrant ranchmen ranchman ranch men know it theres going to be one smashing scramble for public range that the CC controls but the man im boss for is getting the jump satisfied now gandys candys brown gaze hardened friend he said that kind of rubs me the wrong way heaving rocks in on a man when hes at the bottom of a hole the focus of his eyes sharpened any chance that someone reached out and shoved him in 11 what do you care the easy voice turned suddenly surly how about the job walt measured the distance between himself hir and the ramrod body he looked into the black eyes 1 I handle it he said with a pitchfork and rubber gloves it took a second for that to penetrate why you skunk you draw me out then turn me down A hammerhead fist lashed upward walt gandy had measured the distance well HP he drew his chin back only a little the fist shaved past at waist level his own hooked in a short left jab and a longer drive with the right the T h e ramrod figure doubled walt slammed it upward again with an openhanded open handed shove in the face and then he cut loose savagely ely from sheer reaction after the in quests high pressure and from the treacherous talk he had listened to just now I 1 his hard body leaned in behind two punches that sent the other man teetering backward these first exchanges had come in a moments moment s rush the black one had had no time to gather himself but now even as gandy followed his advantage the man dug to a stop in the dirt floor of the runway stiffened and his frame see seemed all spring steel he launched from boot toes sunk into the ea rth his ar arm m had a yard long rea reach ch and came with the explosive dr drive ive of a piston gandy was rocked to ne spun half around and the next blow slid from his turning body footwork carried him aside gave a seconds recuperation experience told him not to take his eyes from the others quickly shifting fists but with hat knocked off the long sharp features of this mans face were fully exposed for the first time walt gandy looked and in a glimpse of twitching jaw muscles and of cold eyes he read more th than an a passing flare of anger this was going goin g to reach far he had no doubt doub t that he faced an opponent who would kill in the second that his eyes shifted from the fists to the mans face a treacherous move was begun A right jab to his heart was in the open he saw that it was only from his eye corners that he caught sight of a boot toe kicked out to trip him he half blocked the heart blow then all of his strength went into a sudden hooking of his leg around the others shin what happened next was short they tripped stumbled legs locked walt gandy felt an arm around him like a steel band the steel crushed inward wind went out of him it was no longer a fight but a savage brush for survival with abrupt relaxation of ev every ery muscle he let himself fall backward As the man came over off balance walt stiffened again and rolled in the air his one hundred and seventy pound weight was on top when they hit the earth breath gushed from the form beneath him he leaped up the other lay still his black hair stringing on the ground the blood was hot in gandys candys veins boiling he reached down and twisted hard fingers in the shirt collar dragged the man to the nearest grain bin raised the cover lifted him in both arms and rolled him onto a bed of oats the cover had a padlock walt snapped it then he turned the gaunt attendant stood gaping in the runway his bony jaw worked up and down wordless gandy leaned winded and dizzy against a post he said ill take my horse now when the attendant only stared he rocked along closer the matter hell kill you the old fellow gasped maybe walt said he took his chaps from the side bench and struggled into them fumbling the buckles the gaunt man stood rooted but that was pete kelso I 1 of the 77 straightening walt gandy felt in his pockets for money here he law A 5 A r 4 sheriff wants to see you he said tossed a silver dollar can you f forget or pete for a little while he likes it there in the box but that was kelso sure will you get my bronc CHAPTER VI TG THE I 1 1 I E inquest was over and walt gandy andy put his sunspot palomino into a thinning crowd a long along the street already knots of men had formed to rehash again this thing that had descended upon the emigrant bench and it seemed to wall as he passed among them that tha each group cepres represented anted an in dividu al war camp helen camerons roan horse w wa as not where walt had seen it at a post near gospel hall he passed the windowed store building now emp ty A man stepped suddenly from a street corner and stopped hirn him with an upraised left hand wa walt it gandy looked down from his saddle the man flipped back the lapel of his coat to let the silvered i surface of a deput ys badge glearn gleama gibara momentarily sheriff wants to to see you he hj said office is down there tn the I 1 deputy pointed into a cross street he followed afoot as gandy kurnec his palomino in that direction i TO BE CONTIN tIED marked man 3 I 1 |