Show 0 14 U I 1 BEGINNING THE STORY drawn by the desert signal of 0 distress wilson mccann young arizona ranchman ran climan finds an old friend jim yerby with a broken leg lee julia stark daughter ot of matthew stark inveterate enemy of 0 the mccanns Is rendering first aid taking a message from julia to her father wilson Is fired on but la Is unhurt pursuing his assailant to the stark ranch mccann finds he Is jasper julias brother stark sr expresses disbelief of wilsons Wll Wil sons account of the shooting on the way from place to her home with mccann julia learns his identity and dismisses him in n anger the old feud rankling wilson calls on ann gifford sheep rancher and on that account unpopular with the cattlemen 0 o tell her of accident night riders burn a cabin and shoot a mccann ranch hand peter lie cann wilsons Wll Wil sons father offers a reward tor for the disclosure of their identity CHAPTER III HI continued 0 4 the older of the stark brothers was large and muscular bu but t he carried himself slouch lly ills physical strength was not dot convincing because it had back or of it no mental or moral force the younger man was of a different type phil hit was only eniy eighteen but lie he had been brought up in the school of the frontier which had no vacations stone judged that he would go through when the call came the gilt edge was the usual resort of the stark faction as the legal tender was of the other side hans now gave information to jasper as he be set out glasses and bottles the mccanns wass in town today already yet basped stopped glass poised how many of em four old peter tapscott andt two of the boys empl what they doln here naas hans shrugged ills his shoulders and lifted the palms of his hands bands he had bad told all he knew got out eh known we were headin this way jasper boasted stone laughed softly ironically where do you get that line of talk jas jag ever hear of old pete mccann givin the middle of the road to anybody lies hes there both ways from the ace if you ask me well show him how much hes there before were through yes drawled the texan lazily and insolently ill tell him so right oft off the reel hina him or any of his outfit soon as I 1 meet up with lem em the young man bragged ue ile was irritated at stone was the gunman on the stark side of the feud fend ile he was taking old matts halts money well then why did he talk like that better tell em kinda low sos they dont hear bear jos jas A few of em are curly wolves leastwise got that rep you scared of em dave jasper was alarmed at his bis own question ills his eyes fell before the chill steady regard of the little man after a moment the texan spoke uis ills words lessened the tension 1 I reckon my six gun will have totals for me when the time comes jas jag after some time of rapid refreshment at the bar the circle cross riders moved out again to the main street of the little town stone had already departed temporarily to 9 buy UY a shirt gitner and phil stark had business at the blacksmith shop jasper strolled across to bas fords for the mall mail inside he be caught a glimpse of the little texan at the dry goods counter public opinion represented by quinn guinn shell and others I 1 still sat on the porch and awaited d developments it watched jasper stack now to see what lie he would do about the placard on the wall it bad watched stone too the texan had read it with an expressionless face and offered no comment jasper swelled evidently steaming up to blow off ne ile could not resist taking the center of the stage in the safe middle states lie he might have been a ward boss unfortunately for him leadership in trie the south west demanded first of all game gaine ness ue he was always trying to fill a place he be had not the stark cour age to hold gimpl wants information does doe he an hell pay a thousand dollars lie alm aim to do with his information when he gets it jaspers voice was heavy his manner abusive as he be turned to quinn the cattlemen cattleman did not look at him ills expressionless eyes were on a cloud ot of dust far down the road ribbon A rider was can dering toward mesa why he tell me jas jag yore guess Is as good as mine glnn quinn announced evenly jasper was wilding up as simp shell expressed it later lie ile was tull full of bad whisky and a sense of his own importance me ile strutted moving up and down the porch as he boasted dont amount to a hill bill of beans this dont the drink excited man snapped his fingers contemptuously at the poster say he knew what then what then ills back was toward the man coming down the road it if he had been observant he might have seen tin an odd change in the gray eyes of 0 quinn a nicker flicker of subdued and wary excitement ill show peter mccann where lie he gets I 1 ets off stark went on vanity over overriding riding caution ill sure learn that hombre to run on the rope he took two swift strides forward and with one sweeping gesture ripped ali the reward placard from the wall tearing the paper into fragments lie he flung them down and ground them under his heel at the same instant a rider pulled up in front of the store and swung from the saddle stark turned tiie me anger he had worked up burning in him on the lower step a man was standing his quirt dangling by the loop from his wrist under his ribs the heart of jasper stark died him for the man looking at him was waa wilson mccann lie he had a feeling as though the tha ground were falling failing from his feet a shocked certainty that he had been delivered into the hand of his enemy his arm made a motion toward the revolver at his big side a hesitant liesl tant and indefinite gesture dont youl warned mccann stark dropped ills his hand in his hid eyes was the look of the trapped rat ills his brother and gitner were nearly half a mile away but stone was here not twenty yards from him the texan would pump lead into mccann if he be got gay with the thought came a resurgence of courage lie ile had nothing to fear nis his voice was loud to attract the attention of ills companion pull yore freight wils mccann it if you know good tor for you get me poco tiempo mccann came up the steps toward him e enly and without haste there was that in his face at which jasper took alarm keep back hear me keep back or ill jasper retreated to the door his voice rising to a shriek dont you dass class lay a hand I 1 on me ills enemy plucked him from the shelter of tile the store as though lie he had been a child the quirt inthe in the hand of mccann rose and fell rose and fell again jasper cursed threatened wept lie ile called to stone for help tried to break away from that iron grip and escape did nsf the tortured man howled in agony and begged shamelessly for mercy all he could to save himself except stand up and fight the swinging lash burned like a rope of fire the tortured man howled in agony and begged shamelessly for mercy ile he lung flung himself to the noor floor and mccann released him the man with the quirt was panting from his exertions lie ile looked down don scornfully at the quivering mass of wheals at his feet learn to let my fathers placards alone understand an not dot to shoot at me froni from the brush you d d jayhawker Jayhawk cr mccann looked up from the min windows dows from the door from both sides of him the eyes of silent men were focused upon him and stark against the jamb or of the door stono itono was loaning leaning muscles at Irl indolent dolent ease only ills hs cold eyes warily intent at the first glance ence mccann knew that the lie texan had elected not to take up jaspers quarrel to medford Med tord tho the store clerk wll son bon spoke father forgot the mall mail loft left it in the store git it for me presently the clerk appeared with a package of 0 letters and newspapers much obliged the flying VY man turned jim dandy was standing near the porch parallel to it with one quick leap accarin was mits in the saddle ills feet found the stirrups and the pony went pounding down the road at a gallop presently simp eased himself out of his chair and waddled across to the braggart huddled on the floor better get up jas jag iles hes gone simp said lie ile lent a hand band to get the other to his big feet jasper looked around furtive eyed find and knew he had been weighed and found wanting if I 1 slipped he began and stopped his breath was still ragged with dry sobs lie ile took advantage with his quirt yes tes you ton only had a gun stone answered contemptuously A gun an yore fists tell you he be took advantage 1 I slipped whined jasper you sure done so when you picked on this wils mccann to raise a rookus with stone agreed jasper limped painfully into the store and sank down clown into a chair im sick he whimpered medford brought him water after a time he was helped to the hotel lie ile was not able to ride home and in any event lie had no not t the nerve to face matt stark with even a doctored story or of lils his humiliation the old man would be la in a blaze of fury at him matthew stark was game to tile the marrow and inordinately proud that a stark could show the white feather to a mccann that lie he should be whipped like a peon without offering fight filed fi led him with a bitter despair lie he could not endure ir if jasper had gone to ills his death with guns blazing lie he crould have sor rowed for him and been proud of him but this degradation was unspeakably ably horrible to him lie ile ordered phil to saddle his horse and rode to town alone ile he craved action drastic and swift first a settlement with the weakling till who had dishonored him then battle with his enemies to revenge himself upon them ile he would hae wilson mccanns blood nothing less would satisfy him the old min man strode through the hall of the mesa house and into the room that served as an office what room Is jas jag in he demanded of the proprietor why hes in the front room upstairs mr stark doc sanders has been lookin after him stark was already taking the stairs the man lying on the bed heard a heavy tread the door burst open and his father stood before him the fires of eruptive wrath blazing in his eyes jasper knew his day of judgment had come matl atoll stark stood feet well apart leathery jaw clamped tight and looked at his unworthy son well lie asked harshly at last 1 11 I slipped ile he got me down jasper whined dont lie to me ive seen stone 1 I was isas kinda dazed ile he hit me first off with wilh the loaded end of ills his quilt julit an I 1 know what I 1 was doing ile he most killed me 1 I wish he be had the father retorted bitterly it if anaona had told me id raise a coward for a son lie he broke oft off to deny ills his own claim but I 1 know knew it pe ie known years only I 1 lot my myself e belleve it you were always a puling pilling quitter no sand in yore crow craw never was the first stark I 1 ever knew without guts id rather you I 1 died a hundred times rather but im through with you no son of mine can stand up an take a th thras liin without like li a wildcat 1 I was sick anyhow an I 1 no noll ticla cin when mien lie knocked me ine kinda senseless jasper whimpered youre lying an what if ho he did pack a gun dunt dont you after hed taken the tilde hide off you still had yore forty five you think phil would have let him get away with it an not pumped lend lead not for a minute cut but you youre gunsby alt you can do Is drink an brag why you flabby weakling laugh at me all over the county the mccanns ill 11 never quit brinnin grinnin grin nin about it by G d I 1 a believed it even about you im through with you absolutely right now im going over to Flet fletcherr fletchers chers office to change my will yon dont get a cent not a cent an you get out of arizona ill give you a week to settle yore affairs pull vore freight an change yore name dome from now on youre no Sc itric understand ive got to sell my stock jasper said sulkily already lie ho was sketching a campaign to mitigate tile the old mans wrath julia was ills his favorite slie she could do anything with will him ile he would have her talk to her father and andret get him to be reasonable ill buy it name yore price see fletcher about it I 1 dont want any dealing with you myself dont you ever cross ray my track or ill make you think this wils mccann was only at quieting ting sou matthew stark left tile the room and the hotel ile he walked down the street to fletcherr fletchers Flet chers office find and found the lawyer was at phoenix and would not be back for several days the tha owner of the circle cross hesitated ile he was half of a mind to go to tucson and have a new will made at once any kind of delay annoyed him but lie had reasons for not wanting to leave the valley just now the new will would have to wait till fletcher fietcher returned across the street lie he could see the editor of the mesa roundup round up sitting at his desk stark strode across through the dust and entered the little frame building lie ile brushed aside the greetings of the newspaper man and ordered brusquely what lie he wanted within the hour printed posters had been tacked up in each of tile alie AL 13 0 within the hour printed posters had been tacked up in each of the saloons and on the wall of the post office saloons on the wall of the post office fice inside and out on the door of the false front town hall and at a dozen other conspicuous places they bore this simple legend iv io type this Is to serve NOTICE that I 1 will kill wilson mccann on sight MATTHEW STARK this attended to stark mounted and rode out of town from his favorite chair on the porch of bas fords store simp shell watched him go a grim and menacing alg figure of wroth wrath to basford and another crony simp offered the opinion that hell bell was liable to pop mighty soon it was agreed that Matt matthew liew stark and either wilson or peter mccann would clash at their first m meeting and that from it one or both would be carried away dead or mortally wounded CHAPTER IV red tragedy WILSON ILSON drew up among the scrub pines on the side of the hogback ho back across from ferbas cabin these days he followed roundabout trails and moved with extreme caution for his life had been posted by a man who never made vain threats it was the sight of a white faced bay standing in front of the house that brought liim him up short now with the trained eye of a cowpuncher lie recognized the horse instantly st ue ile had last seen it on a certain moonlit night and julia stark had been in the saddle but he had no certainty that she was using it today some one else might he be waiting for him in jims cabbil say jasper stark or ills his father or that texas killer gitner ue he decided to pl play ay safe from its place beside the saddle lie he drew a rifle and tested its mechanism this done lie crept on all fours through the greasewood and yucca till he had put a long hundred yards between him and jim dandy behind a clump of cholla lie he squatted find and watched wat clied the house patiently for nearly halt half an lour hour lie did not stir except bis big eyes lie he was motionless moti onles as a statue julia stark might not be alone with yerby though the fact th that at he be could see only one saddled horse pointed to that conc conclusion lasion with the grda greatest test care lee le worked toward eyes lie was motionless as a statue when at last he reached the winlow window wilson raised his head slowly and looked inside julia had seated herself and was evidently just about to read aloud from a book jim was sitting in a chair with his leg propped up in another chair in front of him wilson went tack back to ills his horse rode across the arroyo and shouted hello tile the housel house 1 miss stark came to the door she stood erect and uncompromisingly hostile watching him as he dismounted her dark look was like a hashing flashing sword lie he nodded good morning without response bows jim lie he asked she stood aside to |