Show JAL AR E 0 L 1 JACKSON GREGORY GREGORY RELEASE CHAPTER the gun fell from waldron Wal drons fingers little ann lee standing so close to them both now caught it up ran for the other backed on off and stood in a corn corner er with both weapons in her hands the two men stood up all ali right waldron said 1 I know when im licked cody shook his head he was thinking of the old judge of old early bill even of tom gough shot like a dog he said quietly no waldron youre not licked yet stand up waldron stood up new mew rage reddened the pinpoints pin points of his eyes new strength flowed into him and perhaps new courage he charged like a bull bill cody struck the one blow then that was like a coup de grace it took ranee rance waldron on the point of the chin it seemed to lift him inches from the floor and this time when he fell whether taunted by words or threatened with further bodily punishment he was beyond rising ann lee thought him dead so did aunt jenifer so for that matter did doc boc joe in the kitchen oh cole cody your poor dear face gulped little ann lee bill cody caught her in his arms he forgot the of his battered jace face and crookedly leering eye he drew her tight and tighter and kissed her and it is of record that ann lee returned his kiss exactly the way it was received a fact to be sworn to if necessary by cal roundtree who just then bursting into the room stood a moment transfixed on the threshold cal virtually brushed ann lee aside grasping bill cole cody by an arm yanking him close then whispering into his ear 1 I bet ranee rance Wal drons here from the looks of you was what he said and cody no secrets from ann lee said cody pulling away sure hes here arid and so is old doc and both ann and aunt jenifer know that too doc joe and aunt jenifer hearing voices came into the kitchen keep all this dark from waldron until tomorrow said cal roundtree all I 1 ask fair enough cal nodded old doc joe only just what is it that wera were to keep dark but at that cal closed his mouth after the fashion of buttoning it then he shook his head finally he said tell you at sunup sun up just keep ranee rance waldron alive and handy night folks before sunup sun up all in the house breakfasted even to a savage sullen ranee rance waldron save doc joe alone who as yet wanted waldron to know nothing about his presence about his still being above ground cal roundtree came up from the bunkhouse he carried an open envelope in his hand he cleared his throat forgot all about saying good morning and announced a bit ot of news that came pretty close to knocking several people out of their chairs me said cal 1 I just got a letter last night its a letter from a guy by name of mr william cole known far and wide as early bill 11 the first to gasp out a word was ranee rance waldron hastily on his feet you fool early bills dead and buried are you crazy nope I 1 aint crazy yep the old devils dead and buried me I 1 saw him die and I 1 help helped ed bury him just the same he wrote me a letter and I 1 just got it last night he tossed the missive to the table here cody you read it he said read it right out loud cody caught it up whipped the letter out of its envelope and stared at it a long minute he stared from face to face then back at the letter heres what it says he said slowly and its in early bills handwriting and he read dear cal you old sinner me being dead and dug under ground my old bones sort of 0 feel cramped id sort of like if dig me up soon as you get this which im writing sitting on top a nice big pink and white cloud sort of learning to get the hang of a harp and I 1 want you to shift me over where I 1 told you now get a move on and me im having me my fun yet so long cal gracias amigo wm cole alias early bill ranee rance waldron pretended to laugh the thing of course was some sort of hoax no it aint said cal soberly this letter just come like I 1 say into bald eagle by stage last night it was sent in another envelope from a feller id heard old early bill talk about a time or two a feller that used to be friends with him I 1 reckon bill sent about way to get here when he want wanted ed it to pt he cleared his throat again and added As for him squatting on a cloud twanging a harp its a lie and id tell him so most likely hes hes shovel IA 41 lei CP af and bill cole cody very gently put his arm about little ann lee and led her away ing coal down hell wards but never mind I 1 got porfirio outside and gaucho and a couple shovels and we start doing what the old fool said do come ahead out under the three pines hushed and wondering and with a touch of awe at early bills favorite dawn hour men went to work with their shovels so exclusively were they occupied in what was going forward none particularly remembered ranee rance waldron who sneering after his fashion hands on his hips stood a few steps withdrawn none that is except old doc joe who had taken his chance to slip out of the house and follow on and who now peered from behind the farther of the three pines pm im going to the house murmured ann 1 I I 1 cant stand it cal roundtree down in the excavation looked up ana said sharply you stay right where you are and an instant later he exclaimed triumphantly here it is he reached down scratched in the loose soil with both hands and un a small sin all iron box he tossed it up to them to cody and ann both and said see this one opens with two keys just like the other you two better open it old early bill aint here at all me and gaucho moved him the night after he was planted here with trembling fingers they did get it open there were folded papers within the top one said briefly this is my ace in the hole me I 1 always figured to hold one in any game like this I 1 then there was a letter addressed to ann lee there was one for william cole cody there was a lone sealed seale d envelope and it was addressed to them together and next was a picture a fine likeness of an old lean devil may care man with a humorous gleam in his eye and it was inscribed to ann lee and cole cody from an old friend early bill and ann came close to shrieking out why I 1 knew himl him aunt jenny look dont you remember that old man who came to our house and he was broke and sick and sad looking and we took him in and and cole cody a queer catch in his voice was muttering so early bill huh the darned old rascal I 1 played poker with him he let me skin him out of his eye teeth he stuck around and let me stake him he even asked to borrow money from me if id have known who he was id have chased him off the ranch they read their letters hastily ann was crying softly and cody was making rough noises in his throat open the big envelope said cal bills ace in the hole again they found a brief note for them both ive had me my fun I 1 reckon I 1 thought as how knowing the two of you pups you might fight a while then fall in love and get married id like that fine but maybe things will go some other way and maybe that darned sneaky varmint name of rance hance waldron might throw a monkey wrench in the machine ive a hunch hes the bozo hired somebody to shoot me down him being too foxy and maybe scared and now heres my third will and by gravy my last and find it leaves everything ive got to you two kids fight or dont fight marry or dont marry and honest kids I 1 did have a good time and im still having it right now so long and there was the will and there was doc joe grab that waldron hombre he shouted hes going to hang and me im going to see that he does waldron whirled his face went as dead white as anns had been he could have had no thought for that first instant save that he was looking on a dead man one he himself had murdered then hs he was quick to know he had been tricked and he was quick to snatch out from his belt a gun that no one had seen that no one dreamed he had that no one ever knew where he had come by it he swung it murder in his eyes upon doc joe very neatly porfirio as watchful as a cat shot ranee rance waldron through the back of the head and bill cole cody very gently put his arm about little ann lee and led her away led her clinging to him back to the patio into which the early sun was just entering THE END |