Zane Grey Comics - Drift Fence # 270

A gripping story of the hat
fighting west, packed with blazing
action and romance.

PICTURIZED
EDITION

HUCK WAGON

□HE BI& COW OUTFITS HAVE TWO ROUNDUPS,
ONE IN THE SPRING-, WHEN THE CALVES
ARE BRANDED AND EARMARKED, AND ANOTHER
IN THE FALL.WHEN THE BEEF STEERS ARE
GATHERED FOR SHIPPIN&TO MARKET. THIS
IS WHEN THE CHUCK WAGON IS ROLLED OUT
AND PUT INTO USE. THESE RIGS HAVE A' CHUCK
8OX"0NTHE BACK. WITH SHELVES FOR, CARRYING-
UTENSILS AND SUPPLIES.ANP A TAIL GATE
WHICH PROPS DOWN, FORMING- A TABLE FOR
THE COOKS USE. MOST ROUNDUP COOKS
ARE OLD-TIME COWBOYS, WHO HAVE BEEN
CRIPPLED UP SO BADLY THAT THEY CAN NO
LONGER STAND THE HARDSHIPS OF A WORKlNG-
COWHAND.AWDTHEYTURNTO COOKING- AS A
MEANS OF MAKING- A LIVING-. THE ROUNDUP
HE UNDISPUTED
BOSS OP THE WAGON. THE
SPACE UNDEKTHE
CHUCK WAGON IS
RESERVED FOR HIS
' BED. THE THOUGHTLESS
COWBOY WHO RIDES
I HIS HORSE TOO CLOSE
TOTHEViTCHEN'.'AND
KICKS SO/VIE PUST
OR DIRT INTO THE
FOOD, IS LIKELY TO
RNP HIMSELF WITH
^ A DUTCH OVEN LID
OR A SKILLET WRAPPED AROUND HIS
NECK. EVEN THE' FOREMAN WALKS EASY, OR
i^E MIGHT BE LOOKING- FOR A NEW COOK-
THE FOOD SERVED USUALLY CONSISTS OF BEEF;
BEANS, COFFEE, AND EITHER, PA KING POWPER
BISCUITS, OR SOUR DOUG-H BREAD. MOST
OF THE OUTFITS HAVE SOME MOLASSES, OR

PRIED APRICOTS OR APPLES. AND OCCASIONALLY
THE COOK GETS AMBITIOUS.AND STIRS UP A
COBBLER OR SOME PIES. THE COOKING- IS PONE
IN DUTCH OVENS, FRY PANS AND HUGE KETTLES.
" ANV DRIFTING- COWBOY
WHO HAPPENS ONTO
AN OUTFrT WAGON.15
ALWAYS WELCOME
TO STEP POWN
flfc»'^*frflJ l£LA kuBBfcfe. AND HAVE A-
■ *WZ. *"J"4l; ' l W«wi«, ME ^L ORTWQ
AND REST HIS HORSES. ONE eiG CALIFORNIA
OUTFIT.WHiCH RUNS CATTLE OVER ALMOST
A HALF MILLION ACRES, HAS A CHUCK WAGON
BUILT ON A TRUCK CHASSIS. THIS TRUCK IS
GEARED SO THAT FT CAN BE DRIVEN EVERY
PLACE THEY WORK, EXCEPT ONE. THIS CAMP
IS SO INACCESSIBLE THAT IT CAN BE REACHED
ONLY ON HORSEBACK. WHEN THIS AREA IS
WORKED,THE SUPPLIES ARE CARRIED ON
PACK HORSES. IT IS CLAIMED THAT THE OLD

dU PRAIRIE CATTLE COMPANY. OF COLORADO,
USED TO WORK ELEVEN WAGONS. THIS WAS
A STRAIG-HT STEER OUTFIT. AT ROUNDUP
TIME THEY EMPLOYED OVER A HUNDRED
COWBOYS.ANP USED ALMOST ATHOU5AND
SADDLE HORSES'. THEy SHIPPED MORE THAN
TEN THOUSAND 5TEERS TO /VW?kFT EVERY FALL.

.

Published br

V Z"W Grey, copyiisbt.

Dell Piibliihin. Co,. Inc., 161

L P. Dtlaeorte, Vice- Pic ijiEent. Sii>B>e copit*

Ct.uvr.tlu, \1i0. by ZtucQrrj, lr~ ™

miFTFBNCe

■^ Z.t.OS 'JT0-S03

/ BOYS, SHAKE HANDS WITH MY NEPHEW \
( AND NAMESAKE, JIM TRAFT. HE'S J
/ COME WEST TO HUN THE DIAMOND )

W^^BL*^

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x^xiy

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AFTER THE INITIAL
INTRODUCTIONS
HAD BEEN MAOE.JIM
AND HIS UNCLE
RETIRED TO THE
LIVING ROOM Of THE
RANCH- IT WASTHEN
JIM WAS TOLD THE
REASON FOR HIS

JIM, I SENT FOR YOU BECAUSE
X NEED YOUR HELP. I'VE BEEN
LOSING OVER A THOUSAND HEAD OF
CATTLE EACH YEAR AND I WANT
IT STOPPED. I'M TOO OLD TO
DO IT MYSELF— AND YOU ARE
MY ONLY KIN

Uncle jim then proceedeoto
explain the purpose to be
.served by the erection of a
drift fence. he pointed out
that his losses of cattle
resulted from their drift-
ing into the low country,
south of the diamond ranch
where they were either
killed or stolen. he felt
the only way to prevent
these losses would be to
build a drift fence along
the southerly edgeofthe
diamond ranch so that th[
cattle would only 60 as
far as the fence anothen
jift back.

THAT'S RICH, FIRST ATENDEHFOOT OUOE
FOREMAN, AND THEN A 6ARBE0 WIHE ORI
FENCE. WHAT'S THE RANGE COMIN<

The insolence in jocelyn's voice
rankled jim.

IT WASK T LONG
SCFO*£ JIM RECEIVED
* HALF-HEARTED
APOC06Y FROM HACK
JOCEIYN.HE ACCEPT-
ED rT IN ORDER TO
KEEP HARMONY IN
THE DIAMOND OUT-
FIT. WITHIN A FEW
WEEKS ALLTHE
SUPPLIESWEREIN-
THE BUILDING OF THE
DRIFT FENCE HAD
BEGUN. JIM DUG THE
FIRST POSTHOLE
HIMSELF.

IT WAS AT THIS

MOMENT THAT JIM

REALIZEDTHATHIS

STANDING UPTO

DUNN AND HIS PARD

HAD AT LEAST WON

FOR HIM THE

RESPECT AND

SUPPORT OF THE

DIAMOND OUTFIT.

HE HAD BEEN TRIED

AND NOT FOUND

WANTING.

AS THE Y0MN6 GIRL LOOKE D 01 RECTLY AT
KIM, JIM REALIZED WHAT A
DAZZLING BEAUTY SHE

I'LL TAKE OVER NOW, MOLLY.

WAY.MGLLY--DOYOU KNOW >

THAT FELLOW IS?

The booeo had just begun when jim arrived at the staoium.

The first event was just starting.

THE LASSO SPED TO ITS MARK FOR A NEW
TIME RECORD IN CALF ROPING.-

(ft THIS EVENT, TOO, A DIAMOND MAN WON OUT.

IN QUICK SUCCESSION, THE COW-
BOYS WITH THE LARGE D ON THEIR
ARM BANDS, IDENTIFYING THEM
AS MEMBERS OF JIMTRAfT'S
DIAMOND OUTFIT, ASSERTED THEIR
SUPERIORITY OVER THE OTHER
OUTFITS. OUTOF SIXTEEN EVENTS,
THE DIAMOND HAD WON NINE FIRST
PRIZES. JIM WAS PROUD OF THEM
AND PROUDER STILL TO BE THEIR
80SS.

For a moment young love h^losway, but

THEN - -

AS JIM MADE HIS WAY BACK
TO CAMP, HIS THOUGHTS WERE
ALL. OF MOLLY DUNN AND HER
DESPERADO, GUN -THROWING
BROTHER, SLINGER . HE KNEW
THE AFFAIR IN THE GARDEN
WAS NO PASSING INFATUATION.
THE ONLY DISCOURAGING
FEATURE INTHE ENTIRE
PICTURE WAS HER BROTHER,
AND THAT WAS A PROBLEM
THE SOLUTION TO WHICH JIM
HAD NO WAY OF EVEN
IMAGINING.

[

If ft -.*&v\TS

•

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^

. ■;

f NOT SO MUCH THAT I COULDN'T SEE J
^YOU HUGGING THAT HUSSY, MOLLY J

ZtTTHE MENTION OF MOLLY'S NAME, JIM
LOSTHtS TEMPER.

From the beginning it was obviously no
match. jim cleverly sidestepped curly s
wide-sweeping punches and effectively
countered with clean and telling blows-

7 LET THIS
LESSON TO

REST OF

However, jim could not still the gossip
that spread like wildfire. as is usual with
gossip, at each telling the tale grew
further and further from the truth, hack
jocelyn, disgruntleo member of the diamond
outfit, who sought molly dunn for himself,,
made certain that these garbleq tales
reached the ears of slin6er dunn.

2TJa

HACK JOCELYN LOOKED AROUND AT HIS FORMER
PALS, HE SAW NO FRIENDLY FACE, NOR SIGN OF
ANYONE SIDING WITH HIM. THE MEN KNEW HE WAS
AMEAN BULLY AND ALL WERE GLAD TO BE RID OF
HIM. AS HACK TURNED ON HIS HEEL.CURLY SAID,
"REMEMBER.BOSS, HACK'S A KILLER. HE'S
GONNA BE GUNNIN' FOR YA. WHEN YOU SEE HIM
AFTER THIS — GRAB YOUR GUN AN' SHOOT
FIRST. DON'T EVER LET HIM SEE YOUR BACK *"

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HISVIOLENT COLLISION WITH THE GROUND
ENOED JIM'S CONSCIOUSNESS.

^^SIJh

IT'S ABOUT THAT NIGHT AT THE DANCE.
SLINGER BELIEVES THE WORST. I
FOLLOWED HIM IN
THE HOPES OF
STOPPING HIM

JIM DID NOT SEND MOLLY
BACK TO THE DIAMOND
OUTFIT TO GET AID. HE -
FEARED THAT HIS COW-
BOYS WOULD TAKE
MATTERS INTO THEIR
OWN HANDS AND SEEK
OUT SLINGER DUNN.
J I M KNEW HE WOULD HAVE
TO SEE SLINGER HIMSELF.
FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS
MOLLY MINISTERED TO
JIM, ARRIVING AT THE
BREAK OF DAY AND
LEAVING AT SUNDOWN.

JIM THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL HIS
COWBOYS OF HIS DISCOVERY OFTHE CUT
IN THE DRIFT FENCE. HE TOLD THEM HOW
HE HAD BEEN SHOT DOWN WHILE FOLLOWING
THE HOOF-TRACKS LEADING FROM THE FENCE.
HE OMITTED TELLING THEMTHATHIS
ASSAILANT HAD BEEN SLINGER DUNN.

AND WHEN I CAME TO-- MOLLY WAS BATHING '
MY HEAD. SHE HAS BEEN NURSING ME EVER
SINCE. HER BROTHER TRAILED HER AND WHEN
YOU CAME UP, WAS

ACCUSING ME OF BAD
NTIONS

CURLY AND BUD DISCREETLY LEFT,
SUPPOSEDLY TO GET THE HORSES,
BUT ACTUALLY, TO ENABLE MOLLY
ANO JIM TO HAVE A FEW MINUTES

ALONE.

ITWASAMONTH BEFORE
JIM HAD FULLY RECUPER-
ATED FROM SUNSER
DUNN'S GUNSHOT. JIM
REALIZED THAT SOONER
OR LATER HE WOULD
HAVE TO SETTLE
MATTERS WITH SLIN5ER,
AND THE SOONER HE DID
IT.THE BETTER IT
WOULD BE FOR MOLLY
AND HIM.

f NOW ABOUT YOUR SISTER— I UNDER- 1
STAND THAT YOU BELIEVE I MISTREATED
HER--THE TRUTH IS THAT I'VE ASKED HER

V TO MARRY ME AND ONE OF THE REASONS
7 SHE GAVE FOR REFUSING ME t-*

SL1NGER FLINCHED ASTHEWORDS STRUCK HOME.

JIM CONTINUED.

IFYOUWEREAMAN.YOUD QUIT THIS
LAZY, DRINKING,GUN-SUNGING LIFE
AND STOP DISGRACING HER. THE FACT
THAT YOU BELIEVED THE LYING GOSSIP
ABOUT HER SHOWS YOU'RE NO GOOD,
AND I'M HERE TO BACK UP MY STATE-
MENTS WITH MY FISTS.

AN INTERESTED
AND MUCH HORRIFIED
SPECTATOR OF THEIR
BATTLE WAS NONE
OTHER THAN THE
REASON FOR IT —
MOLLY DUNN. AT
THE END OF IT, SHE
RAN HOME SOBBING
—TERRIFIED AND
IN ATERRIBLE
STATE OF MIND.

/ HE WAS A BETTER MAN TODAY --

I BUT I RECKON THERE'S

^*7 ANOTHER WAY. j—

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jk

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SLINGER SOON FELL INTO DEEPSLUM8ER. NIGHT
FELL AND AFTER MAKING SLINGER COMFORTABLE,
MOLLY STEPPEO OUT INTO THE EVENING AIR. A
SHORT WALK ALONE MIGHT HELP HER COLLECT
HER THOUGHTS.

/ YOU'RE NOT HURT, JIM
L — ARE YOU?

DON T WORRY-AFTER WE GET THE DOUGH-
WE'LL DISPOSE OF TRAFT AND HANG HIS
BODY ON THE DRIFT FENCE. I'VE GOT IT
ALL FIXED-SUNGER DUNN'LL flE BLAMED
FOR IT.

jFT^Jun

IF

HACK FIRED,ANDTHE
SHATTERING OF GLASS
BROKE THE SUSPENSE.

MOLLY MADE A VAIN ATTEMPT TO
APPEAL TO HER BROTHER'S FORMER
FRIENDS, SETH AND SAM HAVERLY .
THEY RESPONDE0 BY DODGING INTO
THE CABIN. THUS MOLLY AND THE
HELPLESS JIM WERE LEFT ALONE
TO FACE THE ONCOMING KILLER.
MQLLY DID NOT BACK AWAY BUT
REMAINED AT JIM'S SIDE,
SHIELDING HIM FROM THE
EXPECTED ASSAULT.

While mollv looseneo
■the bounds that tied jim,
sungersetoutto
avenge his betrayal
by his erstwhile
buddies. seth and
sam haverl.y. at the
sight of sunger.the
other outlaws had
quickly disappeared,
seth and sam remained
in the cabin awaiting
slinger — realizing
that the showdown
was at hand and
could not be avoided.

A BULLET WHIZZED BY SLINGER'S CHEEK ANO IN A
FLASH,HEWASHUgGINS THE OUTSIDE CABIN WALL

WH ILE THEY AWAITED
THE DOCTOR.CURLY
AND JIM ERECTED A
TARPAULIN SHELTER
IN THE DOOR WAY.
ASSLINGER FELL
INTO A DEEP COMA,
MOLLY AND JIM
WERE FEARFULOF
HIS LIFE . THE
NEXT NIGHT.JACK
AND DOCTOR
SHIELOS ARRIVED.

f HERE'S HY HAND, SL1NGER.AND WITH IT IS \

THE END OF BAD 8L000 BETWEEN US, AND J

THE BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE FOR f

MOLLY AS MRS. JIM TRAFT.

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TJhe BEST WAV IN THE WORLD TO START
A BIS ARG-UMEtTr, AMONG- HORSE BREAKERS
AND COWBOYS, 13 TO GET A DISCUSSION GOING.
ON THE RELATIVE MERITS OF THE HACKAMORE,
VERSUS THE SNAFFLE BIT, IN THE HANPLING-
OF X5UH& HORSES. BOTH OF THESE RIGS HAVE
THEIR MERITS. A*SNAFFLE BIT MAN" WONT
HAVE ANYTHING- "TO DO WITH -A HACKAMOR&
WITHOUT A DOUBT, HE CAN GET THE cJOB

PONE MORE. QUICKLY ANP HAVE -A HORSE
WORKING- FAIRLY WELL IN ABOUT THREE
WEEKS. ON THE OTHER HAND, A"HACKAMORE
MAN* MAY SPENP SEVERAL- MONTH'S ON -A
COLT BEFORE HE EVER PUTS A BIT IN -HIS
MOUTH, BUT IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT THAT/
ALMOST INVARIABLY, THE BEST REINED COW
HORSES HAVE BEEN STARTED, AND WORKED
FOR SOME TIME, IN A HACKAMORE..

Ha,

CKAMORE

/^ HACKAMORE IS NOTHING- MORE
THAN A HALTER. IT IS COMPOSED OF
A BRAIDED RAWHIDE NOSE 8AND,OR
"80SAL*; -A LIGHTWEIGHT LEATHER.
HEAPSTALL, AND -f\ SMALL COTTON
ROPE WHICH FrTS AROUND THE HORSES
NECK, FORMING- A T+HRO AT LATCH,
AND TyiNG- TO THE "BOSAL UNDER
THE HORSES CHIN. THE REINS ARE
CALLED A'MSCARTY'aNP ARE USUALLY
MADE OF A LARGE. HORSEHAIR- OR
COTTON ROPE.TIEP IN A ROUND KNOT
TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BOSAL.AND
SO ARRANGED, THAT THE LOOSE ENP
CAN BE USED FOR, A TIE -ROPE.

l&eS

NAFFLE

The snaffle bit is made of four
pieces. the mouthpiece is joined
in the center anp attached to
large rings on the outside. this
makes it loose anp flexible. the
headstall on this rig- is usually
made of heaw skirting or latiso
leather and is composed of at
throatlatch; cheeks, crown, brow
band anp bosa.l. some horse
breakers put on a curb strap
to keep the bft ring-s in place-
the best reins for this type of
outfit are made of latiso leather,
about an inch anp a quarter. in
width anp seven feet long-.

A fence stood
between them; a
barrier that be-
gan a gun totin'
feud — a drift
fence that could
not divide two
hearts meant to
be one.