Show g SE fa aj im 4 XA inq r r 1 l lr r fy AX yala ALAN N LEMAY LE MAY yi WN U va service SEn N M V vice I 1 C pi Y alan loaia r SYNOPSIS kentucky jones veteran cowman attends tho the inquest into the death of john mason banker which Is Is supposed to have been accidental jean daughter of campo ragland raeland owner of the bar hook ranch where mason met death surreptitiously passes to jones the bullet which had killed mason she having abstracted it from the evidence during the inquest kentucky goes to work on the bar hook ranch the tha mason verdict Is accidental death bob elliot owner of the 88 ranch adjoining the bar hook drives his cattle cattie on the bar hook range lee bishop Ra elands glands ranch boss expos espos tu lates and bill mccord elliots elliote Elli foreman or ernan insults him reporting Report lne el kliots turning his cattle onto their range ranee dishop and jones are astounded by Ra rowlands glands indifference jones tells jean elliot knows she purloined the bullet at the inquest which jones has got rid of her reaction mystifies him zack sanders cool cook at the bar hook ranch Is found dead evidently murdered CHAPTER V coti continued aed 6 sly my horse hor se kept shying one particular p place lace lee bishop said soon as kentucky called it to my notice I 1 to wonder if there a dead coyote or something under the snow so kentucky and we me looked and there he was soon as kentucky called it to your notice the sheriff repeated so it was really kentucky jones who thought of looking in this place 1 13 that right well owell yes though he be only said 1 all right could you make out how he be died fighting said bishop lie was lying in a I kind ind of heap face down but partly on one side hed been shot twice once in the left side and once in the back his gun was under him in his right hand and it was fired three times his gun belt n began the sheriff lie ile wear a gun belt own one fars I 1 know just c carried his gun in his pocket I 1 guess the sheriff nodded lets see his gun then As lee bishop went out the sheriff turned to kentucky jones could you to tell 11 which wa way Y zack was firing bring when he went down lie he was lying beside the rock he be now the trail from down canyon comes past that stone pump house did it look to you he might haie am e took cover behind that rock to fire down the trail that could hardly be kentucky answered why because he lay on the down trail side which way the sheriff broke off abruptly as lee bishop r returned e to the room with zack sanders six gun he took a quick stride forward and took the gun in his hand band the matter campora campo ragland demanded instantly the sheriff drew a deep breath and blew it out through puffed cheeks the eager intensity of inquiry had gone out of him 1 I never have any luck he grunted this d n tiling thing has worked out to make a fool of every everybody bodyl I 1 wrong with that gun 1 said ragland again nothing except the caliber said the sheriff its a forty five the matter with it IL how much snow was there under zack sanders none said bishop lee said the sheriff you found mason too could you judge which was killed first sanders or mason magon 1 I be able to draw drav any diff difference arence uh huh said sheriff hopper this here Is the devil when I 1 first heard of this I 1 was hopeful we were out of the woods naturally the arst thing that came to mind was that mason and sanders shot it out and both dropped but the caliber 0 of f gun it throws that theory out shucks rig right lit back on the double suicide theory said kentucky but wait a ml minute autel 1 the matter the gun mason carried was vas the same caliber as this gun of sand arg pr here kentucky pointed out it passed at the inquest that ma son was killed by the accidental discharge of his own gun how is it so certain now that mason was not killed by that caliber the slie sheriff riff pulled a pipe from his pocket and rammed tobacco into it with a disgusted thumb because lie sit mason was riot not killed by the discharge of ills own gun john sinson mon vas as murdered 11 they stated staled at him and kentucky jones heard the breath catch in jenn jean 11 Hac arlands linds throat how flow linis oil hive you ton known tills this compo campo ragland demanded at last ive known it said the sheriff since the day of Ala masons sons death then you knew at the inquest sheriff floyd hopper did not avoid the challenging stare of the cattleman yes he said 1 I knew it at the inquest im d d if I 1 see your idea floid said campo what I 1 want to know Is how much more you tell the jury not nine much campo john mason N was as 1 killed by two shots not one from a gun of lighter caliber than forty five tomorrow the whole country will know that and our chances of getting the killer are cut in two naturally Katura lly kentucky put in equably its easier to catch a C criminal who thinks hes safe and easier yet said campo irritably rit ably to explain away a killing as an accident yes said the sheriff without heat ile he returned Ila Ra glands stars stare through the smoke cloud from his pipe cut but I 1 also had one 0 or r two other reasons for one thing this Is some worse than just a one man killing campo its kicked the whole of wolf bench onto the edge of a general smash we all have reason to know that ragland lia gland growled all right suppose now some ody body that dont know much about it 11 picks himself out a arst class sus hect act suppose for instance somebody just goes around wolf bench pointing out that lee bishop just happens to be the man that found both mason and sanders both deep hidden under the snow theres been many a blowup blow up tip on less evidence than that and with less feeling back of it than this Is going in to raise up here lee dishop bishop said nothing campo was eyeing sheriff hopper narrowly somehow floyd he said it seems like to rue me you come to your real reason yet noa no said sheriff hopper ile he took a deep drag on his pipe then ill ghe you just one reason more mabbe youve forgot campo that john mason alason was shot down within a dozen horse jumps of your own house here and by singular coincidence that neither you nor your daughter daug liter nor a single one of your hands was even within earshot of the guns after a moment campo said in a low voice loyd floyd I what hat do 1 you mean by that campo I 1 know that john lason iason was your our close friend I 1 know that you and your brand are as bad hurt as anybody Is almost and with my experience I 1 can reason that the thing have happened it if any of you had been here but most people hate coincidences campo ragland stood up his face blank floyd it if youre saying you smothered that inquest as a favor to me maybe said the sheriff 1 I should just have let you explain all that to the rimrock in your own 1 way well anyway floyd campo mumbled 1 I appreciate what you tried to do all right the sheriff accepted see that you yon do seems to me campo that after this be justified if stop holding information back what do you mean by that tonight over the phone I 1 asked you it anything else peculiar had happened you told me no but I 1 happen to know that you got home here tuesday to find that this house had been searched kentucky jones had never seen sheriff floyd hopper show to as g good advantage as lie did tonight lie he was the man in the saddle here ile he sat now sprawled cd behind his smoke his eyes surly aud and red like the eyes of a bear what house said campo rag land at last this house said the sheriff what are you trying to do cara po it get you anything to stall with me tills this house was nas searched and something was taken from it it seems sat said campo ragland na gland that you know a lot of than things s that nobody thought you knew im thinking that maybe you know a lot of things more what better be finding out Is this campo said sheriff hot hop per im no lib fool even if I 1 am the duty duly elected sheriff of waterman county you could do a whole lot worse than play a straight game with rue me campos retort was explosive plo ive straight bt ganio ganic or of course im ii a straight ganiel game im willing to turn face up what cards I 1 hold alwag 8 rice face up its not nol my faaili when I 1 hold very d ri few cards card aliat what il ifal ii saying Is the sheriff was interrupted by the opening of the outer door in the dooray appeared joe st marle for a moment he hesitated hand on the latch startled by the presence of tile the sheriff shut that door said campo and nn d joe st marle came in and closed th 06 edoor door slowly behind him film what are you doing here joe st ilarae swung oft off his hat and stood staring blankly from ragland to hopper and back again 1 I lamed my horse he sald said 1 I had to leave the other boys to take the beet beef on to waterman it would have spoiled the cayuse to go on now campo ragland Ila gland seemed to notice what kentucky jones had perceived at oncel once that joe st marles face was the color os of half cured hay bay and the bronco riders explanation of his presence if not altogether satisfactory in itself had served to draw attention to the quickness of his breath campo said sharply you hurt joe no sir im all right well I 1 dont feel so goodat good at that you never feel fed so good lee bishop grunted campo ragland hesitated puzzled you want to speak to me joet joe he asked at last who lie flie no sir well see what you can find yourself to eat walt wait a minute what have b ave you given your horse nothing yet mr ragland kagland sir air I 1 va how many times do I 1 have to tell you fetters fellers ragland began well let it pass go feed your horse now now V i joe st marle moved reluctantly at Ra glands command and at the door lie he stopped hesitating though he seemed unable to speak it was as plain as if he had spoken that there was in his mind a protest which he could riot not or did not dare put into words well said campo softly st marle opened the door and went out shoulders hunched as if against the great unseen pressure of a nonexistent wind when he had left the room there was a moment or two of silence I 1 I 1 all right could you make out how he died then the sheriff asked he afraid of campo floyd I 1 got the sll slightest bt idee it might be the man Is sick that man aint sick said hopper the blood was already coming bacle bach to his face campo something has happened to that man just a few minutes before he come into tills room do you suppose P campo began somewhere outside the house a gun crashed and though they could not judge either its exact direction or distance they knew that it had been fired within a hundred yards for a moment they listened then lee bishop jumped for the door and they all seemed to move at once All walt alt lee campo ragland snapped clow blow out these ll 7 bt floyd kentucky Kentuck 1 je joan a n y you on sta stay in here you hear me campo ragland unarmed led the way to the corral where joe st SL marle marie was most likely to have left his horse tile the horse was w as there head to the bars waiting for the feed that had not yet come I 1 but joe st marle marie was not in sight campos voice raised in a hoarse shout an abrupt strange sound in all that silence of snow and rock and stars you joel st marie where you SO at sing out man danl the silence held for a moment more and campo had whirled upon the sheriff when joe st marle spoke in an odd muffled voice unexpectedly nearby yes sir here I 1 I 1 am ile he came toward them now slowly from around the corner of the lie stable and lee bishop let drop the rille lie had snatched up who fired why I 1 did the accent of joe st marles marios speech was no different from that of any other cowboy except for a certain deep thickness of tile tone toile itself now his voice mice was still deep but it had taken on a hat flat quality and though tile the voice itself did not shake it sonie solli liow ellow convened comPi eil the impression that tile inin behind it i nare shaken inken sl 1 I I 1 thou thong IF I 1 seen a i 1 noar olf j wolf I 1 A null up here ls b tile house 5 go co on in lee bishop said aid dis guht gust edly ill see boe sotir air horse gets red fed this offer st marle did riot not accept but lee dishop bishop stayed behind while hile tile the others went in ili 1 I thought I 1 told you to stay in here campo said to his daughter lighting a lamp the sheriffs temper seemed to have come to the end ot its string and there busted itself like a roped steer im sick and tired of this be told them theres something nI almighty mIghty funny going on here and I 1 mean to know what what it 1st ive warned you about holding out on me but now I 1 warn you again I 1 to get the man that killed mason ason I 1 mearl mean to get him you hear bear roe me campo ragland said with sudden passion god knows ill help you every way I 1 can id tell you if I 1 knew anything r if you knew anything 1 l said hopper bitterly there a man on your place tonight who know more about this bus business than he means to belll all foolishness said campo ragland youve gone up in the air because a quarter blood cowboy looks like he be might be coming down with a fever As for holding stuff back from you take us one by one it if you want start with me or start with kentucky jones who evert eved work for the bar hook at the time this happened or take you want me to start with kentucky jones said the sheriff Il maybe laybe lilie like to hear me ask a question or two of this kentucky jones ask who and what you like ilke said ragland hopper swung his red eyed stare to kentucky be careful how you answer me jones try to remember what your boss sometimes forgets that maybe I 1 know tile the answer before you yon speak where were you at one last saturday the day that mason alason and zack sanders died kentucky jones took his big time about answering at noon last saturday 11 he said at last 1 I was here at the bar hook sheriff hopper grinned but not pleasantly at campo ragland there you are he be said campo said slowly you never told me that kentucky no I 1 drove out to say adelos I 1 I 1 was going away hopper copper spoke to ragland theres your man that possibly know anything about this he said ironically but it if you think all I 1 know about ken tucky jones youre a fool I 1 can go to court with my case ag against alast him tomorrow it if need be his tone was that of contemptuous statement rather than threat and I 1 can put him where hell have to fight h I 1 for leather as he never fought in his life before he ever g gets ets clear ragland said it if you think beng ing here around that time Is a case you ton dont know much about r opportunity said the sheriff opportunity and motive just those two things can make it tough for any man yet im not right sure that eliat all I 1 can bring against him from what I 1 know rl right ht now motive echoed ragland star aled here lee bishop and joe st marle returned to the room they saw now that the normal dark color of st marles maries face had returned and with it had come back his look of solid strength sheriff floyd hopper looked at ragland aid ad indicated st marie with a jerk of his head chills and fever seem to have passed off he said campo ragland grunted campo said the sheriff theres a head going to fall may be e more than one head dont ever think hink that this Is going to blow ver over and be lost sight of in a gon gen oral ral dust theres a man going to be e hooked hard and permanent be fore ore im through floyd what are you going to do 0 o you me mean an youre taking ken tucky jones no ill know how to get him when I 1 anant ant him I 1 think now make your choice campol campo if you dont want to string with me I 1 can go 0 o on without you but you may not like your choice before this thin thing Is through 1 I dont know what you mean said ragland suit yourself said hopper only dont be too sure that this case ase Is shaping up against ken tucky jones ragland lingered angered |