Show W E V 4 TURIN P 00 I 1 T antt mary imlay taylor RELEASE CHAPTER I 1 steady tex jane keller patted her horse as she drew rein at the crest of the hill trail she was young and slim and straight and her old corduroys made her look like a boy A mighty handsome boy old mcdowell always said aint any girl in these parts can touch herl her she turned in her saddle now to watch the lights spring up in the distant ranch house small and faint and flickering bickering like candles in a fog dusk was down there in the valley but up on the hill trail there was a yellow light behind the sycamores amores and great flares of yellow and orange and red in the sunset sky below her lay the private road to las palomas her brothers ranch it crossed the hill trail and the bridge to meet the state highroad five miles away there was a big cliff at the bend jim keller talked of blasting it but he had never had the time nor the men to spare it loomed there still in the midst of trees a rugged sentinel tex put down his head and began to crop grass it was supper time but his mistress did not stir she was thinking thinking hard then lifting her eyes to the darkening outline of the distant cliff she saw a sudden glow of light and the next instant the headlights of a big high power touring car emerged the girl recognized it with a start of surprise it was jims car and nd jim was not at the wheel urging her horse she galloped down the trail to intercept the car before it reached the bridge A nearer view showed her old macdowell in it and a stranger at the wheel As she rode up they stopped the car mac she panted wheres jim hes all right dont you get scared jane the old man reassured her trying to get out of the car jane stopped him youve hurt your arm wrong mac the headlights of the car I 1 illumined her as she leaned from the faddle to question him but it lett left the man at the wheel in the shadow jane felt his eyes they made her ier move uneasily and cast a quick glance at him its this way jane the old foreman explained soberly jims stayed behind hes got th sheriff an a party out you see we figured wed got jordan skewered tight as a chicken for roasting but somehow he broke loose when we were gettin water for th car you know that place near simmons wen well we gave chase both of us an I 1 fell an sprained my blamed old arm if it been for this young man here he came along an helped me out an motored me back jim was kinder afraid jordan might hit it back here an he sent me to warn th men jims all right hes got th whole bunch with him jordan get back here tonight on foot jane objected object ted hes got pals might get a horse or a lift in a car im here an say you to be up here alone old mae mac said in his ta fa atherly way you ride along beside th car if you wont get in an let this young man ride tex home jane laughed ill make it ill beat you to it this young man wants work on a ranch mac added putting his well hand on the strangers shoulder this is miss jane keller the sister of the boss he said to his companion impressively jane caught the outline ot of the mans head as he swung off his hat but she spoke to mac with her crisp little tone of authority when you get to the ranch send him to me ill see what I 1 can do for him until jim cornes comes im going to take the sh short ort cut tex can beat any old car macl mac jane miss janel jane mac wanted to stop her to make her ride beside them but she was off like a shot they could just see the beautiful dark outline of her horse as he leaped the creek aint that like her bless her old mac laughed in his beard she aint scared of a thing for herself only for jim an hed be scared stiff if he thought she was out an jordan might be herel tell me about this jordan I 1 cant just make it out cattle thief or what asked the young man at the wheel its this way take that turn theres las palomas up there jordan used to work here hes a good cattleman but he drinks like blazes a good many of em do but he took to dope running sellin it here to the punchers cowpunchers cow jim caught him at it an there was a big row jordan half drunk tried to kill jim that settled settled it he was fired then he took to cattle rustling an hes got a gang of cut throats along with him maybe some of our fellers are in cahoots with th gang to get dope we dont knowl know hes cleared out some of our best cattle yesterday tie got drunk an came back to brag jim keller was furious he lassoed jordan like a steer we tied him up an started jim was goin to have him jailed sure but he got away you came along as you know well hell try to get even sure as shooting old mac stopped with an expressive shrug hes likely to kill keller macdowell nodded sure jane too if she stands in his way hes just as vindictive as a rattler get me young man the younger man kept his eyes steadily on the unfamiliar road but he uttered an exclamation of surprise you dont mean that the rascal would try to hurt that young girl 1 it if he thought he could get her an hold her over jims head for ransom hed do it janes in just as much danger as jim why I 1 had to come back by jove I 1 wish id known that today when he bolted past me before you an keller came up old mac chuckled seen jane keller eh how all th cow punchers feel well you know now son an youve got an all fired good chance to make good he drawled to make good the words struck the other man like a blow his face burned in the darkness his steel gray eyes shone strangely but he said nothing theres the house were goin to the mens quarters that there row of windows toward us all lit up belong to th sickroom one of jims friends was took down with pneumonia here an they got a trained nurse an kep him hes a heap better old teresa says hes got a devil mac added laughing kind of fine teller feller name of stenhart max stenhart mac heard a smothered exclamation at his side and sensed the sudden swerving of the big car strike a stone here shut her off theres one of th men sandy macdowell roared as the car stopped you come an take th mail in wheres pete rooney he can run this car to th garage here you he put his hand on his new drivers shoulder you go right up to th house front door there an see what jane says says about your then you come to th tb quarters for eats see the young man nodded helping the old foreman to climb down then he heard macdowell telling them about jordans escape get your guns handy boys he sang out you know that snake hell be after the yearlings yearnings year lings again he may get here any aimel the newcomer did not listen to the rest of it he turned away into the darkness and made a feint of going directly to the house half way he stood still the lights from the windows flowed across the short t turf in long pools of radiance reaching nearly to his feet he caught the sound of dishes in the kitchen and an open door gave him a glimpse of the chinese cook busy at his task in the distance som somewhere e a man was singing lustily in spanish far oft off he heard the scarcely distinguishable sounds of cattle 44 Sten stenhart bart heard beard it he sprang up in bed with a cry his hands shaking at his throat his eyes staring at the darkness of the window in the corrals he moved swiftly fly under the lighted windows trying to count them then suddenly he heard Sten harts voice after all these years he knew it instantly and his hands clenched at his sides until the nails bit deep into the flesh something tightened in his throat he could scarcely breathe then came a feeling of savage triumph he had won out he was here and stenhart was here slowly and cautiously he took a step nearer he was in the deep shadow of the house and the window ledge was on a level with his eyes there was no curtain and he had a clear view of the low ceilea room strained nurse stood at a table beside the bed dropping some medicine slowly into a glass and the lamplight was focused on her white uniform but beyond her in the shadowed four poster lay the invalid he had raised himself on his elbow and was talking to her a slight flush deepening the color of his handsome face the man at the window caught the sharp clean outline of his profile the fevered brilliance of his dark eyes the hollows in his cheeks there was a look of mental conflict of unrest its bitten in the outsider thought with a kind of bitter satisfaction after an all its bitten in then something the daredevil in him made him lean forward and speak slowly distinctly loudly one word sherwin stenhart heard it he sprang up in n bed with a cry his hands shaking at his throat his eyes staring at the darkness of the window ills his tormentor seeing it laughed grimly but he saw the nurse turn and come toward him she must not find him there softly swiftly he dropped back into the night and made his way to the front door macdowell has just phoned from th the e garage how kind you were when he sprained his arm and I 1 want to thank you we my brother and 1 I both think a lot of old mael mad the girl had risen from her seat at jims old desk as she spoke and she faced him he saw the fine curve of her chin and throat and the black lashed blue eyes she was an upstanding girl she could run the ranch alone in jims absence the men all looked up to her held her in high esteem the newcomer did not speak and she went on quickly mac says like something to do about the ranch and we need men anyway what she smiled frankly please tell me what you can do b best est the man reddened of course he had to expect something like this but he was not one to whom falsehood came easily and to lie to a fine frank girl like this but after all it altogether a lie my last job was bookkeeping he said and then as he saw the swift change in her expression he added not just the thing for a ranch im afraid but it if I 1 can turn my hand to something out of doors id like it youre from the east her blue eyes considered him gravely impersonally so and then she smiled im not sure but that youre a godsend ive been trying to straighten up J jims ms ac accounts and its perfectly hopeless hes so splashy with ink and so bad at figures id be glad if try your hand at these tomorrow As she spoke she swept a bunch of dog eared old books with her fingers he came nearer and began to turn them over snatching at this strange opportunity to get into the house house where stenhart wasl H he e vj his index finger along under the name written in jim kellers big sprawling handwriting el rancho de las Palo palomas masl you cling to the spanish down here eh she laughed las palomas sou sounds ads so much better than just jus t plain english besides there used to be many doves here there are still can you untangle those figures do you think ures surely I 1 can quite simple plea simple I 1 was all snarled upil she laughed softly again then do this until jim comes I 1 she hesitated blushing unaccountably 1 I cant make any terms of course you N that my brothers the boss baj b if you can wait oh all right be feeding and lodging me you seel for the first time he laughed and r his face lighted up money the only thing I 1 came west aorl the girl gave him a quick questioning glance but his face was in the shadow and she made nothing of it oh I 1 know advent adventure urel she said watching him 1 he nodded grimly the great adventure he said in an odd tone TO BE CONTINUED |