| Show ROBBERS 9 ROOST 2 SYNOPSIS jim wall young cowpuncher cr from wyoming seeks becks a new held field in utah H 11 meets gets hank hays hay who tells him he h Is 1 working for an englishman herrick who has located a big ranch hays and 0 others are plotting to steal their employers cattle and money with hays and two other rust rustier lers jim wall goes to herricks ranch hays hay and his lieutenants ride awa away ato to drive daiv oft off the th first bunch of cattle heeseman Is hays rival among tile the cattle rustlers jim Is sent to meet ai aliis I 1 a a herrick hays betrays unusual interest in the girls coming the rustlers begin driving cattle from tho the ranch wall finds himself falling failing in love with helen and he fears hays hay has designs on tho the girl jim conche coaches 11 her or in riding western style and finally kisses her she Is angry and dismisses him but relents and asks him not to leave the ranch hays men return from the drive having sold tile the cattle and brofft bro fht back tho the mo money Y A quick getaway Is imperative haa hays ya tells his men to go BO on ahead that he will loin join them at a certain canyon ile he comes with helen herrack a captive hays explains that he stole helen for rane ransom torn realizing that helen will be worse off if she falls into heesemann Hee semans clutches jim wall does nothing ileese mans 12 a riders are discovered in pursuit a U hays leads the rang gang into a canyon retreat the robbers roost jim seeks out smoky slocum and nd secures his promise to aid in case helen to Is threatened with harm by hays CHAPTER vur VIII continued 13 sparrow you dont look flighty replied jim gravely nut but your talk Is else youve a reason to think it it shore I 1 have rejoined latimer lowering his voice to a n whisper hays beat an robbed herrick I 1 taets part I 1 wanted to tell you it if I 1 was coln to croak but I 1 gotta tell it anyhow an I 1 ask you both ns as bards to keep what I 1 tell you tou secret till im dead 1 I swear sparrow said smoky huskily you loii can trust me too added jim wal taets why I 1 feel hank must have done ter fer the girl too robbed herrick Herr lck exclaimed slocum incredulously was there a fight yes cut but hank flank might have avoided it ile he drove the man crazy fellers steal coppers off a dead mans eyes shore but what he said he wanted was the gurl ter fer ransom yet tet he picked a light with herrick an beat him with a gun sparrow how come you tell us before asked smoky sternly im beholden to hank rut but I 1 will say bay thet if id knowel his game id never have gone with him after it was too late wal I 1 stuck an rd d kept it secret but I 1 feel in my bones im done ter fer so im squeal ln an rm fm doln it because hays flays double crossed you all reckon id have done the same if nank hank had bad a hold on me conceded smoky generously suppose you take a nip alp of whisky and tell us what happened im hot enough without liquor nut but ill tell you gamme some more water 9 after a moment latimer drew a long breath and resumed hank picked me because he had a hold on me after you tellers fellers left viet night hank went out an got another hoss boss he had a saddle hid bid somewhere we took them bosses up the bench back of the house an tied them then we went down toward the house ahue hed had this deal in mind all the time said smoky nodding his bis head bead yes before we got to the house be told me he be meant to hold herrick up ter fer what money he had on hand then steal the gurl eurl ter fer ransom I 1 opened my trap to kick again the gurl curl part of it anyway but he cussed me so methin fierce I 1 seen then be was blood set on it so I 1 shet up her rick was la in the room we walked round the house bouse an 1111 hank allowed me the curls winder which was open wal we went back an up on the porch an into the livin room when herrick derrick looked up hank threw a gun on him keep quiet an shell out your money hank ordered thet faze the englishman he jumped up thun thundering thunder derin ln mad hank bit him over the head cuttin a gash thet knock herrick out but it made him fight till hank got him good an hard then lie he opened his bis desk an threw out some pac packages linges of greenbacks green backs after thet he slid to the floor next hank ordered we me to go out an round to the gurls winder it wits was bright moonlight but I 1 locate thet winder quick an at thel met I 1 was guided to it by the gurls curls voice gilme another drink latimer quenched his bis inordinate thirst again while jim and smoky exchanged thoughtful glances over him wal where was I 1 IT when I 1 straddled thet winder sill I 1 seen been the gurl sitting up in bed white as the sheets about her hank tied had a gun pointed at her head an he was sayin if she yelled hed shoot then he told me to look around ter fer money an lewels jewels I 1 started viet keehln an eye un on there them the room was as moonlight as outdoors hank flank told her to git up an dress tor for aldin she refused an he be yanked her clean out of bed gurl he be said yore brother Is dawg tied down la in the livin room an if you dont do as I 1 tell you ill kill him im taking you yoo away ter fer ransom rin som an when he pays up you can come home so longs loces youre quiet we wont hurt hurl you at thet she got up an ran into a closet I 1 heard her sol gob bin he made her put ea an ridgal bazane ZANE GREY WITO service lc clothes an pact pack what else slie she wanted meanwhile I 1 found a heap beup of gold things an diamonds an a package of money still with will the wells fargo paper on it these I 1 stuffed in my pockets an I 1 shore was a walkin gold mine how much was there asked smoky curiously when latimer paused to catch his breath ill come to thet we went out the winder an lank flank hustled her into the woods wood with me fol mollerin foller lerin ln soon we come to the bosses nn an hank put the gurl up on the gray lie ile blindfolded her an told me to see she git away the gurl curl talked a blue blue streak but she so seared scared except when we heard a shot then someone on hard ground hank come back pronto pantin like a lassoed bull lie ile said hed bed run plump into an another 0 of Ilee semans outfit u wiss I 1 herrick errick II lie he says them fellers was bent on robbin your brother debbe killin him I 1 shot but the other got away ile he tied the bundle on ills his boss an leaden the gurls curls boss he rode up the mountain we rode the rest of the night stopple stopp stop pin ln to rest at daylight gilyar I 1 turned the money an trinkets over to hank ile he counted the money herrick derrick had turned over so methin moren sixteen thousand but he never opened the wells fargo package id round found in the gurls trunk taets till all tellers fellers we rode till noon you as agreed in the cedars what was in thet wells fargo package asked smoky after a long pause money hundred dollar bills I 1 A I 1 it at 11 if 11 keep quiet an shell out your money hank ordered tore te a corner of the paper off it was a thick an heavy package ahue so hank flank went south with thet an the jewelry yes when he be made the divvy ayar he give me his share of thet sixteen thousand its ayar in my coat you an jim air welcome to it cause where im coln 1 I 1 wont need any sparrow it was a long story ter a sick man an hard bard to tell tall sail smoky feelingly jim an me will re your confidence an it if you pull through as I 1 hope you do well never squeak but pard dont be surprised at what comes off fire days later catl mer died during the night after a short interval of improvement which gave his comrades renewed hope he be passed away alone evidently in agony to judge from his distorted face wal I 1 dont don t know but thet spat rows better off remarked smoky with pathos they burled buried him la in his tarpaulin on the spot and divided his effects among them by drawing lots you do with the money you found on him queried hays I 1 we find none sparrow gave it to me an jim some days ago replied smoky reckon you better divide it ump rejoined smoky nonchalantly chal antly his bis beady little eyes on the chief why not will wal sparrow wanted us to have it not I 1 reckon because we took care of him film when you forgot but jest because he cottoned to us its smoky tell hays the other reason spoke up jim Thet ll wait jim no hurry an im not so shore sparrow wanted us to tell hank hays turned livid ahue debbe both be wise to stay shet abet up he said and left fellers said brad lincoln turning to the others ive had a hunch all along there was a hitch bitch in this deal air you with me in de demandil demand mandin ln a showdown from smoky an jim we shore air r rejoined bridges and mae mac and happy jack expressed like loyalty is smoky youre square it if theres theres any anything thin we want to know 0 W 10 webbe we can slick it over replied smoky smoothly if we win all the boss motley money an hell shore be easy now with thet gurl curl on his mind I 1 reckon there wont be any sense in tellin at all rh eh jim 1 I dont make any rash promises smoky ro ra turned jim 1 I admere a lot slocum but im thinking you yon run this into the ground in all justice these men ought to bo be told something 1 I say cards you tellers fellers cant keep it forever rejoined lincoln darkly from that hour dated the grim and passionate gambling in ID which they all participated with one man on lookout duty the others spent most of the daylight hours sitting at happy jacks tahle table of cottonwood poles jim had separated his money into two parts one consisting of the bills of large denomination and the other of small the latter he fie kept out for gambling intending to quit when it was lost but fortune was fickle rie he did not lose IL it instead he won steadily there was no hope of ills his getting out of the game so long as he was ahead lie ile wanted to watch think plan luck changed eventually and lie he lost all he be had won then he seesawed for a day before he struck another streak of losing and lost everything im cleaned he said rising but by gosh I 1 gave you a run im way ahead ill lend you some offered hays flays no thanks im glad to get off this well nell ill go up to the rock and send mac down from now on ill do most of the lookout work I 1 like it jim was glad this phase of his connection with the was past ue ile had played for days won and lost all in the interest of the scheme fermenting in his mind ile he wanted to be alone it if nothing else intervened this gambling would lead to tile the inevitable quarrel whether hays flays won nil all the money or lost what he had there would be a light fight at once a restless baffled battled balT led harried condition of mind seemed to leave jim to face those men hour after hour day after day hiding his thoughts had bad engendered irritation when the split came and the shooting began jim wanted to be around rie ile would help it along considerably one day when lie he was returning to camp somewhat before sunset he heard a shot ile he listened for others none came the moment he entered the oval to see hays striding for the cabin his hair standing up and his men grouped outside of the camp shelter tim jim knew that there had been trouble what now smoky hank did ter for brad now how why you dont mean nays hays bent beat lincoln to a gun ile he did jim ejaculated slocum ne ile bored brad I 1 was the only reller feller who seen it it the rest was ducklo what was it about smoky wal brad has been gattin sorer every day an today we cleaned him brad opened up on hank flank no doubt deanin inea to call him ter for fair but BU brad fill coin gol good before hank went ter his big gun smoky he had his mind made up declared jim tensely shore theta the queer part of it it hank was not doln to let brad split spit out much an friend jim taets a hunch ter fer us hays cant teat bent me to a gun rejoined jim with a cold ring in his voice nor me either taets a safe bet 91 they reached the camp lincoln lay face down over the table his right arm hanging low his gun lying near his hand lend a hand some of you ordered slocum peremptorily they carried lincoln face down across the oval to the lower side of the cottonwood grove and in half an hour he had been consigned to earth and his possessions divided among the men who had burled buried him grave number kwoll speculated smoky fellers it runs in my mind thet robbers roost in these next twenty years will be sprinkled all over with graves how so when nobody has bag any idee where it Is fal Ife heeseman eseman will find it an worley morley an after them many more concluded slocum prophetically lets leta rustle out of the hole suggested bridges CHAPTER IX it was dark by ibe the time happy jack called them to supper jim carried ovet over an armload of brush to make a bright fire by its flare care hays flays was seen approaching and when he drew near he said jim did they tell you straight how I 1 come to draw on brad reckon they did replied jim coldly Any anything thin to say no I 1 dont see how bow you could have acted any differently wal youve coppered it with the am ace the second brad jumped we me I 1 seen in his eyes he be meant to egg me line on to draw so I 1 did it quick jack what you got ter fer supper aupper by tacit consent and without a single word the men avoided happy jacks table that night and ate around the camp fire hays days stood up smoky sat on a stone jim knelt on one knee and the others adopted characteristic poses reminiscent of the trail cool after the rain rei remarked flays after he had finished and fie be took up a blit blazing zing fagot of wood reckon ill make a little fire fer my lady prisoner he stalked away waving the fagot face it to keep it ablaze 1 I seen her last night when he be called me to fetch her supper said jack fust time id had a peek at her face lately seemed a ghost of thet other gurl eurl TO BE BB CONTINUED |
