Mountain View Times (Mountain View, Okla.), Vol. 22, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, August 13, 1920 Page: 3 of 4
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Friday, August 13,1920.
MOUNTAIN VIEW TIMES
• *
Pagel
'
Crooked
j Trails
i; and
f Straight I
] J «
;; William MacLeod Raine
, , Oo»Tr1fBl, 6, a W Ollllnghun Comp»n? , ,
Bucky O'Connor and his prisoner
swung down the street side by side
nnd turned In at the headquarters of
the rangers. The officer switched on
the light, shut the door, and Indicated
a chair. i
Relaxed In his chair, Fendrlck spoke
with rather elaborate Indolence.
"What’s your evidence, Bucky?
What hav^yoiigot that ties me to the 1
W. & S. ripljbefy?"
"Why, tlfnt hat piny, Cass. You let
on you had shot Cullison's hat off his
head while he was making his get-
away. Come to find out you had his
hat In your possession all the time,”
"Does that prove I did It myself?”
"Looks funny you happened to be
right there while the robbery was tak-
ing place, and that you had Luck’s
hat with you."
The sleepy tiger look lay warily In
the sheepman’s eyes. “That’s what
the dictionaries call coincidence,
Bucky.” i
‘Tve a notion It will take some ex- i
plaining.”
"Confidentially?”
“Confidentially what?”
“The explanation. You won’t use It
against me?” t
“Not If you weren’t In the hold-
«P." !
“I wasn’t. This is the way It hap-
pened: You know Culllson was go-
ing to prove up on that Del Oro claim
on Thursday. He had me beat. I
couldn’t see any way out but to eat
crow and offer a Compromise. It was
up to me to hunt Luck up nnd see
what he would do. His hat gave me
an excuse to call. So I started out
and came round the corner of San
Mateo street Just In time to see the
robber pull out. Honest, the fellow
did shape up a little like Luck. Right
then I got the darned fool notion of
mixing him up In It. I threw his hat
down and shot a hole in It, then un-
locked the door of the express office
carrying the hat In my hand. That’s
all there was to it.”
"Pretty low-down trick, wasn’t It, to
play on an innocent man?” I
"He was figuring to do me up. I
don’t say it was exactly on the square,
but I was sore at him clear through.
I wanted to get him into trouble." j
Bucky reflected, looking at the long
ash on his cigar. “The man that made
the raid of the W. & S. shaped up like
Luck, you say?”
“In a general way.”
The ranger lookdd quietly at Fen-
drlck. “Who was the man, Cass?”
“I thought I told you—”
“You did. But you lied. It wfas a
moonlight night. And there’s an arc 1
light at that corner. By your own
story, the fellow took his mask off as
he swung to his horse. You saw his
face just as distinctly as I see yours
now.”
“No, I reckon not," Fendrlck
grinned.
"Meaning you won’t tell?"
“That’s not how 1 put It, Bucky.
You’re the one that says I recognized
him. Come to think of It, I’m not sure
the fellow didn’t wear his mask till he
was out of sight.”
“I am. The mask was found just
outside the office where the man
dropped It before he got Into the sad-
dle.”
“Who Waa th* Man, Cass?"
Which the cloth whs cut. ' And 1 hava
a witness who saw ^>man shove that
old slilrjt down ip th^ barrel after tear
lng a p|ece off.”
"Your-witness got a name, Bucky?"
"I’ll not mention the name now. If
It became too well-known something
might happen to my witness.”
Fendrlck nodded. "You’re wise
there. She wouldn't be safe, not If a
cefctfrla gap bappeqad to hear what
you’ve Just told me.”
"I didn't say ’she,’ Cass."
“No, I said it. Your witness Is Mrs.
Wylie.”
"Maybe, then, you can guess the
criminal, too. I’ll ask you a question.
Can you tell me where I can find a pa-
roled convict named Blackwell?"
Fendrlck shook his head. "Don’t
know the gentleman. A friend of
yours?"
The officer rose, not one whit less
amiable. "I didn’t expect you to tell
me. That's all right. I’ll find him.
But In the meantime I’ll have to lock
you up till this thing is settled.”
From his Inside coat pocket, Fen-
drlck drew a sealed envelope, wrote
the date across the front, and handed
It to O’Connor.
"Keep this, Bucky, nnd remember
that I gave it to you. Put It In a safe
place, but don't open the envelope till j
I give the word. Understand?”
"What’s back of It?”
"It Isn’t Intended that you should
know yet. I’m protecting myself. That’s
all."
Fendrlck rose, and the two men
passed Into the street.
CHAPTER VIII.
A Touch of the Third Degree.
It was Bucky that caught the con-
vict. The two men met at the top of a
mountain pass. Blackwell, headed
south, wns slipping down toward
Stone’s horse ranch when they came
face to face. Before the bad man had
his revolver out, he found himself
looking down the barrel of the rang-
er's leveled rifle.
“I wouldn’t," Bucky murmured gen-
ially.
"What you want me for?” Blackwell
demanded sulkily.
“For the W. & S. robbery.”
"I’m not the man you want. My
name’s Johnson."
•‘I’ll put up with you till I find the
man I do want, Mr. Johnson,” Bucky
told him cheerfully. “Climb down
from that horse. No, I wouldn’t try
that. Keep your hands up.”
Buck took his prisoner straight to
the ranger's office and telephoned to
Culllson.
The lieutenant did not know any-
thing about book psychology, but he
had observed that hunger and weari-
ness try out the stuff that Is In a man.
Under the sag of them many a will
snaps that would have held fnst if sus-
tained by a good dinner and a sound
night’s sleep. This is why so many
"j)ad men," gun fighters with a reputa-
tion for gameness, wilt on occasion
like whipped curs. In the old days this
came to nearly every terror of the
border. Some day when he had a
Jumping toothache, or when his nerves
were frayed from a debauch, a silent
stranger walked Into his presence,
looked long and steadily Into his eyes
nnd ended forever his reign of lawless-
ness. Sometimes the two-gun man
was "planted," sometimes he subsided
Into Innocuous peace henceforth.
The ranger had a shrewd instinct
that tl\e hour had come to batter down
this fellow's dogged resistance. There-
fore he sent for Culllson, the wan
whom the convict most feared.
The very look of the cattleman, with
thnt grim, hard, capable aspect, shook
Blackwell’s nerve.
“So you’ve got him, Bucky?”
Luck looked the man over as he sat
handcuffed beside the table and read
Culllson laughed harshly. “You’ll be
sicker soon.”
"You promised you wouldn’t do any-
thing If we turned you loose.” the man
plucked up courage to remind him.
"I promised the law wouldn’t do any-
thing. You’ll understand the distinc-
tion presently.”
"Xlr. Culllson, please—I admit I
done wrong. I hadn't ought to have
gone In vvljh Cass Fendrtck. He j
wanted me to kill you. hut I wouldn't.” |
Bucky had let Culllson take the cen-
ter of the stage. He had observed a 1
growing distress mount and tide the
victim. Now he stepped In to save
the man with an alternative at which
Blackwell might be expected not to
snatch eagerly perhaps, but at least
to he driven toward.
"This man Is my prisoner, Mr. Cul-
llson. From what I can make out you
ought to strip his hide off and hang It
out to dry. But I’ve got first call on
him. If he comes through with the
truth about the \V. & S. robbery I’ve
got to protect him."
Luck understood the ranger. They
were both working toward the same
end. The Immediate punishment of
this criminal was not the Important is-
sue. It was merely a club with which
to beat him Into submission, and at
that a moral rather than n physical
one. But the owner of the Circle C
knew better than to yield to Bucky too
easily. He fought the point out with
him at length, and finally yielded re-
luctantly, in such a wny ns to aggra-
vate rather than relieve the anxiety of
the convict.
“All right. You take him first,” he
finally conceded harshly.
Bucky kept up the cOraedy. "I'll
take him, Mr. Culllson.. But If he tells
me the truth—and if I find out It’s the
whole truth—there'll be nothing doing
on your part. He’s my prisoner. Un-
derstand that.”
Metaphorically Blackwell licked the
bund of his protector. “I aim to do
what’s right, Captain O'Connor. What-
ever’s right. You ask me any ques-
tions."
"I wTnnt to know all about the W. &
S. robbery, everything, from start to
finish.”
"Honest, I wish 1 could tell you.
But 1 don’t know a thing about It.
Cross my heart, I don’t."
"No use, Blackwell. If I’m going to
stand by you agninst Mr. Culllson,
you’ll have to tell the truth. Why,
man, I've even got the mask you wore
and the cloth you cut it from."
“1 reckon it must a-been some one
else, major. Wisht I could help you,
but 1 can’t.”
Bucky rt»se. "AH right. If you can't
! help me, I can’t help you. Mr. Cul*
lison, I reckon I’ll run out nnd have
some supper. Do you mind staying
! here with this man till I get back?"
[ “No. That’s all right, Bucky.'Don’t
hurry. I’ll keep him entertained.” |
I Perhaps It was not by ehance thut his
eye wandered to a blacksnake whip
hanging on the wall.
O’Connor sauntered to the door. The
frightened gnze of the prisoner clung
to him as If for safety.
“Major—Colonel—you nln’t n-going,"
be pleaded.
“Only for an hour or two. I’ll be
back. I wouldn’t think of saying good-
by—not till we reach Yuma."
With thut the door closed behind
him. Blackwell cried out, hurriedly,
eagerly: “Mister O'Connor! I—I’ll tell
you everything—every last thing. Mr.
me behind the bars, nnd he’s the man
that really stole It.”
From this they could not shake him.
**•*•••
Fendrlck. riding on Mesa Verde, met
young Boh Culllson. nnd before he
knew what had happened found a gun
thrown on him.
"Don't you move.” the boy warned.
“What does this tommyrot mean?"
the sheepman demanded angrily.
"It means that you are coming back
with me to the ranch. That's what It
means."
"What for?”
"Never you mind what for."
"Oh, go to Mexico," Cass flung hack
Impatiently. “Think we’re In some
fool moving-picture play, you blamed
young Idiot? Put up that pin.”
Shrilly Boh retorted. He was excited
enough to be dangerous. "Don't you
get the wrong Idea. I’m going to
make Ibis stick. You’ll turn nnd go
hack with me to the Circle C. You’re
wanted for the W. A S. express rob-
bery. Blackwell has confessed.”
Cass sat Immovable ns the sphinx.
He was thinking that he might as well
face the chnrge now as any time. More-
over, he had rensons for wnntlng to
visit the Circle C. They had to do
with a tall, slim girl who never looked
at him without scorn In her dark, flush-
ing eyes.
"Al? right. I’ll go hack with you, but
not under a pin. I won’t stand for
any gun play capture."
"You'll have to stand for It.”
Fendrlck’s face Ret. “Will I? It’s
up to you, tlien. Let's see you mnke
me.”
Sitting there with bin gnze steadily
on the hoy, Cass had Bob at a disad-
vantage. If the sheep owner had tried
to break nwny Into the chaparral, Rob
could have blazed away at him, but he
could not shoot a mnn looking at him
with cynical, amused eyes. He could
understand the point of view of his
adversary. If Fendrlck rode Into the
Circle C under compulsion of a gun In
the hands of a hoy he would never
hear the end of the laugh on him.
Rob put up his big blue gun reluc-
tantly. Never before had It been
trained on a human being, and It was
a wrench to give up the thought of
bringing In the enemy ns a prisoner
But he saw he could not pull It off.
They turned toward the Circle C.
Kate was seated on the porch sew-
ing. She rose in surprise when her
cousin and the sheepman appeared.
They came with Jingling spu» across
the plaza toward her.
“Where's Uncle Luck, sis? I've
brought this fellow back with me.
Caught him on the mesa,” explained
the boy sulkily.
Fendrlck bow'ed rather extravagant-
ly. “He’s qualifying for a moving-pic-
ture show actor, Miss Culllson. I
hadn’t (he heart to disappoint him
when he got that cannon trained on
me. So here I am.”
Kate looked at him and then let her
gnze travel to her cousin. She some-
how gave the effect of Judging him
of negligible value.
“I think he’s In his office, Bob. I’ll
go see.”
She w'ent swiftly and presently her
father enme out. Kate did not return.
Luck looked straight at Cnss with
the uncompromising hostility so char-
acteristic of him. Neither of the men
■poke. It was Bob who made the nec-
essary explanations.
“I’ve been looking for you,’’ Luck
In his faff both terror and a sly,
dogged cunning. Ouee before the fel-
low had been put through the third de-
gree. Something of the sort he fear-
fully expected now. Villainy Is usually
not consistent. This hulking bully
should have been a hardy ruffian. In-
stead, he shrank like a schoolgirl from
the thought of physical pain.
“Stand up,” ordered Culllson, quiet-
ly.
Blackwell got to his feet at once.
“Don’t hit me,” he whined.
Luck knew the man sweated under
the punishment his Imagination called
up, and he understood human nature
too well to end the suspense by mak-
U
“Don’t Hit Me,” He Whined.
Ing real the vision. For then the
worst would be past, since the actual
is never equal to what Is expected.
“Well?” Luck watched him with the
look of tempered steel In his hard
eyes. •
"t—t—Mr. Culllson, I want to ex-
plain. Every man Is liable to make a
mistake—go off half cocked. I didn’t
do right. That’s a fac’. I can explain
all that, but I’m sick now—awful
aick,”
Culllson—he’s aiming to kill me soon
as you’ve gone."
"I’ve got no time to fool away,
Blackwell. I’m hungry. If you mean
business get to it. But remember that
whatever you say will be used against
you.”
•Til tell you any dog-goned thing
you want to know. You've got me
beat. I’m plumb wore out—sick. A
man enn’t stand everything."
"Sit down. There's a good dinner
waiting for you at Chine’s when you
gel through.”
His story was thnt he had found on
the street a letter that had Inadver-
tently been dropped. It wns to Jordan
of the Cattleman’s National bank, and
It notified him that $20,000 was to be
| shipped to him by the W. & S. Express
J company on the night of the robbery.
Blackwell resolved {o have a try for
| It.- He hung around the office until the
manager and the guard arrived from
the train, made his raid upon them,
locked the door, and threw away his
mask. He dived with the satchel Into
the nearest alley, and came face to
face with the stranger whom he later
learned to be Fendrlck.
Fendrlck, who had heard the shout-
ing of the men locked In the express
office, stopped the robber, but Black-
well broke away and raD down the
alley. The sheepman followed and
caught him. After another scuffle the
convict ngaln hammered himself free,
but left behin* the hand satchel con-
taining the spoils. Fendrlck (so he
later explained to Blackwell) tied a
cord to the handle of the bag and
dropped It down the chute of a laun-
dry in such a way that It could later
he drawn up. Then he hurried back
to the express office and released the
prisoners. After the excitement had
subsided, he had returned for the
money and hid It. The original robber
did not know w-here.
Blackwell’s second meeting with the
sheepman had been almost as startling
as the first. Cass had run Into the
Jack of Hearts In time to save the life
of his enemy. The two men recognized
each other and entered into a compact
to abduct ’Culllson. for his share In
which the rflder man was paid one
thousand dollars.
Both men asked the same question as
soon as he had finished.
"Where Is the money you got from
the raid on the W. & S. office?"
“Don’t know. I’ve been at Fendrlck
ever since to tell me. He's got it salt-
til B^pjewhcre. You're flxiof to pyt
said bluntly, after his nephew had fin-
ished.
“So I gathered from young Jesse
James. Anything’ particular, or Just
a pleasant social call?"
"You’re In bad on this W. & S. rob-
bery. I reckoned you would be safer
In jail till It’s cleared Dp.”
"You still sheriff, Mr. Culllson?
Somehow I had got a notion that you
had quit the Job."
“I’m an interested party. Weil take
the stage Into town and see what
O'Connor says—that Is. If you’ve got
time to go." Luck could be as formal
In his sarcasm as his neighbor.
"With such good company on the
way I’ll have to make time.”
The stage did not usually leave till
about half past one. Presently Kate
announced dinner. A little awkwardly
Luck Invited the sheepman to Join
them. Fendrlck declined.
His host hung In the doorway. Sel-
dom at a loss to Express himself, he
did not quite know how to put Into
words what he was thinking. His ene-
my understood.
“That’s all right. You’ve satisfied
the demands of hospitality. Go eat
your dinner. I'll be right here on the
porch when you get through."
Kate, who was standing beside her
father, spoke quietly.
“There’s a place for you, Mr. Fend-
rlck. We should be very pleased to
have you Join us. People who happen
to he at the Circle C at dinner time are
expected to eat here."
Fendrlck looked at the young mis-
tress of the ranch. He meant to de-
cline once more, but unaccountably
found himself accepting Instead. Some-
thing In her face told him she would
rather have It so.
Presently a young man came Into the
dining room and sat down beside Kate.
He looked the least In the world sur-
prised at sight of the sheepman.
"Mornln’, Cass,” he nodded.
“Morning, Curly," answered Fend-
rlck. "Didn’t know you were riding for
the Circle C.” _
"He's my foreman,” Luck explained.
Cass observed that he was quite one
of the family. Bob admired him open-
ly and without shame, because he was
the best rider In Arizona ; Kate seemed
to be on the best of terms with him
and Luck treated him with the off-
hand bluffness he might have used to-
ward a grown son.
The stage brought the two men to
town shortly after sundown. Luck
called up O’Connor and made an ap-
pointment to meet him nfter supper.
"There’s a matter that needs ex-
plaining, Cnss. According to Rlnck-
well’s story, you caught him with the
goods at the time of the robbery, and
In making his get-away he left the
loot with you. What have you done
with It?”
"Blackwell told you that, did he?"
"Yes."
"Don't doubt your word for a mo-
ment, Bucky, but before I do nny talk-
ing I’d like to hear him say so. I’ll
not round on him until i know he's
given himself away.”
The convict was sent for. He sub-
stantiated the ranger reluctantly, lie
was so hemmed Iw that he did not
know how to play his cards so ns to
mnke the most of them.
Cnss heard him out with a lifted
upper Up and his most somnolent tiger-
cat expression. After Blackwell had
finished and been withdrawn from cir-
culation he rolled and lit a cigarette.
“By Mr. Blackwell’s say-so I’m the
goat. By the way, has It ever occurred
to you gentlemen thnt one can't be
convicted on the testimony of a single
accomplice?"
"We've gcA a little circumstantial
evidence to Hdd, Cnss," Bucky suggest-
ed pleasantly.
"Not enough—not nearly enough."
"Thnt will he for a Jury to decide,”
Culllson chipped In.
Fendrlck shrugged. ‘Tve n notion
to let It go to that. But what's the
use? Understand this. I wasn’t going
to give Blackwell away, hut since he
has tnlked, I may tell what I know.
It’s true enough what he says. I did
relieve him of the plunder."
"Sorry to henr that, Cnss," Bucky
commented gravely. "What did you
do with It?"
The sheep owner flicked his cigar-
ette ash Into the tray nnd looked at the
lieutenant out of half-shuttered, Indo-
"Qive It to You, Bucky.”
lent eyes. "Gave It to you, Bucky. Got
that letter I hnnded you the other
day?”
The officer produced It from his saft,
"Open It.”
With a paper knife Bucky ripped the
flop and took out a sheet of paper.
“There’s something else In there,"
Fendrlck suggested.
That something else proved to be a
piece of paper folded tightly, which,
being opened, disclosed a key.
O’Connor read aloud the letter:
"To Nicholas Bolt, Sheriff, or Bucky
O’Connor, Lieutenant of Rangers:
“Having come Into possession of a
little valise which Is not mine, I am
getting rid of It In the following man-
ner. 1 have rented a large safety-de-
posit box at the Cattleman’s National
bank and have put Into It the vnlise
with the lock still unbroken. The key
1b Inclosed herewith. Shaw, the cash
ler, will tell you that when this box
was rented I gave explicit orders It
should be opened ouly by the tnen
whose names are given In an envelope
left with him, not even excepting my-
self. The valise was deposited at ex-
actly 10:30 a. ra. the morning after
the robbery, as Mr. Shaw will also
testify. I am writing this the evening
of the same day.
"CASS FENDRICK."
"Don’t believe a word of It," Culllson
exploded.
"Seeing is believing,” the sheepman
murmured. He was enjoying greatly
the discomfiture of his foe.
"Makes a likely fairy tale. What for
would you keep the money and not
turn It back?"
"That’s an easy one, Luck. He
wanted to throw the burden of the
robbery on you,” Bucky explained.
“Well, I’ve got to be shown.”
In the morning he was shown. Shaw
confirmed exactly what Fendrlck had
said. He produced a sealed envelope.
Within this was a sheet of paper, upon
which were written two lines:
"Box 2143 Is to be opened only by
Sheriff Bolt or Lieutenant Bucky
O’Connor of the Rangers, and before
witnesses.
"CASS FENDRICK."
From the safety-deposit vault Bucky
drew a large package wrapped In yel-
low paper. He cut the string, tore
away the covering and disclosed a
leather satchel. Perry Hawley, the
local manager of the Western & South-
ern Express company, fitted to this
a key and took out a sealed bundle.
This he ripped open before them all.
Inside wns found the sum of twenty
thousand dollars In crisp new bills.
CHAPTER IX.
A Cleanup.
A slight accident occurred at tire
Jail, one so unimportant that Scanlnn
the jailer did not think It worth ri»
porting to his chief. Blackwell, while
entlng, knocked n glass from the table
and broke It on the cement floor of his
cell.
From the little table In his room he
pried loose one of the corner braces.
At night he scraped nwny at this with
his bit of glass until the wood began
to take the shape of a revolver. This
he carefully blacked with the Ink
brought him by his guard. To the end
of his weapon he fitted nn Iron washer
taken from the bedstead. Then he
waited for his opportunity.
His chance came through the good-
nature of Scanlnn. Blackwell pre-
tended to be out of chewing tobacco
nnd asked the guard to buy hint some.
About ten o’clock Scanlan returned
nnd brought the tobacco to his pris-
oner. As he passed Hie ping through
the grntitig Blackwell’s fingers closed
around Ids wrist nnd drew the man
close to the Iron lattice work. Simul-
taneously a cold rim was pressed
agninst the temple of the guard.
"Don’t move, or Pll fill you full of
holes," the convict warned.
Scanlnn did not move, not until the
man In the cell gave the word. Then
he obeyed orders to the letter. Ills
right hand found the bunch of keys,
fitted the correct one to the door nnd
unlocked It according to Instructions.
Not until he was relieved of his wea-
pon did Blackwell release him. The
Jailer was backed Into the cell, gagged
with n piece of tori* bedding nnd left
locked up ns securely ns tlie other hnd
been a few’ minutes earlier.
The convict made his wny down-
stnirs, opened the outofl door with the
hunch of keys he hnd tnken from Scnn-
lnn, locked It behind him nnd slipped
into the first nlley that offered refuge.
Two hours Inter he stole a horse from
nn Irrigated rnnch near town. Within
twenty-four hours he had reached the
Soapy Stone horse rnnch nnd safety.
After this the plnns for the ruld on
the Texas, Arizona & Pacific flyer
moved swiftly to n head. Soapy Stone
am] Sam dropped Into Saguache In-
conspicuously one evening. Next day
Stone rode down to Tin Cup to look
over the ground. Maloney telephoned
their movements to the- Circle C nnd
to the Hashknlfe. This brought to
Sagunche Luck Culllson, Curly Flnn-
drau nnd Slats Dnvis. Bucky O'Connor
had been called to Douglas on Impor-
tant business and could not lend his
help.
Luck, Curly and Dick Maloney had
already ridden over the country sur-
rounding llie scene of the projected
holdup. They had decided that the
robbery would probably tnke place at
the depot, so thnt the outlaws could
get the agent to atop the flyer without
arousing suspicion. In u pocket of the
hills back of the station a camp had
been selected, Its site well bnck from
any trail nnd so situated that from It
one could command a view of Tin Cup.
The owner of the Circle C selected
three of his close-mouthed riders—
Sweeney, Jake and Buck were the
ones he chose—to hold the camp with
him until after the robbery. The only
signal they needed was the stopping of
the Flyer nl Tin Cup. Then they would
come pounding down from the hills in
time to catch the robbers before they
hud got through with their work. Ma-
loney or Curly would be on the train
to take a hand In the bnttle. Cuught
by surprise, Soapy's gang would surely
be trapped.
So (hey planned It, but It hnppened
that Soapy Stone hnd made Ills ar-
rangements differently.
Luck nnd his riders took their blan-
kets and their traps down to Tin Cup
according to agreement, while Davis,
Maloney nnd Flundrau beenme vary
friendly with Snrn. The boy, younger
than nny of them, wns flattered that
three of the best known riders in the
territory should make so much of him.
Young Culllson had stopped drink-
ing, hut he could not keep his nerves
from jumping. His companions
watched him so closely that he was
never out of the sight of at least one
of them. Soapy had decreed the boy’s
death by treachery, but his friends
were determined to save him and to
end forever the reign of Stone as a
bad man.
It wns one day when the four young
cowpunchers were sitting together In
Curly's room playing poker that a spe-
cial delivery letter came to Sam. The
others, to cover their excitement, start-,
ed an argument. Presently Sam spoke,
as Indifferently as he could.
"Got the offer of a job down the
line. Think I'll run down tonight as
far ns Casa Grande and see what’s do-
ing.”
This wns about two o’clock In the
afternoon. The game dragged on for
a while, but nobody took any Interest
In it. Sam had to get ready for the
work of the night, and the rest were
anxious to get out and give him- a
chance. So presently Dick threw down
his cards.
"I’vq had enough poker for one ses-
sion. Me. I’m going to drift out and
see what’s moving in town."
"Think I’ll snooze for a while," Sam
said, stretching sleepily.
The others trooped out nnd left him
alone. From the room rented by Davis
the three watched to see. thnt Sam did
not leave without being observed, lie
did not appear, and about six o’clock
Curly went back to his room.
"Time to grub,” he sang out
"That’s right," Sara agreed.
They went to the New Orleans Hash
nouse and presently Davis and Ma-
loney also arrived. The party ordered
a good dinner nnd took plenty of time
to eat It. Sam was obviously nervous,
but eager to cover his uneasiness un-
der a show of good spirits.
iTO BE CONTINUED}
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Forgy, F. E. Mountain View Times (Mountain View, Okla.), Vol. 22, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, August 13, 1920, newspaper, August 13, 1920; Mountain View, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc914268/m1/3/: accessed April 17, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.