The Bar-20 three

0

LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

RIVERSIDE

THE BAR -20 THREE

THE BAR-20 THREE

THE

BAR-20 THREE

BY CLARENCE E: MULFORD

AUTHOR OF

"Johnny Nelson," "Hopalong Cassidy" "Bar-2o Days"

"Buck Peters, Ranchman" "The Man from Bar-20t"

"Bar-20" "The Coming of Cassidy" etc.

FRONT: SPIECK BY
FRANK E. SCHOONOVER

A. L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers New York

Published by arangement with A. C McClurg & Co.

PS 3S2.S~

Copyright

A. C. McClurg & Co.
1921

Published April, 1921

Copyrighted in Great Britain

CONTENTS

CHAPTER i-AGE

I "Puta'T'inlt". . . . I

II Weil-Known Strangers 17

III A Question of Identity 28

IV A Journey Continued 49

V What the Storm Hid 66

VI The Writing on the Wall 82

VII The Third Man 89

VIII Notes Compared 103

IX Ways of Serving Notice 114

X Twice in the Same Place 126

XI A Job Well Done 133

XII Friends on the Outside 140

XIII Out and Away 160

XIV The Staked Plain 178

XV Discoveries ............ 198

XVI A Vigil Rewarded .......... 223

XVII A Well-Planned Raid 242

XVIII The Trail-Boss Tries His Way 254

XIX A Desert Secret 260

XX The Redoubt Falls 277

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

XXI All Wrapped Up 287

XXII The Bonfire 310

XXIII Surprise Valley 324

XXIV Squared Up All Around ........ 344

The Bar-20 Three

CHAPTER I

IDAHO NORTON, laughing heartily, backed out of
the barroom of Quayle's hotel and trod firmly on the
foot of Ward Corwin, sheriff of the county, who was
about to pass the door. Idaho wheeled, a casual apology
trembling on his lips, to hear a biting, sarcastic flow of
words, full of profanity, and out of all proportion to the
careless injury. The sheriff's coppery face was a deeper
color than usual and bore an expression not pleasant to see.
The puncher stepped back a pace, alert, lithe, balanced, the
apology forgotten, and gazed insolently into the peace
officer's wrathful eyes.

" — an' why don't you look where yo're steppin' ? Don't
you know how to act when you come to town ? " snarled
the sheriff, finishing his remarks.

Idaho looked him over coolly. " I know how to act in
any company, even yourn. Just now I ain't actin' — I'm
waitin'."

The sheriff's eyes glinted. " I got a good mind "

:< You ain't got nothin' of th' sort," cut in the puncher,
contemptuously. " You ain't got nothin' good, except,

THE BAR-SO THREE

mebby, yore reg'lar plea of self-defense. I'm sayin' out
loud that that ain't no good, here an' now ; an' I'm waitin'
to take it away from you an' use it myself. You been
trustin' too cussed much to that nickel badge."

Bill Trask, deputy, who had a reputation not to be over
looked, now took a hand from the rear, eager to add to his
list of victims from any of that outfit. The puncher was
between him and the sheriff, and hardly could watch them
both. Trask gently shook his belt and said three unprinta
ble words which usually started a fight, and then glared
over his shoulder at a sudden interruption, tense and
angry.

" Shut up, you ! " said the voice, and he saw a two-gun
stranger slouching away from the hotel wall. The deputy
took him in with one quick glance and then his eyes re
turned to those of the stranger and rested there while a
slight prickling sensation ran up his spine. He had looked
into many angry eyes, and in many kinds of circumstances,
but never before had his back given him a warning quite
so plainly. He grew restless and wanted to look away,
but dared not; and while he hung in the balance of hesita
tion the stranger spoke again. " Two to one ain't fair,
'specially with the lone man in th' middle ; but I'll make th'
odds even, for I'm honin' to claim self-defense, myself.
It's right popular. I saw it all — an' I'm sayin' you are
three chumps to get all het up over a little thing like that.
Mebby his toes are tender — but what of it ? He ain't no
baby, leastawise he don't look like one. An' I'm tellin' you,
an' yore badge-totin' friend, that 7 know how to act, too."
A twinkle came into the hard, blue eyes. " But what's th'
use of actin' like four strange dogs ? "

PUT A 'T' IN IT"

Somewhere in the little crowd a man laughed, others
joined in and pushed between the belligerents ; and in a
minute the peace officers had turned the corner, Idaho was
slowly walking toward the two-gun stranger and the
crowd was going about its business.

"Have a drink?" asked the puncher, grinning as he
pushed back his hat.

" Didn't I just say that I knowed how to act ? " chuckled
the stranger, turning on his heel and following his com
panion through the door. " You must 'a' met them two
before."

" Too cussed often. What'll you have? Make mine a
cigar, too, Ed. No more liquor for me today — Corwin
don't forget."

The bartender closed the box and slid it onto the back-
bar again. " No, he don't," he said. "An5 Trask is worse,"
he added, looking significantly at the stranger, whose cigar
was now going to his satisfaction and who was smilingly
regarding Idaho, and who seemed to be pleased by the
frank return scrutiny.

" You ain't a stranger here no longer," said Idaho,
blowing out a cloud of smoke. " You got two good ene
mies, an' a one-hoss friend. Stayin' long?"

"About half an hour. I got a little bunch of cows on
th' drive west of here, an' they ought to be at Twitchell an'
Carpenter's corrals about now. Havin' rid in to fix up bed
an' board for my little outfit, I'm now on my way to finish
deliverin' th' herd. See you later if yo're in town to
night."

" I don't aim to go back to th' ranch till tomorrow,'*
replied Idaho, and he hesitated. " I'm sorry you horned

THE BAR-%0 THREE

in on that ruckus — there's mebby trouble bloomin' out of
that for you. Don't you get careless till yo're a day's
ride away from this town. Here, before you go, meet Ed
Doane. He's one of th' few white men in this runt of a
town."

The bartender shook hands across the bar. " Pleased
to meet up with you, Mr.— Mr. ? "

" Nelson," prompted the stranger. " How do you do,
Mr. Doane?"

" Half an' half," answered the dispenser of liquids, and
then waved a large hand at the smiling youth. " Shake
han's with Idaho Norton, who was never closer to Idaho
than Parsons Corners, thirty miles northwest of here.
Idaho's a good boy, but shore impulsive. He's spent most
of his life practicin' th' draw, et cetery; an' most of his
money has went for ca'tridges. Some folks say it ain't
been wasted. Will you gents smoke a cigar with me ? "

After a little more careless conversation Johnny nodded
his adieus, mounted and rode south. Not long thereafter
he came within sight of the Question-Mark, Twitchell and
Carpenter's local ranch.

Its valley sloped eastward, following the stream wind
ing down its middle between tall cottonwoods, and the
horizon was limited by the tops of the flanking hills, which
dipped and climbed and zigzagged into the gray of the
east, where great sand hills reared their glistening tops and
the hopeful little creek sank out of sight into the dried,
salty bed of a one-time lake. Near the trail were two
buildings, a small stockaded corral and a wire-fenced
pasture of twenty acres; and the Question-Mark brand,
known wherever cattlemen congregated, even beyond the

"PUT 'A 'T> IN IT"

Canadian line, had been splashed with red paint on the
wall of the larger building. The glaring, silent interroga
tion-mark challenged every passing eye and had started
many curious, grim, and cynical trains of thought in the
minds of tired and thirsty wayfarers along the trail. To
the north of the twenty-acre pasture a herd of SV cattle
grazed, spread out widely, too tired, too content with their
feeding to need much attention.

Johnny saw the great, red question-mark and instantly
drew rein, staring at it. " Why ? " he muttered, and then
grew silent for a moment. Shaking his head savagely he
urged the horse on again, and again glanced at the crimson
interrogation. " D — n you ! " he growled. " There ain't
no man livin' can answer."

He passed the herd at a distance and rode up to the
larger building, where a figure suddenly appeared in the
doorway, looked out from under a shielding hand and
quickly stepped forward to meet him.

" Hello, Nelson ! " came the cheery greeting.

" Hello, Ridley ! " replied Johnny. " Glad to see you
again. Thought I'd bring 'em down to you, an' save you
goin' up th' trail after 'em. Why don't you paint out that
glarin' question-mark on th' side of th' house? "

Ridley slapped his hands together and let out a roar of
laughter. " Has it got you, too ? " he demanded in un
feigned delight.

" Not as much as it would before I got married," replied
Johnny. " I'm beginnin' to see a reason for livin'."

" Good ! " exclaimed Ridley. " If I ever meet yore wife
I'll tell her somethin' that'll make her dreams sweet." The
expression of his face changed swiftly. " Do you

THE BAR-SO THREE

know — " he considered, and changed the form of his
words. " You'd be surprised if you knew th' number of
people hit by that painted question-mark. I've had 'em
ride in here an' start all kinds of conservations with me;
th' gospel sharps are th' worst. One man blew his brains
out in Quayle's hotel because of what that sign started
workin' in his mind. Go look at it: it's full of bullet
holes!"

" I don't have to," replied Johnny, and quickly answered
his companion's unspoken challenge. "An1 I can sleep
under it, an' smile, cuss you ! " He glanced at the distant
cattle. " Have you looked 'em over ? "

Ridley nodded. " They're in good shape. Ready to
count 'em now ? "

" Be glad to, an' get 'em off my han's."

" Bring 'em up in front of th' pasture, an' I'll wait for
you there," said Ridley.

Johnny wheeled and then checked his horse. " What
kind of fellers are Corwin an' Trask? " he asked.

Ridley looked up at him, a curious expression on his
face. "Why?"

" Oh, nothin' ; I was just wonderin'."

"As long as you ain't aimin' to stop around these parts
for long, th' less you know about 'em th' better. I'll be
waitin' at th' pasture."

Johnny rode off and started the herd again, and when it
stopped it was compacted into a long V, with the point
facing the pasture gate, and it poured its units from this
point in a steady stream between the two horsemen at the
open gate, who faced each other across the hurrying pro
cession and built up another herd on the other side, one

PUT A 'T' IN IT"

which spread out and grazed without restraint, unless it
be that of a wire fence. And with the shrinking of the
first and the expanding of the second the SV ownership
changed into that of the Question-Mark.

The shrewd, keen-eyed buyer for Twitchell and Car
penter looked up as the gate closed after the last steer and
smiled across the gap at the SV foreman as he announced
his count.

Johnny nodded. " My figgers, to a T," he said. " That
2-Star steer don't belong to us. Joined up with us some
where along th' trail. You know 'em ? "

" Belongs to Dawson, up on th' north fork of th' Bear.
I'll drop him a check in a couple of days. This feller must
'a' wandered some to get in with yourn. Well, yourn is a
good bunch of four-year-olds. You'll have to wait till I
get to town, for I ain't got a blank check left, an' I shore
ain't got no one thousand one hundred and forty-three
dollars layin' around down here. Want cash or a
check?"

" If I took a check I'd have to send somebody up to
Sherman with it," replied Johnny. " I might take it at
that, if I was goin' right back. Better make it cash,
Ridley."

Ridley grinned. " I've swept up this part of th' country
purty good."

Johnny shook his head. " I'm lookin' for weaners —
an' not in this part of th' country. I'll see you in town,"

"Before supper," said Ridley. "You puttin' up at
Quayle's?"

" You called it," answered Johnny, wheeling. He rode
off, picked up his small outfit and led the way to Mesquite,

8 THE BAR-SO THREE

where he hoped to spend but one night. The little SV
group cantered over the thin trail in the wake of their bob
bing chuck wagon, several miles ahead of them, and
reached the town well ahead of it, much to the cook's vexa
tion. As they neared Quayle's hotel Johnny pulled up.

"This is our stable," he said. "Go easy, boys. We
leave at daylight. See you at supper."

They answered him laughingly and swept on to Kane's
place, which they seemed to sense, each for his favorite,
drink and game.

The afternoon shadows were long when Ridley, just
from the bank, left his rangy bay in front of the hotel
and entered the office, nodding to several men he knew.
He went on through and stopped at the bar.

"Howd'y, Ed," he grunted. "That SV foreman
around ? Nelson's his name."

Ed Doane mopped up the bar mechanically and bobbed
his head toward the door. " Here he comes now. Make
a deal?"

Ridley nodded as he turned. " Hello, Nelson ! Read
this over. If it's all right, sign it, an' we'll let Ed disfigure
it as a witness. I allus like a witness."

Johnny signed it with the pen the bartender provided
and then the bartender labored with it and blew on it to
dry the ink.

" Disfigure it, hey ? " chuckled Ed, pointing to his sig
nature, which was beautifully written but very much over
done. " That bill of sale's worth somethin' now."

Johnny admired it frankly and openly. "I allus did
like shadin', an' them flourishes are plumb fetchin'. Me,
now ; I write like a cow."

PUT A (T' IN IT"

"I'm worse," admitted Ridley, chuckling and giving
Johnny a roll of bills. " Count 'em, Nelson. Folks usually
turn my writin' upside down for th' first try. Speakin'
of witnesses, there's another little thing I like. I allus
seal documents, Ed. Take 'em out of that bottle you hide
under th' bar. Three of 'em. Somehow, Ed, I allus like
to see you stoop like that. Well, Nelson; does it count
up right? Then, business bein' over, here's to th' end of
th' drought."

It went the rounds, Ed accumulating three cigars as his
favorite beverage, and as the glasses clicked down on the
bar Ridley felt for the makings. " Sorry th' bank's closed,
Nelson. It might be safer there over night."

" Mebby — but it's safe enough, anyhow," smiled John
ny, shrugging his shoulders. "Anyhow th' bank wouldn't
be open early enough in th' mornin' for us. Which re
minds me that I better go out an' look around. My four-
man outfit's got to leave at daylight."

" I'll go with you as far as th' street," said Ridley. As
they neared the door Johnny hung back to let his com
panion pass through first and as he did so he heard a soft
call from the bartender, and half turned.

" Come here a minute," said Doane, leaning over the
bar. " It ain't none of my business, Nelson, but I'm say in'
/ wouldn't go into Kane's with th' wad of money you got
on you ; an' if I did I shore wouldn't show it nor get in no
game. You don't have to remember that I said anythin'
about this."

" I never gamble with money that don't belong to me,"
replied Johnny, " nor not even while I've got it on me ; an'
already I've forgot you said anythin'. That place must be

io THE BAR-HP THREE

a sort of ' sink of iniquity,' as that sanctified parson called
Abilene."

" Huh ! " grunted Doane. " You can put a * T ' in that
' sink/ an' there's only one place where a * T ' will fit. Th'
money would be enough, but in yore case there's more.
Idaho said it."

" He's only a kid," deprecated Johnny.

" 'Out of th' mouths of babes — ' " replied Doane. " I'm
tellin' you — that's all."

Ridley stuck his head in at the door. " So-long, fellers,"
he said.

" Hey, Ridley ! " called the bartender hurriedly.
" Would you go into Kane's if you had Nelson's roll on
you?"

" Not knowin' what I might do under th' infloonce of
likker, I can't say," answered Ridley; "but if I did I
wouldn't drink in there. So-long, an' I mean it, this
time," and he did.

Johnny left soon afterward and wandered along the
street toward the building on the northern outskirts of the
town where Pecos Kane ran a gambling-house and hotel.
Johnny ignored the hotel half and lolled against the door
as he sized up the interior of the gambling-hall, and in
stantly became the center of well-disguised interest.
While he paused inside the threshold a lean, tall man
arose from a chair against the wall and sauntered care
lessly out of sight through a narrow doorway leading to
a passage in the rear. Kit Thorpe was not a man to loaf
on his job when a two-gun stranger entered the place,
especially when the stranger appeared to be looking for
someone. Otherwise there was no change in the room,

"PUT A 'T' IN IT" ii

the bartender polishing his glasses without pause, the card
players silently intent on their games and the man at the
deserted roulette table who held a cloth against the ornate
spinning wheel kept on polishing it. They seemed to
draw reassurance from Thorpe's disappearance.

One slow look was enough to satisfy Johnny's curiosity.
The room was about sixty feet long by half as wide and
on his left-hand side lay the bar, built solidly from the
floor by close-fitting planks running vertically, which ap
peared to be of hardwood and quite thick, and the top was
of the same material. Several sand-box cuspidors lay
before it. The backbar was a shelf backed by a narrow
mirror running well past the middle half, and no higher
than necessary to give the bartender a view of the room
when he turned around, which he did but seldom. Round
card-tables, heavy and crude, were scattered about the
room and a row of chairs ran the full length along the
other side wall. Several loungers sat at the tables, one of
them an eastern tough, judging from his clothes, his
peaked cap pulled well down over his eyes. At the farther
end was a solid partition painted like a checkerboard and
the few black squares which cunningly hid several peep
holes were not to be singled out by casual observation.
Those who knew said that they were closed on their inner
side by black steel plates which hung on oiled pivots and
were locked shut by a pin. At a table in front of the
checkerboard were four men, one flung forward on it, his
head resting on his crossed arms; another had slumped
down on the edge of his chair, his chin on his chest, while
the other two carried on a grunted, pessimistic conversa
tion across their empty glasses.

12 THE BAR-W THREE

Johnny's face flickered with a faint smile and he walked
toward them, nodding carelessly at the man behind the
bar.

Arch Wiggins looked up, a sickly grin on his flushed
face. " Hullo," he grunted, foolishly.

" Not havin' nothin' else to do I reckoned I'd look you
up," said Johnny. " Fed yet ? "

Arch shrugged his shoulders and Sam Gardner sighed
expressively, and then prodded the slumped individual into
semblance of intelligence and erectness. This done he
kicked the shins of the prostrate cook until that unfortu
nate raised an owlish, agonized, and protesting counte
nance to stare at his foreman.

" Nelson wants to know if yo're hungry," prompted
Sam, grinning.

" Take it — away ! " mumbled the indignant cook. " I
won't eat ! Who's goin' to make me ? " he demanded with
a show of pugnacity. " I won't ! "

Joe Reilly, painfully erect in his chair, blinked and
focussed his eyes on the speaker. " Then don't ! " he said.
" Shut yore face — others kin eat ! " He turned his whole
body, stiff as a ramrod, and looked at each of the others
in turn. " Don't pay no 'tendon to him. I kin — eat th' —
d — d harness," he asserted, thereby proving that his
stomach preserved family traditions.

Johnny laughed at them. " Yo're ah — 1 of an outfit,"
he said without conviction. "What do you say about
goin' up to th' hotel an' gettin' somethin' to eat? It's
past grubtime, but let's see if they'll have th' nerve to try
to tell us to get out. Broke ? " he inquired, and as they
silently arose to their feet, which seemed to take a great

"PUT A (T' IN IT" 13

deal of concentration, he chuckled. Then his face hard
ened. "Where's yore guns?" he demanded.

Arch waved elaborately at the disinterested bartender.
"That gent loaned us ten apiece on 'em," he said.
" 'Bligin' feller. Thank you, friend."

" Yo're a'right," said the cook, nodding at the dispenser
of fluids.

"An* yo're a fine, locoed bunch, partin' with yore guns
in a strange town," snapped Johnny. " You head for th'
hotel, pronto! G'wan!"

The cook turned and waved a hand at the solemn bar
tender. " Goo'-bye ! " he called. " I won't eat ! Goo'-
bye."

Seeing them started in the right direction, Johnny went
in and up to the bar. " Them infants don't need guns,"
he asserted, digging into a pocket, " but as long as they
ain't shot themselves, yet, I'm takin' a chance. How
much?"

The bartender, typical of his kind, looked wise when it
was not necessary, finished polishing the glass in his hand
and then slowly faced his inquisitor, bored and aloof. He
had the condescending air of one who held himself to be
mentally and physically superior to any man in town, and
his air of preoccupation was so heavy that it was ludicrous.
" Ten apiece," he answered nonchalantly, as behove the
referee of drunken disputes, the adviser of sodden men,
the student of humanity's dregs, whose philosophy of life
was rotten to the core because it was based purely on the
vicious and the weak, and whose knowledge, adjudged
abysmal and cyclopedic by an admiring riffraff of stupe
fied mentality, was as shallow, warped, and perverted as

14 THE BAR-W THREE

the human derelicts upon which his observations were
based. As Johnny's hand came up with the roll of bills
the man of liquor kept his face passive by an act of will,
but there crept into the ratlike eyes a strange gleam,
which swiftly faded. " Put it way," he said heartily, a
jovial, free-handed good fellow on the instant. " We got
it back, an' more. It was worth th' money to have these
where they wouldn't be too handy. We allus stake a good
loser — it's th' policy of th' house. Take these instead of
th' stake." He slid the heavy weapons across the bar.
"What'll you have?"

" Same as you," replied Johnny, and he slowly put the
cigar into a pocket. " Purty quiet in here," he observed,
laying two twenty-dollar bills on the bar.

" Yeah," said the bartender, pushing the money back
again ; " but it's a cheerful ol' beehive at night. Better put
that in yore pocket an' drop in after dark, when things are
movin'. I know a blonde that'll tickle you 'most to death.
Come in an' meet her."

" Tell you what," said Johnny, grinning to conceal his
feelings. "You keep them bills. If I keep 'em I'll have
to let them fools have their guns back for nothin'. I'm
aimin' to take ten apiece out of their pay. If you don't
want it, give it to th' blonde, with Mr. Nelson's compli
ments. It won't be so hard for me to get acquainted with
her, then."

The bartender chuckled and put the bills in the drawer.
"Yo're no child, I'm admittin'. Reckon you been usin'
yore head quite some since you was weaned."

One of the card players at the nearest table said some'
thing to his two companions and one of them leaned back

"PUT A 'T} IN IT" 15

stretched and arose. " I'm tired. Get somebody to take
my place."

The sagacious observer of the roll of bills started to
object to the game being broken up, glanced at Johnny
and smiled. "All right; mebby this gent will sit in an'
kill a little time. How 'bout it, stranger ? "

Johnny smiled at him. "My four-man outfit ain't
leavin' me no time to kill," he answered. " I got to trail
along behind 'em an' pick up th' strays."

The gambler grinned sympathetically. " Turn 'em loose
tonight. What's th' use of herdin' with yearlin's, any
how? If you get tired of their company an' feel like
tryin' yore luck, come in an' join us."

"If I find that I got any heavy time on my han's I'll
spend a couple of hours with you," replied Johnny. As he
turned toward the door he glanced at the bartender.
"Don't forget th' name when you give her th' forty,"
he laughed.

The bartender chuckled. " I got th' best mem'ry of any
man in this section. See you later, mebby."

Johnny nodded and departed, his hands full of guns,
and as he vanished through the front door Kit Thorpe
reappeared from behind the partition, grinned cynically
at the bartender and received a wise, very wise look in
return.

Reaching the hotel Johnny entered it by the nearest
door, that of the barroom, walked swiftly through with
the redeemed guns dangling from his swinging hands and
without pausing in his stride, flung a brief remark over
his shoulder to the man behind the bar, who was the only
person, besides himself, in the room: "You was shore

i6 THE BAR-20 THREE

right. It should ought to have a * T ' in it," and passed
through the other door, across the office and into the
dining-room, where his four men were having an argu
ment with a sullen waiter and a wrathy cook.

Ed Doane straightened up, his ears preserving the
words, his eyes retaining the picture of an angry, hurry
ing two-gun man from whose hands swung four more
guns. He cogitated, and then the possible significance of
the numerous weapons sprang into his mind. Ed did not
go around the bar. He vaulted it and leaped to the door,
out of which he hopefully gazed at the tranquil place of
business of Pecos Kane. Slowly the look of hope faded
and he returned to his place behind the bar, scratching his
frowsy head in frank energy, his imagination busy with
many things.

CHAPTER II

WELL-KNOWN STRANGERS

THE desert and a paling eastern sky. The penetrat
ing cold of the dark hours was soon to die and give
place to a punishing heat well above the hundred mark.
Spectral agaves, flinging their tent-shaped crowns heaven
ward, seemed to spring bodily from the radiating circlet
of spiny swords at their bases, their slender stems still
lost in the weakening darkness. Pale spots near the ground
showed where flower-massed yuccas thrust up, lancelike,
from their slender, prickly leaves. Giant cacti, ghostly,
bulky, indistinct, grotesque in their erect, parallel columns
reached upward to a height seven times that of a tall man.
They are the only growing things unmoved by winds.
The sage, lost in the ground-hugging darkness, formed a
dark carpet, mottled by lighter patches of sand. There
were quick rustlings over the earth as swift lizards scur
ried hither and yon and a faint whirring told of some
" side-winder " vibrating its rattles in emphatic warning
against some encroachment. Tragedies were occurring
in the sage, and the sudden squeak of a desert rat was its
swan song.

In the east a silvery glow trembled above the horizon
and to the magic of its touch silhouettes sprang suddenly
from vague, blurred masses. The agave, known to most

17

i8 THE BAR-%0 THREE

as the century plant, showed the delicate slenderness of its
arrowy stem and marked its conical head with feathery
detail. The flower-covered spikes of the Spanish bayonets
became studies in ivory, with the black shadows on their
thorny spikes deep as charcoal. The giant cacti, boldly
thrown against the silver curtain, sprang from their join
ing bases like huge, thick telegraph poles of ebony, their
thorns not yet clearly revealed. The squat sage, now re
solved into tufted masses, might have been the purplish-
leaden hollows of a great sea. The swift rustlings became
swift movements and the "side-winder" uncoiled his
graceful length to round a nearby sage bush. The quak
ing of a small lump of sand grew violent and a long, round
snoot pushed up inquiringly, the cold, beady eyes peering
forth as the veined lids parted, and a Gila monster slug
gishly emerged, eager for the promised warmth. To the
northeast a rugged spur of mountains flashed suddenly
white along its saw-toothed edge, where persistent snows
crowned each thrusting peak. A moment more, and daz
zling heliographic signals flashed from the snowy caps,
the first of all earthly things to catch the rays of the rising
sun, as yet below the far horizon. On all sides as far as
eye could pierce through the morning twilight not a leaf
stirred, not a stem moved, but everywhere was rigidity,
unreal, uncanny, even terrifying to an imaginative mind.
But wait ! Was there movement in the fogging dark of
the north ? Rhythmic, swaying movement, rising and fall
ing, vague and mystical? And the ghostly silence of this
griddle-void was broken by strange, alien sounds, mag
nified by contrast with the terror-inspiring silence. A soft
creaking, as of gently protesting saddle leather, inter-

WELL-KNOWN STRANGERS 19

spersed with the frequent and not unmusical tinkle of
metal, sounded timidly, almost hesitatingly out of the
dark along the ground.

Silver turned into pink, pink into gold, and gold into
crimson in almost a breath, and long crimson ribbons be
came lavender high in the upper air, surely too beautiful
to be a portent of evil and death. Yet the desert hush
tightened, constricted, tensed as if waiting in rigid sus
pense for a lethal stroke. Almost without further warn
ing a flaming, molten arc pushed up over the far horizon
and grew with amazing bulk and swiftness, dispelling the
chill of the night, destroying the beauty of the silhouettes,
revealing the purple sage as a mangy, leaden coverlet,
riddled and thin, squatting tightly against the tawny sand,
across which had sprung with instant speed long, vague
shadows from the base of every object which raised above
the plain. The still air shuddered into a slow dance, wav
ing and quivering, faster and faster like some mad dance
of death, the rising heat waves distorting with their
evil magic giant cacti until their fluted, thorny columns
weaved like strange, slowly undulating snakes standing
erect on curving tails. And in the distance but a few
leagues off blazed the white mockery of the crystal snow,
serene and secure on its lofty heights, a taunt far-flung to
madden the heat-crazed brain of some swollen, clawing
thing in distorted human form slowly dying on the baking
sands.

The movement was there, for the sudden flare of light
magically whisked it out of the void like a rabbit out of a
conjurer's hat. Two men, browned, leather-skinned,
erect, silent, and every line of them bespeaking reliance

20 THE BAR-20 THREE

with a certainty not to be denied, were slowly riding south
ward. Their horses, typical of their cow-herding type,
were loaded down with large canteens, and suggested
itinerant water peddlers. Two gallons each they held, and
there were four to the horse. One could imagine these
men counted on taking daily baths — but they were only
double-riveting a security against the hell-fires of thirst,
which each of them had known intimately and too well.
The first rider, as erect in his saddle as if he had just
swung into it, had a face scored with a sorrow which only
an iron will held back; his squinting eyes were cold and
hard, and his hair, where it showed beneath the soiled,
gray sombrero, was a sandy color, all of what was left of
the flaming crimson of its youth. He rode doggedly with
out a glance to right or left, silent, sullen, inscrutable.
When the glorious happiness of a man's life has gone out
there is but little left, often even to a man of strength.
Behind him rode his companion, five paces to the rear and
exactly in his trail, but his wandering glances flashed far
afield, searching, appraising, never still. Younger in
years than his friend, and so very much younger in spirit,
there was an air of nonchalant recklessness about him,
occasionally swiftly mellowed by pity as his eyes rested
on the man ahead. Now, glancing at the sun-cowed east,
his desert cunning prompted him and he pushed forward,
silently took the lead and rode to a thicket of mesquite,
whose sensitive leaves, hung on delicate stems, gave the
most cooling shade of any desert plant. Dismounting,
he picketed his horse and then added a side-line hobble as
double security against being left on foot on the scorching
sands. Not satisfied with that, he unfastened the three

WELL-KNOWN STRANGERS 21

full canteens, swiftly examined them for leaks and placed
them under the bush. Six gallons of water, but if need
should arise he would fight to the death for it. Out of the
corner of his eye he watched his companion, who mechan
ically was doing the same thing. Red Connors yawned,
drank sparingly and then, hesitating, grinned foolishly
and fastened one end of his lariat to his wrist.

"That dessicated hunk of meanness don't leave this
hombre afoot, not nohow," said Red, looking at his friend ;
but Hopalong only stared into the bush and made no
reply.

Nothing abashed at his companion's silence, Red
stretched out at full length under the scant shade, his Colt
at his hand in case some Gila monster should be curious as
to what flavor these men would reveal to an inquisitive
bite. Red's ideas of Gilas were romantic and had no
scientific warrant whatever. And it was possible that a
"side-winder" might blunder his way.

" It's better than a lava desert, anyhow," he remarked
as he settled down, having in mind the softness of the
loose sand. " One whole day of hell-to-leather fryin', an'
one more shiverin' night, an' this stretch of misery will be
behind, but it shore saves a lot of ridin', it does. I'll bet
I'm honin' for a swim in th' Rio Placer — an' I ain't carin'
how much mud there is, neither. Ah, th' devil;" he
growled in great disgust, slowly arising. " I done forgot
to sprinkle them cayuses' insides. One apiece, they get,
which is only insultin' 'em."

Hopalong tried to smile, arose and filled his hat, which
his thirsty horse frantically emptied. When the canteen
was also empty he went back to the sandy couch, to lay

22 THE BAR-SO THREE

awake in the scorching heat, fighting back memories
which tortured him near to madness, his mental torments
making him apathetic to physical ones. And so dragged
the weary, trying day until the cooling night let them go
on again.

Three days later they rode into Gunsight, made care
less inquiries and soon thereafter drew rein before the
open door of the SV, unconscious of the excited conjec
tures rioting in the curious town.

Margaret Nelson went to the door, her brother trying
to push past her, and looked wonderingly up at the two
smiling strangers.

Red bowed and removed his hat with a flourish. " Mrs.
Johnny?" he asked, and at the nodded assent smiled
broadly. " My name's Red Connors, an' my friend is
Hopalong Cassidy. He is th' very best friend yore fool
husband ever had. We came down to make Johnny's life
miserable for a little while, an' to give you a hand with
his trainin', if you need it."

Margaret's breath came with a rush and she held out
both hands with impulsive friendliness. " Oh ! " she cried.
" Come in. You must be tired and hungry — let Charley
turn your horses into the corral."

Charley wriggled past the barrier and jumped for
Hopalong, his shrill whoop of delighted welcome bring
ing a smile to the stern face of the mounted man. A
swoop of the rider's arm, a writhing twist of the boy's
body, coming a little too late to avoid the grip of that
iron hand, and Charley shot up and landed in front of
the pommel, where he exchanged grins at close range
with his captor.

WELL-KNOWN STRANGERS 23

" I knowed you first look," asserted the boy as the grip
was released. "My, but I've heard a lot about you!
Yo're goin' to stay here, ain't you? I know where there's
some black bear, up on th' hills — want to go huntin'
with me ? "

Hopalong's tense, wistful look broke into a smile, the
first sincere, honest smile his face had known for a month.
Gulping, he nodded, and turned to face his friend's wife.
" Looks like I'm adopted," he said. "If you don't mind,
Mrs. Johnny, Charley an' me will take care of th' cayuses
while Red helps you fix up th' table." He reached out,
grasped the bridle of Red's horse as its rider dismounted,
and rode to the corral, Charley's excited chatter bringing
an anxious smile to his sister, but a heartfelt, prayerful
smile to Red Connors. He had great hopes.

Red paused just inside the door. " Mrs. Johnny," he
said quietly, quickly, "I got to talk fast before Hoppy
comes back. He lost his wife an' boy a month ago —
fever — in four days. He's all broke up. Went loco a
little, an' even came near shootin' me because I wouldn't
let him go off by hisself. I've had one gosh-awful time
with him, but finally managed to get him headed this way
by talkin' about Johnny a-plenty. That got him, for th'
kid allus was a sort of son to him. I'm figgerin' he'll be
a lot better off down here on this south range for awhile.
Even crossin' that blasted desert seemed to help — he
loosened up his talk considerable since then. An' from
th' way he grabbed that kid, I'm say in' I'm right. Where
is Johnny ? "

" Oh ! " Margaret's breathed exclamation did not need
the sudden moisture in her eyes to interpret it, and in

24 THE BAR-SO THREE

that instant Red Connors became her firm, unswerving
friend. "We'll do our best — and I think he should
stay here, always. And Johnny will be delighted to have
him with us, and you, too — Red."

" Here he comes," warned her companion. " Where
is Johnny? When will he get here?"

" Why, he took a herd down to Mesquite," she replied,
smiling at Hopalong, who limped slowly into the room
with Charley slung under his arm like a sack of flour.
" He should be back any day now. And won't he be wild
with delight when he finds you two boys here ! You have
no idea how he talks about you, even in his sleep — oh,
if I were inclined to jealousy you might not be so
welcome ! "

"Ma'am," grinned Red, tickled as a boy with a new
gun, "you don't never want to go an' get jealous of a
couple of old horned toads like us — well, like Hoppy,
anyhow. We'll sort of ride herd on him, too, every time
he goes to town. Talk about revenge! Oh, you wait!
So he went off an' left you all alone? Didn't he write
about some trouble that was loose down here ? "

"It was — but it's cleaned up. He didn't leave me
in any danger — every man down here is our friend,"
Margaret replied, quick to sense the carefully hidden
thought which had prompted his words, and to defend
her husband.

"Well, two more won't hurt, nohow," grunted Red.
"tYou say he ought to get here any day?"

" I'm spending more time at the south windows every
day," she smiled. " I don't know what will happen to
the housework if it lasts much longer!"

WELL-KNOWN STRANGERS 25

" South windows ? " queried Hopalong, standing Char
ley on his head before letting loose of him. " Th' trail is
west, ain't it ? " he demanded, which caused Red to
chuckle inwardly at how his friend was becoming observ
ant again.

" The idea ! " retorted Margaret. " Do you think my
boy will care anything about any trail that leads round
about? He'll leave the trail at the Triangle and come
straight for this house ! What are hills and brush and a
miserable little creek to him, when he's coming home ? I
thought you knew my boy."

" We did, an' we do," laughed Red. " I'm bettin' yore
way — I hope he's got a good horse — it'll be a dead one
if it ain't."

"He's saving Pepper for the homestretch — if you
know what that means ! "

" Hey, Red," said Charley, slyly. " Yore gun works,
don't it?"

" Shore thing. Why?"

"Well, mine don't," sighed the boy. "Wonder if
yourn is too heavy, an' strong, for a boy like me to shoot ?
Bet it ain't."

Margaret's low reproof was lost in Red's burst of laugh
ter, and again a smile crept to Hopalong's face, a smile
full of heartache. This eager boy made his memories
painfully alive.

(< You an' me an' Hoppy will shore go out an' see,"
promised Red. " Mrs. Johnny will trust you with us, I
bet. Hello! Here's somebody comin'," he announced,
looking out of the door.

" That's my dad ! " cried Charley, bolting from the

26 THE BAR-W THREE

house so as to be the first one to give his father the good
news.

Arnold rode up laughing, dismounted and entered the
house with an agility rare to him. And he was vastly
relieved. "Well! Well! Well!" he shouted, shaking
hands like a pump handle. " I saw you ride over the
hill an' got here as fast as Lazy would bring me. Red
an' Hopalong ! Our household gods with us in the flesh !
And that scalawag off seeing the sights of strange towns
when his old friends come to visit him. I'm glad to see
you boys ! The place is yours. Red and Hopalong ! I'm
not a drinkin' man, but there are times when — follow me
while Peggy gets supper ! "

" Can I go with you, Dad ? " demanded Charley.

" You help Peggy set the table."

"Huh! / don't care! Me an' Hoppy an' Red are
goin' after bear, an' I'm goin' to use Red's gun."

" Seems to me, Charley," reproved Arnold, " that you
are pretty familiar, for a boy; and especially on such short
acquaintance. You might begin practicing the use of the
word 'Mister.'"

" Or say ' Uncle Red ' and ' Uncle Hopalong/ " sug
gested Margaret.

"Red' is my name, an' I'm shore 'Red* to him,"
defended that person.

" Which goes for me," spoke up his companion. " I'm
Hopalong, or Hoppy to anybody in this family — though
'Uncle' suits me fine."

" Then we'll have a fair exchange," retorted Margaret,
smiling. "The family circle calls me 'Margaret' or
' Peggy.' "

WELL-KNOWN STRANGERS 27

" If you want to rile her, call her Maggie," said Char
ley. " She goes right on th' prod ! "

" I'm plumb peaceful," laughed Red, turning to follow
his host. " You help Mrs. — Margaret, an' when I come
back you an' me'll figger on goin' after bear as soon as
we can."

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY

JOHNNY sauntered into Quayle's barroom and leaned
against the bar, talking to Ed Doane. An hour or two
before he had finished his dinner, warned his outfit again
about the early start on the morrow, advanced them some
money, and watched them leave the hotel for one more
look at the town, and now he was killing time.

" What do you think about Kane's ? " asked Ed care
lessly, and then looked up as a customer entered. When
the man went out he repeated the question.

Johnny cogitated and shrugged his shoulders. " Same
as you. Reg'lar cow-town gamblin'-hall, with th' same
fixin's, wimmin', crooked games, an' wise bums hangin'
'round. Am I right ? "

A group entered, and when they had been served they
went into the hotel office, the bartender's eyes on them
as long as they were in sight. He turned and frowned.
" Purty near. You left a couple of things out. I'm not
sayin' what they are, but I am sayin' this : Don't you ever
pull no gun in there if you should have any trouble. Wait
till you get yore man outside. Funny thing about that —
sort of a spell, I reckon — but no stranger ever got a gun
out an' workin' in Kane's place. They died too quick,
or was put out of workin' order."

28

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY 29

Johnny raised his eyebrows: "Mebby no good man-
ever tried to get one out, an' workin'."

" You lose," retorted Ed emphatically. " Some of 'em-
was shore to be good. It's a cold deck — with a sharp
shooter. There I go again ! " he snorted. " I'm certainly
shootin' off my mouth today. I must be loco ! "

" Then don't let that worry you. I ain't shootin' mine
off," Johnny reassured him. " I'm tryin' to figger ':

A voice from the street interrupted him. "Hey,
stranger ! Yore outfit's in trouble down in Red Frank's ! "

Johnny swung from the bar. "Where's his place?"
he asked.

"One street back," nodded the bartender, indicating
the rear of the room. " Turn to yore right — third door.
It's a Greaser dive — look sharp!"

Johnny grunted and turned to obey the call. Walking
out of the door, he went to the corner, turned it, and soon
turned the second corner. As he rounded it he saw stars,
reached for his guns by instinct, and dropped senseless.
Two shadowy figures pounced upon him, rolled him over,
and deftly searched him.

Back in the hotel Idaho stuck his head into the barroom.
"Seen Nelson?" he asked.

"Just went to Red Frank's this minute — his gang's
in trouble there ! " quickly replied Ed.

" I'll go 'round an' be handy, anyhow," said Idaho,
loosening his gun as he went through, the door. Round
ing the first corner, he saw a figure flit into the darkness
across the street and disappear, and as he turned the sec
ond corner he tripped and fell over a prostrate man. One
glance and his match went out. Jumping around the cor-

30 THE BAR-20 THREE

ner, he saw a second man run across an open space between
two clumps of brush, and his quick hand chopped down,
a finger of flame spitting into the night. A curse of pain
answered it and he leaped forward, hot and vengeful ; but
liis search was in vain, and he soon gave it up and hastened
back to his prostrate friend, whom he found sitting up
against the wall with an open jackknife in his hand.

"What happened?" demanded Idaho, stopping and
bending down. "Where'd he get you?"

" Somethin' fell on my head — an' my guns are gone,"
mumbled Johnny. "I — bet I've been robbed!" His
slow, fumbling search revealed the bitter truth, and he
grunted. "Clean! Clean!"

"I shoved a hunk of lead under th' skin of somebody
runnin' — heard him yelp," Idaho said. "Lost him in
th' dark. Here, grab holt of me. I'll take you to my
room in th' hotel. Able to toddle?"

"Able to kill th' skunk with my bare han's," growled
the unfortunate, staggering to his feet. " I'm goin' to
Kane's ! " he asserted, and Idaho's arguments were ex
hausted before he was able to have his own way.

" You come along with me — I want to look at yore
head. An', besides, you ought to have a gun before you
go huntin'. Come, on. We'll go in through th' kitchen —
that's th' nearest way. It's empty now, but th' door's
never locked."

" You gimme a gun, an' I'll know where to go ! "
blazed Johnny, trembling with weakness. " I showed my
roll in there, like a fool. Eleven hundred — h — 1 of a
foreman / am ! "

" You can't just walk into a place an' start shootin' ! "

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY 31

retorted Idaho, angrily. " Will you listen to sense ? Come
on, now. After you get sensible you can do what you
want, an' I'll go along an' help you do it. That's fair,
ain't it ? How do you know that feller belongs to Kane's
crowd ? May be a Greaser, an' a mile away by now. Come
on — be sensible! "

"Th' SV can't afford to lose that money — oh, well,"
sighed Johnny, "yo're right. Go ahead. I'll wash off
th' blood, anyhow. I must be a holy show."

They got to Idaho's room without arousing any un-
tisual interest and Idaho examined the throbbing bump
>vith clumsy fingers, receiving frank statements for his
awkwardness.

" Shucks," he grinned, straightening up. " It's as big
as an egg, but besides th' skin bein' broke an' a lot of
blood, there ain't nothin' th' matter. I'll wash it off — an'
if you keep yore hat on, nobody '11 know it. I reckon
that hat just about saved that thick skull of yourn."

"What did you see when you found me?" asked
Johnny when his friend had finished the job.

Idaho told him and added : " Hoped I could tell him
by th' yelp, but I can't, unless, mebby, I go around an'
make everybody in this part of th' country yelp for me.
But I don't reckon that's hardly reasonable."

"Yo're right," grinned Johnny. "Well," he said,
after a moment's thought, " I don't go back home without
eleven hundred dollars, U. S., an' my guns; but I got to
send th' boys back. They can't help me none, bein' known
as my friends. Besides, we're all broke, an' they're needed
on th' ranch. If I knowed that Kane had a hand in this,
I'd cussed soon get that money back ! "

32 THE BAR-HP THREE

"Yo're shore plumb set on that Kane idear."

" I showed that wad of bills in just two places : Ed's
bar, an' Kane's joint."

"Ed's bar is out of it if nobody else was in there at
th' time."

" Only Ridley, Ed, an' myself."

" Somebody could V looked in th' window," sug
gested Idaho.

" Nobody did, because I was lookin' around."

" If you go in Kane's an' make a gunplay, you'll never
know how it happened or who done it; an' if you go in,
without a gunplay, an' let 'em know what you think, some
Greaser '11 hide a knife in you. Then you'll never get it
'back."

"Just th' same, that's th' place to start from," per
sisted Johnny doggedly. "An' from th' inside, too."

Idaho frowned. " That may be so, but startin' it from
there means to end it there an' then. You can't buck
Kane in his own place. It's been tried more'n once. I
ain't shore you can buck him in this town, or part of th'
country. Bigger people than you are suspected of payin'
him money to let 'em alone. You'd be surprised if I
named names. Look here: I better speak a little piece
about this part of th' country. This county is unorgan
ized an' ain't got no courts, nor nothin' else except a peace
officer which we calls sheriff. It's big, but it ain't got
many votes, an' what it has is one-third Greaser. Most
Greasers don't amount to much in a stand-up fight, but
their votes count. They are all for Kane. We've only
had one election for sheriff, an' although Corwin is purty
well known, he won easy. Kane did it, an' when any-

33

body says ' Corwin,' they might as well say ' Kane.' He
is boss of this section. His gamblin'-joint is his head
quarters, an' it's guarded forty ways from th' jack. His
gang is made up of all kinds, from th' near decent down
to th' night killer. When Kane wants a man killed, that
man don't live long. Corwin takes his orders before an'
after a play like this one. Yo're expected to report it to
him. Comin' down to cases, th' pack has got to be fed,
an' they have got to make a killin' once in a while. Even
if Kane ain't in on it direct, he'll get most of that money
across his bar or tables. To wind up a long speech, you
better go home with yore men, for that ain't enough money
to get killed over."

"Mebby not if it was mine!" snapped Johnny. "An*
I ain't shore about that, neither. An' there's more'n
money in this, an' more than th' way I was handled.
Somebody in this wart of a town has got Johnny Nelson's
two guns — an' nobody steals them an' keeps 'em ! I got
friends, lots of 'em, in Montanny, that would lend me
th' money quick ; but there ain't nobody can give me them
six-guns but th' thief that's got 'em. I'm rooted — solid.""

"All right," said Idaho. "Yo're talkin' foolish, but
cussed if I don't like to hear it. So me an' you are goin'
to hog-tie that gang. If I get Corwin in th' ruckus, I'll
be satisfied."

" Yo're th' one that's talkin' foolish," retorted Johnny,
fighting back his grin. "An I'm cussed if 7 don't like
to hear it. But there's this correction : Me an' you ain't
goin' to bulldog that gang at all. 7 am. Yo're goin' to
sprawl on yore saddle an' light out for wherever you
belong, an' stay there. Yo're a marked man an' wouldn't

34 THE BAR-SO THREE

last th' swish of a longhorn's tail. Yore brand is regis
tered — they got you in their brand books; but they ain't
got mine. I'm not wearin' no brand. I ain't even ear-
notched, 'though I must 'a' been a 'sleeper' when I let
'em put this walnut on my head. I'm a plain, ornery
maverick. Think I'm comin' out in th' open? I don't
want no brass band playin' when I go to war. I'm a
Injun."

"Yo're a little striped animal in this town — one of
them kind that's onpleasant up-wind from a feller,"
snorted Idaho. "How can you play Injun when they
know yo're hangin' 'round here lookin' for yore money?
Answer me that, maverick ! "

"I'm comin' to that Can you get me an old hat?
One that's plumb wore out?"

" Reckon so," grunted Idaho, in surprise. " Th' clerk
might be able to dig one up."

" No, not th' clerk ; but Ed Doane," corrected Johnny.
" Now you think hard before you answer this one : Could
you see my face plain when you found me ? Could they
have seen it plain enough to be shore it was me? "

Idaho stared at him and a cheerful expression drifted
across his face. " I'm gettin' th' drift of this Injun busi
ness," he muttered. "Mebby — mebby — cuss it, it will
work ! I couldn't see nothin' but a bump on th' ground
along that wall till I lit a match. I'll get you a hat an'
I'll plant it, too."

Johnny nodded. " Plant anythin' else you want that
don't look like anythin' I own. Be shore that hat ain't
like mine."

Idaho raised his hand as a sudden tramping sounded

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY 35

on the stairs. "That yore outfit?" he asked as a loud,
querulous voice was heard.

Johnny went to the door and called, whereupon Arch
waved his companions toward their quarters and answered
the summons, following his foreman into the room.
Johnny was about to close the door when Idaho arose
and pushed past him.

"We been talkin' too loud," whispered the departing
puncher. " You never can tell. I'm goin' out to sit on
th' top step where there's more air," and he went on
again, the door closing after him.

Johnny turned and smiled at Arch's expression. " You
boys leave at daylight on th' jump. I got to stay here.
You can say I'm waitin' for th' chance to pick up some
money — buyin' a herd of yearlin's cheap, or anythin*
you can think of. Any thin' that'll stick. You'll have
plenty of time to smooth it out before you get back home.
I want you boys to scratch up every cent you've got an'
turn it over to me. Any left of that I gave you after
supper ? "

"Shore — quite some," grinned Arch. "We had bet
ter luck, down th' street. You must be aimin' to get
a-plenty yearlin's, with that roll you got. What are
we goin' to do, busted?"

" I want a couple of Colts, too," continued Johnny.
" You won't need any money. Th' waggin is well stocked
— an' when you get back you can draw on Arnold."

" We was goin' to stop at Highbank for a good time,"
protested Arch.

" Have it in yore old man's hotel an' owe it to him,"
suggested Johnny.

THE BAR-SO THREE

" Have a good time in my old man's place ! " exclaimed
Arch. "Oh, h — l!" He burst out laughing. "That'll
tickle th' boys, that will ! " The puncher looked search-
ingly at his foreman. "Hey, what's all th' trouble?"

Johnny thought it would be wiser to post his companion
and crisply told what had happened.

Arch cleared his throat, hitched up his belt, and looked
foolish but determined. " It's been comin' rapid, but I
got it all. Yo're talkin' to th' wrong man. You want to
fix up that story for th' ranch with some soft-belly that's
ridin' that way. Better send a letter. We're all stayin'
here. Fine bunch of - "

"You can help me more by goin' back like nothin's
happened," interrupted Johnny. " Th' ranch won't be
worry in' me then, an' if you stayed here it might give
th' game away. Besides, one man can live longer on th'
money we got than four can, only have a quarter of th'
chance to drink too much, an' only talk a fourth as much.
That's th' natural play, an' every thin' has got to be
natural."

" That's th' worst of havin' a smooth face," grumbled
Arch, ruefully rubbing his chin. " If I only had whiskers,
I could shave 'em off an' be a total stranger; but I don't
reckon I could grow a good enough bunch to get back
here in time."

Johnny laughed, his heart warming to the puncher.
"Take you a year or two; an' there's more'n whiskers
needed to hide from a good man. There's little motions,
gait, voice — oh, lots of things. You can help me more
if you go north. See Dave Green, tell him on th' quiet,
an' ask him to send me down a couple hundred dollars.

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY 37

He can buy a check from th' Doc, payable to George
Norton. There's a bank in this town. He's to send it to
George Norton, general delivery."

"Dave will spread it far an' wide," objected Arch.
"He tells all he knows."

"If he did," smiled Johnny, "it shore would be an
eddication for th' man that heard it. He talks a lot —
an' says nothin'. If he told all he knew, h — 1 would 'a'
popped long ago on them ranges. I'm only wishin' he
could get a job in Kane's!"

" Gosh ! " exclaimed Arch. " Mebby he can. He's a
bang-up bartender."

Johnny shook his head and laughed.

" Well, I reckon you know best," said Arch. " If you
say so, we'll go home — but it hurts bad as a toothache.
An' as long as we're goin', we can start tonight — this
minute."

"You'll start at daylight, like honest folks," chuckled
Johnny. " Think I want Kane to sit down an' figger why
a lazy outfit got ambitious all at once ? An' th' two boys
that lend me their guns want to be ridin' close to th'
waggin, on its left side, until they get out of town. I don't
want anybody noticin' they ain't got their guns. Mebby
their coats'll hide 'em, anyhow. But before you do any-
thin' else, get me a copy of that weekly newspaper down
stairs. There's some layin' around th' office. Shore
you got it all ? "

Arch nodded, and his foreman opened the door. Idaho
glanced around and then went down the stairs and through
the office, stopping at the bar, where he held a low-voiced
conversation with the man behind it. Ed looked a little

38 THE BAR-W THREE

surprised at the unusual request, but Idaho's earnestness
and anxiety told him enough and he asked no questions.
A few minutes later, after Idaho had disappeared into
the kitchen, Ed told the clerk to watch the bar, and went
up to his room, and dropped several articles out of the
window before he left it again.

When Idaho had finished scouting and planting the
sombrero, a broken spur, and a piece torn from a red
kerchief, he went into the barroom and grinned at his
friend Nelson, who leaned carelessly back against the
wall; and then his eyes opened wide as he saw the size
of the roll of bills from which Johnny was peeling the
outer layer. For two hours they sat and played Califor
nia Jack in plain sight of the street as though nothing
unusual had occurred, Johnny's sombrero pushed back
on his head, the walnut handle of one of his guns in plain
sight, his boots not only guiltless of spurs, but showing
that they never had borne them, and his faded, soiled,
blue neckerchief was as it had been all day. His mood
was cheerful and his laughter rang out from time to time
as his friend's witticisms gave excuse. To test his roll,
he pulled it out again under his friend's eyes and thumbed
off a bill, changed his mind, rolled it back again, and care
lessly shoved the handful into his pocket.

Idaho leaned forward. " Who th' devil did you slug? "
he softly asked.

" Tell you later — deal 'em up," grunted Johnny, a sigh
of satisfaction slipping from him. It had been one of
Tex E wait's maxims never to be broke, even if carefully
trimmed newspapers had to serve as padding, and in this
instance, at least, Johnny believed his old friend to be

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY 39

right. The world finds bluff very useful, and opulence
seldom receives a cold shoulder.

At daylight three horsemen and a wagon went slowly
up the little street, two men sticking close to each other
and the vehicle, and soon became lost to sight. Two or
three nighthawks paused and watched the outfit, and one
of them went swiftly into Kane's side door. Idaho drew
back from the corner of the hotel where he had been
watching, nodded wisely to himself, and went into the
stable to look after his horse.

The little outfit of the SV stopped when a dozen miles
had been put behind and prepared and ate a hurried break
fast. As he gulped the last swallow of coffee, Arch arose
and went to his horse.

" Thirty miles a day with a waggin takes too long," he
said. "One of you boys ride in th' waggin an' gimme
a lead hoss. Nelson's a good man, an' it's our job to
help him all we can. I can do it that way between sleeps,
if I can keep my eyes open to th' end of it. By gettin' a
fresh cayuse from my old man at Highbank, I'll set a
record for these parts."

Gardner nodded. " Take my cayuse, Arch. I'm cruci
fy in' myself on th' cross of friendship. Cook, give him
some grub."

Ten minutes later Arch left them in a cloud of dust,
glad to get away from the wagon and keen to make a
ride that would go down in local history.

After breakfast Johnny sauntered into the barroom,
nodded carelessly to the few men there, and seated him
self in his favorite chair.

"Thought mebby you might be among th' dear de-

40 THE BAR-SO THREE

parted this mornin'," remarked Ed carelessly. " Heard
a shot soon after you left last night, but they're so com
mon 'round here that I didn't get none excited. Have any
trouble in Red Frank's?"

" You better pinch yoreself ," retorted Johnny. " You
saw me an' Idaho settin' right in this room, playin' cards
long after that shot. I was upstairs when I heard it.
Didn't go to Red Frank's. Changed my mind when I got
around at th' side of th' hotel, an' went through th'
kitchen, upstairs lookin' for Idaho. What business I got
playin' nurse to four growed-up men ? A lot they'd thank
me for cuttin' in on their play."

" Did they have any trouble ? "

"No; they wasn't in Red Frank's at all — anyhow,
that's what they said. Somebody playin' a joke, or seein'
things, I reckon. Seen Idaho this mornin'?"

" No, I ain't," answered Ed sleepily. " Reckon he's still
abed. Say, was that yore outfit under my winder before
dawn? I come cussed near shootin' th' loud-mouthed
fool that couldn't talk without shoutin'."

Johnny laughed. "I reckon it was. They was sore
about havin' to go home. Know of any good yearlin's
I can buy cheap ? "

Ed yawned, rubbed his eyes, and slowly shook his head.
" Too close to Ridley. Folks down here mostly let 'em
grow up an' sell 'em to him. Prices would be too high,
anyhow, I reckon. Better hunt for 'em nearer home."

" That's what I been doin'," growled Johnny. " Well,
mebby yo're right about local prices an' conditions; but
I'm goin' to poke around an' ask questions, anyhow. To
tell you th' truth, a town looks good to me for a change,

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY 41

'though I'm admittin' this ain't much of a town, at that.
Sorta dead — nothin' happens, at all."

"That's th' fault of th' visitor, then," retorted Ed,
another yawn nearly disrupting his face. "Ho-hum!
Some day I'm goin' out an' find me a cave, crawl in it,
close it up behind me, an' sleep for a whole week. An'
from th' looks of you, it wouldn't do you no harm to do
th' same thing." He nodded heavily to the other cus
tomers as they went out.

" I'll have plenty of time for sleep when I get home,"
grinned Johnny. " I got to get some easy money out of
this town before I think of sleepin'. Kane's don't get
lively till dark, does it ? "

Ed snorted. "Was you sayin' easy money?" he de
manded with heavy sarcasm.

" I was."

"Oh, well; if you must, I reckon you must," grunted
the bartender, shrugging his shoulders.

"A new man, playin' careful, allus wins in a place
like Kane's, if he's got a wad of money as big as mine,"
chuckled Johnny, voicing another maxim of his friend
Tex, and patting the bulging roll in his pocket.

Ed looked at the pocket, and frowned. " Huh ! Lord
help that wad ! " he mourned.

" It's got all th' help it needs," countered Johnny. " I'm
its guardian. I might change it for bigger bills, for it's
purty prominent now. However, that can wait till it
grows some more." He burst out laughing. " Big as it is,
there's room for more."

" Better keep some real little ones on th' outside," sug
gested Ed wisely. " You show it too cussed much."

42 THE BAR-W THREE

" Do you know there's allus a right an' a wrong way
of doin' everythin'?" asked his companion. "A man
that's got a lot of money will play safe an' stick a few
little ones on th' outside; but a man that's got only little
bills will try to get a big one for th' cover. One is tryin'
to hide his money ; th' other to run a bluff. Wise gamblers
know that. I got little bills on th' outside of mine. You
watch 'em welcome me."

Despite his boasts, he did not spend much time in
Kane's, but slept late and hung around the hotel for a day
or two, and then, one morning, he got a nibble on his bait.
He was loafing on the hotel steps when he caught sight
of the sheriff coming up the street. Corwin had been out
of town and had returned only the night before. Seeing
the lone man on the steps, the peace officer lengthened his
rolling stride and headed straight for the hotel, his eyes
fixed on the hat, guns, kerchief, and boots.

" Mornin'," he said, nodding and stopping.

"Mornin'," replied Johnny cheerily. "Bright an'
cool, but a little mite too windy for this hour of th' day,"
he observed, watching a vicious little whirlwind of dust
racing up the middle of the street. It suddenly swerved
in its course, struck the sheriff, and broke, covering them
with bits of paper and hurling dust and sand in their
faces and mouths. Other furious little gusts sent the light
debris of the street high in the air to be tossed about
wildly before settling back to earth again.

" Yo're shore shoutin'," growled Corwin, spitting vio
lently and rubbing his lips. " Don't like th' looks of it.
Ain't got no love for a sand storm." He let his blinking
eyes rest for a moment on his companion's boots, noted

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY 43

an entire absence of any signs of spur straps, glanced at
the guns and at the opulent bump in one of the trouser
pockets, noted the blue neckerchief, and gazed into the
light blue eyes, which were twinkling at his expression of
disgust. "D — n th' sand," he grunted, spitting again.
" How do you like this town of ourn, outside of th' dust,
now that you've seen more of it?"

Johnny smiled broadly. "Leavin' out a few things
besides th' dust — such as bein' too quiet, dead, an' lackin'
'most everythin' a town should have — I'd say it is a purty
fair town for its kind. But, bad as it is, it ain't near as
bad as that bed I've been sleepin' in. It reminds me of
some of th' country I've rid over. It's full of mesas,
ridges, canyons, an' valleys, an' all of 'em run th' wrong
way. Cuss such a bed. I gave it up after awhile, th'
first night, an' played Idaho cards till I was so sleepy
I could 'a' slept on a cactus. After that, though, it ain't
been so bad. It's all in gettin' used to it, I reckon."

The sheriff laughed politely. "Well, I reckon there
ain't no bed like a feller's own. Speakin' of th' town
bein' dead, that is yore fault; you shouldn't stay so close
to th' hotel. Wander around a little an' you'll find it
plumb lively. There's Red Frank's an' Kane's — they
are high-strung enough for 'most anybody." The mo
mentary gleam in his eyes was not lost on his companion.

" Red Frank's," cogitated Johnny. Then he laughed.
" I come near goin' in there, at that. Anyhow, I shore
started."

" Why didn't you go on ? " inquired the sheriff, speak
ing' as if from polite, idle curiosity. "You might 'a*
seen some excitement in there."

44 THE BAR-20 THREE

" Somebody tried to play a joke on me," grinned
Johnny, \" but I fooled 'em. My boys are shore growed
up."

" How'd yore boys make out ? "

" They said they wasn't in there at all. Reckon some
body got excited or drunk if they wasn't try in' to make a
fool out of me. But, come to think of it, I did hear a
shot."

" They're not as rare as they're goin' to be," growled
the sheriff. "But it's hard to stop th' shootin'. Takes
time."

Johnny nodded. " Reckon so. You got a bad crowd
of Greasers here, too, which makes it harder — though
they're generally strong on knifeplay. Mexicans, monte,
an' mescal are a bad combination."

" Better tell yore boys to look sharp in Red Frank's.
It's a bad place, 'specially if a man's got likker in him.
An' they'll steal him blind."

" Don't have to tell 'em, for I sent 'em home," replied
Johnny, and then he grinned. "An' there ain't no man
livin' can rob 'em, neither, for I wouldn't let 'em draw
any of their pay. Bein' broke, they didn't kick up as much
of a fuss as they might have. I know how to handle my
outfit. Say!" he exclaimed. "Yo're th' very man I
been lookin' for, an' I didn't know it till just this minute.
Do you know where I can pick up a herd of a couple or
three hundred yearlin's at a fair figger ? "

Corwin shook his head. " You might get a few here
an' there, but they ain't worth botherin' about. Anyhow,
prices are too high. Better look around on yore way
back, up on some of them God- forsaken ranges north of

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY 45

here. But how'll you handle a herd with yore outfit
gone ? "

His companion grinned and winked knowingly. " I'll
handle it by buy in' subject to delivery. Let somebody
else have th' fun of drivin' a lot of crazy-headed yearlin's
all that distance. Growed-up steers are bad enough, an'
I've had all I want of them for awhile. Well," he
chuckled, "not havin' no yearlin's to buy, I reckon I've
got time to wander around nights. Six months in a ranch-
house is shore confinin'. I need a change. What do you
say to a little drink ? "

Corwin wiped more sand from his lips. " It's a little
early in th' day for me, but I'm with you. This blasted
wind looks like it's gettin' worse," he growled, scowling
as he glanced about.

" It's only addin' to th' liveliness of yore little town,"
chuckled Johnny, leading the way.

" We ain't had a sand storm in three years," boasted
the sheriff, hard on his companion's heels. "I see you
know th' way," he commented.

Johnny set down his empty glass and brought up the
roll of bills, peeled the outer from its companions, and
tossed it on the bar. " You got to take somethin' with
us, Ed," he reproved.

Ed shrugged his shoulders, slid the change across the
counter, and became thoughtfully busy with the arrange
ment of the various articles on the backbar.

Corwin treated, talked a few moments, and then de
parted, his busy brain asking many questions and becom
ing steadily more puzzled.

Ed mopped the bar without knowing he was doing it.

46 THE BAR-SO THREE

and looked at his new friend. " Where'd you pick that
up?" he asked.

" Meanin' ? " queried Johnny, glancing at the windows,
where sand was beating at the glass and pushing in
through every crack in the woodwork.

" Corwin."

"Oh, he rambled up an' got talkin'. Reckon I'll go
out, sand or no sand, an' see if I can get track of any
yearlin's, just to prove that you don't know any thin'
about th' cow business."

"Nobody but a fool would go out into that unless
they shore had to," retorted Ed. " It's goin' to get worse,
shore as shootin'. I know 'em. Lord help anybody that
has to go very far through it ! "

Johnny opened the door, stuck his head out and ducked
back in again. Tying his neckerchief over his mouth and
nose, he went to the rear door, closed his eyes, and
plunged out into the storm, heading for the stable to look
to the comfort of his horse. Pepper rubbed her nozzle
against him, accepted the sugar with dignity, and followed
his every move with her great, black eyes. He hung a
sack over the window and, finding nails on a shelf, secured
it against the assaults of the wind.

"There, Pepper Girl — reckon you'll be right snug;
but don't you go an' butt it out to see what's goin' on
outside. I'm glad this ain't no common shed. Four walls
are a heap better than three today."

"That you, Nelson?" came a voice from the door.
Idaho slid in, closed the door behind him with a bang,
and dropped his gun into the holster. " This is shore a
reg'lar storm; an' that's shore a reg'lar hoss!" he ex-

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY 47

claimed, spitting and blowing. He stepped toward the
object of his admiration.

" Look out ! " warned Johnny. " She's likely to brain
a stranger. Trained her that way. She'll mebby kill any
body that comes in here ; but not hardly while I'm around,
I reckon. Teeth an' hoofs — she's a bad one if she don't
know you. That's why I try to get her a stable of her
own. What was you doin' with th' six-gun ? "

"Keepin' th' sand out of it," lied Idaho. "Thief-
proof, huh ? " he chuckled. " I'm sayin' it's a good thing.
Ever been tried?"

" Twice," answered Johnny. " She killed th' first
one." He lowered his voice. "I'm figgerin' Corwin
knows about that little fracas of th' other night. Did
you tell anybody?"

" Not a word. What about yore outfit ? "

"Tight as fresh-water clams, an', besides, they didn't
have no chance to. They even left without their break
fast. But I'm dead shore he knows. How did he find
it out?"

" Looks like you might be right, after all," admitted
Idaho. " I kept a lookout that mornin', like I told you,
an' th' news of yore outfit leavin' was shore carried,
which means that somebody in Kane's gang was plumb
interested. How much do you think Corwin knows
about it?"

"Don't know; but not as much now as he did before
he saw me this mornin'," answered Johnny. " When he
sized me up, his eyes gave him away — just a little
flash. But now he may be wonderin5 who th' devil it was
that got clubbed that night. An' he showed more signs

48 THE BAR-%0 THREE

when he saw my money. Say: How much does Ed
know?"

"Not a thing," answered Idaho: "He's one of my
best friends, an' none of my best friends ask me ques
tions when I tell 'em not to. An' now I'm glad I told
him not to, because, of course, you don't know any thin'
about him. No, sir," he emphatically declared; "any-
thin' that Corwin knows come from th' other side. What
you goin' to do ? "

" I don't know," admitted Johnny. " I got to wrastle
that out; but I do know that I ain't goin' out of th' hotel
today. It looks like Calif orny Jack for us till this blows
over. Yore cayuse fixed all right?"

" Shore; good as I can. Come on, if yo're ready."

"Hadn't you better carry yore gun in yore hand, so
th' sand won't get in it ? " asked Johnny gravely.

Idaho looked at him and laughed. "Come on — I'm
startin'," he said, and he dashed out of the building,
Johnny close at his heels.

CHAPTER IV

A JOURNEY CONTINUED

POUNDING into Highbank from the south, Arch
turned the two fagged-out horses into his father's
little corral, roped the better of the two he found there,
saddled it, and rode around to the front of the hotel,
where he called loudly.

Pete Wiggins went to the door and scowled at his son.
" What you doin' with that hoss ? " he demanded in no
friendly tone.

"Breakin' records," impudently answered his young
hopeful. "Left Big Creek, north of Mesquite, at six-
twenty this mornin', an' I'm due in Gunsight before dark.
Left you two cayuses for this one — but don't ride 'em
too hard. So-long ! " and he was off in a cloud of dust.

Pete Wiggins stepped forward galvanically and called,
shaking his first. " Come back here ! Don't you kill that
hoss!"

His beloved son's reply was anything but filial, but as
long as his wrathful father did not hear it, perhaps it
may better be left out of the record.

The shadows were long when Arch drew up in front
of the " Palace " in Gunsight, and dismounted almost in
the door. He looked at his watch and proudly shouted
the miles and the time of the ride before looking to see

49

50 THE BAR-SO THREE

who was there to hear it. As he raised his head and saw
Dave Green, Arnold, and two strangers staring at him,
he called himself a fool, walked stiffly to a chair, and
lowered himself gently into it.

" That's shore some ridin'," remarked Dave, surprised.
" What's wrong ? What's th' reason for killin' cayuses ? "

"Wanted to paste somethin' up for others to shoot
at," grinned Arch, making the best of the situation.

"How'd you come to leave ahead of Nelson?" de
manded Arnold, his easy-going boss. "Where is he?
An' where's th' rest of th' boys?" The SV owner was
fast falling into the vernacular, which made him fit bet
ter into the country.

"Oh, he's tryin' to make a fortune buyin' up a herd
of fine yearlin's," answered the record-maker with con
fident assurance. " It ain't nothin' to him that th' owner
don't want to sell 'em. I near busted laughin' at 'em
wranglin'. They was near fightin' when I left. You
should 'a' heard 'em ! Anybody'd think that man didn't
own his own cattle. But I'm bettin' on Nelson, just th'
same, for when I left they had got to wranglin' about th'
price, an' that's allus a hopeful sign. He shore will tire
that man out. I used a lead hoss as far as Highbank,
changin' frequent', an' got a fresh off th' old man. Nelson
told us all to go home, where we're needed — but he'll be
surprised when he knows how quick 7 got there. Sam
an' th' others are with th' waggin, comin' slower."

"I should hope so!" snorted Arnold. "An' you ain't
home yet. What's th' real reason for all this speed, an'
for headin' here instead of goin' to th' ranch? A man
that's born truthful makes a poor liar; but I'll say this for

'A JOURNEY CONTINUED 51

you, Arch — with a little practice you'll be near as good
as Dave, here. Come on; tell it! "

Arch looked wonderingly at his employer, grinned at
Dave, and then considered the two strangers. " I've done
told it already," he affirmed, stiffly.

" Shake hands with Red Connors an' Hopalong Cas-
sidy," said Arnold. "LYou've heard of them, haven't
you?"

"Holy cats! I have!" exclaimed Arch, gripping the
hands of the two in turn. " I certainly have. Have you
two ever been in Mesquite ? " he demanded, eagerly.
"Good! Now, wait a minute; I want to think," and he
went into silent consultation with himself.

" Mebby he's aimin' to improve on me," said Dave.
"Judgin' from th' studyin', I figger he's trying to bust
in yore class, Arnold."

Arch grinned from one to the other. " Seein' as how
we're all friends of Nelson, an' his wife ought to be kept
calm, I reckon I ought to spit it out straight. Here, you
listen," and he told the truth as fully and completely as
he knew it.

Arnold shook his head at the end of the recital. The
loss of the herd money was a hard blow, but he was too
much of a man to make it his chief concern. "Arch," he
said slowly, " yo're so fond of breakin' records that yo're
goin' to sleep in town, get another horse at daylight, an'
break yore own record gettin' back to Mesquite. Tell
that son-in-law of mine to come home right away, before
Peggy is left a widow. It's no fault of his that he lost
it — it's to his credit, goin' to the aid of his men. I
wouldn't 'a' had it to lose if it wasn't for what he's done

52 THE BAR-SO THREE

for th' SV. He earned it for me; an' if he's lost it, all
right"

"Most generally th' East sends us purty poor speci
mens," observed Dave. " Once in awhile we get a thor
oughbred. Gunsight's proud of th' one it got."

"Arnold," said Arch eagerly, "I'll get to Mesquite
tomorrow if it's moved to th' other side of h — 1! "

Hopalong took the cigar from his mouth. "Wait a
minute," he said. He slowly knocked the ashes from it
and looked around. "While I'm appreciatin' what you
just said, Arnold, I don't agree with it." He thought for
a moment and then continued. "You don't know that
son-in-law of yourn like I do. Somebody knocked him
on th' head, stole his money an' his guns. Don't forget
th' guns. Bein' an easterner, that mebby don't mean any-
thin' to you; but bein' an old Bar-2o man, it means a
heap to me. He won't leave till he's squared up, all
around. I know it. Seein' how it is, we got to accept it ;
an' figger out some way to make his wife take it easy, an'
not do no worryin'. Here ! " he exclaimed, leaning for
ward. "Arnold, you sit down an' write him a letter.
Write it now. Tell him to stay down there until he gets
a good herd of yearlin's. Then Arch has got to start back
in th' mornin' an' join th' waggin, an' come home like he
ought to. He stays here tonight, an' nobody has seen
him, at all."

"An' Dave don't need to bother with any check," said
Red. " Hoppy an' me has plenty of money. We'll start
for Mesquite at daylight, Arch, here, ridin' with us till
we meet th' waggin. Of course, Hoppy don't mean that
yo're really goin' to write a letter, Arnold," he explained.

A JOURNEY CONTINUED 53

" That's just what I do mean," said Hopalong. " He's
goin' to write th' letter, but he ain't goin' to send it. He'll
give it to Arch, an' then it can be torn up. What's th'
use of lyin' when it's so easy to tell th' truth? 'Though
I'm admittin' I wasn't thinkin' of that so much as I was
that a man can allus tell th' truth better'n he can lie.
When he tells about th' letter, he's goin' to be talkin'
about a real letter, what won't get to changin' around in a
day or two, or when he gets rattled. Mrs. Johnny is
mebby goin' to ask a lot of questions."

" I'll give odds that she does," chuckled Dave, looking
under the backbar. " Here's pen an' ink," he said, push
ing the articles across the counter. "There's paper an'
envelopes around here some — here it is. Go ahead, now :

' Dear Johnny : I take my ' "

" Shut up ! " barked Arnold, glaring at him. " I guess
I know how to write a letter! Besides, I don't take my
pen in hand. It's your pen, you grinnin' chump! As
long as we're ridin' on th' tail of Truth, let's stick to
it, all th' way. Shut up, now, an' gimme a chance ! " He
glared around at the grinning faces, jabbed the pen in
the ink, and went to work. When he had finished, he read
it aloud, and handed it to Arch, who tore it up and threw
the pieces on the floor.

Hopalong reached down, picked up the pieces, and
gravely, silently put them on the bar. Dave raked them
into his hand, dropped them into a tin dish, and put a
match to them. Arnold looked around the little group
and snorted.

" Huh ! You an' Dave must 'a' gone to th' same
school!"

54

THE BAR-20 THREE

Dave nodded. " We have, I reckon. Experience is a
good school, too."

"Th5 lessons stick," said Hopalong, looking at Dave
with a new interest.

Arch chuckled. "Cuss it! I'll shore hate to stop at
that waggin. I'm sayin' Mesquite is goin' to be terrible
upset some day soon. Why ain't I got whiskers? I'd
like to see his face when he sets eyes on you fellers. Bet
he'll jump up an' down an' yell ! "

" Mebby," said Hopalong, " for if there's any yellin',
he'll shore have to start it. He sent you fellers away
because you was known to be friends of his, didn't he? "

Dave slapped the bar and laughed outright. "If I
wasn't so fat, I'd go with you! I'm beginnin' to see why
he thought so much of you fellers. Here — it's time for
a drink."

" What are we goin' to tell Margaret? " asked Arnold.
" She may get suspicious if you leave so suddenly."

"You just keep repeatin' that letter to yoreself,"
laughed Red, " an' leave th' rest to better liars. Yo're
as bad a liar as Arch, here. Me an' Hoppy may 'a' been
born truthful, but we was plumb spoiled in our bringin'
up. Reckon we better be leavin' now. Arch, where'll we
meet you about two hours after daylight tomorrow? "

Arch groaned. " Shucks ! About daylight it'll take
Fanning that long to get me out of bed — oh, well," he
sighed, resignedly. " I'll be at th' ford, waitin' for you
to come along. Come easy, in case I'm asleep."

" South of here, on this trail ? " asked Red. " Thought
so. All right. So-long," and he followed his slightly
limping friend out to the horses.

"A JOURNEY CONTINUED 55

Dave hurried to the door. " Hey ! " he shouted.
" Hadn't I better send him that check, anyhow ? He may
need it before you get there."

A roar of laughter from behind answered him, and he
wheeled to face Arch. "When does th' mail leave?"
asked the puncher.

" Day after tomorrow," answered Dave, and swung
around as a voice from the street rubbed it in.

" You must 'a' played hookey from that school, Dave,"
jeered Arnold.

" He's fat clean to th' bald spot," shouted Arch. " Come
on in, Dave. We ain't got time to hold back for no mail to
get there first." He stuck his head out of the window.
" So-long, fellers ! See you at th' ford."

Dave watched the three until they were well along the
trail and then he turned slowly. " I never did really doubt
th' stories Nelson told about that old outfit, but if I had
any doubts I ain't got them no more. Did you see th'
looks in their eyes when you was tellin' about Nelson ? "

"I did!" snapped Arch. "Why in h — 1 ain't I got
whiskers ? "

Reaching the SV, Arnold and his companions put up
the horses and walked slowly toward the house, seeing a
flurry of white through the kitchen door.

"Think it'll reach him in time?" asked Red, waiting
outside the door for Arnold to enter first.

" Ought to. Slim said he would mail it at Highbank as
soon as he got there," answered Arnold.

" I shore hope so," said Red. " I'd hate to have that
ride for nothin' — an' it would just be our luck to pass
him somewhere on th' way, an' get there after he left."

56 THE BAR-W THREE

" He'd likely f oiler th' reg'lar trail up, anyhow," said
Hopalong. " It ain't likely we'll miss him."

Margaret put down the dish and looked at them accus
ingly. "What are you boys talking about?" she de
manded.

" Only wonderin' if yore father's letter will get to John
ny in time to catch him before he leaves," said Hopalong.
" Dave says it will as long as that Slim feller is takin' it
to Highbank with him. Slim live down there ? " he asked
his host.

" No ; goin' down for th' Double X, I suppose," replied
Arnold. "Supper ready, Peggy?"

" Not until I learn more about this," retorted Margaret,
determinedly. " What letter are you talking about ? "

" Oh, I told Johnny to look around and see if he could
pick up a good herd of yearlings cheap," answered her
father, going into the next room.

Margaret compressed her lips, but said nothing about it,
whereupon Red silently swore a stronger oath of alle
giance. " The table is waiting for you. I've had to keep
the supper warm," she said.

Red nodded under standingly. " Men- folks are shore a
trial an' tribulation," he said, passing through the door.

"Hadn't ought to take him very long, I suppose?"
queried Arnold, passing the meat one way and the potatoes
the other.

Red laughed. " You don't know him very well, yet,"
he replied. " Give him a chance to dicker over a herd an'
he's happy for a week or more. He shore does like to
dicker."

" I never saw anything in his nature which would indi-

'A JOURNEY CONTINUED 57

* • «-

cate anything like that," said Margaret, tartly. "He
always has impressed me with being quite direct Perhaps
I did not understand you correctly ? "

" Peggy ! Peggy ! " reproved her father. " It means
bread and butter for us."

" I can eat my bread without butter," she retorted.
"As a matter of fact I've seen very little butter out in this
country."

Red screwed his face up a little and wriggled his foot.
"I don't reckon you've ever seen him buyin' a herd,
ma'am ? "

" You are quite right, Mr. Connors. I never have."

Red did not take the trouble to inform her that he never
had seen her husband buy a herd. " I reckon it's his love
for gamblin'," he said, carelessly, and instantly regretted it.

"Gambling?" snapped Margaret, her eyes sparking.
" Did you say gambling ? "

Hopalong flashed one eloquent look at his friend, whose
hair now was not the only red thing about him, and re
moved the last of the peel from the potato. " Red is
referrin', I reckon, to th' love of gamblin' that was born
in yore husband, Margaret. It allus has been one of his,
an' our, fears that it would get th' best of him. But," he
said, proudly and firmly, " it never did. Johnny is gettin'
past th' age, now, when a deck of cards acts strong on him.
An' it's all due to Red. He used to whale him good every
time he caught th' Kid playin'."

Red's sanctimonious expression made Hopalong itch to
smear the hot potato over it, and the heel of his boot on
Red's shin put a look of sorrow on that person's face which
was not in the least simulated.

58 THE BAR-W THREE

" We all had a hand in that, Margaret," generously re
marked the man with the shuddering shin. " Tex Ewalt
watched him closest. But, as I was sayin', out at th' cor
ral, I don't believe he's got men enough to handle no herd
of yearlin's. Them youngsters are plumb skittish, an' hard
to keep on th' trail. Me an' Hoppy are aimin' to go down
an' help him — an' see him all th' sooner, to tell you th'
truth."

" That will please him," smiled Margaret. She looked
at her father, whose appetite seemed to be ravenous, judg
ing by the attention he was giving to the meal. " What
did you write, Dad ? "

Arnold washed down a refractory mouthful of potato,
which suffered from insufficient salivation, and looked up.
He repeated the letter carelessly and reached for another
swallow of coffee, silently thanking Hopalong for insist
ing that the letter actually be written.

The meal over they sat and chatted until after dark,
Margaret doing up a bundle of things which she thought
her husband might need. When morning came she had
breakfast on the table at daylight for her departing friends,
and she also had a fat letter for her husband, which she
entrusted to Red, the sterling molder of her husband's
manly character.

When they had ridden well beyond sight of the house
Hopalong thoughtfully dropped the bundle to the ground,
turned in the saddle and looked with scorn at his friend.
"You shore are a hard-boiled jackass! For two bits I'd
V choked you last night. How'd you like to have some
body shoot off his mouth to yore wife about your
gamblin'?"

59

" I've reformed, an' she knows it ! "

" Yes, you've reformed ! You've reformed a lot, you
have!"

" You ain't got no business pickin' on th' man that
taught th' Kid most all he knows about poker!" tartly
retorted Red.

"Cussed little you ever taught him," rejoined Hopa-
long. " It was me an' Tex that eddicated his brain, an'
fingers. He only used you to practice on."

And so they rode, both secretly pleased by this auspicious
beginning of a new day, for the day that started without
a squabble usually ended wrong, somehow. Picking up
Arch, who yawningly met them at the ford, they pushed
southward at a hard pace, relying on the relay which their
guide promised to get at Highbank. Reaching this town
Arch led them to his father's little corral, and exulted over
the four fresh horses which he found there. Saddles were
changed with celerity and they rolled on southward again.

Peter Wiggins in the hotel office held the jack of hearts
over the ten of the same suit and cocked an ear to listen.
Slowly making the play he drew another card from the
deck in his hand, and listened again. Reluctant to bestir
himself, but a little suspicious, he debated the matter while
he played several cards mechanically. Then he arose and
walked through the building, emerging from the kitchen
door. Three swiftly moving riders, his son in the middle,
were taking the long, gentle slope just south of town.
Pete's laziness disappeared and he made good time to the
corral. One look was enough and he shook a vengeful
fist at his heir and pride.

<5o THE BAR-W THREE

" Twice ! " he roared, kicking an inoffensive tomato can
over the corral wall. " Twice ! Mebby you'll try it again !
All right; 7'm willin'. I never heard of anybody around
here thraskin' a twenty-three-year-old son, but as long as
yo're bustin' records an' makin' th' Wigginses famous, I
ought to do my share. Yo're bustin' ridin' records — I'm
aimin' to bust th' hidin' records, if you don't smash th'
sprintin' records, you grinnin' monkey!"

Pete went into the hotel, soon returning with the cards
and a box ; and for the rest of the morning played solitaire
with the steadily rising sun beating on his back, and
swarms of flies exploring his perspiring person.

The three riders were going on, hour after hour, their
speed entirely controlled by what they knew of horse
flesh, and when they espied the wagon Arch suggested
another change of mounts, which was instantly overruled
by Hopalong.

" Some of them Mesquite hombres will be rememberin'
them cayuses," he said. " We're doin' good enough as
we are."

When they reached the wagon and drew rein to breathe
their mounts, Joe Reilly grinned a welcome. "Thought
you was goin' to Gunsight! " he jeered.

Arch laughed triumphantly. "I've done been there,
but got afraid you fellers might get lost. Meet Hopalong
£assidy an' Red Conners, friends of th' foreman."

" Why'n h — 1 didn't you bring my hoss with you, you
locoed cow?" blazed Sam Gardner from the wagon seat.
" You never got to Gunsight. You must 'a' hit a cushion
.an' bounced back."

" Forgot all about yore piebald," retorted Arch. " But

'A JOURNEY CONTINUED 61.

if you must have a cay use you can ask my old man for one
when you get to Highbank. I'd do it for you, only me an'
him ain't on th' best of terms right now." He turned to
his two new friends. "All you got to do now is foller th'
wagon tracks to town.*'

" So-long," said the two, and whirled away.

They spent the night not many miles north of Big
Creek and were riding again at dawn. As they drew
nearer to their objective the frisking wind sent clouds of
dust whirling around them to their discomfort.

"That must be th' town," grunted Red through his
kerchief as his eyes, squinting between nearly closed lids,
caught sight of Mesquite through a momentary opening
in the dust-filled air to the southeast.

" Hope so," growled his companion. " Cussed glad of
it. This is goin' to be a whizzer. Look at th' tops of
them sand hills yonder — streamin' into th' air like smoke
from a roarin' prairie fire. Here's where we separate.
I'm takin' to th' first shack I find. Don't forget our names,
an' that we're strangers, for awhile, anyhow."

Red nodded. " Bill Long an' Red Thompson," he
muttered as they parted.

Not long thereafter Hopalong dismounted in the rear
of Kane's and put his horse in the nearer of the two
stables, doing what he could for the animal's comfort, and
then stepped to the door. He paused, glanced back at
the " P. W." brand on the horse and smiled. " Red's is a
Horseshoe cayuse. That's what I call luck ! " and plunged
into the sand blasts. Bumping into the wall of Kane's big
building he followed it, turned the corner, and groped his
way through the front door.

62 THE BAR-W THREE

At the sudden gust the bartender looked around and
growled. "Close that door! Pronto!"

The newcomer slammed it shut and leaned against the
wall, rubbing at his eyelids and face, and shed sand at
every movement.

The bartender slid a glass of water across the bar.
" Here ; wash it out. You'll only make 'em worse, rub-
bin'," he said as the other began rubbing his lips and spit
ting energetically.

Bill Long obeyed, nodded his thanks and glanced fur
tively at the door, and became less alert. " Much obliged.
I didn't get all there was flyin', but I got a-plenty."

The dispenser of drinks smiled. " Lucky gettin' in out
of it when you did."

"Yes," replied Bill, nervously. "Yes; plumb lucky.
This will raise th' devil with th' scenery."

" Won't be a trail left," suggested the bartender, watch
ing closely.

Bill glanced up quickly, sighed with satisfaction and
then glanced hurriedly around the room. " Whose place
is this ? " he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

" Pecos Kane's," grunted the bartender, greatly pleased
about something. His pleasure was increased by the
quick look of relief which flashed across the other's face,
and he chuckled. " Yo're all right in here."

" Yes," said Bill, and motioned toward a bottle. Gulp
ing the drink he paid for it and then leaned over the coun
ter. " Say, friend," he whispered anxiously, " if any
body conies around askin' for Bill Long, you ain't seen
him, savvy ? "

"Never even heard of th' gent," smiled the other.

A JOURNEY CONTINUED 63

" Here's where you should ought to lose yo're name," he
suggested.

Bill winked at him and slouched away to become mixed
up in the crowd. The checkerboard rear wall obtruded
itself upon his vision and he went back and found a seat
not far from it and from Kit Thorpe, bodyguard of the
invisible proprietor, who sat against the door leading
through the partition. Thorpe coldly acknowledged the
stranger's nod and continued to keep keen watch over the
crowd and the distant front door.

The day was very dull, the sun's rays baffled by the
swirling sand, and the hanging kerosene lamps were lit,
and as an occasional thundering gust struck the building
and created air disturbances inside of it the lamps moved
slightly to and fro and added a little more soot to the coat
ing on their chimneys. Bill's natural glance at the unusual
design of the rear wall caught something not usual about it
and caused an unusual activity to arise in his mind. He
knew that his eyes were sore and inflamed, but that did
not entirely account for the persistent illusion which they
saw when his roving glance, occasionally returning to the
wall, swept quickly over it. There were several places
where the black was a little blacker, and these spots moved
on their edges, contracting and lengthening as the lamps
swung gently. Pulling the brim of his hat over his
eyes, he faced away from the wall and closed his burning
eyelids, but his racing thoughts were keen to solve any
riddle which would help to pass the monotonous time.
Another veiled glance as he shifted to a more comfortable
position gave him the explanation he sought. Those few
black squares had been cut out, and the moving strips of

64 THE BAR-%0 THREE

black which had puzzled him were the shadows of the
edges, moving across a black board which, set back the
thickness of the partition, closed them.

" Peekholes," he thought, and then wondered anew.
Why the lower row, then, so low that a man would have
to kneel to look through the openings ? " Peekholes," per
sisted hide-bound Experience, grabbing at the obvious.
" Perhaps," doubted Suspicion ; " but then, why that lower
row?" Suddenly his gunman's mind exulted. "Peek-
holes above, an' loopholes below." A good gunman would
not try to look through such small openings, nearly closed
by the barrel of a rifle. But why a rifle, for a good gun
man? "He'd need all of a hole to look through, an' a
good gunman likes a hip shot. That's it: Eyes to th'
upper, six-gun at th' lower, for a range too short to allow a
miss."

He stirred, blinked at the gambling crowd and closed
his eyes again. The sudden, gusty opening of the front
door sent jets of soot spouting from the lamp chimneys
and bits of rubbish skittering across the floor ; and it also
sent his hand to a gun-butt. He grunted as Red Thomp
son entered, folded his arms anew and dozed again, as a
cynical smile flickered to Thorpe's face and quickly died.
Bill shifted slightly. "Any place as careful in thinkin' out
things as this place is will stand a lot of lookin' over," he
thought. " Th' Lord help anybody that pulls a gun in this
room. An' I'll bet a man like Kane has got more'n loop
holes. I'm shore goin' to like his place."

Kit Thorpe had not missed the stranger's alert interest
and motion at the opening of the door, but for awhile he
did not move. Finally, however, he yawned, stretched,

A JOURNEY CONTINUED 65

moved restlessly on his chair and then noisily arose and
disappeared behind the partition, closing the checkered
door after him. It was not his intention to sit so close to
anyone who gave signs which indicated that he might be
engaged in a shooting match at any moment. It would be
better to keep watch from the side, well out of the line of
fire.

Bill Long did not make the mistake of looking at the
holes again, but dozed fitfully, starting at each gust which
was strong enough to suggest the opening of the door.
" I got to find th' way, an' that's all there is to it," he mut
tered. " How am I goin' to be welcome around here ? "

CHAPTER V

WHAT THE STORM HID

THE squeaking of the door wakened Johnny and his
gun swung toward the sound as a familiar face
emerged from the dusk of the hall and smiled a little.

" Reckon it ain't no shootin' matter," said the sheriff,
slowly entering. He walked over to a chair and sat down.
" Just a little call in th' line of duty," he explained.

" Sorry there wasn't a bell hangin' on th' door, or a
club, or something5' replied Johnny ironically. " Then you
could 'a' waited till I asked you to come in."

" That wouldn't 'a' been in th' line of duty," chuckled
Corwin, his eyes darting from one piece of wearing ap
parel to another. " I'm lookin' around for th' fellers that
robbed th' bank last night. Yore clothes don't hardly look
dusty enough, though. Where was you last night, up to
about one o'clock ? "

" Down in th' barroom, playin' cards. Why ? "

"That's what Ed says, too. That accounts for you
durin' an' after th' robbery. I've got to look around, any
how, for them coyotes."

" You'd show more sense if you was lookin' around for
hoss tracks instead of wastin' time in here," retorted John
ny, keeping his head turned so the peace officer could not
see what was left of the bump.

66

" There ain't none/' growled Corwin, arising. " She's
still blowin' sand a-plenty — a couple of shacks are buried
to their chimneys. I'm tellin' you this is th' worst sand
storm that ever hit this town, but it looks like it's easin'
up now. There won't be a trail left, an' th' scenery has
shifted enough by this time to look like some place else.
Idaho turn in when you did ? "

" He did. Here he is now," replied Johnny, for the first
time really conscious of the sand blasts which rasped
against the windows.

Idaho peered around the door, nodded at Corwin and
looked curious, and suspicious. " If I ain't wanted, throw
me out," he said, holding up his trousers with one hand,
the other held behind his back. " Hearin' voices, I thought
mebby somebody was openin' a private flask an', bein'
thirsty, I come over to help. My throat is shore dusty.
'An' would you listen to that wind ? It shore rocked this
old hotel last night. Th' floor of my room is near ankle
deep in places."

"Th' bank was robbed last night," blurted Corwin,
watching keenly from under his hat brim. "Whoever
done it is still in town, unless he was ad — d fool ! "

Idaho grunted his surprise. " That so ? Gee, they shore
couldn't 'a' picked a better time," he declared. "Gosh,
there's sand in my hair, even ! "

Johnny rubbed his scalp, looked mildly surprised and
slammed his sombrero on his head. " It ain't polite," he
grinned, " but I got enough of it now." He sat up, crossed
his legs under the sand-covered blankets and faced his
visitors. "Tell us about it, Sheriff," he suggested.

" Wait till I get a belt," said Idaho, backing out of the

68 THE BAR-SO THREE

door. When he returned he carried the rest of his clothes
and started getting into them as the sheriff began his
recital.

" John Reddy, th' bank watchman, says he was a little
careless last night, which nobody can hardly blame him
for. He sat in his chair agin' the rear wall, th' whole
place under his eyes, an' listened to th' storm. To kill time
he got to makin' bets with hisself about how soon th' second
crack in th' floor would be covered over, an' then th' third,
an' so on. 'Long about a little after twelve he says he hears
a moan at th' back door. He pulls his gun an' listens close,
down at th' crack just above th' sand drift. Then he hears
it again, an' a scratchin' an clawin'. There's only one
thing he's thinkin' about then — how he'd feel if he was
th' poor devil out there, lost an' near dead. I allus said
a watchman should ought to have no feelin's, an' a cussed
strong imagination. John ain't fillin' th' bill either way.
He cleared away th' drift on his side of th' door an' opens
it — an' beyond rememberin' somethin' sandy jumpin' for
him, that's all he knows till he come to later on an' found
hisself tied up, with a welt on th' head that felt big as a
doorknob."

If the sheriff expected to detect any interchange of
glances between his auditors at his reference to the watch
man's bump on the head he was disappointed. Johnny
was looking at him with a frank interest seconded by that
of Idaho, and neither did anything else during the short
pause.

" John got his senses back enough to know what had
happened, an' one glance around told him that he was
right," continued Corwin. "Finally he managed to get

WttAT THE STORM HID 69

his legs loose enough to hobble, an* he butted out into th'
flyin' sand with his eyes shut an' his nose buried agin' his
shoulder so he could breathe ; an' somehow he managed to
hit a buildin' in his blind driftin'. It was McNeil's, an' by
throwin' his weight agin' th' door an' buttin' it with his
shoulders an' elbows, he woke up Sam, who let him in,
untied his arms an' th' rest of him, fixed him up as well as
he could in a hurry an' then left him there. Sam got Pete
Jennings, next door, sent Pete an' a scatter-gun to watch
over what was left in th' bank, an' then started out to find
me. He had to give it up till it got light, so he waited in
th' bank with Pete. Th' bank fellers are there now,
checkin' up. Th' big, burglar-proof safe was blowed open
neat as a whistle — but they plumb ruined th' little one.
They overlooked th' biggest of all, down in th' cellar.
Well," he sighed, arising, " I got to go on with my callin'
— an' it's one fine day to be wanderin' all over town."

"If I was sheriff I wouldn't have to do much wan
derin'," said Idaho. "But, anyhow, it can't last," he
grinned.

Johnny nodded endorsement. " Th' harder, th' shorter.
It's gettin' less all th' time," he said, pivoting and sitting
on the edge of the bed. "But, just th' same," he yawned,
stretching ecstatically, "I'm shore-e-e — g-l-a-d / can stay
indoors till she peters out. Yo're plumb right, Corwin;
them fellers never left town last night. An' if I was you
I'd be cussed suspicious of anybody that seemed anxious
to leave any time today."

" They never did leave town last night," said Idaho, a
strange glint showing in his eyes.

"An' nobody can leave today, neither." said Corwin.

TO THE BAR-W THREE

"If they try it they will be stopped," he added, pointedly.
"I've got a deputy coverin' every way out, sand or no
sand. So-long," and he tramped down the bare stairs,
grumbling at every step.

Johnny removed his hat to put on his shirt, and then
replaced it. " You speakin' about sand in yore hair gave
me what I needed," he grinned.

"That's why I said it," laughed his companion. "I
saw that yore neck was stiff an' felt sorry for you. Now
what th' devil do you think about that bank ? "

" Kane," grunted Johnny, pouring sand from a boot.

" That name must 'a' been cut on th' butt of th' gun that
hit you," chuckled Idaho. " It's been drove in solid. Get
a rustle on; I'm hungry, an* my teeth are full of sand.
I'm anxious to hear what Ed knows."

An unpleasant and gritty breakfast out of the way, they
went in to visit with the bartender and to while away a
few hours at California Jaclc.

" Hello," grunted Ed. " Sheriff come pokin' his face in
yore room? " he asked.

"He did," answered Johnny; "an* he'll never know
how close he come to pokin' it into h< — 1."

" My boot just missed him," regretted Ed. " He sung
out right prompt when he felt th' wind of it. D — d four-
flush."

" I'm among friends an' sympathizers," chuckled Idaho.
" He says as how he's goin' wanderin' around in th' sand
blasts doin' his duty. Duty nothin'! I'm bettin' he's
settin' in Kane's, right now, takin' it easy."

"Then he can't get much closer to 'em," snorted Ed»
" He can near touch th' men that did it." He paused as

Johnny laughed in Idaho's face and, shrugging his shoul
ders, turned and rearranged the glasses on the backbar:
"All right; laugh an' be d — d!" he snorted; "but would
you look at that shelf an' them glasses ? Cuss any country
that moves around like that. I bet I got some of them
Dry Arroyo sand hills in them glasses ! "

"There was plenty in th' hash this mornin'," said
Idaho ; " but it didn't taste like that Dry Arroyo sand. It
wasn't salty enough. Gimme a taste of that."

" Just because you'll make a han'some corpse ain't no
reason why you should be in any hurry," retorted Ed.
" Here! " he snorted, tossing a pack of cards on the bar.
" Go over an' begin th' wranglin' agin — 'though th' Lord
knows I ain't got no thin' agin' Nelson." He glanced out
of the window. " Purty near bio wed out. It'll be ca'm
in another half-hour; an' then you get to blazes out of
here, an' stay out till dark ! "

"I wish I had yore happy disposition," said Idaho.
" I'd shore blow my brains out."

"There wouldn't be anythin' to clean up, anyhow!"
retorted Ed. " Lord help us, here comes Silent Lewis ! "

" Hello, fellers ! " cried the newcomer. " Gee but it's
been some storm. Sand's all over everythin'. Hear about
th' bank robbery?"

"Bank robbery?" queried Ed, innocently. "What
bank robbery ? Sand bank ? " he asked, sarcastically.

"Sand bank! Sand bank nothin'!" blurted Silent.
"Ain't you heard it yet? Why, I live ten miles out of
town, an' I know all about it."

" I believe every word you say," said Ed. " Tell us
about it."

72 THE BAR-W THREE

"Gee, where have you-all been?" demanded Silent
" Why, John Reddy, settin' on his chair, watchin' th' safe,
hears a moanin', so he opened th' door "

" Of th' safe ? " asked Idaho, curiously.

" No, no ; of th' bank. Th' bank door, th' rear one. He
hears a moan "

"Which moan; first, or second?" queried Ed,
anxiously.

" Th' first — th' second didn't come till — hey, I thought
you didn't hear about it ? " he accused.

" I didn't ; but you mentions two moans, separate an'
distinct," defended Ed.

" You shore did," said Idaho, firmly.

Johnny nodded emphatically. " Yessir; you shore did.
Two moans, one at each end."

" But I didn't get to th' second moan at all ! "

"Now, what's th' use of tellin' us that?" flared the
bartender. " Don't you think we got ears ? "

" If you can't tell it right, shut up," said Idaho.

" I can tell it right if you'll shut up ! " retorted Silent.
"As I said, he hears a moan, so he leaves th' safe an' goes
to th' door. Then he hears a second moan, scratching
an' "

" Hey I " growled Ed indignantly. " What you talkin*
about? Who in h — 1 ever heard of a second moan
scratchin' "

" It was th' first that scratched," corrected Idaho. " He
said it plain. You must be listenin' with yore feet."

"If you'd gimme a chance to tell it — " began Silent,
bridling.

" Never mind my hearin' you," snapped Ed at Idaho.

WH'AT THE STORM HID 73

" I know what I heard. An' lemme tell you, Silent, you
can't cram nothin' like that down my throat. Before you
go any further, just explain to me how a moan can scratch !
I'm allus willin' to learn, but I want things explained care
ful an' fufl."

" He ain't quick-witted, like you an' me," said Johnny.
" We understand how a scratch moans, but he's too dumb.
Go on an' tell th' ignoramus."

"If yo're so cussed quick-witted, will you please tell
me what'n blazes you are talkin' about ? " demanded Silent,
truculently. " What do you mean by a scratch moans ? "

" That's what I want to know," growled Idaho. " You
can't scratch moans. Cuss it, I reckon I ought to know,
for I've tried to do it, more'n once, too."

"Yo're dumber than Nelson," jeered Ed. "It's all
plain to me."

" What is ? " snapped Idaho.

" Moanin' scratches, that's what ! "

" Of a safe ? " asked Johnny. " Then why didn't you
say so? How'd / know that you meant that. Go on,
Silent."

",You was at th' second moan," prompted Ed.

" He scratched that," said Idaho. " He got as far as
leavin' th' safe, 'though what he was doin' in there with
it, I'd like to know. Reddy let you in ? "

" Look here, Idaho," scowled Silent. " I wasn't in there
at all. You'll get me inter trouble, sayin' things like that.
I was ten miles away when it happened."

"Then why didn't you say so, at th' beginnin'?"
asked Ed.

"Ah ! " triumphantly exclaimed Johnny. " Then you

74 THE BAR-%0 THREE

tell us how you could hear th' scratchin' an' moanin' ; tell
us that!"

"That's all right, Nelson," said Idaho, soothingly.
" He can hear more things when he's ten miles away than
any man you ever knowed. Go ahead, Silent."

" You go to h — 1 ! " roared Silent, glaring. " You
think yo're smart, don't you, all of you ? I was goin' to
tell you about th' robbery, but now you can cussed well find
it out for yoreselves ! An' don't let me hear about any of
you sayin' I was in that bank last night, neither! D — d
fools!" and he stamped out, slamming the door behind
him. " Blow an' be d — d ! " he growled at the storm.
" I'd ruther eat sand than waste time with them ijuts.
' Scratch moans ! ' Scratch h — // "

Silent's departure left a more cheerful atmosphere in
the barroom. The three men he had forsaken were grin
ning at each other, the petty annoyances of the storm for
gotten, and the next hour passed quickly. At its expira
tion the wind had died down and the storm-bound town
was free again. Ed finished cleaning the bar and the
glassware about the time that his two friends had swept
the last of the sand into the street and cleared away a
drift which blocked the rear door. They were taking a
congratulatory drink when Ridley, coming to town for the
mail himself because he would not ask any of his men to
face the discomforts of that ride, stamped in, and his face
was like a thunder cloud.

" Gimme a drink ! " he demanded, and when he had had
it he swung around and glared at Idaho. " Lukins have
any money in that bank ? Yes ? You better be off to let
him know about it. H — 1 of a note: Thirty thousand

WHAT THE STORM HID 75

stole ! An' Jud Hill holdin' a gun on me when I rode into
town, askin' fool questions ! An' let me tell you somethin'
— judgin' from th' tools they forgot to take with 'em,
it wasn't no amatachures that did that job. Diamond
drills an' cow-country crooks don't know each other. An'
that Jud Hill, a-stoppin' me!"

" Mebby he won't let you leave town," suggested Idaho.
" Corwin's given orders like that."

Ridley crashed his fist on the bar, and then to better
express his feelings he leaned over and stuck out his jaw.
" Y-a-a-s ? Then I'm invitin' you-all to Hill's funeral, an'
Corwin's, too, if he cuts in ! Thirty thousand! Great land
of cows ! "

" Corwin's out now, huntin' for 'em," said Ed.

" Is he ? " sneered Ridley. " Then he wants to find 'em !
Th' firm of Twitchell an' Carpenter owns near half of that
bank — every dollar th' Question-Mark has was in it.
There's a change comin' to this part of th' country! " and
he stamped out, mounted his horse and whirled down the
trail. When he reached the sentry he rode so close to him
that their legs rubbed and Hill's horse began to give
ground.

" Do I go on ? " snapped Ridley.

Jud Hill nodded pleasantly. " Shore. Seein' as how
you come in this mornin' I reckon you do."

Ridley urged his horse forward without replying,
reached the ranchhouse, wrote a letter which was a mas
terpiece of its kind and gave it to one of his men to post
in Larkinville, twenty miles to the south. That done, all
he could do was impatiently to await the reply.

After Ridley had left, Johnny went out to look after

76 THE BAR-HP THREE

Pepper, found her all right, cleaned the sand out of the
feed box and then went down to look at the bank. Four
men with rifles were posted around it and waved him
away. He could see several other men busy in the build
ing, but beyond that there was nothing to claim his atten
tion. Joining the small crowd of idlers across the street
he listened to their conjectures, which were entirely vague
and colorless, and then wandered back to look for Idaho
in Quayle's. His friend was not to be seen and after
exchanging a few words with the jovial proprietor he
went in to talk with the bartender.

" No wind now, but my throat's dry. Gimme a drink,
half water," and holding it untasted for the moment he
jerked his head backward in the direction of the bank.
"Nothin' to see, except some fellers inside lookin' for
'most anything an' four men with Winchesters on th'
outside."

While he was speaking a man had entered and seated
himself in the rear of the room. Johnny glanced care
lessly at him, and the glass cracked sharply in his con
vulsive grip, the liquor squirting through his fingers and
gathering a deeper color as it passed. A thin trickle of
blood ran down his hand and wrist.

Ed had started at the sound and his head was bent
forward, his unbelieving eyes staring at the dripping hand.

Johnny opened it slowly, shook the fragments from it
and let it fall to his side, mechanically shaking off blood
and liquor. " Cuss it, Ed," he gently reproved, looking
calmly into the bartender's questioning face, "you should
ought to pick out th' bad ones an' throw 'em away — yes,
an' bust 'em first."

WH'AT THE STORM HID 77

Ed picked up the bottom of the glass and critically ex
amined it, noting a discolored strip along one of the sharp
edges, where dirt had accumulated from numberless wash
ings. The largest fragment showed the greasy line to the
rounded brim. " I usually do," he growled. " Thought I
had this one, too. Must V got back somehow. Hurt
bad?"

" Nothin' fatal, I reckon," answered Johnny, drawing
the injured member up his trousers leg. " But I'm sayin'
you owe me another drink; an' leave th' water out, this
time. Water in whisky never does bring good luck,
nohow."

Ed smiled, pushing out bottle and glass. " We might
say that one was on th' house — all that didn't get on you."
He instinctively reached for and used the bar cloth as he
looked over at the stranger. " I can promise you one that
ain't cracked," he smiled.

"I'll take mine straight," said Bill Long. "I don't
want no more hard luck."

" Wonder where Idaho is?" asked Johnny. "Well, if
he comes in, tell him I'm exercisin' my cayuse. Reckon
I'll go down an' chin with Ridley this afternoon. Th'
south trail is less sandy than th' north one."

"An' give Corwin a chance to say things about you?"
asked Ed, significantly. " He'll be lookin' for a peg to
hang things on."

" Then mebby he won't never look for any more."

" That may be true ; but what's th' use ? "

" Reckon yo're right," reluctantly admitted Johnny.
" Guess I'll go up to Kane's an' see what's happenin'. If
Idaho comes in, or any more of my numerous friends,"

78 THE BAR-20 THREE

he grinned, "send 'em up there if they're askin' for me.
I'll mebby be glad to see 'em," and he sauntered out.

Ed smiled pleasantly at the other customer. "Bad
thing, a glass breakin' like that," he remarked.

Bill Long looked at him without interest. " Serves him
right," he grunted, " for holdin' it so tight. Nobody was
aimin' to take it away from him, was they ? "

Johnny entered Kane's too busy thinking to give much
notice to the room and the suppressed excitement occa
sioned by the robbery, and sat down at a table. As he
leaned back in the chair he caught sight of a red-headed
puncher talking to one of Kane's card-sharps and he got
another shock. "Holy maverick!" he muttered, and
looked carelessly around to see if any more of his Montana
friends had dropped into town. Then he smiled as the
card-sharp looking up, beckoned to him. As he passed
down the room he noticed the quiet easterner hunched up
in a corner, his cap well down over his eyes, and Johnny
wondered if the man ever wore it any other way. He was
out of place in his cow-town surroundings — perhaps that
was why he had not been seen outside of Kane's building.
Ridley's remark about the tools came to him and he hesi
tated, considered, and then went on again. He had no
reason to do Corwin's work for him. Dropping into a
vacant chair at the gambler's table he grunted the cus
tomary greeting.

" Howd'y," replied the card-sharp, nodding pleasantly.

" No use bein' lonesome. Meet Red Thompson," he said,
waving.

" Glad to meet you," said Johnny, truthfully, but hiding
as well as he could the pleasure it gave him. " I once

WHAT THE STORM HID 79

knowed a Thompson — short, fat feller. Worked up on
a mountain range in Colorado. Know him? "

Red shook his head. "Th' world's full of Thomp
sons," he explained. " You punchin' ? "

" Got a job on th' SV, couple of days' ride north of
here. Just come down with a little beef herd for Twitchell
an' Carpenter. Ain't seen no good bunch of yearlin's that
can be got cheap, have you ? "

Red shook his head : " No, I ain't."

The gambler laughed and poked a lean thumb at the
SV puncher. " Modest feller, he is," he said. " He's
foreman, up there."

Red's mild interest grew a little. " That so ? I passed
yore ranch comin' down. Need another man ? "

The SV foreman shook his head. " I could do with one
less. Them bank fellers picked a good time for it, didn't
they?"

" They shore did," agreed the gambler. " Couldn't V
picked a better. Kane loses a lot by that, I reckon. Well,
what do you gents say to a little game ? Small enough not
to cause no calamities; large enough to be interesting
Nothin' else to do that I can see."

Red nodded and, the limit soon agreed upon, the game
began. As the second hand was being dealt Bill Long
wandered in, talked for a few moments with the bar
tender and then went over to a chair. Tipping it back
against the wall he pulled down his hat brim, let his chin
sink on his chest and prepared to enjoy a nap. Naturally
a man wishing to doze would choose the darkest corner,
and if he was not successful who could tell that the narrow
slit between his lids let his keen eyes watch everything

8o THE BAR-SO THREE

worth seeing? His attention was centered mostly on the
tenderfoot stranger with the low-pulled cap and the cut
out squares in the great checkerboard partition at the rear
of the room.

The poker game was largely a skirmish, a preliminary
feeling out for a game which was among the strong proba
bilities of the future. Johnny and the gambler were about
even with each other at the breaking up of the play, but
Red Thompson had lost four really worth-while jack pots
to the pleasant SV foreman. As they roughly pushed
back their chairs Bill Long stirred, opened his eyes, blinked
around, frowned slightly at being disturbed and settled
back again. " Red couldn't 'a' got that money to him in
no better way," he thought, contentedly.

The three players separated, Johnny going to the hotel,
Red seeking a chair by the wall and the gambler loafing
at the bar.

"An' how'd you find 'em?" softly asked the wise bar
tender. " Coin' after that foreman's roll ? "

The gambler grunted and shifted his weight to the other
leg. " Thompson ain't very much ; but I dunno about th'
other feller. Sometimes I think one thing; sometimes,
another. Either he's cussed innocent, or too slick for me
to figger. Reckon mebby Fisher ought to go agin' him,
an' find out, for shore."

" How'd you make out, last night, with Long?"

"There's a man th' boss ought to grab," replied the
gambler. "He didn't win much from me — but it's his
first, an' last, chance with me. I don't play him no more.
I'd like to see him an' Fisher go at it, with no limit. Fisher
would have th' best of it on th' money end, havin' th' house

WHAT THE STORM HID 8i_

behind him in case he had to weather a run of hard luck ;
but mebby he'd need it."

As the gambler walked away the easterner arose,
slouched to the bar and held a short whispered conversa
tion with the man behind it.

The bartender frowned. " You can't get away before
night. Sandy Woods will take care of you before mornin',
I reckon. Go upstairs an' quit fussin'. Yo're safe as
h — 1!"

The bartender's prophecy came true after dark, when
Sandy Woods and the anxious stranger quietly left town
together ; but the stranger had good reason to be anxious,
for at dawn he was careless for a moment and found him
self looking into his escort's gun. He had more courage
than good sense and refused to be robbed, and he died for
it. Sandy dragged the body into a clump of bushes away
from the trail and then rode on to kill the necessary time,
leading the other's horse. He was five thousand dollars
richer, and had proved wrong the old adage about honor
among thieves.

CHAPTER VI

THE WRITING ON THE WALL

WHEN the senior member of the firm of Twitchell
and Carpenter read Ridley's letter things began to
happen. It was the last straw, for besides being
half -owners in the bank the firm had for several years
been annoyed by depredations committed by Mesquite citi
zens on its herds. The depredations had ceased upon pay
ment of " campaign funds " to the Mesquite political ring,
but the blackmail levy had galled the senior member, who
was not as prone as Carpenter was to buy peace. Orders
flew from the firm's office and the little printing-plant at
Sandy Bend broke all its hazy precedents, with the result
that a hard-riding courier, relaying twice, carried the work
of the job-print toward Mesquite. Reaching Ridley's
domain he turned the package over to the local superin
tendent, who joyously mounted and carried it to town.

Tim Quayle welcomed his old friend, listened intently
to what Ridley had to say and handed over an assortment
of tacks and nails, and a chipped hammer. " 'Tis time,
Tom," he said, simply.

Ridley went out and selected a spot on the hotel wall,
and the sound of the hammer and the sight of his unusual
occupation caused a small crowd of curious idlers to
gather around him. When the poster was unrolled there

82

THE WRITING ON THE WALL 83

were sibilant whispers, soft curses, frank prophesies, and
some commendations, which was entirely a matter of the
personal viewpoint. Half an hour later, the last poster
placed, Ridley took a short cut, entered the hotel through
the kitchen and went into the barroom. What he had
published for the enlightenment, edification, or disappro
bation of his fellow-citizens was pointed and business-like,
and read as follows :

$2,500.00 REWARD!

For Information Leading to the Capture
and Conviction of the Men Who Robbed

the Mesquite Bank.

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

TWITCHELL & CARPENTER

Sandy Bend TOM RIDLEY, Local Supt.

Quayle turned and smiled at the T & C man. " Ye've
slapped their faces, Tom. Mind yore eye ! "

"They've prodded th' old mosshead once too often,"
growled Ridley, looking around at Johnny, Idaho, and the
others. " I reckon this stops th' blackmail to th' gang.
When I wrote my letter I expected somethin' would hap
pen, an' th' letter I got in return near curled my hair.
Twitchell's fightin' mad."

" Th' reward's too big," criticized Idaho.

" I'm f earin' it ain't big enough," said Ed Doane, shak
ing his head.

Ridley laughed contentedly. " It's more than enough.

84 THE BAR-%0 THREE

There's men in this town, an' that gang, who would knife
anybody for half of that. When they can get twenty-five
hundred by simply openin' their mouths, without bein'
known, they'll do it. Loyalty is fine to listen about, but
there's few men in th' gang we're after that have any
twenty-five hundred dollars' worth. This is th' beginnin'
of th' end. Mark my words."

"A lot depends on how many were in on it," suggested
Johnny, "an' how many of th' others know about it."

"He's throwin' money away," doggedly persisted
Idaho. "A thousand would buy any of 'em, that an'
secrecy."

"He ain't throwm* it away," retorted Ridley, "con-
siderin' his letter. He's after results, amazin' results, an'
he shore knows how to get 'em. It'll be sort of more
pleasant if th' gang is sold out. He figgers a reward like
that will save time an' be self-actin', for my orders are
to stay in th' ranchhouse an' wait. That's what I'm goin'
to do, too; an' I'll be settin' there with all guns loaded.
No tellin' what'll happen now an', not bein' able to say
how soon it will happen, I'm leavin' you boys. So-long."

He walked out to his horse and mounted. As he settled
into the saddle there was a flat report, his hat flew from his
head and he toppled from the horse, dead before he struck
the ground.

Quayle swiftly reached over the desk and took a Win
chester from its pegs, Irish tears in his eyes ; and waited
hopefully, Irish rage in his heart, watching the dirty win
dows and the open door. "It's to a finish, byes," he
grated in a brogue thickened by his emotions, the veins of
his forehead and neck swelling into serpentine ridges.

THE WRITING ON THE WALL 85

" They read th' writin' on th' wall, an' they read ut plain.
D'ye mind what some of thim divils would be after doin'
for all that money ? They'd cut their own mither's throat
— an' Kane knows ut! An' I'm thinkin' they'll be care
ful now — Kane has served his notice."

The idlers in the street stood as if frozen, gaping, not
one of them daring to approach the body, nor even to stop
the horse as it kicked up its heels and trotted down the
street. Ed Doane was the third man through the door
and he brought in the dead man's hat as Johnny and Idaho
placed the warm body on the floor of the office. They
hardly had stepped back when hurried footsteps neared the
door and the sheriff, with two of his deputies, entered the
office, paused instinctively at sight of the rifle in Quayle's
hands, and then slowly, carefully bent over to examine
the body. The sheriff reached forth a hand to turn it
over, but stopped instantly and froze in his stooped posi
tion, his arm outstretched.

"Kape ut off him!" roared Quayle, his eyes blazing.
" What more d'ye want to see ? "

"From behind?" asked Corwin, slowly straightening
up, but his eyes fixed on the proprietor.

"An' where'd ye be thinkin' 'twas from?" snarled
Quayle, the veins standing out anew. " No dirty pup of
that pack would dare try ut from th' front, an' ye know
ut! An' need ye look twice to see where th' slug av a
buffalo-gun came out? Don't touch him, anny av ye!
Kape yore paws off Tom Ridley ! An' I'm buryin' him,
mesilf."

"But, as sheriff — " began Corwin.

"Aye, but!" snapped Quayle. " We'll be after callin'

86 THE BAR-W THREE

things be their right names. Ye are no sheriff. Ye was
choosed by th' majority av votes cast by th' citizens av an
unorganized county, like byes choose a captain av their
gangs. There's no laws to back ye up, an' ye took no
oath. As long as th' majority will it, yore th' keeper av
th' peace — an' no longer. Sheriff ?" he sneered. "An'
'tis a fine sheriff ye'll be makin', runnin' in circles like a
locoed cow since th' robbery, questionin' every innocent
man in town, an' hopin' 'twould blow over, an' die a nat
ural death. But it's got th' breath av life in it now! What
do ye think old Twitchell will be say in' to thisf" he thun
dered, his rigid arm pointing to the body on the floor.
" Clear out, th' pack av ye ! Ye've seen all ye need to ! "

Corwin glanced at the body again, from it around the
ring of set and angry faces, shrugged his shoulders and
motioned to his deputies to leave. " We'll hold th' inquest
here," he said, turning away.

" Ye'll hold no inquest ! " roared Quayle. " Show me
yore coroner! Inquest, is ut? I've held yore inquest
already. There's plenty av us here an' we say, so help
us God, Tom Ridley was murdered, an' by persons un
known. There's yer inquest, an' yer findin's. Wrhat do ye
say, byes ? " he demanded. A low growl replied to him
and he sneered again. " There ! There's yer inquest ! As
long as yer playin' sheriff, go out an' do yer duty ; but look
out ye don't put yer han's on a friend ! Clear out, an' run
yer bluff!"

Corwin's eyes glinted as he looked at the fearless
speaker, but with Idaho straining at a moral leash, John
ny's intent eagerness and the sight of the rifle in the pro
prietor's hands, he let discretion mold his course and

THE WRITING ON THE WALL 87

slouched out to the street, where another quiet crowd
opened silently to let him through.

Johnny passed close to Idaho. " Go to your ranch for
a few days, or they'll couple you to me ! " he whispered.

Bill Long, feeding his borrowed Highbank horse in
the northernmost of the two stables at the rear of Kane's,
heard the jarring crash of a heavy rifle so loud and near
that he dropped instantly to hands and knees and crawled
to a crack in the south wall. As he peered out he got a
good, clear view of a pock-marked Mexican with a cres
cent-shaped scar over one eye and who, Sharp's in hand,
wriggled out of the north window of the adjoining stable,
dropped sprawling within five feet of the watcher's eyes,
scrambled to his feet and fled close along the rear of Bill's
stable. The watcher sprang erect, sped silently back to
his horse and stirred the grain in the feed box with one
hand, while the other rested on a six-gun in case the
Mexican should be of an inquisitive and belligerent frame
of mind. His view of the street had been shut off by the
corner of the southern stable and he had not seen the result
of the shot. Wishing to show no undue curiosity he did
not go down the street, but returned to the gambling-hall.
He had not been seated more than a few minutes when
one of Kane's retainers ran in from the street with the
news of Ridley's death. There was a flurry of excite
ment, which quickly died down, but under the rippling
surface Bill sensed the deeper, more powerful currents.

"This man Kane, whoever an' wherever he is," he
thought, "has shore trained this bunch of scourin's. I'm
gettin' plumb curious for a look at him. Huh ! " he mut-

88 THE BAR-W THREE

tered, as the window-wriggling, pock-marked Mexican
emerged from behind the partition, bent swiftly over Kit
Thorpe and betook his tense and nervous self to the
roulette table. " I've got yore ugly face carved deep in
my mem'ry, you Greaser snake ! " he growled under his
breath. "If it wasn't for loosin' bigger game I'd turn
you over to Ridley's friends before night. You can wait."

Not long after the appearance of the Mexican, the
sheriff came in by the front door, pushed through the
crowd near the bar and walked swiftly toward the rear of
the room. Speaking shortly to Kit Thorpe in a low voice
he passed through the door of the checkerboard partition.

"I'm learnin'," muttered Bill. "I don't know who
Kane is, but I'm dead shore I know where he is. An' I'm
gettin' a better line on this killin'. I'll shore have to get a
look behind that door, somehow."

Suddenly the doorkeeper arose and stuck his head
around behind the partition and then, straightening up,
closed the door, went up to the bar, spoke to several men
there and led them to the rear. Opening the door again he
let them through and resumed his vigil ; and none of them
reappeared before Bill went into the north building to eat
his supper.

CHAPTER VII

THE THIRD MAN

KANE'S gambling-hall was in full blast, reeking with
the composite odor of liquor, kerosene lamps, rank
tobacco, and human bodies, the tables well filled, the faro
and roulette layouts crowded by eager devotees. The
tenseness of the afternoon was forgotten and curses and
laughter arose in all parts of the big room. The two-man
Mexican orchestra strumming its guitars and the extra
bartenders were earning their pay. Punchers, gamblers,
storekeepers, two traveling men, a squad of cavalrymen on
leave from the nearest post, Mexicans, and bums of several
races made up the noisy crowd as Johnny Nelson pushed
into the room and nodded to the head bartender.

" Well, well," smiled the busy barman without stopping
his work. " Here's our SV foreman, out at night.
Thought mebby you'd heard of some yearlin's an' hit th'
trail after 'em."

" I don't reckon there was ever a yearlin' in this sec
tion," grinned Johnny.

"That so? There's several down at th' other end of
th' bar," chuckled the man of liquor. " That blonde you
left th' forty dollars for has shore been strainin' her eyes
lookin' for you. Says she knows she's goin' to like you.
Go back an' sooth her. Gin is her favorite."

8g

90 THE BAR-20 THREE

11 1 ain't lookin' for her yet," replied Johnny. " That's
somethin' you never want to do. It's th' wrong system.
Don't pay no attention to 'em if you want 'em to pay atten
tion to you. Let her wait a little longer. Where's that
Thompson feller ? I like th' way he plays draw, seein' as
how I won some of his money. Seen him tonight ? "

"Shore; he's around somewhere. Saw him a little
while ago."

Johnny noticed a quiet, interested crowd in a far corner
and joined it, working through until he saw two men play
ing poker in the middle. One was Bill Long and the other
was Kane's best card-sharp, Mr. Fisher, and they were
playing so intently as to be nearly oblivious of the crowd.
On the other side of the ring, sitting on a table, was Red
Thompson, his mouth partly open and his eyes riveted on
the game.

The play was getting stiff and Fisher's eyes had a look
in them that Johnny did not like. The gambler reached
for the cards and began shuffling them with a speed and
dexterity which bespoke weary hours of earnest practice.
As he pushed them out for the cut his opponent leaned
back, relaxed and smiled pleasantly.

" I allus like to play th' other fellow's game," Bill ob
served. "If he plays fast 7 like to play fast; if he plays
'em close, / like to play 'em close; if he plays reckless, /
like to play reckless; if he plays 'em with flourishes, / like
to play 'em with flourishes. I'm not what you might call
original. I'm a imitator." He slowly reached out his
hand, held it poised over the deck, changed his mind and
withdrew it. " Reckon I'll not cut this time. They're good
as they are. I like yore dealin'."

THE THIRD MAN 91

Fisher yanked the deck to him and dealt swiftly. " I'm
not very bright," he remarked as he glanced at his hand,
"so I'm gropin' about yore meanin'. Or didn't it have
none?"

" Nothin', only to show that I'm so polite I allus let th'
other feller set th' pace," smiled Bill. "As he plays, I
play." He picked up the cards, squared them into exact
alignment and slid them from the table and close against
his vest, where a deft touch spread them for a quick
glance at the pips. " They look good ; but, I wonder ? " he
muttered. " Reckon that's best, after all. Gimme two
cards when you get time."

Fisher gave him two and took the same number.

" I find I'm gettin' tired," growled Bill, " an' it shore
is hot an' stiflin' in here. As it stands I'm a little ahead —
not more'n fifty dollars. That bein' so, I quit after this
hand and two more. There ain't much action, anyhow."

"If yo're lookin' for action mebby you feel like takin'
off th' hobbles," suggested Fisher, carelessly.

" Hobbles, saddles an' anythin' else you can think of,"
nodded Bill. " Do we start now ? "

Fisher nodded, saw the modest bet and doubled it.

Bill tossed his four queens and the ace of hearts face
down in the discard and smiled. " Didn't get what I was
lookin' for," he grinned into the set face across from him.
" Got to have 'em before I can play 'em."

Fisher hid his surprise and carelessly 'tossed his four
kings and the six of diamonds, also face down, into the
discard, fumbled the deck as he went to pass it over and
spilled it on top of the cards on the table. Cursing at his
clumsiness, he scrambled the cards together and pushed

92 THE BAR-JBO THREE

them toward his opponent. " My fingers must be gettin'
all thumbs/' he growled as he raked in the money. What
had happened ? Had he bungled the deal, or wasn't four
queens big enough for the talkative fool across from him ?

Bill smilingly agreed. "They do get that way at
times," he remarked, shuffling with a swift flourish which
made Johnny hide a smile. He pushed the pack out, Fisher
cut it, and the flying cards dropped swiftly into two neat
piles almost flush on their edges, which seemed to merit a
murmur of appreciation from the crowd. Johnny shifted
his weight to the other leg and prepared to enjoy the game.

Fisher glanced at his hand and became instant prey to a
turmoil of thoughts. Four queens, with an eight of clubs !
He looked across at the calm, reflective dealer who was
rubbing the disgraceful stubble on his chin while he drew
two cards partly from his hand and considered them
seriously. He seemed to be perplexed.

" I been playin' this game for more years than I feel like
tellin'," Bill grumbled, whimsically; "but I ain't never
been able really to decide one little thing." Becoming con
scious that he might be delaying the game he looked up
suddenly. "Have patience, friend. Oh, then it's all
right ! You ain't discarded yet," he finished cheerfully.
Throwing away the two cards he waited.

"Gimme one," grunted Fisher, discarding, "an' I'm
sayin' fifty dollars," he continued, shoving the money out
without glancing at the card on the table. " How many
you takin' ? " he asked.

"Two," answered Bill, looking at him keenly. He

glanced down at the single back showing on the table

.before him and grinned. "Th' other's under it," he

THE THIRD MAN 93

explained needlessly. "Well, I'm still an imitator," he
chuckled. " Here's yore fifty, and fifty more. I'm sorry
I ain't playin' in my own town, so I could borrow when
it all gets up."

Whatever Fisher's thoughts were he hid them well,
and he was not to be the first one to weaken and look at
the draw. He had a reputation to maintain, and he saw
the raise and returned it Bill pushed out a hundred dol
lars and Fisher came back, but his tenseness was growing.

Bill considered, looked down at his unknown draw,
shook his head and picked up one card. " I'm feelin' the
strain," he growled, seeing the raise and repeating it. He
glanced up at the crowd, which had grown considerably,
and smiled grimly.

Fisher evened up and raised again, watching his wor
ried opponent, who scowled, sucked his lips, shook his
head and then, with swift decision, picked up the other
card. " I can't afford to quit now," he muttered. " Here
goes for another boost ! "

His opponent having wilted first and saved the
gambler's face, Fisher picked up his own draw and when
he saw it he stiffened, his thoughts racing again. It was
no coincidence, he decided. In all of his experience he
had known but two men who could do that, and here was
a third! But still there was a hope that there was no
third, that it was a coincidence. And there was quite a
sum of money on the table. The doubt must be removed
and the truth known, and another fifty, sent after its
brothers was not too big a price to pay for such knowl
edge. He pushed the money out onto the table. "I
calls," he grunted.

94 THE BAR-W THREE

Bill dropped his little block of cards and spread them
with a sweep of one hand, while the other was ready to
make the baffling draw which had made him famous in
other parts of the country. Fisher glanced at the four
kings and nodded, all doubts laid to rest — the third man
sat across from him.

He slowly pushed back as the crowd, not knowing just
what to expect, scattered. "I'm tired. Shall we call
it off for tonight? " he asked.

Without relaxing Bill nodded. " Suits me. I'm tired,
too ; an' near suffocated. See you tomorrow ? "

Fisher grunted something as he arose and, turning
abruptly, pushed through the thinning crowd to get a
bracer at the bar, while the winner slowly hauled in the
money. Gulping down the fiery liquor the gambler
wheeled to go into the dark and deserted dining-room
where he could sit in quiet and go over the problem again,
and looked up to see the other gambler in his way.

"What did you find out?" asked the other in a low
voice.

" I found th' devil has come up out of h — 1 ! " growled
Fisher. " Come along an' I'll tell you about it. He's th'
third man! Old Parson Davies was th' first, but he's
dead ; Tex Ewalt was th' second, an' I ain't seen him in
years — cuss it ! I wondered why this man's play seemed
familiar! He's got some of Tex's tricks of handlin' th'
cards."

"Shore he ain't Tex?"

"As shore as I am that you ain't," retorted Fisher;
"but I'm willin' to bet he knows Tex. Come on — let's
get out of this hullabaloo. He's got a nerve, pickin' my

THE THIRD MAN 95

cards, an' dealin' 'em alternate off th' top an' bottom,
with me watchin' him ! "

"We got to figger how to get it back," thoughtfully
muttered the other, following closely. "Everythin's
goin' wrong. They went after Nelson an' got somebody
else; they stirred up th' T & C by robbin' th' bank, an*
then had to go an' make it worse by gettin' Ridley ! I'm
admittin' I'm walkin' soft, an' ready to jump th' country
right quick."

Fisher sank into a chair in the dining-room. "An* if
Long hangs around here much longer Kane'll ditch me
like a wore-out boot. A couple more losses like tonight
an' he'll plumb forget my winnin's for th' past two years.
An' me gettin' all cocked to strike him for a bigger per
centage ! "

Out in the reeking gambling-hall Bill put his empty
glass on the bar and slid a gold piece at the smiling head
man behind the counter. " Spend th' change on th' ladies
in th' corner," he said. "It allus gives me luck; an' I
had such luck tonight that I ain't aimin' to take no chances
losin' it. Reckon I'll horn in on th' faro layout," and he
did, where he managed to lose a part of his poker win
nings before he turned in for the night.

Up late the next morning he hastened into the dining-
room to beat the closing of the doors and saw the head
bartender eating a lonely breakfast. The dispenser of
liquors beckoned and pushed back a chair at his table.

Bill accepted the invitation and gave his order.
"Well," he remarked, "yo're lookin' purty bright this
mornin'."

"I'm gettin' so I don't need much sleep, I reckon,"

96 THE BAR-%0 THREE

replied the bartender. " Did yore folks use a poker deck
to cut yore teeth on ? "

Bill laughed heartily. "My luck turned, an' Fisher
happened to be th' one that got in th' way."

" He says you play a lot like a feller he used to know."

"That so? Who was he?"

"TexEwalt."

" Well, I ought to, for me an' Tex played a lot together,
some years back. Wonder what ever happened to Tex?
He ain't been down this way lately, has he ? "

" No. I never saw him. Fisher knew him. He says
Tex was th' greatest poker player that ever lived."

"I reckon he's right/' replied Bill. "I'm plumb
grateful to Tex. It ain't his fault that I don't play a
better game. But I got an idea playin' like his has got
to be born in a man." He ate silently for a moment.
" Now that I'm spotted I reckon my poker playin' is over
in here. Oh, well, I ain't complainin'. I can eat an' sleep
here, an' find enough around town to keep me goin' for
a little while, anyhow. Then I'll drift."

" Unless, mebby, you play for th' house," suggested the
bartender. " What kind of a game does that SV foreman
play?"

"I never like to size a man up till I play with him,"
answered Bill. " I was sort of savin' him for myself, for
he's got a fat roll. Now I reckon I'll have to let somebody
else do th' brandin'." He sighed and went on with his
breakfast.

" Get him into a little game an' see how good he is,"
suggested the other, arising. " Goin' to leave you now."
He turned away and then stopped suddenly, facing around

THE THIRD MAN 97

again. "Huh! I near forgot. Th' boss wants to see
you."

"Who? Kane? What about?"

"He'll tell you that, I reckon."

"All right. Tell him I'm in here."

The other grinned. " I said th' boss wants to see you"

" Shore ; I heard you."

" People he wants to see go to him."

" Oh, all right; why didn't you say so first off? Where
is he?"

"Thorpe will show you th' way. Whatever th' boss
says, don't you go on th' prod. If yore feelin's get
hurt, don't relieve 'em till you get out of his sight."

"I've played poker too long to act sudden," grinned
Bill, easily.

His breakfast over, he sauntered into the gambling-
room and stopped in front of Kit Thorpe, whose wel
coming grin was quite a change from his attitude of the
day before. "I've been told Kane wants to see me.
Here I am."

Thorpe opened the door, followed his companion
through it and paused to close and bolt it, after which
he kept close to the other's heels and gave terse, grunted
directions. "Straight ahead — to th' left — to th' right
— straight ahead. Don't make no false moves after you
open that door. Go ahead — push it open."

Bill obeyed and found himself in an oblong room which
ran up to the opaque glass of a skylight fifteen feet above
the floor, and five feet below the second skylight on the
roof, in both of which the small panes were set in heavy
metal bars. The room was cool and well ventilated.

98 THE BAR-20 THREE

Before him, seated at the far side of a flat-topped, walnut
desk of ancient vintage sat a tall, lean, white-haired man
of indeterminate age, who leaned slightly forward and
whose hands were not in sight.

" Sit down," said Kane, in a voice of singular sweetness
and penetrating timbre. For several minutes he looked
at his visitor as a buyer might look at a horse, silent,
thoughtful, his deeply-lined face devoid of any change
in its austere expression.

"Why did you come here?" he suddenly snapped.

" To get out of th' storm," answered Bill.

"Why else?"

Bill looked around, up at the graven Thorpe and back
again at his inquisitor, and shrugged his shoulders.
" Mebby you can tell me," he answered before he remem
bered to be less independent.

"I think I can. Anyone who plays poker as well as
you do has a very good reason for visiting strange towns.
What is your name ? "

" Bill Long."

"I know that. I asked, what is your name?"

Bill looked around again and then sat up stiffly. " That
ain't interestin' us."

" Where are you from ? "

Bill shrugged his shoulders and remained silent.

" You are not very talkative today. How did you get
that Highbank horse?"

Bill acted a little surprised and anxious. "L — I don't
know," he answered foolishly.

" Very well. When you make up your mind to answer
my questions I have a proposition to offer you which you

THE THIRD MAN 99

may find to be mutually advantageous. In the mean
while, do not play poker in this house. That's all."

Thorpe coughed and opened the door, and swiftly
placed a hand on the shoulder of the visitor. "Time
to go," he said.

Bill hesitated and then slowly turned and led the way,
saying nothing until he was back in the gambling-hall
and Thorpe again kept his faithful vigil over the check
ered door.

"Cuss it," snorted Bill, remembering that in the part
he was playing he had determined to be loquacious. "If
I told him all he wanted to know I'd be puttin' a rope
around my neck an' givin' him th' loose end! So he's
got a proposition to make, has he? Th' devil with him
an' his propositions. I don't have to play poker in his
place — there's plenty of it bein' played outside this
buildin', I reckon. For two-bits I'd 'a' busted his neck
then an' there ! "

"You'd 'a' been spattered all over th' room if you'd
made a play," replied Thorpe, a little contempt in his
voice for such boasting words from a man who had acted
far from them when in the presence of Kane. He had
this stranger's measure. "An' you mind what he said
about play in' in here, or I'll make you climb up th' wall,
you'll be that eager to get out. You think over what he
said, an' drift along. I'm busy."

Bill, his frown hiding inner smiles, slowly turned and
walked defiantly away, his swagger increasing with the
distance covered ; and when he reached the street he was
exhaling dignity, and chuckled with satisfaction — he
had seen behind the partition and met Kane. He passed

IPO THE BAR-ZO THREE

the bank, once more normal, except for the armed guards,
and bumped into Fisher, who frowned at him and kept
on going.

"Hey!" called Bill. "I want to ask you somethin'."

Fisher stopped and turned. "Well?" he growled,
truculently.

Bill went up close to him. "Just saw Kane. He says
he has got somethin' to offer me. What is it?"

" My job, I reckon ! " snapped the gambler.

" Yore job ? " exclaimed his companion. " I don't want
yore job. If I'd 'a' knowed that was it I'd 'a' told him
so, flat. I'm playin' for myself. An' say : He orders me
not to play no more poker in his place. Wouldn't that
gall you ? "

" Then I wouldn't do it," said the gambler, taking his
arm. " Come in an' have a drink. What else did he
say?"

Bill told him and wound up with a curse. "An' that
Thorpe said he'd make me climb up th' wall! Wonder
who he thinks he is — Bill Hickok? "

Fisher laughed. " Oh, he don't mean nothin'. He's a
lookin'-glass. When Kane laughs, he laughs ; when Kane
has a sore toe, he's plumb crippled. But, just th' same
I'm tellin' you Thorpe's a bad man with a gun. Don't
rile him too much. Say, was you ever paired up with
Ewalt?"

Bill put down his glass with deliberate slowness.
" Look here ! " he growled. " I'm plumb tired of answerin'
personal questions. Not meanin' to hurt yore feelin's
none, I'm sayin' it's my own cussed business what my
name is, where I come from, who my aunt was, an' how

THE THIRD MAN 101

old I was when I was born. I never saw such an' old-
woman's town ! "

Fisher laughed and slapped his shoulder. "Keep all
four feet on th' ground, Long ; but it is funny, now ain't
it?"

Bill grinned sheepishly. "Mebby — but for a little
while I couldn't see it that way. Have one with me, after
which I'm goin' up an' skin that SV man before you can
get a crack at him. He's fair lopsided with money. If
I can't play poker in Kane's, I shore can send a lot of
folks to his place with nothin' left but their pants an'
socks ! "

"Don't overdo it," warned Fisher. "Come on — I'm
headin' back an' I'll leave you at Quayle's."

" How'd you ever come to let that yearlin'-mad fore
man keep away from yore game?" asked Bill as they
started up the street. " Strikes me you shore overlooked
somethin'."

" Does look like it, from a distance," admitted Fisher,
grinning. " Reckon we was goin' too easy with him ; but
we didn't know you was goin' to turn up an' horn in. We
never like to stampede a good prospect by bein' hasty.
We felt him out a little an' I was figgerin' on amusin' him
right soon. There's somethin' cussed queer about him.
We're all guessin', an' guessin' different"

"Yes?" inquired Bill carelessly. "I didn't notice
nothin' queer about him. He acts a little too shore of
hisself, which is how I like 'em. You ain't got a chance
to get him now, for I'm goin' to set on his fool head an*
burn a nice, big BL on his flank. So any little thing that
you know shore will come in handy. I'd do th' same for

102 THE BAR-W THREE

you. I'm through spoilin' yore game in Kane's, an' I
didn't take yore job. What's so queer about him? "

Fisher glanced at his companion and shook his head.
" It ain't nothin' about cards. He figgered in a mistake
that was made, an' don't know how lucky he was. Th'
boss don't often slip up — an' there's a white man an'
some Greasers in this town that are cussed lucky too.
They blundered, but they got what they went after. An'
nobody's heard a word about th' gent that was wwlucky,
which makes me suspicious. I got a headache tryin' to
figger it." He shook his head again and then exclaimed
in sudden anger: "An' I've quit tryin'! Kane was all
set to throw me into th' discard as soon as you come along.
He can think what he wants to, for all I care. But let
me tell you this : If you win a big roll in this town, an' th'
one you got now is plenty big enough, be careful how you
wander around after dark. I reckon I owe you that much,
anyhow."

Bill stopped in front of the hotel. " I don't know what
yo're talkin' about, but that don't make no difference.
Th' last part was plain. Come in an' have somethin'."

Fisher looked at him and smiled. " Friend, I'd just as
soon be seen goin' in there now as I would be seen rustlin'
a herd ; an' it might even be worse for me. Let it go till
you come up to our place. Adios."

CHAPTER VIII

NOTES COMPARED

ENTERING the barroom of the hotel Bill bought a
cigar, talked aimlessly for a few minutes with Ed
Doane and then wandered into the office, where Johnny
was seated in a chair tipped back against the wall and
talking to the proprietor. Bill nodded, took a seat and
let himself into the conversation by easy stages, until
Quayle was talking to him as much as he was to Johnny,
and the burden of his words was Ridley's death.

Bill spat in disgust. " That ain't th' way to get a man ! "
he exclaimed. "Looks like some Greaser had a grudge
agin' him — somebody he's mebby fired off his payroll,
or suspected of cattle-liftin'."

"You're a stranger here," replied the proprietor. "I
can tell ut aisy."

"I am, an' glad of it," replied Bill, smiling; "but I'm
learnin' th' ways of yore town rapid. I already know
Fisher's poker game, Thorpe's nature, an' Pecos Kane's
looks an' disposition. I cleaned Fisher at poker, Thorpe
has threatened to make me climb up a wall, an' Kane told
me, cold an' personal, to quit playin' poker in his place.
I also learned that a white man an' some Greasers made
a big mistake, but got what they went after ; that Fisher
riggers different from Kane an' th' others ; an' that Kane

103

104 THE BAR-SO THREE

won't slip up th' next time, after dark, 'specially if he
don't use th' same fellers. All that I heard ; but what it's
about I don't know, or care."

Johnny was laughing at the humor of the newcomer,
and waved from Bill to Quayle. " Tim, this is Bill Long,
that we heard about, for I saw him clean out Fisher.
Long, this is Quayle, an' my name's Nelson. Cuss it,
man ! I'd say you was gettin' acquainted fast. What was
that you was sayin' about th' white man an' th' Greasers,
an' some mistake? It was sort of riled up."

" It «• riled up," chuckled Bill, crossing his legs. " I
gave it out just like I got it. As I says to Fisher last
night, I'm a imitator. Any news about th' robbery?"

Quayle snorted. " Fine chance ! An' d'ye think they'd
be after tellin' on thimselves? That's th' only way for
any news to be heard."

"I may be a stranger," replied Bill; "but I'm no
stranger to human nature, which is about th' same in one
place as it is in another. If that reward don't pan out
some news, then I'm loco."

Quayle listened to a call from the kitchen. "It's th'
only chance, then," he flung over his shoulder as he left
them. "It's that d — d Mick. I'll be back soon."

Johnny, with a glance at the barroom door, leaned
slightly forward and whispered one word, his eyes moist :
"Hoppyl"

Bill Long squirmed and grinned. " You flat-headed
sage-hen!" he breathed. "/ want to see you in secret."

Johnny nodded. "I reckon th' reward might start
somethin' out in th' open, but I wouldn't want to be th'
man that tried for it." His voice dropped to a whisper.

NOTES COMPARED 105

" We'll take a ride this afternoon from Kane's, plain an'
open." In his natural voice he continued. " But, Twitchell
an' Carpenter are shore powerful. An' they've got th'
men an' th' money."

"Do you reckon anybody had a personal grudge?"
asked Bill. "I'll fix it."

" I'm near as much a stranger here as you are," answered
Johnny, "though I sold Ridley some cattle. I met him
before, on th' range around Gunsight. Nice feller, he was.
What time?

" He must 'a' been a good man, to work for th' T & C,"
replied Bill. "After dinner."

"He was."

" Oh, well ; it ain't my funeral. Feel like a little game ? "

" I used to think I could play poker," chuckled Johnny;
" but I woke up last night. Seein' as how I still got them
yearlin's to buy, I don't feel like playin'."

Quayle's voice boomed out suddenly from the kitchen.
" If yer fingers was feet ye'd be as good! Hould it, now

— if ut slips this time I'll be after bustin' yer head. I've
showed ye a dozen times how to put it back, an' still ye
yell fer me. There, now — hould it! Hand me th' wire

— annybody'd think — blast th' blasted man that made ut !
Some Dootchman, I'll wager."

" Shure an' we ought to get a new wan — it's warped
crooked, an' cracked "

" We should, should we ? " roared the proprietor. "An'
who are 'we' ? Only tin years old, an' it's a new wan we'd
be gettin', is ut? What we ought to be gettin' is a new
cook, an' wan that's not cracked. Now, th' nixt time ye
poke ut, poke gintly — ye ain't makin' post holes with that

io6 THE BAR-SO THREE

poker. An' now look at me — " A door slammed and a
washbasin sounded like tin.

Ed Doane's laugh sounded from the barroom and he
appeared in the doorway, where he grinned. " I hear it
frequent, but it's allus funny. Sometimes they near come
to blows."

"Stove?" queried Bill.

"Shore — th' grate's buckled out of shape, an' it's a
little short. Murphy gets mad at th' fire an' prods it good
— an' then th' show starts all over again. It's funnier than
th' devil when th' old man gets a blister from it, for he
talks so that nobody but Murphy can understand one word
in ten. Easy ! Here he comes."

" Buy a new wan, is ut ? " muttered the proprietor, his
red face bearing a diagonal streak of soot. "Shure —
for him to spile, like he spiled this wan. Ah, byes, I'm
tellin' ye th' hotel business ain't what it used to be."

" Yore face looks funny," said Ed.

Quayle turned on him. " Oh, it does, does ut ? Well,
if my face don't suit ye — now would ye look at that?"
he demanded as he caught sight of his reflection in the
dingy mirror over the desk. "But it ain't so bad, at
that; th' black's above th' red!"

" Hey, Tim ! " came from the kitchen. " Thought ye
said ye fixed ut ? Ut's down agin ! "

"I — I — I ! " sputtered Quayle wildly. He spread the
soot over his face with a despairing sweep of his sleeve,
leaped into the air and started on a lumbering run for the
kitchen. "You — I — d — n it!" he yelled, and the
kitchen resounded to his bellowing demands for the cook.

Ed Doane wiped his eyes, looked around — and shouted,

NOTES COMPARED 107

his out-thrust hand pointing to a window, where a red
face peered into the room.

" Shure," said the cook, apologetically, " he's the divvil
himself. If I stay here wan more day me name ain't
Murphy. Will wan av yez, that ain't go no interest in th'
dommed stove, tell that Mick to buy a new grate? An*
would ye listen to him, now? "

When he was able to Bill arose. "Well, I reckon I'll
go up an' look in at Kane's. If I run this way, don't
stop me."

Sauntering up the street he came to the south side of
the gambling-hall and went along it, and when a certain
number of paces beyond the fifth high window, the sill
of which was above his head, he stumbled and fell. Swear
ing under his breath he picked up a Colt which had slipped
from its holster and, arising to hands and knees, looked
around and then stood up. He could see under the entire
building except at the point where he had fallen, and
there he saw that under Kane's private room the walls
went down into the earth. When he reached the stables he
entered the one which sheltered his horse, closed the door
behind him and made a hasty examination of the building,
but found nothing which made him suspect a secret exit.
He came to the opinion that the boards went down to the
earth below Kane's quarters for the purpose of not allow
ing anyone to crawl under his rooms. In a few minutes he
led his horse outside, mounted and rode around to the
front of the gambling-hall, where he dismounted and went
in for a drink, scowling slightly at the vigilant and mili
tant Mr. Thorpe, who returned the look with interest.

" Got a cayuse ? " he asked the bartender.

io8 THE BAR-W THREE

The other shook his head. " No, why ? "

"Thought mebby you'd like to ride along with me.
That one of mine will be better for a little exercise. What's
east of here?"

" Sand hills, dried lakes, an' th' desert."

" Then I'll go west," grinned Bill. " But mebby it's th'
same ? "

"It ain't bad over that way; but why don't you ride
south ? There's real good country down in them valleys."

"Ain't that where th' T & C is? "

The bartender nodded.

" iWest is good enough for me. Better get a cayuse an*
come along."

" Can't do it, an' I ain't set a saddle in two years. I'd
be a cripple if I stuck to you. Why don't you hunt up that
Nelson feller? He ain't got nothin' to do."

" Just left him. Don't reckon he'd care to go. Huh ! "
he muttered, looking at the clock. " I reckon I'll eat first,
an' ride after."

Shortly after dinner Johnny strolled in and nodded to
the bartender, who immediately called to Bill Long.

" Here's Nelson now ; mebby he'll go with you," he said.

"Go where?" asked Johnny, pausing.

"Ridin'."

"What for?"

" Exercise. He wants to take th' devilishness out of his
horse. You got one, too, ain't you ? "

" Shore have," answered Johnny. "An' she's gettin'
mean, too. It ain't a bad idea. Where are you goin',
Long?"

"Anywhere, everywhere, or nowhere," answered Bill

NOTES COMPARED 109

carelessly. " I'm aiming to ride him to a frazzle, an' I
got to cut down his feed more."

"All right, if you says so," agreed Johnny, joining the
group.

Red Thompson rode up to the door and came in. " Hey,
anybody that's goin' down th' trail wants to ride easy.
That T & C gang are so suspicious that they're insultin'.
Got four men ridin' along their wire, with rifles across
their pommels. Looks like they was goin' on th' prod."

Thorpe silently withdrew, to reappear in a few minutes
and resume his watch.

Bill arose and nodded to Johnny as he went out.
"Ready, Nelson?" he asked.

In a few minutes they met in front of the gambling-hall,
and the SV foreman's black caused admiring and covetous
looks to show on the faces of the idle group.

" Foller th' trail leadin' to Lukins' ranch, over west,"
suggested Fisher. " It's better than cross-country. You'll
strike it half a mile above."

Long nodded and led the way, both animals prancing
and bucking mildly to work off some of their accumulated
energy. Reaching the cross trail they swung along it at
a distance-eating lope.

" Tell me about everything" suggested Johnny. " How'd
you come to ride south ? "

" Kid," said Hopalong, " you got th' best cayuse ever
raised in Montanny. That Englishman was shore right :
it pays to cross 'em with thoroughbreds." Moodily silent
for a moment, he slowly continued. " Kid, I've lost Mary,
an' William, Junior. Fever took 'em in four days, an'
never even touched me! I'm all alone. Either you move

no THE BAR-W THREE

up north, or I stay with you till I die. An' if I do that
I'll miss Red an' th' others like th' devil. I'm goin' to
have a good look at that Bar-H, that you chased them
thieves off of. Montanny is too far north, an' I'm feelin'
th' winters too hard. An' it's gettin' settled too fast, an'
bein' ploughed up more every year. But all of this can
wait : what's goin' on down here that I don't know ? "

Johnny told him and when he had finished and listened
to what his friend knew they spent the rest of the time
discussing the situation from every angle and arranged a
few simple signals, resurrected from the past, to serve
in the press of any sudden need. They met two punchers
riding in from Lukins' ranch, exchanged nods and then
turned south into the cattle trail, crossed a crescent arroyo
and turned again, when below the town, under the sus
picious eyes of a Question-Mark sentry hidden in a thicket.
Following the main trail north they entered the town and
parted at Quayle's.

The evening passed uneventfully in Kane's and when
the group began to break up Bill Long went up to his
room. Gradually man after man deserted the gambling-
hall, until only Johnny and the head bartender were left,
and after half an hour's dragging conversation the dis
penser of liquids yawned and nodded decisively.

"Nelson, I'm goin' to lock up after you. See you
tomorrow."

"Most sensible words said tonight," replied Johnny,
and he stepped out, the door closing behind him. The
lights went out, one by one, with a tardiness due to their
height from the floor, and he stood quietly for a moment,
scrutinizing the sky and enjoying the refreshing coolness.

NOTES COMPARED in

Moving out into the middle of the street he sauntered
toward the dark hotel, every sense alert as a previous
experience came back to him. Suddenly a barely audible
sound, like the cracking of a toe joint, caused him to leap
aside. An indistinct figure plunged past him, so close
that he felt the wind of it. His gun roared while he was
in the air and when he alighted he was crouched, facing
the rear, where another figure blundered into the second
shot and dropped. Swiftly padding feet came nearer and
he slipped further to the side, letting the sound pass with
out hindrance. Moving softly forward he turned and
crept along the wall of a building, smiling grimly at the
low Spanish curses behind him on the street Again the
kitchen door served him well and the deeper blackness
of the interior silently engulfed him.

Up at Kane's, Red Thompson, who was awake and
waiting until the building should be wrapped in sleep,
heard the shots and crept to the window. He could see
nothing, but he heard whispers and heavy, slow and
shuffling steps, which drew steadily nearer. The Mexican
tongue was no puzzle to Red, whose years largely had
been spent in a country where it was constantly used and
his fears, instantly aroused, were soon followed by a
savage grin.

" That Nelson, he is a devil," floated up to him, the
words a low growl.

"Again he got away. I will not face the Big Boss.
It is the second failure, and with Anton dead, an' Juan's
arm broken, I shall leave this town. Put him here, at the
door. May God forgive his sins! Adios!"

" Wait, Sanchez ! " called a companion. " We will all

H2 THE BAR-W THREE

go, even Juan, for he'd better ride than remain. There
will be trouble."

" What's all th' hellabaloo ? " came Thorpe's truculent
voice in English from the corner of the building, where
he stood, clad only in boots and underwear, a six-shooter
in his upraised hand. At the sudden soft scurrying of
feet he started forward, and then checked himself.

"If them Greasers bungled it this time, may th' Lord
help 'em. They'll shore get a-plenty. I wouldn't be — "
he stopped and stared at the door, and then moved closer
to it. " By G — d, they got him ! " he whispered, and bent
down, his hand passing over the indistinct figure. " Huh !
I take it all back," he muttered in disgust. "That's a
Greaser, by feel an' smell. They made more of a mess of
•it this time than they did before. Well, you ain't no fit
ornament for th' front door. Might as well move you
myself," and, grumbling, he grabbed hold of the collar
and dragged the unresisting bulk around to the rear, where
he carelessly dropped it and went back into the building.
Soon two Mexicans, rubbing sleepy eyes, emerged with
shovel and spade, that the dawn should find nothing more
than a carefully hidden grave.

Red waited a little longer and then, knowing better
than to go on his feet along the old floor of the hall, inched
slowly over it on his stomach, careful to let each board
take his weight gradually. Reaching the second door on
his left he slowly pushed it open, chuckling with pride at
his friend's forethought in oiling the one squeaking hinge.
Closing it gently he scratched on the floor twice and then
went on again toward the answering scratch. An hour
passed in the softest of whispering and when he at last

NOTES COMPARED

entered his own room again and carefully stood up, the
darkness hid a rare smile on his tanned and leathery
face, which an exultant thought had lighted.

"Th' Old Days: They're comin' back again!" he
gloated. "Me, an' Hoppy, an' the Kid! Glory be!"
and the smile persisted until he awakened at dawn, when
it moved from the wrinkled face to the secrecy of his
heart,

CHAPTER IX

WAYS OF SERVING NOTICE

IF SANDY BEND had been seized with a local spasm
when the senior member of the T & C had learned of
the robbery of the Mesquite bank, it now was having a
very creditable fit. The little printing-shop was the scene
of bustling activities and soon a small bundle of handbills
was on its way to the office of the cattle king. McCul-
lough, drive-boss par excellence and one of the surviving
frontiersmen who not only had made history in several
localities, but had helped to wear the ruts in the old Santa
Fe Trail until the creeping roadbed of the railroad had put
the trail with other interesting relics of the past, was
rudely torn from his seven-up game with his cronies by
one of the several couriers who lathered horses at the
snapping behest of the senior partner. He hastened to
the office, rumbled across the outer room and pushed open
the door of the holy of holies without even the semblance
of a knock. He was blunt, direct, and no respecter of
persons.

" Hello, Charley ! " he grunted. " What's loose now ? "

" H — 1's loose ! " snapped Twitchell. " Ridley's been

murdered by one of Kane's gang. Shot in th' back —

head near blowed off. There's only four men up there

now, an' they may be dead by this time. Take as many

114

WAYS OF SERVING NOTICE 115

men as you need an' go up there — we just bought a herd
of SV cows, if there's any left. But I want th' man that
killed Ridley. That's first. I want th' man who robbed
th' bank — that's second. An' I want Pecos Kane —
that's first, second, an' third. D — n it! I growed up
with Tom Ridley ! "

"I'll take twenty men an' bring you th' whole gang —
but some of 'em will shore spoil before we can get 'em
here, this kind of weather. Do I burn that end of th'
town?"

"You'll burn nothin'," retorted Twitchell. "You'll
not risk a man until you have to. You'll stay on th' ranch
an' watch th' cattle. I've lost one good man now, an*
I'm spendin' money before I risk losin' any more. There's
a bundle of handbills. When they've been digested by
that bunch of assassins you can sit in th' bunkhouse an'
have yore game delivered to you, all tied up, an' tagged."

"Orders is orders," growled McCullough; "but some
are d — d fool orders. If you want somebody to set on th'
front porch an' whittle, why'n h — 1 are you cuttin' me
out of th' herd for th' job ? "

" I'm cuttin' you out because I want my best man out
there ! " retorted the senior member heatedly. " You may
find it lively settin',-an' have to do yore whittlin' with
rifles an' six-guns. Look out that somebody don't whittle
you at eight hundred while yo're settin' on th' front porch !
You talk like you think yo're goin' to a prayer meetin' ! "

"I'm hopin' they come that close," said McCullough,
picking up the package of bills. " So Tom's gone, huh ?
Charley, there ain't many of us left no more. Remember
how you an' Ridley an' me used to go off trappin' them

Ii6 THE BAR-SO THREE

winters, hundreds of miles into th' mountains, with only
what we could easy carry on our backs ? That was livin'."

" You get out of here, you old fraud ! " roared Twitchell.
"Ain't I got enough to bother me now? Take care of
yoreself, Mac; an' my way's worth tryin', an' tryin' good.
If it don't work, then we'll have to try yore way."

"All right; I'll give it a fair ride, Charley; but it will
be time wasted," replied the trail-boss. " In that case I'm
takin' a dozen men. We relay at th' Squaw Creek corrals,
an' again at Sweetwater Bottoms. Send a wagon after
us — you'll know what we'll need. You send a new boss
to th' Sweetwater, for I'm pickin' up Waffles. He's one
of th' best men you got, an' he's been picketed at that two-
bits station long enough."

"Good luck, Mac. Take who you want. Yo're th*
boss. Any play you make will be backed to th' limit by
th'T&C."

When McCullough got outside he found a crowd of
men which the hard-riding couriers had sent in from all
parts of the town. They shouted questions and got terse
answers as he picked his dozen, the twelve best out of a
crowd of good men, all known to him in person and by
deeds. The lucky dozen smiled exultantly at the scowling
unfortunates and dashed up the street in a bunch after
their grizzled pacemaker. One of the last, glancing be
hind him, saw a stern- faced, sorrowful man in a black
store suit standing in the office door looking wistfully
after them; and the rider, gifted with understanding,
raised his hand to his hat brim and faced around.

"Th' old man's sorry he's boss," he confided to his
nearest companion.

WAYS OF SERVING NOTICE 117

"An' there's plenty up in Mesquite that will be th'
same," came the reply.

Despite his years McCullough held his lead without
crowding from the rear, for he was of the hard-riding
breed and toughened to the work. When the first relay
was obtained at Squaw Creek that evening there were
several who felt the strain more than the leader. A hasty
supper and they were gone again, pounding into the gath
ering dusk of the northwest. All night they rode along
a fair trail, strung out behind a man who kept to it with
uncanny certainty. Dawn found them changing mounts
in Sweetwater Bottoms, but without the snap displayed
at the Squaw. Waffles, one-time foreman of the O-Bar-O,
needed all his habitual repression to keep from favoring
them with a war dance when he heard his luck. Impa
tiently waiting for the surprised but enthusiastic cook to
prepare their breakfasts, they made short work of the
meal when it appeared and rolled on again, silent, grim,
heavy-lidded, but cheerful. They gladly would do more
than that for McCullough, Twitchell — and Tom Ridley.
The second evening found them riding up to the buildings
of the Question-Mark, guns across their pommels, and
they were thankfully received.

Mesquite awakened the next morning to a surprise, for
handbills were scattered on its few streets and had been
pushed under doors, one of them under the front door
of Kane's gambling-hall. When Johnny came down to
breakfast the proprietor handed him the sheet, pointing
to its flaming headline.

" Read that, me bye ! " cried Quayle.

Johnny obeyed :

n8 THE BAR-W THREE

$2,500.00 REWARD!

For Information Leading to the Capture and
Conviction of the Murderer of Tom Ridley

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
TWITCHELL & CARPENTER, Sandy Bend

JOHN McCULLOUGH, Gen'l. Supt., Mesquite

He thoughtlessly shoved it into his pocket and shrug
ged his shoulders. " That man Twitchell thinks a lot of
his money," he said. " But, if it's his way, it's his way.
I'm glad to say it ain't mine."

Quayle looked at him from under heavy brows and
smiled faintly. " Mac's here, hisself," he said. "They've
raised th' ante, an' if I was as young as you I'd have a
try at th' game. An', me bye, it isn't only th' money;
'tis a duty, an' a pleasure. Go in an' eat, now, before that
wild Mick av a cook scalps ye."

Hoofbeats pounded up the street from the south and a
Mexican galloped past towards Kane's, followed on foot
by several idlers.

" There ye go ! " savagely growled the proprietor; " an'
I hope ye saw a-plenty, ye Greaser dog!"

After a hurried breakfast Johnny went up to Kane's
and found an air of tension and suspicion. Men were
going in and out of the door through the partition and the
half-friendly smiles which he had received the night before
were everywhere missing. Feeling the chill of his recep
tion did not blunt his powers of observation, for he saw
that both Red Thompson and Bill Long, being unac-

WAYS OF SERVING NOTICE 119

credited strangers, drew an occasional suspicious glance.
The former was seated in a chair at the lower end of the
bar, his back to the wall and only a step from the dining-
room door. Bill Long was leaning against the upper end
of the counter, where it turned at right angles to meet the
wall behind it. At Bill's back and only two steps away was
the front door. His chin was in his hand and his elbow
rested on the bar, where he appeared to be moodily study
ing the floor behind the counter, but in reality his keen,
narrowed eyes were watching Thorpe and the loopholes in
the checkerboard. From his position he caught the light
on them at just the right angle to see the backing plates.
He let Johnny go past him without more than a casual
glance and nod.

Thorpe moved forward, cleaving a straight path
through the restless crowd and stopped in front of the
newcomer. "Nelson," he said, tartly; "th' boss wants
to see you, pronto!" As he spoke he let his swinging hand
rest against the butt of his gun.

Johnny took plenty of time for his answer, his mind
working at top speed. If Kane had caused inquiries to
be made around Gunsight concerning him he knew that
the report hardly would please any man who was against
law and order; and he knew that Kane had had plenty
of time to make the inquiries. The thinly veiled hostility
and suspicions on the faces around him settled that ques
tion in his mind. He slouched sidewise until he had
Thorpe in a better position between him and the partition.

" You shore made a mistake," he drawled. " Th' boss
never even heard of me."

"I said pronto!" snapped Thorpe.

120 THE BAR-20 THREE

"Well, as long as yo're so pressin'," came the slow,
acquiescent reply, "you can go to h — / 1"

Thorpe's gun got halfway out, and stopped as a heavy
Colt jabbed into his stomach with a force which knocked
the breath out of him and doubled him up. Johnny's
other gun, deftly balanced between his palm and the thumb
on its hammer, freezing the expressions as it had found
them on the faces of the crowd. " Stick up yore han's !
All of you! You, in the chair! " he roared. " Stick 'em
up ! " and Red lost no time in making up for his delin
quency. Bill Long, being out of the angry man's sight,
raised his only halfway.

"I was welcome enough last night," snapped Johnny;
" but somethin's wrong today. If Kane wants to see me,
he can send somebody that can talk without insultin' me.
An' as for this sick cow, I'm warnin' him fair that I shoot
at th' first move, his move or anybody else's. Stand up,
you!" he shouted; "an' f oiler me outside. Keep close,
an' plumb in front of me. I'll turn you loose when I get
to cover. Come on!"

As he backed toward the door, Thorpe following, Bill
Long, seeing that Johnny was master of the situation, got
his hands all the way up, but the motion was observed and
Johnny's gun left Thorpe long enough to swing aside and
cover the tardy one. " You keep 'em there ! " he gritted.
"You can rest 'em later!" and he cautiously backed
against the door, moved along it the few inches necessary
to gain the opening, and felt his way to the street. " Don't
you gamble, Thorpe ! " he warned. " Stick closer ! "

Being furthest from the front door and soonest out of
Johnny's sight, Red Thompson let his hands fall to his

WAYS OF SERVING NOTICE 121

hips and cautiously peered over the top of the bar, ready
to cover the crowd until Bill Long could drop his upraised
hands.

Bill was unfortunate, since he would have to be the
last man to assume a more natural position; but he was
growing tired and suddenly flung himself sidewise beyond
the door opening. As he left the bar there came a heavy
report from the street and the bullet, striking the edge of
the counter where he had stood, glanced upward and
entered the ceiling, a generous cloud of dust moving
slowly downward.

" He's a mad dog," muttered Bill, shrinking against the
wall. "An' he can shoot like h — 1 ! I reckon he's itchin'
to get me on sight, now. Somebody look out an' see where
he is. But what'n blazes is it all about, anyhow ? "

The chief bartender's head reappeared further down,
the counter. " You fool ! " he yelled. " Why didn't you
let me know what you was goin' to do ? Don't you never
think of nobody but yourself ? That parted my hair ! "

Fisher swore disgustedly. "Look out, yourself, Long,
if yo're curious! But why didn't you get him?" he de
manded. " You was behind him ! "

" I wasn't neither behind him ; I was on th' side ! " re
torted Bill. " He was watchin' me out of th' corner of his
eye, like th' d — d rattler he is ! I could see it plain, I tell
you!"

"You can see lots of things when yo're scared stiff,
can't you ? " sneered a voice in the crowd.

" I wasn't scared," defended Bill. " But I wasn't takin'
no chances for th' glory of it. He never done nothin' to
me, an' I ain't on Kane's payroll — yet."

122 THE BAR-W THREE

"An' you ain't goin' to be, I reckon," laughed another.

Fisher's face proclaimed that he had solved whatever
problem there might be in Bill's lack of action. "Ain't
had a chance to get it from him yet, huh?" he asked.
Sneering, he gave a warning as he turned away. "An'
don't you try for it, neither. If he won't come back here
no more, I can get him playin' somewhere else."

Red arose fully and stretched, hearing a slight grating
hoise at a loophole in the partition behind him, where the
slide dropped into place. "I'm dry; bone dry," he an
nounced. " I never was so dry before. All in favor of a
drink, step up. I'm payin' for this round."

All were in favor of it, and the bartender moved slowly
behind the counter toward the front door, his head bent
over far to the right. " Don't see him ; but we better wait
till Thorpe comes back. Great guns ! Did you see it ! "
he marveled.

" I can see it better now than I could then," said Red,
leaning against the bar. " Come on, boys ; he's done gone.
This means you, too, Long; 'though I ain't sayin' you
hardly earned it. If he saw you before he backed up, I
says he's got eyes in his ears. Why, cuss it, he was lookin'
plumb at me all th' time. You got too hefty an imagina
tion, Long."

Out in the street Johnny, backing swiftly from the
building, saw Bill Long's sudden leap and fired, for moral
effect, at the place vacated. Yanking his captive's gun
from its holster, he was about to toss it aside when his
fingers gripped the telltale butt and a colder look gleamed
in his eyes. Slipping his right-hand gun into its holster
he gripped the captured weapon affectionately, and then

WAYS OF SERVING NOTICE 123

hazarded a quick glance around him. Someone was riding
rapidly down the trail from the north, and a second side-
wise glance told him that it was Idaho.

" Faster, you ! " he growled to the doorkeeper. " Keep
a-comin' — keep a-comin'. One false move an' Kane'll
need another sentry. You may be able to make Bill Long
climb up a wall, but I ain't in his class."

Idaho, who was riding in to appease his burning curi
osity, felt its flames lick instantly higher as he saw his
friend back swiftly from Kane's front door, with Thorpe
apparently hooked on the sight of the six-gun. Drawing
rein instantly in his astonishment, he at once loosened
them and whirled into the scanty and scrawny vegetation
on the far side of the trail. Going at a dead run he sent
the wiry little pony over piles of cans, around cacti and
other larger obstructions until he reached the rear of Red
Frank's, facing on the next street. Here he pulled up and
drew the Winchester from its scabbard, feeling that
Johnny was capable of taking care of Kane's if not inter
fered with from behind.

Johnny, reaching the rear of the building which he had
sought the night before, leaped back and to one side as
he came to the end of the wall, glanced along the rear end
and then curtly ordered Thorpe back to his friends.

" There'll be more to this," snarled Thorpe, white from
anger, his face working. His courage was not of the
fineness necessary to let him yield to the mad impulse
which surged over him and urged him to throw himself,
hands, feet and teeth, in a blind and hopeless attack upon
the certain death which balanced itself in the gun in
Johnny's hand. His blazing eyes fixed full on his enemy's,

THE BAR-W THREE

he let discretion be his tutor and slowly, grudgingly
stepped back, his dragging feet moving only inches at each
shuffle, while their owner, poised and tense and ready to
take advantage of any slip on Johnny's part, backed
toward the sandy street and the scene of his discomfiture.
At last reaching the front of the building he paused,
stood slowly erect and then wheeled about and strode
toward Kane's. At the door he glanced once more at his
waiting adversary and then plunged into the room,
striding straight for the partition door without a single
sidewise glance.

Idaho's voice broke the spell. " I thought he was goin'
to risk it," he muttered, a deep sigh of relief following
the words. "He was near loco, but he just about had
enough sense left to save his worthless life. You would
'a' bio wed him apart at that distance."

" I'd 'a' smashed his pointed jaw ! " growled Johnny.
" I ain't shootin' nobody that don't reach for a gun. An'
if I'd had any sense I'd 'a' chucked th' guns to you an'
let him have his beatin'. Next time, I will. Fine sort of
a dog he is, tellin' me what I'm goin' to do, an' when I'm
goin' to do it ! "

"Wait till pay day, when I'll have more money,"
chuckled Idaho. "I can easy get three to two around
here. He's th' champeen rough-an'-tumble fighter for
near a hundred miles, but I'm sayin' any man with th'
everlastin' nerve to pull Kit Thorpe out from his own
kennel an' pack ain't got sense enough to know when
he's licked. An' that bein' so, I'm bettin' on yore condi
tion to win. He's gettin' fat an' shortwinded from doin'
nothin'. Besides, I'm one of them fools that allus bets

WAYS OF SERVING NOTICE 125

on a friend." He laughed as certain memories passed
before him. "I've done had a treat — come on, an' let
me treat you. How many was in there when you pulled
him out ? An' why didn't th' partition work like it allus
did before?"

"Because th' man that worked it was out in front,"
answered Johnny. "Things went too fast for anybody
else to get behind it." A sudden grin slipped to his face.
"Hey, I got one of my pet guns back! He was wearin'
it. I knowed it as soon as my fingers closed around th'
butt, for I shaped it to fit my hand several years ago.
Did you see th' handbills? Twitchell's put up another
reward, this one for Ridley ; an' McCullough is down on
th' Question-Mark. Things ought to step fast, now."

CHAPTER X

TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE

THORPE reappeared through the partition door
armed anew with the mate to the gun he had lost,
too enraged to notice that it was better suited to a left
than to a right hand. An ordinary man hardly would
have noticed it, but a gunman of his years and experience
should have sensed the ill-fitting grip at once. He glared
over the room, suspiciously eager to catch some unfor
tunate indulging in a grin, for he had been so shamed
and humiliated that it was almost necessary to his future
safety that he redeem himself and put his shattered
reputation back on its pedestal of fear. There were no
grins, for however much any of his acquaintances might
have enjoyed his discomfiture they had no lessened
respect for his ability with either six-guns or fists; and
there was a restlessness in the crowd, for no man knew
what was coming.

Fisher conveyed the collective opinion and broke the
tension. "Any man would 'a* been fooled," he said to
the head bartender, but loud enough for all to hear it.
His voice indicated vexation at the success of so shabby
a trick. "When he answered Thorpe I shore thought
he was goin' prompt an' peaceful — why, he even started!
Nobody reckoned he was aimin' to make a gunplay. How

126

TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE 127

could they ? An' I'm sayin' that it's cussed lucky for him
that Thorpe didn't!"

"Anybody can be fooled th' first time," replied the man
of liquor. He looked over at the partition door and
nodded. " Come over an' have a drink, Thorpe, an' forget
it. I got money that says there ain't no man alive can
beat you on th' draw. He tricked you, actin' that way."

"He's th' first man on earth ever shoved a gun into
me like that," growled Thorpe, slowly moving forward.
"An' he's th' last! Seein' as there's some here that
mebby ain't shore about it, I'll show 'em that I was
tricked ! " He stopped in front of Bill Long and regarded
that surprised individual with a look as malevolent as it
was sincere. "Any squaw dog can tote two guns," he
said, his still raging anger putting a keener edge to the
words. "When he does he tells everybody that he's
shore bad. If he ain't, that's his fault. I tote one — an'
yo're not goin' to swagger around these parts with any
more than I got. Which one are you goin' to throw
away?"

Bill blinked at him with owlish stupidity. " What you
say ? " he asked, as though doubting the reliability of his
ears.

" Oh," sneered Thorpe, his rage climbing anew ; " you
didn't hear me th' first time, huh? Well, you want to
be listenin' this time ! I asked, which gun are you goin'
to throw away, you card-skinnin' four-flush?"

" Why," faltered Bill, doing his very best to play the
part he had chosen. "I — I dunno — I ain't goin' to —
to throw any of 'em away. What you mean?"

" Throw one away ! " snapped Thorpe, his animal cun

128 THE BAR-%0 THREE

ning telling him that the obeyance of the order might
possibly be accepted by the crowd as grounds for
justification, if any should be needed.

Bill changed subtly as he reflected that the crowd had
excused Thorpe's humiliation because he had been tricked,
and determined that no such excuse should be used again.
He looked the enraged man in the eyes and a con
temptuous smile crept around his thin lips. "Thorpe,"
he drawled, " if yo're lookin' for props to hold up yore
reputation, you got th' wrong timber. Better look for a
sick cow, or "

The crowd gasped as it realized that its friend's fingers
were again relaxing from the butt of his half-drawn gun
and that three pounds of steel, concentrated on the small
circumference of the barrel of a six-gun had been jabbed
into the pit of his stomach with such speed that they had
not seen it, and with such force that the victim of the
blow was sick, racked with pain and scarcely able to
stand, momentarily paralyzed by the second assault on
the abused stomach, which caved, quivered, and retched
from the impact. Again he had failed, this time after
cold, calm warning; again the astonished crowd froze in
ridiculous postures, with ludicrous expressions graven
on their faces, their automatic arms leaping skyward as
they gaped stupidly, unbelievingly at the second gun.
Before they could collect their numbed senses the master
of the situation had backed swiftly against the wall near
the front door, thereby blasting the budding hopes of
the bartender, whose wits and power of movement, re
turning at equal pace, were well ahead of those of his
friends. It also saved the man of liquor from being

TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE 129

dropped behind his own bar by the gun of the alert Mr.
Thompson, who felt relieved when the crisis had passed
without calling forth any effort on his part which would
couple him with the capable Mr. Long.

" Climb that wall ! " said Bill Long, his voice vibrating
with the sudden outpouring of accumulated repression.
"I'm lookin' for a chance to kill you, so I ain't askin'
you to throw away no gun. This is between you an' me
— anybody takin' cards will drop cold. You got it
comin', an' comin' fair. Climb that wall ! "

Thorpe, gasping and agonized, fought off the sickness
which had held him rigid and stared open-eyed, open-
mouthed at glinting ferocity in the narrowed eyes of the
two-gun man.

" Climb that wall ! " came the order, this time almost a
whisper, but sharp and cutting as the edge of a knife,
and there was a certainty in the voice and eyes which
was not to be disregarded. Thorpe straightened up a
little, turned slowly and slowly made his way through the
opening crowd to the wall, and leaned against it. He had
no thought of using the gun at his hip, no idea of resist
ance, for the spirit of the bully within him had been
utterly crushed. He was a broken man, groping for
bearings in the fog of the shifting readjustments going
on in his soul.

"Climb!" said Bill Long's voice like the cracking of
a bull- whacker's whip, and Thorpe mechanically obeyed,
his finger-nails and boot toes scraping over the smooth
boards in senseless effort. He had not yet had time to
realize what he had lost, to feel the worthlessness which
would be his to the end of his days.

I3Q THE BAR-W THREE

The two-gun man nodded. " I told you boys I was a
imitator," he said, smiling; "an' I am. I imitated him
in his play to kill me. I imitated that SV foreman, an'
now I'm imitatin' Thorpe again. It's his own idea,
climbin' walls."

Fisher, watching the still-climbing Thorpe, was using
his nimble wits for a way out of a situation which easily
might turn into anything, from a joke to a sudden
shambles. He now had no doubts about the real quality
of Bill Long, and he secretly congratulated himself that
he had not yielded to certain temptations he had felt.
Besides, his arms were growing heavy and numb. There
came to his mind the further thought that this two-gun,
card-playing wizard would be a very good partner for
a tour of the country, a tour which should be lucrative
and safe enough to satisfy anyone.

" Huh," he laughed. " We're imitatin', too ; only we're
imitatin' ourselves, an' we're gettin' tired of holdin' 'em
up. I'm sayin', fair an' square, that I ain't aimin' to
draw no cards in any game that is two-handed. I reckon
th' rest of th' boys feel th' same as I do. How 'bout it,
boys?"

Affirmation came slowly or explosively, according to
the individual natures, and the two-gun man was con
fident enough in his ability to judge character to accept
the words. He slowly dropped his guns back in the
holsters and smiled broadly. Even the lower class of
men is capable of feeling a real liking, when it is based
on audacious courage, for anyone who deserves it; and
he knew that the now shifting crowd had been caught in
the momentum of such a feeling. There was also another

^ TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE 131

consideration to which more than one man present gave
grave heed: They scarcely had quit marveling at the
wizardy of one two-gun man when the second had
appeared and made them marvel anew.

"All right, boys," he said. "Thorpe, you can quit
climbin', seein' that you ain't gettin' nowhere. Come
over here an' gimme that gun. I'm still imitatin'. This
ain't been no lucky day for you, an' just to show you that
you can make it onluckier," he said as he took the Colt,
"I'm goin' to impress somethin' on yore mind." He
threw the barrel up and carelessly emptied the weapon
into the checkerboard partition with a rapidity which left
nothing to be desired. The distance was nearly sixty feet.
"Reckon you can cover 'em all with th' palm of one
hand," he remarked as he shifted the empty gun to his
left hand, where he thought it would fit better. He looked
at it and turned it over. Three small dots, driven into
the side of the frame, made him repress a smile. His
own guns had two, while Red Thompson's lone Colt had
four. He opened the flange and shoved the gun down
behind the backstrap of his trousers, where a left-handed
man often finds it convenient to carry a weapon, since
the butt points that way. Letting his coat fall back into
place he walked slowly to the door and out onto the
street, the conversation in the room buzzing high after he
left.

He next appeared in Quayle's, where he grinned at
Idaho, Quayle, Johnny, and Ed Doane.

"I just made Thorpe climb th' wall," he said. "He
looked like a pinned toad. Do you ever like to split up
a pair of aces, Nelson?"

1 32 THE BAR-%0 THREE

Johnny considered a moment and then slowly shook his
head.

" Neither do I," replied the newcomer. His left hand
went slowly around under his coat and brought out the
captured Colt. "An* I ain't goin' to begin doin' it now.
Here," and he handed the weapon to Johnny.

Johnny took it mechanically and then quickly turned
it over and glanced at the frame. Weighing it judicially
he looked up. "Th' feel an' balance of this Colt just
suits me," he said. "Want to sell it? "

"I don't hardly own it enough to sell it," answered
Bill; "but I reckon I can give it away, seein' that Thorpe
set th' fashion. I'm warnin' you that he might want it
back. But you should 'a' seen him a-climbin' that wall ! "
and he burst into laughter.

"I'll gamble," grinned Johnny. "I'll get you a new
one for it."

" No, you won't," replied Bill, still laughing. " I got
more'n th' value of a wore-out six-gun watchin' yore
show up there. Besides, if it was better'n mine I would
'a' kept it myself. I ain't expectin' you'll be there,
tonight," he finished.

"Suits me right here," replied Johnny. "Much
obliged for th' gun." He looked at Idaho and grinned.
"I aim to clean out this sage-hen at Californy Jack,
tonight."

" Which same you might do," admitted Idaho, slowly
looking at the Colt in his friend's hand ; " for you shore
are a fool for luck."

CHAPTER XI

A JOB WELL DONE

PECOS KANE looked up at the sound of shooting
and signaled for the doorkeeper. Getting no
response he pulled another cord and waited impatiently
for the man who answered it.

" What was that shooting, and who did it? " demanded
the boss. He cut the wordy recital short. "Tell Bill
Trask to assume Thorpe's duties and send Thorpe to
me."

Thorpe soon appeared, slowly closed the door behind
him and faced the boss, who studied him for a silent
interval, the object of the keen scrutiny squirming at the
close of it.

"You are no longer suited for my doortender," said
Kane's hard voice. "Report to the dining-room, or
kitchen, or leave the hotel entirely. But first find Corwin
and send him to me. That is all."

Thorpe gulped and shuffled out and in a few minutes
the sheriff appeared.

" Sit down, Corwin," said Kane, pleasantly. " Trask
has Thorpe's job now. Wait a moment until I think
something out," and he sat back in his chair, his eyes
closing. In a few moments he opened them and leaned
forward. "I have come to a decision regarding some

133

134 THE BAR-W THREE

strangers in this town. I have reason to believe that
Long and Thompson know each other a great deal better
than they pretend. I want to know more about Nelson,
so you will send a good man up to his country to get
me a report on him. Do it as soon as you leave me, and
tell him to waste no time. That clear ? "

Corwin nodded.

"Very well," continued the boss. "I want you to
arrest both Long and Thompson before tomorrow, and
throw them into jail. Since Long's exhibition today it
will be well to go about it in a manner calculated to
avoid bloodshed. There is no use of throwing men
away by sending them against such gunplay. You are
to arrest them without a shot being fired on either side.
It is only a matter of figuring it out, and I will give you
this much to start on: Whatever suspicions may have
been aroused in their minds about their welcome here not
being cordial must be removed. Because of that there
should be no ill-advised speed in carrying out the arrests.
They could be shot down from behind, but I want them
alive; and it suits my purpose better if they are taken
right here in this building. They are worth money, and
a great deal more than money to me, to you, and to all
of us. Twitchell and Carpenter are very powerful and
they must be placated if it can be done in such a way as
not to jeopardize us. I think it may be done in a way
which will strengthen us. You follow me closely ? "

The sheriff nodded again.

"All right," said Kane. "Now then, tell me where
each of the three men, Nelson, Long, and Thompson,
were on the occasions of the robbery of the bank and the

A JOB WELL DONE 135

death of Ridley. Think carefully."

Corwin gazed at the floor thoughtfully. "When th'
bank was robbed Nelson was playin' cards with Idaho
Norton in Quayle's saloon. Quayle an' Doane were in
there with 'em. Long an' Thompson were here, upstairs,
asleep."

" Very good, so far," commented Kane ; " go on."

" When Ridley was shot Nelson was with Idaho Norton
in Quayle's hotel, for both of them rustled into th' street
an' carried him indoors. Thompson was in th' front
room, here, an' Long come in soon after the shot was
fired."

" Excellent. Which way did he come? "

"Through th' front door."

" Before that ? " demanded the boss impatiently.

"I don't know."

" Why don't you ? " blazed Kane. " Have I got to do
all th' thinking for this crowd of dumbheads? "

"Why, why should I know?" Corwin asked in sur
prise.

"If you don't know the answer to your own question
it is only wasting my time to tell it to you. Now, listen :
You are to send four men in to me — but not Mexicans,
for the testimony of Mexicans in this country is not taken
any too seriously by juries. The four are not all to come
the same way nor at the same time. The dumbheads I
have around me necessitate that each be instructed sepa
rate and apart from the others, else they wouldn't know,
or keep separate their own part. Is this plain ? "

" Yes," answered the arm of the law.

"Very well. Now you will go out and arrange to

136 THE BAR-20 THREE

arrest and jail those two men. And after you have
arranged it you will do it. Not a shot is to be fired.
When they are in jail report to me. That is all."

Corwin departed and did not scratch his head until
the door closed after him, and then he showed great signs
of perplexity. As he went up the next corridor he caught
sight of a friend leaning against the back of the partition,
and just beyond was Bill Trask at his new post. He
beckoned to them both.

"Sandy, you are to report to th' boss, right away,"
ordered the sheriff. "He wants four white men, an'
yo're near white. Trask, send in three more white men,
one at a time, after Woods comes out. An' let me
impress this on yore mind: It is strict orders that you
ain't to fire a shot tonight, when somethin' happens that's
goin' to happen ; you, nor nobody else. Got that good ? "

" What do you mean ? " asked the sentry, grinning.

"Good G— d!" snorted the sheriff. "Do I have to
do all th' thinkin' for this crowd of dumbheads?"

"Yo're a parrot," retorted Trask. "I know that by
heart. You don't have to. You don't even do yore own.
You may go! "

Corwin grunted and joined the crowd in the big room
and when Bill Long wandered in and settled down to
watch a game the sheriff in due time found a seat at his
side. His conversation was natural, not too steady and
not too friendly and neither did he tarry too long, for
when he thought that he had remained long enough he
wandered up to the bar, joked with the chief dispenser,
and mixed with the crowd. After awhile he went out
and strolled over to the jail, where a dozen men were

^ "A JOB WELL DONE 137

waiting for him. His lecture to them was painfully
simple, in the simplest words of his simple vocabulary,
and when he at last returned to the gambling-hall he was
certain that his pupils were letter-perfect.

Meanwhile Kane had been busy and when the first of
the four appeared the clear-thinking boss drove straight
to his point. He looked intently at the caller and asked :
" Where were you on the night of the storm, at the time
the bank was robbed ? "

" Upstairs playin' cards with Harry."

"Do you know where Long and Thompson were at
that time?"

" Shore ; they was upstairs."

" I am going to surprise you," said Kane, smiling, and
he did, for he told his listener where he had been on that
night, what he had seen, and what he had found in the
morning in front of the door of Bill Long's door. He
did it so well that the listener began to believe that it
was so, and said as much.

" That's just what you must believe," exclaimed Kane.
"Go over it again and again. Picture it, with natural
details, over and over again. Live every minute, every
step of it. If you forget anything about it come to me
and I'll refresh your memory. I'll do so anyway, when
the time comes. You may go."

The second and third man came, learned their lessons
and departed. The fourth, a grade higher in intelligence,
was given a more difficult task and before he was dis
missed Kane went to a safe, took out a bundle of large
bills and handed two of them to his visitor, who nodded,
pocketed them and departed. He was to plant them,

138 THE BAR-W THREE

find them again and return them so that the latter part of
the operation would be clear in his memory.

Supper was over and the big room crowded. Jokes
and laughter sounded over the quiet curses of the losers.
Bill Long, straddling a chair, with his arms crossed on
its back, watched a game and exchanged banter with the
players during the deals. Red Thompson, playing in an
other game not far away, was winning slowly but con
sistently. Somebody started a night-herding song and
others joined in, making the ceiling ring. Busy bartend
ers were endeavoring to supply the demand. The song
roared through the first verse and the second, and in the
middle of the following chorus, at the first word of the
second line there was a sudden, concerted movement, and
chaos reigned.

Unexpectedly attacked by half a dozen men each Bill
and Red fought valiantly but vainly. In Bill's group two
men had been told off to go for his guns, one to each
weapon, and they had dived head-first at the signal. Red's
single gun had been obtained in the same way. Stamp
ing feet, curses, grunts, groans, the soft sound of fist on
flesh, the scraping of squirming masses of men going this
way and that, the heavy breathing and other sounds of
conflict filled the dusty, smoky air. Chairs crashed, tables
toppled and were wrecked by the surging groups and
then, suddenly, the turmoil ceased and the two bound,
battered, and exhausted men swayed dizzily in the hands
of their captors, their chests rising and falling convul
sively beneath their ragged shirts as they gulped the foul
air.

Two men rocked on the floor, slobbering over cracked

A JOB WELL DONE 139

shins, another lay face down across the wreck of a chair,
his gory face torn from mouth to cheekbone; another
held a limp and dangling arm, cursing with monotonous
regularity ; a fifth, blood pouring from his torn scalp and
blinding him, groped aimlessly around the room.

Corwin glanced around, shook his head and looked at
his two prisoners in frank admiration. "You fellers
shore can lick h — 1 out of th' man that invented fightin' ! "

Bill Long glared at him. "I didn't see — you — no
where near!" he panted. "Turn us — loose — an' we'll
dean — out th' place. We was — two-thirds — licked
before we— -knew it was comin'."

"Don't waste yore — breath on th' — d — d • "

snarled Red. "There's a few I'm aimin' to — kill when
I — getth' chance!"

"What's th' meanin' of — this surprise party?" asked
Bill Long.

" It means that you an' Thompson are under arrest for
robbin' th' bank; an' you for th' murder of Ridley,"
answered the peace officer, frowning at the ripple of
laughter which arose. A pock-marked Mexican, whose
forehead bore a crescent-shaped scar, seemed to be unduly
hilarious and vastly relieved about something.

Thorpe came swiftly across the room toward Bill Long,
snarled a curse, and struck with vicious energy at the
bruised face. Bill rolled his head and the blow missed.
Before the assailant could recover his balance and strike
again a brawny, red-haired giant, whose one good eye
glared over a battered nose, lunged swiftly forward and
knocked Thorpe backwards over a smashed chair and
overturned table. The prostrate man groped and half

140 THE BAR-W THREE

arose, to look dazedly into the giant's gun and hear the
holder of it give angry warning.

"Any more of that an' I'll blow you apart!" roared
the giant. "An' that goes for any other skunk in th'
room. Bear-baitin' is barred." He looked at Corwin.
"You've got 'em — now get 'em out of here an' into jail,
before I has to kill somebody!"

Corwin called to his men and with the prisoners in the
middle the little procession started for the old adobe jail
on the next street, the pleased sheriff bringing up the rear,
his Colt swinging in his hand. When the prisoners had
been locked up behind its thick walls he sighed with relief,
posted two guards, front and rear, and went back to report
to Kane that a good job had been well done.

The boss nodded and bestowed one of his rare compli
ments. "That was well handled, Sheriff," he said. "I
am sorry your work is not yet finished. A zealous peace
officer like you should be proud enough of such a capture
as to be anxious to inform those most interested. Also,"
he smiled, "you naturally would be anxious to put in a
claim for the reward. Therefore you should go right
down to McCullough and lay the entire matter before
him, as I shall now instruct you," and the instructions
were as brief as thoroughness would allow. "Is that
clear ? " asked the boss at the end of the lesson.

" It ain't only clear," enthused Corwin ; " but it's gilt-
edged; I'm on my way, now ! "

"_Report to me before morning," said Kane.

Hurrying from the room and the building the sheriff
saddled his horse and rode briskly down the trail. Not
far from town he began to whistle and he kept it up pur-

A JOB WELL DONE 141

posely as a notification of peaceful and honorable inten
tions, until the sharp challenge of a hidden sentry checked
both it and his horse.

" Sheriff Corwin," he answered. " What you holdin'
me up for ? "

A man stepped out of the cover at the edge of the trail.
"Got a match?" he pleasantly asked, the rifle hanging
from the crook of his arm, both himself and the weapon
hidden from the sheriff by the darkness. "Where you
goin' so late ? Thought everybody was asleep but me."

Corwin handed him the match. "Just ridin' down to
see McCullough. Got important business with him, an*
reckoned it shouldn't wait 'til mornin'."

The sentry rolled a cigarette and lit it with the bor
rowed match in such a way that the sheriff's face was well
lighted for the moment, but he did not look up. " That's
good," he said. " Reckon I'll go along with you. No use
hangin' 'round up here, an' I'm shore sleepy. Wait till I
get my cayuse," and he disappeared, soon returning in the
saddle. His quiet friend in the brush settled back to re
sume the watch and to speculate on how long it would
take his companion to return.

McCullough, half undressed, balanced himself as he
heard approaching voices, growled profanely and put the
freed leg in the trousers. He was ready for company
when one of the night shift stuck his head in at the door.

" Sheriff Corwin wants to see you," said the puncher.
" His business is so delicate it might die before mornin'."

"All right," grumbled the trail-boss. "If you get out
of his way mebby he can come in."

Corwin stood in the vacated door, smiling, but too wise

142 THE BAR-%0 THREE

to offer his hand to the blunt, grim host. "Got good
news," he said, " for you, me, an' th' T & C."

"Ya-as?" drawled McCullough, peering out beneath
his bushy, gray eyebrows. " Pecos Kane shoot hisself ?"

" We got th' fellers that robbed th' bank an' shot Rid
ley," said the sheriff.

" The h — 1 you say ! " exclaimed McCullough. " Come
in an' set down. Who are they ? How'd you get 'em ? "

" That reward stick ? " asked Corwin anxiously.

" Tighter'n a tick to a cow ! " emphatically replied the
trail-boss. " Who are they ?"

" I got a piece of paper here," said the sheriff, proving
his words. He stepped inside and placed it on the table.
" Read it over an' sign it. Then I'll fill in th' blanks with
th' names of th' men. If they're guilty, I'm protected; if
I've made a mistake, then there's no harm done."

McCullough slowly read it aloud :

" ' Sheriff Corwin was the first man to tell me

that and robbed the Mesqtiite

bank, and that killed Tom Ridley. He

will produce the prisoners, with the witnesses
and other proof in Sandy Bend upon demand.
If they are found guilty of the crime named the
rewards belong to him.' "

The trail-boss considered it thoughtfully. " It looks fair;
but there's one thing I don't like, Sheriff," he said, putting
his finger on the objectionable words and looking up. " I
•don't like * Sandy Bend.' I'm takin' no chances with them
fellers. I'll just scratch that out, an' write in, 'to me*
How 'bout it?"

-A JOB WELL DONE 143

"They've got to have a fair trial," replied Corwin.
" I'm standin' for no lynchin'. I can't do it."

" Yo're shore right they're goin' to have a fair trial ! "
retorted the trail-boss. " Twitchell ain't just lookin' for
two men — he wants th' ones that robbed th' bank an'
killed Ridley. You don't suppose he's payin' five thousan'
out of his pocket for somebody that ain't guilty, do you ?
Why, they're goin' to have such a fair trial that you'll
need all th' evidence you can get to convict 'em. Lynch
'em ? " He laughed sarcastically. " They won't even be
jailed in Sandy Bend, where they shore would be lynched.
You take 'em to Sandy Bend an' you'll be lynched out of
yore reward. You know how it reads."

Corwin scratched his head and a slow grin spread over
his face. " Cuss it, I never saw it that way," he admitted.
" I guess yo're shoutin' gospel, Mac ; but, cuss it, it ain't
reg'lar." "

" You know me ; an' I know you," replied the trail-boss,
smiling. "There's lots of little things done that ain't
exactly reg'lar; but they're plumb sensible. Suppose I
change this here paper like I said, an' sign it. Then you
write in th' names an' let me read 'em. Then you let me
know what proof you got, an' bring down th' prisoners,
an' I'll sign a receipt for 'em."

" Yes ! " exclaimed Corwin. " I'll deputize you, an' give
'em into yore custody, with orders to take 'em to Sandy
Bend, or any other jail which you think best. That makes
it more reg'lar, don't it?" he smiled.

McCullough laughed heartily and slapped his thigh.
" That's shore more reg'lar. I'm beginnin' to learn why,
they elected you sheriff. All right, then; I'm signin' my

144 THE BAR-20 THREE

name." He took pen and ink from a shelf, made the
change in the paper, sprawled his heavy-handed signature
across the bottom and handed the pen to Corwin. " Now,
d — n it : Who are they ? "

The sheriff carefully filled in the three blanks, McCul-
lough peering over his shoulder and noticing that the
form had been made out by another hand.

"There," said Corwin. "I'm spendin' that five thou
sand right now."

" ' Bill Long '— ' Red Thompson '— ' Bill Long ' again,"
growled the trail-boss. " Never heard of 'em. Live
around here?"

Corwin shook his head. " No."

"All right," grunted McCullough. "Now, then; what
proof you got? You'll never spend a cent of it if you
ain't got 'em cold."

Corwin sat on the edge of the table, handed a cigar to
his host and lit his own. " I got a man who was in th'
north stable, behind Kane's, when th' shot that killed Rid
ley was fired from th' other stable. He was feedin' his
hoss an' looked out through a crack, seem' Long sneak
out of th' other buildin', Sharp's in hand, an' rustle for
cover around to th' gamblin'-hall. Another man was
standin' in th' kitchen, gazin' out of th' winder, an' saw
Long turn th' corner of th' north stable an' dash for th'
hotel buildin'. He says he laughed because Long's slight
limp made him sort of bob sideways. An' we know why
Long done it, but we're holdin' that back. That's for th'
killin'.

" Now for th' robbery : I got th' man that saw Long an'
Thompson sneak out of th' front door of th' dinin'-room

A JOB WELL DONE 145

hall into that roarin' sand storm between eleven an' twelve
o'clock on th' night of th' robbery. He says he remembers
it plain because he was plumb surprised to see sane men
do a fool thing like that. He didn't say nothin' to 'em
because if they wanted to commit suicide it was their own
business. Besides, they was strangers to him. After
awhile he went up to bed, but couldn't sleep because of th'
storm makin' such a racket. Kane's upstairs rocked a lit
tle that night. I know, because I was up there, tryin' to
sleep."

" Go on," said the trail-boss, eagerly and impatiently,
his squinting eyes not leaving the sheriff's face.

" Well, quite some time later he heard th' door next to
his'n open cautious, but a draft caught it an' slammed it
shut. Then Bill Long's voice said, angry an' sharp :
'What th' h — 1 you doin', Red? Tellin' creation about
it ? ' In th' mornin', th' cook, who gets up ahead of every
body else, of course, was goin' along th' hall toward th'
stairs an' he kicks somethin' close to Long's door. It
rustles an' he gropes for it, curious-like, an' took it down
stairs with him for a look at it, where it wasn't so dark. It
was a strip of paper that th' bank puts around packages of
bills, an' there was some figgers on it. He chucks it in a
corner, where it fell down behind some stuff that had been
there a long time, an' don't think no more about it till
he hears about th' bank bein' robbed. Then he fishes it
out an' brings it to me. I knowed what it was, first
glance."

"Any more?" urged McCullough. "It's good; but,
you got any more ? "

" I shore have. What you think I'm sheriff for ? I got

146 THE BAR-W THREE

two of th' bills, an' their numbers tally with th' bank's
numbers of th' missin' money. You can compare 'em with
yore own list later. I sent a deputy to their rooms as
soon as I had 'em in jail, an' he found th' bills sewed up
in their saddle pads. Reckon they was keepin' one apiece
in case they needed money quick. An' when th' sand was
swept off th' step in front of that hall door, a gold piece
was picked up out of it."

" When were you told about all this by these fellers ? "
demanded the trail-boss.

"As soon as th' robbery was known, an' as soon as th'
shootin' of Ridley was known ! "

" When did you arrest them ? "

"Last night; an' it was shore one big job. They can
fight like a passel of cougars. Don't take no chances with
'em, Mac."

" Why did you wait till last night ? " demanded McCul-
lough. "Wasn't you scared they'd get away?"

" No. I had 'em trailed every place they went. They
wasn't either of 'em out of our sight for a minute; an'
when they slept there was men watchin' th' stairs an'
their winders. You see, Kane lost a lot of money in that
robbery, bein' a director; an' I was hopin' they'd try to
sneak off to where they cached it an' give us a chance
to locate it. They was too wise. I got more witnesses,
too; but they're Greasers, an' I ain't puttin' no stock in
'em. A Greaser'd lie his own mother into her grave for
ten dollars; anyhow, most juries down here think so, so
it's all th' same."

"Yes; lyin' for pay is shore a Greaser trick," said
McCullough, nodding. " Well, I reckon it's only a case of

A JOB WELL DONE 147

waitin' for th' reward, Sheriff. Tell you what I wish
you'd do : Gimme everythin' they own when you send 'em
down to me, or when I come up for 'em, whichever suits
you best. Everythin' has got to be collected now before
it gets lost, an' it's got to be ready for court in case it's
needed."

"All right; I'll get back what I can use, after th' trial,"
replied Corwin. " I'll throw their saddles on their cayuses,
an' let 'em ride 'em down. How soon do you want 'em ?
Right away ? "

"First thing in th' mornin'!" snapped McCullough.
" Th' sooner th' better. I'll send up some of th' boys to
give you a hand with 'em, or I'll take 'em off yore hands
entirely at th' jail. Which suits you?"

" Send up a couple of yore men, if you want to. It'll
look better in town if I deliver 'em to you here. Why,
you ain't smoked yore cigar ! "

McCullough looked at him and then at his own hand,
staring at the crushed mass of tobacco in it. " Shucks ! "
he grunted, apologetically, and forthwith lied a little him
self. "Funny how a man forgets when he's excited. I
bet that cigar thought it was in a vise — my hand's tired
from squeezin'."

"Sorry I ain't got another, Mac," said Corwin, grin
ning, as he paused in the door. " I'll be lookin' for yore
boys early. Adios."

"Adios," replied McCullough from the door, listen
ing to the dying hoof beats going rapidly toward town.
Then he shut the door, hurled the remains of the cigar on
the floor and stepped on them. " He's got 'em, huh ? An'
strangers, too! He's got 'em too d — d pat for me. It

148 THE BAR-20 THREE

takes a good man to plaster a lie on me an' make it stick —
an' he ain't no good, at all. He was sweatin' before he
got through ! " Again the trousers came off, all the way
this time, and the lamp was turned down. As he settled
into his bunk he growled again. " Well, I'll have a look
at 'em, anyhow, an' send 'em down for Twitchell to look
at," and in another moment he was asleep.

CHAPTER XII

FRIENDS ON THE OUTSIDE

WHILE events were working out smoothly for the
arrest of the two men in Kane's gambling-hall,
four friends were passing a quiet evening in Quayle's
barroom, but the quiet was not to endure.

With lagging interest in the game Idaho picked up his
cards, ruffled them and listened. " Reckon that's singin',"
he said in response to the noise floating down from the
gambling-hall. " Sounds more like a bunch of cows
bawlin' for their calves. Kane's comin' to life later'n
usual. Wonder if Thorpe's joinin' in?" he asked, and
burst out laughing. "Next to our hard-workin' sheriff
there ain't nobody in town that I'd rather see eat dirt
than him. Wish I could 'a' seen him a-climbin' that
wall!"

"Annybody that works for Kane eats dirt," commented
Quayle. " They has to. He'll learn how to eat it, too,
th' blackguard."

" There goes somethin'" said Ed Doane as the distant
roaring ceased abruptly. "Reckon Thorpe's makin' an
other try at th' wall." He laughed softly. "They're
startin' a fandango, by th' sound of it."

" 'Tis nothin' to th' noise av a good Irish reel," depre
cated the proprietor.

149

I5Q THE BAR-SO THREE

" I'm claimin' low this hand," grunted Idaho. " Look
out for yore jack."

Johnny smiled, played and soon a new deal was begun.

"Th' dance is over, too," said Doane, mopping off
the bar for the third time in ten minutes. " Must 'a' been
a short one."

" Some of them hombres will dance shorter than that,
an' harder," grunted Idaho, "th' next time they pay its
a visit. They didn't get many head th' last time, an'
I'm sayin' they'll get none at all th' next time. Where
they take 'em to is more'n we can guess : th' tracks just
die. Not bein' able to track 'em, we're aimin' to stop it
at th' beginnin'. You fellers wait, an' you'll see."

Quayle grunted expressively. " I been waitin' too long
now. Wonder why nobody ever set fire to Kane's.
'Twould be a fine sight."

"You'll mebby see that, too, one of these nights,"
growled the puncher.

"Then pick out wan when th' wind is blowin' up th'
street," chuckled Quayle. "This buildin' is so dry it
itches to burn. I'm surprised it ain't happened long ago,
with that Mick in th' kitchen raisin' th' divvil with th'
stove. If I didn't have a place av me own I'd be tempted
to do it meself."

The bartender laughed shortly. "If McCullough hap
pens to think of it I reckon it'll be done." He shook out
the bar cloth and bunched it again. " Funny he ain't cut
loose yet. That ain't like him, at all."

"Waitin' for th' rewards to start workin', I reckon,"
said Johnny.

Idaho scraped up the cards, shaped them into a sheer-

FRIENDS ON THE OUTSIDE 151

sided deck and pushed it aside. " I'm tired of this game ;
it's too even. Reckon I'll go up an' take a look at Kane's."
He arose and sauntered out, paused, and looked up the
street. " Cussed if they ain't havin' a pe-rade," he called.
" This ain't th' Fourth of July, is it? I'm goin' up an'
sidle around for a closer look. Be back soon."

Johnny was vaguely perturbed. The sudden cessation
of the song bothered him, and the uproar which instantly
followed it only served to increase his uneasiness. Ordi
narily he would not have been affected, but the day's
events might have led to almost anything. Had a shot
been fired he swiftly would have investigated, but the
lack of all shooting quieted his unfounded suspicions.
Idaho's remark about the parade renewed them and after
a short, silent argument with himself he arose, went to
the door and looked up the street, seeing the faint, yellow
patch on the sand where Kane's lamps shown through
the open door and struggled against the surrounding dark
ness, and hearing the faint rumble of voices above which
rang out frequent laughter. He grimly told himself that
there would be no laughter in Kane's if his two friends
had come to any harm, and there would have been plenty
of shooting.

"Annythin' to see?" asked Quayle, poking his head
out of the door.

" No," answered Johnny, turning to reenter the build
ing. "Just feelin' their oats, I reckon."

" 'Tis feelin' their ropes they should be doin '," replied
Quayle, stepping back to let his guest pass through. "An'
'twould be fine humor to swing 'em from their own.
Hist ! " he warned, listening to the immoderate laughter

152 THE BAR-W THREE

which came rapidly nearer. " Here's Idaho ; he'll know
it all."

Idaho popped in and in joyous abandon threw his som
brero against the ceiling. "Funniest thing you ever
heard!" he panted. "Corwin's arrested that Bill Long
an' Red Thompson. Took a full dozen to do it, an' half
of 'em are cripples now. Th' pe-rade I saw was Corwin
an' a bunch escortin' 'em over to th' jail. Ain't we got
a rip-snortin' fool for a sheriff ? " His levity died swiftly,
to give way to slowly rising anger. " With this country
fair crowded with crooks he can't find nobody to throw
in jail except two friendless strangers! D — n his hide,
I got a notion to pry 'em out and turn 'em loose before
mornin', just to make things right, an' take some of th'
swellin' out of his flat head. It's a cussed shame."

The low-pulled brim of Johnny's sombrero hid the
glint in his eyes and the narrowed lids. He relaxed and
sat carelessly on the edge of a table, one leg swinging
easily to and fro as conjecture after conjecture rioted
through his mind.

" They must 'a' stepped on Kane's toes," said Ed, vig
orously wiping off the backbar.

Idaho scooped up his hat and flung it on the table at
Johnny's side. "You'd never guess it, Ed. Even th'
rest of th' gang was laughin' about it, all but th' cripples.
I been waitin' for them rewards to start workin,' but I
never reckoned they'd work out like this. Long an'
Thompson are holdin' th' sack. They're scapegoats for
th' whole cussed gang. Corwin took 'em in for robbin'
th' bank, an' gettin' Ridley!"

Ed Doane dropped the bar cloth and stared at the

FRIENDS ON THE OUTSIDE 153

speaker and a red tide crept slowly up his throat and
spread across his face. Johnny slid from the table and
disappeared in the direction of his room. He came down
again with the two extra Colts in his hands, slipped
through the kitchen and ran toward the jail. Quayle's
mouth slowly closed and then let out an explosive curse.
The bartender brought his fist down on the bar with a
smash.

"Scapegoats? Yo're right! It's a cold deck — an'
you bet Kane never would 'a' dealt from it if he wasn't
dead shore he could make th' play stick. Every man in
th' pack will swear accordin' to orders, an' who can swear
th' other way? It'll be a strange jury, down in Sandy
Bend, every man jack of it a friend of Ridley an' th'
T & C. Well, I'm a peaceable man, but this is too much.
I never saw them fellers before in my life ; but on th' day
when Corwin starts south with 'em I'll be peaceable no
longer — an' I've got friends! There's no tellin' who'll
be next if he makes this stick. Who's with me?"

"/ am," said Quayle; "an' / got friends."

"Me, too," cried Idaho. "There's a dozen hickory
knots out on th' ranch that hate Corwin near as much as
I do. They'll be with us, mebby even Lukins, hisself.
Hey! Where'd Nelson go?" he excitedly demanded.
" Mebby he's out playin' a lone hand ! " and he darted for
the kitchen.

Johnny, hidden in the darkness not far from the jail,
was waiting. The escort, judging from the talk and the
glowing ends of cigarettes, was bunched near the front
of the building, little dreaming how close they stood to
a man who held four Colts and was fighting down a rage

154 THE BAR-W THREE

which urged their use. At last, thoroughly master of
itself, Johnny's mind turned to craftiness rather than to
blind action and formulated a sketchy plan. But while
the plan was being carried through he would not allow
his two old friends to be entirely helpless. Slipping off
his boots he crept up behind the jail and with his kerchief
lowered the two extra guns through the window, softly
calling attention to them, which redoubled the prisoners'
efforts to untie each other. Satisfied now that they were
in no immediate danger he slipped back to his boots, put
them on and waited to see what would happen, and to
listen further.

"There ain't no use watchin' th' jail," said a voice,
louder than the rest. " They're tied up proper, an' nobody
ever got out of it before."

"Just th' same, you an' Harry will watch it," said Cor-
win. " Winder an' door. I ain't takin' no chances with
this pair."

A thickening on the dark ground moved forward slowly
and a low voice called Johnny's name. He replied cau
tiously and soon Idaho crawled to his side, whispering
questions.

"Go back where there ain't no chance of anybody
hearin' us, or stumblin' over us," said Johnny. " When
that gang leaves there won't be so much noise, an' then
they may hear us."

At last reaching an old wagon they stood up and leaned
against it, and Johnny unburdened his heart to a man
he knew he could trust.

"Idaho," he said, quietly, "them fellers are th' best
friends I ever had. They cussed near raised me, an' they

FRIENDS ON THE OUTSIDE 155

risked their lives more'n once to save mine. 'Most every-
thin' I know I got from them, an' they ain't goin' to stay
in that mud hut till mornin', not if I die for it. They
come down here to help me, an' I'm goin' to get 'em out.
Did you ever hear of th' old Bar-2O, over in th' Pecos
Valley?"

"I shore did," answered Idaho. "Why?"

" I was near raised on it Bill Long is Hopalong Cas-
sidy, an' Red Thompson is Red Connors, th' whitest men
that ever set a saddle. Rob a bank, an' shoot a man from
behind! Did Bill Long act like a man that had to shoot
in th' back when he made Thorpe climb his own wall,
with his own crowd lookin' on? Most of their lives has
been spent fightin' Kane's kind; an' no breed of pups can
hold 'em while I'm drawin' my breath. It's only how to
do it th' best way that's botherin' me. I've slipped 'em
a pair of guns, so I got a little time to think. Why, cuss
it: Hoppy knows th' skunk that got Ridley! An' before
we're through we'll know who robbed th' bank, an' hand
'em over to Mac. That's what's keepin' th' three of us
here!"

"Bless my gran'mother's old gray cat!" breathed
Idaho. " No wonder they pulled th' string ! I'm sayin'
Kane's got hard ridin' ahead. Say, can I tell th' boys at
th' ranch?"

" Tell 'em nothin' that you wouldn't know except for
me tellin' you," replied Johnny. "I know they're good
boys ; but they might let it slip. Me an' Hoppy an' Red
are aimin' for them rewards — an' we're goin' to get 'em
both."

" It's a plumb lovely night," muttered Idaho. " Nicest

156 THE BAR-%0 THREE

night I think I ever saw. I don't want no rewards, but I
just got to get my itchin' paws into what's goin' on around
this town. An' it's a lovely town. Nicest town I think
I ever was in. That 'dobe shack ain't what it once was.
I know, because, not bein' friendly with th' sheriff, an'
not bein' able to look all directions at once, I figgered I
might be in it, myself, some day. So I've looked it over
good, inside an' out. Th' walls are crumbly, an' th' bars
in th' window are old. There's a waggin tongue in Pete
Jarvis' freight waggin that's near twelve foot long, an'
a-plenty thick. Ash, I think it is ; that or oak. Either's
good enough. If it was shoved between th' bars an' then
pushed sideways that jail wouldn't be a jail no more. If
Pete ain't taken th' waggin to bed with him, bein' so proud
of it, we can crack that little hazelnut. I'm goin' back
an' see how many are still hangin' around."

" I'm goin' back to th' hotel, so I'll be seen there," said
Johnny.

"I'll do th' same, later," replied his friend as they
separated.

Quayle was getting rid of some of his accumulated
anger, which reflection had caused to soar up near the
danger point. "Tom Ridley wasn't killed by no stran
gers ! " he growled, banging the table with his fist. " I
can name th' man that done it by callin' th' roll av Kane's
litter; an' I'll be namin' th' bank robbers in th' same
breath." He looked around as Johnny entered the room.
"An' what did ye find, lad?"

" Idaho was right. They've got 'em in th' jail."

"An' if I was as young a man as you," said the pro
prietor, "they wouldn't kape 'em there. As ut is I'm

FRIENDS ON THE OUTSIDE 157

timpted to go up an' bust in th' dommed door, before th*
sheriff comes back from his ride. Tom Ridley's mur
derer? Bah!"

" Back from his ride ? " questioned Johnny, quickly
and eagerly.

" Shure. He just wint down th' trail. Tellin' Mac, I
don't doubt that he's got th' men Twitchell wants. I was
lookin' around when he wint past. This is th' time, lad.
I'll help ye by settin' fire to Red Frank's corral if th' jail's
watched. It'll take their attention. Or I'll lug me rifle
up an' cover ye while ye work." He arose and went into
the office for the weapon, Johnny following him. " There
she is — full to th' ind. An' I know her purty ways."

"Tim," said Johnny's low voice over his shoulder.
"Yo're white, clean through. I don't need yore help,
anyhow, not right now. An' because you are white I'm
goin' to tell you somethin' that'll please you, an' give
me one more good friend in this rotten town. Bill Long
an' Red Thompson are friends of mine. They did not
rob th' bank, nor shoot Ridley; but Bill knows who did
shoot Ridley. He saw him climbin' out of Kane's south
stable while th' smoke was still comin' from th' gun that
shot yore friend. I can put my hand on th' coyote in five
minutes. Th' three of us are stayin' here to get that man,
th' man who robbed th' bank, an' Pecos Kane. I'm
tellin' you this because I may need a good friend in Mes-
quite before we're through."

Quayle had wheeled and gripped his shoulder with
convulsive force. "Ah ! " he breathed. " Come on, lad ;
point him out! Point him out for Tim Quayle, like th*
good lad ye are ! "

158 THE BAR-SO THREE

" Do you want him so bad that yo're willin' to let th'
real killer get away ? " asked Johnny. " You only have
to wait an' we'll get both."

"What d'ye mean?"

"You don't believe he shot Ridley without bein' told
to do it, do you ? "

"Kane told him; I know it as plain as I know my
name."

" Knowin' ain't provin' it, an' provin' it is what we got
to do."

"Tis th' curse av th' Irish, jumpin' first an' thinkin'
after," growled Quayle. " Go wan ! "

" Yo're friends with McCullough," said Johnny. " Mac
knows a little ; an' I'm near certain he's heard of Hopa-
long Cassidy an' Red Connors, of th' Bar-2O. Don't
forget th' names: Hopalong Cassidy an' Red Connors,
of th' old Bar-2O in th' Pecos Valley. Buck Peters was
foreman. I want you to go down an' pay him a friendly
visit, and tell him this," and Quayle listened intently to
the message.

" Bye," chuckled the proprietor, " ye leave Mac to me.
We been friends for years, an' Tom Ridley was th' friend
of us both. But, lad, ye may die ; an' Bill Long may die
— life is uncertain anny where, an' more so in Mesquite,
these days. If yer a friend av Tim Quayle, slip me th'
name av th' man that murdered Ridley. I promise ye
to kape han's off — an' I want no reward. But it fair
sickens me to think his name may be lost. Tom was like
a brother."

"If you knew th' man you couldn't hold back," replied
Johnny. "Here: I'll tell Idaho, an' Ed Doane. If Bill

FRIENDS ON THE OUTSIDE 159

an' I go under they'll give you his description. I don't
know his name."

"Th' offer is a good wan; but Tim Quayle never
broke his word to anny man — an' there's nothin' on earth
or in hiven I want so much as to know who murdered
Tom Ridley. I pass ye my word with th' sign av th' cross,
on th' witness of th' Holy Virgin, an' on th' mem'ry av
Tom Ridley — I'll stay me hand accordin' to me promise."

Johnny looked deeply into the faded blue eyes through
the tears which filmed them. He gripped the proprietor's
hand and leaned closer. "A Greaser with a pock-marked
face, an' a crescent-shaped scar over his right eye. He
is about my height an' drags one foot slightly when he
walks."

"Aye, from th' ball an' chain ! " muttered Quayle. " I
know th' scut ! Thank ye, lad : I can sleep better nights.
An' I can wait as no Irishman ever waited before. Anny-
thin' Tim Quayle has is yourn; yourn an' yore friends.
I'll see Mac tomorrow. Good night." He cuddled the
rifle and went toward the stairs, but as he put his foot on
the first step he stopped, turned, and went to a chair in
a corner. "I'm forgettm'," he said, simply. "Ye may
need me," and he leaned back against the wall, closing
his eyes, an expression of peace on his wrinkled face.

CHAPTER XIII

OUT AND AWAY

IDAHO slipped out of the darkness of the kitchen and
appeared in the door. "All right, Nelson," he called.
" There's two on guard an' th' rest have left. They ain't
takin' their job any too serious, neither. Just one apiece,"
"he chuckled.

Johnny looked at the proprietor. "Got any rope,
Tim ? " he asked.

"Plenty," answered Quayle, arising hastily and lead
ing the way toward the kitchen. Supplying their need
he stood in the door and peered into the darkness after
them. "Good luck, byes," he muttered.

Pete Jarvis was proud of his new sixteen-foot freighter
and he must have turned in his sleep when two figures,
masked to the eyes by handkerchiefs, stole into his yard
and went off with the heavy wagon tongue. They car
ried it up to the old wagon near the jail, where they put
it down, removed their boots, and went on without it,
reaching the rear wall of the jail without incident, where
they crouched, one at each corner, and smiled at the con
versation going on.

" I'm hopin' for a look at yore faces," said Red's voice,
"to see what they looked like before I get through with
'em, if I ever get my chance. Come in, an' be sociable."

160

_ OUT AND AWAY 161

"Yo're doin' a lot of talkin' now, you red-headed
coyote," came the jeering reply. " But how are you goin'
to talk to th' judge?"

"Bring some clean straw in th' mornin'," said Bill
Long, " or we'll bust yore necks. Manure's all right for
Greasers, an' you, but we're white men. Hear me chirp,
you mangy pups ? "

"It's good enough for you!" snapped a guard. "I
was goin' to get you some, but now you can rot, for all
I care!"

Johnny backed under the window, raised up and pressed
his face against the rusty bars. " It's th' Kid," he whis
pered. "Are you untied yet?"

The soft answer pleased him and he went back to his
corner of the wall, where he grudged every passing min
ute. He had decided to wait no longer, but to risk the
noise of a shot if the unsuspecting guards could get a gun
out quickly enough, and he was about to tell Idaho of
the change in the plans when the words of a guard checked
him.

"Guess I'll walk around again," said one of them,
arising slowly. "Gettin' cramped, an' sleepy, settin'
here."

"You spit in that window again an* I'll bust yore
neck ! " said Red's angry voice, whereupon Johnny found
a new pleasure in doing his duty.

"You ain't bustin' nobody, or nothin'," jeered the
guard, " 'less it's th' rope yo're goin' to drop on." He
yawned and stretched and sauntered along the side of
the building, turned the corner and then raised his hands
with a jerk as a Colt pushed into his stomach and a hard

1 62 THE BAR-90 THREE

voice whispered terse instructions, which he instantly
obeyed. " You fellers ain't so bad, at that," he said, with
only a slight change in his voice ; " but yo're shore playin'
in hard luck."

" Keep yore sympathy to yoreself ! " angrily retorted
Bill Long.

Idaho, having unbuckled the gun-belt and laid it gently
on the ground, swiftly pulled the victim's arms down be
hind his back and tied the crossed wrists. Johnny now got
busy with ropes for his feet, and a gag, and they soon laid
him close to the base of the wall, and crept toward the
front of the building, one to each wall. Johnny tensed
himself as Idaho sauntered around the other corner.

"Makin' up with 'em?" asked the guard, ironically.
" You don't want to let 'em throw a scare into you. They'll
never harm nobody no more." He lazily arose to stretch
his legs on a turn around the building. " You listen to
what I'm goin' to tell 'em," he said. Then he squawked
and went down with Johnny on his back, Idaho's dive
coming a second later. A blow on his head caused him to
lose any impertinent interest which he might have had in
subsequent events and soon he, too, lay along the base of
the rear wall, bound, gagged, and helpless.

" I near could feel th' jar of that in here," said Red's
cheerful voice. "I'm hopin' it was th' coyote that spit
through th' window. What's next ? " he asked, on his feet
and pulling at bars. He received no answer and com
mented upon that fact frankly and profusely.

" Shut yore face," growled Bill, working at his side.
" He's hatchin' somethin' under his hat."

" Somethin' hatchin' all over me," grunted Red, stir-

OUT AND 'AWAY 163

ring restlessly. " I'm a heap surprised this old mud hut
ain't walkin' off some'ers."

Bill squirmed. ",You ain't got no call to put on no
airs," he retorted. " Mine's been hatched a long time. I
wouldn't let a dog lay on straw as rotten as that stuff.
Oh ! " he gloated. " Somebody's shore goin' to pay for
this little party ! "

"Wish th' sheriff would open that outside door about
now," chuckled Red, balancing his six-chambered gift
" I'd make him pop-eyed."

Hurrying feet, booted now, came rapidly nearer and
soon the square-cornered end of a seasoned wagon tongue
scraped on the adobe window ledge. Bill Long grabbed it
and drew it between two of the bars.

"Go toward th' south," he said. "That's th' boy!
Listen to 'em scrape!" he exulted. "Go ahead — she's
startin'. I can feel th' 'dobe crackin' between th' bars.
Come back an' take th' next — you'll have a little better
swing because it's further from th' edge of th' window.
Go ahead ! It's bendin' an' pullin' out at both ends. Go
on! Whoop! There goes th' 'dobe. Come back to th'
middle an' use that pry as a batterin'-ram on this bar.
Steady; we'll do th' guidin'. All ready? Then let her
go! Fine! Try again. That's th' stuff — she's gone!
Take th' next Ready? Let her go! There goes more
'dobe, on this side. Once more: Ready? Let her go!
Good enough : Here we come."

" Wait," said Johnny. " We'll pass one of these fellers
in to you. If we leave 'em both together they'll mebby roll
together an' untie each other."

"Like we did," chuckled Red.

1 64 THE BAR-20 THREE

" Give us th' first one you got," said Bill. " He's th'
one that spit through th' window. I want him to lay on
this straw, too. He's tied, an' can't scratch."

The guard was raised to the window, pushed and pulled
through it and carelessly dumped on Red's bed, after
which it did not take long for the two prisoners to gain
their freedom.

"Good Kid!" said Bill, gripping his friend's hand.
"An' you, too, whoever you are ! "

"Don't mention no names," whispered Idaho. "We
couldn't find no ear plugs," he chuckled, shaking hands
with Red. " I'm too well known in this town. What'll
we do with this coyote ? Let him lay here ? "

" No," answered Johnny. " He might roll over to Red
Frank's an' get help. Picket him to a bush or cactus.
Here, gimme a hand with him. I reckon he's come to, by
th' way he's bracin' hisself. Little faster — time's flyin'.
All right, put him down." Johnny busied himself with
the last piece of rope and stood up. " Come on — Kane's
stables, next."

As they crossed the street above the gambling-house,
where in reality it was a trail, Bill Long took a hand in
the evening's plans.

" Red," he said, " you go an' get our cayuses. Bring
'em right here, where we are now, an' wait for us. Idaho,
you an' Johnny come with me an' stand under th' window
of my room to take th' things I let down, an' free th' rope
from 'em. I'm cussed shore we ain't goin' to leave all of
our traps behind, not unless they been stole."

" I like yore cussed nerve ! " chuckled Idaho. " Don't
blame you, though. I'm ready."

OUT AND AWAY 165

"His nerve's just plain gall!" snapped Red, turning
to Hopalong. " Think yo're sendin' me off to get a couple
of cayuses, while yo're runnin' that risk in there ? Get th'
cayuses yoreself ; I'll get th' fixin's ! "

" Don't waste time like this ! " growled Johnny. " Do
as yo're told, you red-headed wart! Corwin will shore
go to th' jail before he turns in. Come on, Hoppy."

" That name sounds good again," chuckled Hopalong,
giving Red a shove toward the stables. "Get them
cayuses, Carrot-Top ! "

Red obeyed, but took it out in talking to himself as he
went along, and as he entered the north stable he stepped
on something large and soft, which instantly went into
action. Red dropped to his knees and clinched, getting
both wrists in his hands. Being in a hurry, and afraid
of any outcry, he could not indulge in niceties, so he
brought one knee up and planted it forcefully in his
enemy's stomach, threw his weight on it and jumped up
and down. Sliding his hands down the wrists, one at a
time, he found the knife and took it from the relaxing
fingers. Then he felt for the victim's jaw with one hand
and hit it with the other. Arising, he hummed a tune and
soon led out the two horses.

" Don't like to leave th' others for them fellers to use,"
he growled, and forthwith decided not to leave them.
He drove them out of both stables, mounted his own, led
Hopalong's, and slowly herded the other dozen ahead of
him over the soft sand and away. When he finally reached
the agreed-upon meeting place he reflected with pleasure
that anyone wishing to use those horses for the purpose
of pursuit, or any other purpose, would first have to find,

166 THE BAR-W THREE

and then catch them. They were going strong when he
had last heard them.

Idaho had stopped under the window pointed out to
him, and his two companions, leaving their boots in his
tender care, were swallowed up in the darkness. They
opened the squeaking front door, cautiously climbed the
squeaking stairs and fairly oozed over the floor of the
upper hall, which wanted to squeak, and did so a very
little. Hopalong slowly opened the door of his room,
thankful that he had oiled its one musical hinge, and felt
cautiously over the bed. It was empty, and his sigh of
relief was audible. And he was further relieved when his
groping hand found his possessions where he had left
them. He was stooping to loosen the coil of rope at the
pommel of his saddle when he heard a sleepy, inquiring
voice and a soft thud, and anxiously slipped to the door.

" Kid ! " he whispered. " Kid! "

" Shut yore fool face," replied the object of his solici
tude, striking a match for one quick glance around. The
room was strange to him, since he never had been in it be
fore, and he had to get his bearings. The inert man on
the bed did not get a second glance, for the sound and
weight of the blow had reassured Johnny. There were
two saddles, two rifles, two of everything, which was dis
tressing under the circumstances.

Hopalong had just lowered his own saddle to the wait
ing Idaho when the catlike Johnny entered the room with
a saddle and a rifle. He placed them on the bed, where
they would make no noise, and departed, catlike. Soon
returning he placed another saddle and rifle on the bed
and departed once more.

OUT AND AWAY 167

Hopalong, having sent down both of Johnny's first
offerings, felt over the bed for the rest of Red's belong
ings, if there were any more, and became profanely indig
nant as his hand caressed another rifle and then bumped
against another saddle.

"What'n h — 1 is he doin'?" he demanded. "My
G — d! There's more'n a dozen rooms on this floor, an*
men in all of 'em ! Hey, Kid ! " he whispered as breathing
sounded suddenly close to him.

"What?" asked Johnny, holding two slicker rolls, a
sombrero, a pair of boots, and a suit of clothes. Two
belts with their six-guns were slung around his neck, but
the darkness mercifully hid the sight from his friend.

" D — n it ! We ain't moviri this hotel," said Hopalong
with biting sarcasm. " It don't belong to us, you know.
!An' what was that whack I heard when you first went in ? "

"Somebody jumped Red's bed, an' wanted to know
some fool thing, or somethin', an' I had to quiet him. An*
what'n blazes are you kickin' about ? I've moved twice as
much as you have, more'n twice as far. Grab holt of
some of this stuff an' send it down to Idaho. He'll think
you've went to sleep."

" You locoed tumble-bug ! " said Hopalong. "Aimin' to
send down th' bed, with th' feller in it, too ? "

A door creaked suddenly and they froze.

"Quit yore d — d noise an' go to sleep!" growled a
sleepy, truculent voice, and the door creaked shut again.

After a short wait in silence Hopalong put out an in
quiring hand. " Come on," he whispered. " What you
got there ? "

Johnny told him, and Hopalong dropped the articles out

1 68 THE BAR-20 THREE

of the window, all but the hat, boots, and clothes. " Don't
you know Red's wearin' his clothes, boots an' hat, you
chump?" he said, gratis. "Leave them things here an'
f oiler me," and he started for the head of the stairs.

They were halfway down when they heard a horse gal
loping toward the hotel. It was coming from the direc
tion of the jail and they nudged each other.

Sheriff Corwin, feeling like he was master of all he
surveyed, had ridden to the jail before going to report to
Kane for the purpose of cautioning the guards not to
relax their vigil. Not being able to see them in the dark
ness meant nothing to him, for they should have chal
lenged him, and had not. He swept up to the door, angrily
calling them by name and, receiving no reply, dismounted
in hot haste, shook the door and then went hurriedly
around the building to feel of the bars. One sweep of his
hand was enough and as he wheeled he tripped over the
wagon tongue and fell sprawling, his gun flying out of
his hand. Groping around he found it, jammed it back
into the holster, darted back to his horse and dashed off
at top speed for Kane's to spread the alarm and collect
a posse.

There never had been any need for caution in opening
the hotel door and his present frame of mind would not
have heeded it if there had been. Flinging it back he
dashed through and opened his mouth to emit a bellow
calculated almost to raise the dead. The intended shout
turned to a choking gasp as two lean, strong hands gripped
his throat, and then his mental sky was filled with light
ning as a gun-butt fell on his head. His limp body was
carried out and dropped at the feet of the cheerful Idaho,

OUT 'AND 'AWAY 169

who helped tear up portions of the sheriff's clothing for his
friends to use on the officer's hands, feet, and mouth.

" Every time I hit a head I shore gloat," growled John
ny, his thoughts flashing back to his first night in town.

"Couldn't you send him down, too?" Idaho asked of
Hopalong. "An5 how many saddles do you an' Red use
generally ? "

" He wasn't up there," answered Hopalong. " We run
into him as we was comin' out."

Johnny's match flashed up and out in one swift move
ment. " Corwin ! " he exulted. "An' I'm glad it was me
that hit him ! "

Idaho rolled over on the ground and made strange
noises. Sitting up he gasped: "Didn't I say it was a
lovely night ? Holy mavericks ! "

" You fellers aim to claim squatter sovereignty ? " whis
pered Red from the darkness. " If I'd 'a' knowed it I'd 'a'
tied up somethin' I left layin' loose."

" We got to get a rustle on," said Hopalong. " Some
cusses come to right quick. That gent in Red's bed is due
to ask a lot of questions at th' top of his voice. Come on
— grab this stuff, pronto!"

" I left another in th' stable that's goin' to do some yellin'
purty soon," said Red. " Reckon he's a Greaser."

They picked up the things and went off to find the
horses and as they dropped the equipment Red felt for his
saddle. "Hey! Where's mine?" he demanded.

" Here, at my feet," said Johnny.

Red passed his hand over it and swore heartily. " This
ain't it, you blunderin' jackass! Why didn't you get
mine?" he growled.

I7Q THE BAR-20 THREE

" Feel of this one," grunted Johnny, kicking the other
saddle.

Red did so. " That's it. Who's th' other belong to ? "

"/ don't know," answered Johnny, growing peeved.
" Yo're cussed particular, you are ! Here's two rifles, two
six-guns, an' two belts. Take 'em with you an' pick out
yore own when it gets light. / don't want 'em."

Red finished cinching up and slipped a hand over the
rifles. He dropped one of them into its scabbard. " Got
mine. Chuck th' other away."

" Take it along an' chuck it in th' crick," said Idaho.
" Now you fellers listen : If you ride up th' middle of Big
Crick till you come to that rocky ground west of our place
you can leave th' water there, an' yore trail will be lost.
It runs southwest an' northeast for miles, an' is plenty
wide an' wild. If you need any thin' ride in to our place
any night after dark. I'll post th' boys."

" We ain't got a bit of grub," growled Red. " Well, it
ain't th' first time," he added, cheerfully.

"We're not goin' up Big Crick," said Hopalong, de
cisively. " We're ridin' like we wanted to get plumb out
of this country, which is just what Bill Long an' Red
Thompson would do. When fur enough away we're cir-
clin' back east of town, on th' edge of th' desert, where
nobody will hardly think we'd go. They'll suspect that
hard ground over yore way before they will th' desert.
Where'll we meet you, Kid, if there's any thin' to be told;
an' when?"

Johnny considered and appealed to Idaho, whose knowl
edge of the country qualified him to speak. In a few
moments the place had been chosen and well described, and

OUT 'AND 'AWAY 171

the two horsemen pulled their mounts around and faced
northward.

"Get a-goin'," growled Johnny. "Anybody'd reckon
you thought a night was a week long."

" Don't like to leave you two boys alone in this town,
after tonight's plays," said Hopalong, uneasily. " Nobody
is dumb enough to figger that we didn't have outside help.
Keep yore eyes open ! "

"Pull out!" snapped Johnny. "It'll be light in two
hours more ! "

" So-long, you piruts," softly called Idaho. " Yessir,"
he muttered, joyously ; " it's been one plumb lovely night ! "

Not long after the noise of galloping had died in the
north a Mexican staggered from the stable, groping in the
darkness as he made his erratic way toward the front of the
gambling-hall, his dazed wits returning slowly. Leaning
against the wall of the building for a short rest, he went
on again, both hands gripping his jaw. Too dazed to be
aware of the disappearance of the horses and attentive
only to his own woes, he blundered against the bound and
gagged sheriff, went down, crawled a few yards and then,
arising again to his feet, groped around the corner of the
building and sat down against it to collect his bewilder
ing thoughts.

Upstairs in the room Red had used, the restless figure
on the bed moved more and more, finally sitting up, moan
ing softly. Then, stiffening as memory brought some
thing back to him, he groped about for matches, blunder
ing against the walls and the scanty furniture, and called
forth profane language from the room adjoining, whose
occupant, again disturbed, arose and yanked open his door.

172 THE BAR-SO THREE

"What you think yo're doin', raisin' all this racket?"
he demanded.

" Somebody near busted my head," moaned the other.
"I been robbed!" he shouted as the lack of impedimenta
at last sank into his mind.

" Say ! " exclaimed his visitor, remembering an earlier
nocturnal disturbance. " Wait here till I get some
matches ! "

He returned with a lighted lamp, instead, which re
vealed the truth, and its bearer swiftly led the way into the
second room down the hall. A pair of boots which should
not have been there and the absence of the equipment which
should have been there confirmed their fears. The man
with the lamp held it out of the window and swore under
his breath as a bound figure below him gurgled and
writhed.

" Looks like Corwin ! " he muttered, and hastened down
to make sure, taking no time to dress. The swearing
Mexican received no attention until the sheriff staggered
back with the investigator, and then the vague tale was
listened to.

A bellowing voice awakened the sleepers in the big
building and an impromptu conference of irate men, most
ly undressed, was held in the hall. Sandy Woods returned
from the stables, reporting them bare of horses; the in
vestigator from the jail came back with the angry guards,
one of whom was too shaky to walk with directness.
Others came from a visit to Red Frank's corral, leading
half a dozen borrowed horses, and, a hasty, cold breakfast
eaten, the posse, led by a sick, vindictive sheriff, pounded
northward along a plain trail.

OUT 'AND 'AWAY 173

Those who were not able to go along stood and peered
through the paling darkness and two deputies left to take
up positions in the front and rear of Quayle's hotel where
they could see without being seen, while a third man crept
into the stable to look for a Tincup horse. Had he been
content with looking he would have been more fortunate,
but thinking that the master would have no further use for
the animal, he decided to take it for himself, trusting
that possession would give him a better claim when the
new ownership was finally decided by Kane. Reassured
by the earliness of the hour and by the presence of the
hidden deputy, he went ahead with his plans.

Pepper's flattened ears meant nothing to the exultant
thief, for it had been his experience that all horses flat
tened their ears whenever he approached them, especially
if they had reason to know him; so, with a wary eye on
the trim, black hoofs, he slipped along the stable wall to
gain her head. He had just untied the rope and started
back with the end of it in his hand when there was a sud
den, sidewise, curving swerve of the silky black body, a
grunt of surprise and pain from the thief, pinned against
the wall by the impact, and then, curving back again and
wheeling almost as though on a pivot, Pepper's teeth
crunched flesh and bone and the sickened thief, by a mira
cle escaping the outflung front hoofs, staggered outside
the stable and fell as the whizzing hind feet took the half-
open door from its flimsy hinges. Rolling around the
corner, the thief crawled under a wagon and sank down
unconscious, his crushed shoulder staining darkly through
his torn shirt.

The watching deputy arose to go to his friend's assist-

174 THE BAR-%0 THREE

ance, but looked up and stopped as a growled question came
from Ed Doane's window.

" Jim's hurt," he explained to the face behind the rifle.
" Went in to see if his cayuse had wandered in there, an'
th' black near killed him. Gimme a hand with him, will
you?"

Quayle had nearly fallen off the chair he had spent the
night on when the crash and the scream of the enraged
horse awakened him. He ran to the kitchen door, rifle in
hand, and looked out, hearing the deputy's words.

"I'll give ye a hand," he said; "but more cheerful if
it's to dig a grave. Mother av G — d!" he breathed as
he reached the wagon. " I'm thinkin' it's a priest ye want,
an' there's none within twinty miles." He looked around
at the forming crowd. " Get a plank," he ordered, " an'
get Doc Sharpe."

Ed Doane, followed by Johnny and Idaho, ran from the
kitchen and joined the group. One glance and Johnny
went into the stable, calling as he entered. Patting the
quivering nozzle of the black he looked at the rope and
came out again.

" That man-killer has got to be shot," said the deputy
to Ed Doane.

" I'll kill th' man that tries it," came a quiet reply, and
"the deputy wheeled to look into a pair of frosty blue eyes.
" Th' knot I tie in halter ropes don't come loose, for Pep
per will untie any common knot an' go off huntin' for me.
It was untied. If you want to back up a hoss thief, an'
mebby prove yore part in it, say that again."

"Yo're plumb mistaken, Nelson," said the deputy.
"Jim was huntin' his own cayuse, which Long an' Thomp-

OUT AND AWAY 175

son stampeded out of th' stable last night. He was goin'
over th' town first before he went out to look for it on th'
plain."

"That's good!" sneered Johnny. "Long an' Thomp
son are in jail. I'm standin' to what th' knot showed. Do
you still reckon Pepper's got to be shot ? "

"They broke out an' got away," retorted the deputy;
"an' they shore as h — 1 had outside help." He looked
knowingly into Johnny's eyes. "Nobody that belongs
to this town would 'a' done it."

" That's a lie," said Quayle, his rifle swinging up care
lessly. " I belong to this town, an' I'd 'a' done it, mesilf,
if I'd thought av it. Seein' that I didn't, I'm cussed
glad that somewan had better wits than me own."

" I was aimin' to do it," said Idaho, smiling. " I was
goin' out to get th' boys, an' bust th' jail tonight. I was
holdin' back a little, though, because I was scared th'
boys might get a little rough an' lynch a few deputies.
They're on set triggers these days."

The cook started to roll up his sleeves. " I'll lick th'
daylight out av anny man that goes to harm that horse,
or me name's not Murphy," he declared, spitting. "I
feed her near every mornin', an' she's gintle as a baby
lamb. But she's got a keen nose for blackguards ! "

Dr. Sharpe arrived, gave his orders and followed the
bearers of the improvised stretcher toward his house. As
the crowd started to break up Johnny looked coldly at
the deputy. " You heard me," he said. " Pass th' word
along. An' if she don't kill th' next one, / will! "

North of town the posse reached Big Creek and exulted

176 THE BAR-W THREE

as it saw the plain prints going on from the further bank.
Corwin, sitting his saddle with a false ease, stifled a moan
at every rise and fall, his head seeming about to split under
the pulsing hammer blows. When he caught sight of the
trail leading from the creek he nodded dully and spoke
to his nearest companion.

"Leavin' th' country by th' straightest way," he
growled. " It'll mebby be a long chase, d — n 'em !"

"They ain't got much of a start," came the hopeful
reply. "We ought to catch sight of 'em from th' top of
th' divide beyond Sand Creek. It's fair level plain for
miles north of that. Their cayuses ain't no better than
ourn, an' some of ourn will run theirs off their feet."

Sand Creek came into sight before noon and when it
was reached there were no tracks on the further side.
The posse was prepared for this and split without hesi
tation, Corwin leading half of it west along the bank and
the other half going east. Five minutes later an exclama
tion caused the sheriff to pull up and look where one of
his men was pointing. A rifle barrel projected a scant
two inches from the water and the man who rode over
to it laughed as he leaned down from the saddle.

" It lit on a ridge of gravel an' didn't slide down quite
fur enough," he called. "An' it shore is busted proper."

"Bring it here," ordered Corwin. He took it, exam
ined it and handed it to the next man, whose head ached
as much as his own and who would not have been along
except that his wish for revenge over-rode his good sense.

" That yourn ? " asked the sheriff.

The owner of the broken weapon growled. " They've
plumb ruined it. It's one more score they'll pay. Come

OUT AND "AWAY 177

on ! " and he whirled westward. Corwin drew his Colt
and fired into the air three times at counted intervals, and
galloped after his companions when faint, answering
shots sounded from the east.

" They're makin' for that rocky stretch," he muttered ;
"an' if they get there in time they're purty safe."

Not long after he had rejoined his friends the second
part of the posse whirled along the bank, following the
trail of the first, eager to overtake it and learn what had
been discovered.

Well to the east Hopalong and Red rode at the best
pace possible in the water of the creek, now and then turn
ing in the saddle to look searchingly behind them. Fol
lowing the great bend of the stream they went more and
more to the south and when the shadows were long they
rode around a ridge and drew rein. Red dismounted and
climbed it, peering over its rocky backbone for minutes.
Returning to his companion he grinned cheerfully.

" No coyotes in sight," he said. " Some went west, I
reckon, an' found that busted rifle where we planted it.
No coyotes, at all ; but there's a black bear down in that
little strip of timber."

" I can eat near all of it, myself," chuckled Hopalong.
" Let's camp where we drop it. A dry wood fire won't
show up strong till dark. Come on ! "

THE STAKED PLAIN

PECOS KANE sat behind his old desk in the inner
room and listened to the reports of the night's activ
ities, his anger steadily mounting until ghostly flames
seemed to be licking their thin tongues back in his eyes.
,The jail guards had come and departed, speaking simply
and truthfully, suggesting various reasons to excuse the
laxity of their watch. The Mexican told with painful
effort about the loss of the horses, growing steadily more
incoherent from the condition of his jaw and from his
own rising rage. Men came, and went out again on vari
ous duties, one of them closely interrogating the owner
of the freight wagon, whose anger had died swiftly by
the recovery of the great tongue, which was none the
worse for its usage except for certain indentations of
no moment. A friend of Quayle and hostile to Kane and
for what Kane stood for, the wagon owner allowed his
replies to be short, and yet express a proper indignation,
which did not exist, about the whole affair. When again
alone in the sanctity of his home he allowed himself the
luxury of low-voiced laughter and determined to put his
crowbar where any needy individual of the future could
readily find it

Bill Trask, because of his short-gun expertness tem-

178

THE STAKED PLAIN 179

porarily relieved of guarding the partition door, led three
companions toward Quayle's hotel, his face and the faces
of the others tense and determined. Two went around
to the stable, via Red Frank's and the rear street and one
of them stopped near it while the other slipped along the
kitchen wall and crouched at the edge of the kitchen door.
The third man went silently into the hotel office as Trask
sauntered carelessly into the barroom and nodded at its
inmates.

"Them fellers shore raised h — 1," he announced to
Ed Doane as he motioned for a drink.

" They did," replied Doane, spinning a glass after the
sliding bottle, after which he flung the coin into the old
cigar box and assiduously polished the bar, wondering
why Trask patronized him instead of Kane's.

" They shore had nerve," persisted the newcomer, look
ing at Johnny.

" They shore did," acquiesced the man at the table, who
then returned to his idle occupation of trying to decipher
the pattern of the faded-out wall paper. Wall paper was
a rarity in the town and deserved some attention.

" Them guards was plumb careless," said Kane's hired
man. Not knowing to whom he was speaking there was
no reply, and he tried again, addressing the bartender.

" They was careless," replied Doane, without interest.

Johnny was alert now, the persistent remarks awaken
ing suspicion in his mind, and a slight sound from the
wall at his back caused him to push his chair from the
table and assume a more relaxed posture. His glance at
the lower and nearer corner of the window let him memo
rize its exact position and he waited, expectant, for what-

i8o THE BAR-W THREE

ever might happen. The surprise and capture of his two
friends had worked, but that had been the first time ; there
would be no second, he told himself, especially as far as
he was concerned.

" Is th' boss in ? " asked the visitor.

"Th5 boss ain't in," answered Ed Doane as Johnny
glanced at the front door, the front window and the door
of the office, which the bartender noticed. " Too dusty,"
said Doane, going around the bar to the front wall and
closing the window.

"When will he be in?"

" Dunno," grunted the bartender, once more in his ac
customed place.

" I got to see him."

"I handle things when he ain't here," said Doane.
" See me," he suggested, looking through the door lead
ing to the office, where he fancied he had heard a creak.

" Got to see him, an' pronto," replied the visitor. " He
made some remarks this mornin' about gettin' them fel
lers out. We know it was done by somebody on th'
outside, an' we got a purty good idea of who it was since
Quayle shot off his mouth. He's been gettin' too swelled
up lately. If he don't come in purty quick I'm aimin' to
'dig him out, myself."

Johnny was waiting for him to utter the cue word and
knew that there would be a slight change in facial expres
sion, enunciation, or body posture just before it came.
He was not swallowing the suggestions that it was Quayle
who was wanted.

" You shore picked out a real job to handle all alone,"
said Doane, not letting his attention wander from the

THE STAKED PLAIN 181

hotel office. "Any dog can dig out a badger, but that's
only th' beginnin'," he said pleasantly, his hand on the
gun which always lay under the bar. He expected a retort
to his insult, and when none came it put a keener edge to
his growing suspicions.

"I'm diggin' him out, just th' same," said Trask.
" There's law in this town, an' everybody's on one side or
th' other. Bein' a deputy it's my job to see about them
that's on th' other side. Gettin' arrested men out of jail
is serious an' I got to ask questions about it. Of course,
Quayle don't allus say what he means — we none of us
do. We all like to have our jokes; but I got to do my
duty, even if it's only askin' questions. Is he out, or layin5"
low?"

"He's out," grunted Doane, "but he'll be back any;
minute, I reckon."

"All right; I'll wait," said Trask, carelessly, but he
tensed himself. "How's business?" and at the words
he flashed into action.

A chair crashed and a figure leaped back from it, two
guns belching at its hips. The face and hand which
popped up into the rear window disappeared again as the
smoking Colt swung past the opening and across Johnny's
body to send its second through the office doorway, and
curses answered both shots. Trask, bent over, held his
right arm with his left hand, his gun against the wall
near the front door. The first shot of Johnny's right-
hand Colt had torn it from Trask's hand as it left the
holster and the second had rendered the arm useless for
the moment. A shot from the corner of the stable sang
through the window and barely missed its mark as Johnny

i82 THE BAR-%0 THREE

leaned forward, but his instant reply ended all danger
from that point.

"Trask," he said, "I'm leavin' town. I ain't got a
chance among buildin's again' pot-shooters. I'm leavin' — *
but th' Lord help Kane an' his gang when I come back.
lYou can tell him I'm comin' a-shootin'. An' you can tell
him this: I'm goin' to get him, Pecos Kane, if I has
to pull him out of his hell-hole like I pulled Thorpe. Go
ahead of me to th' stable — I'll blow you apart if any
pot-shooter tries at me. G'wan! "

Trask obeyed, the gun against his spine too eloquent a
persuader to be ignored. He knew that there were no
pot-shooters yet, and he was glad of it, for if there had
been one, and his captor was killed, the relaxation of the
tense thumb holding back the hammer of a gun whose
trigger was tied back would fire the weapon. The man
who held it would fire one shot after his own death, how
ever instantaneous it might be.

Passing through the kitchen Johnny picked up his sad
dle and ordered his captive to carry the rifle and slicker
roll. They disappeared into the stable and when they
came out again Johnny ordered Trask into the saddle,
mounted behind him and rode for the arroyo which lay
not far from the hotel. At last away from the buildings
he made Trask dismount, climbed over the cantle and
settled himself in the vacated saddle.

"I'm goin' down to offer myself to McCullough," he
said. " You can tell Kane that, too. They'll need men
down there, an' I'll be th' maddest man they got. An'
th' next time me an' you have any gun talk, I'm shootin'
to kill. Adios!"

THE STAKED PLAIN 183

He left the cursing deputy and went straight for the
trail, where the rising wind played with the dust, and
along it until stopped by a voice in a barranca.

" Im puttin' 'em up," he called. " My name's Nelson
an' I'm mad clean through. Get a rustle on; I want to
see Mac."

"Go ahead, Bar-2O," drawled the voice. "I wasn't
dead shore. There's a good friend of yourn down there."

" Quayle ? " asked Johnny.

"There's another: Waffles, of th' O-Bar-O," came the
reply, and a verse of a nearly forgotten song arose on
the breeze.

I've swum th' Colorado where she runs down dost to hell,
I've braced th' faro layouts in Cheyenne;

I've fought for muddy water with a howlin' bunch of

Sioux,
An* swallered hot tamales, an' cayenne.

" There's more, but I've done forgot most of it," apolo
gized the singer.

Johnny laughed with delight. "Why, that's Lefty
Allen's old song. Here's th' second verse :"

I've rid a pitchin' broncho till th' sky was underneath,

I've tackled every desert in th' land;
I've sampled Four-X whisky till I couldn't hardly see,

An' dallied with th' quicksands of th' Grande.

"That's shore O-Bar-O. Lefty made it up hisself, an*
that boy could sing it. It all comes back to me now — *

184 THE BAR-20 THREE

he called it 'Th' Insult.' Why— here, you!" he chuck
led. " I said I was mad an' in a hurry. I ain't mad no
more, but I am in a hurry. See you tonight, mebby.
So-long."

Riding on again he soon reached the Question-Mark
bunkhouse and dismounted as a puncher turned the corner
of the house. They grinned at each other, these good,
pld-time friends.

"You son-of-a-gun!" chuckled Johnny, holding out
his hand.

" You son-of-a-gun ! " echoed Waffles, gripping it, and
so they stood, silent, exchanging grins. It had been a
long time since they last had seen each other.

McCullough loomed up in the doorway and grinned at
them both.

"Hear yo're married," said Waffles.

" Shore ! " bragged Johnny.

"It ain't spoiled you, yet. How's Hoppy an' Red?"

" Fine, now they're out of jail."

Waffles threw his head back and laughed heartily. " I
near laughed till I busted when Quayle told us who they
was. Hoppy an' Red in jail! It was funny!

"Hello, Nelson," said McCullough. "What are you
doin' down here ? "

" Had to leave town ; too many corners, an' too much
cover. I'm lookin' for a job, if it don't cut me out of th'
rewards."

" She's yourn."

" Wait a minute," said Johnny. " I can't take it. I got
to be free to do what I want; but I'll hang out here for
awhile."

THE STAKED PLAIN 185

" You've got th' job instanter," said the appreciative
trail-boss smiling broadly. " It's steady work of bossin'
yoreself. I've heard of yore work, up Gunsight way.
Feed yet? Then come on."

" Shore will. Where's Quayle ? "

"Rode back, roundabout; him not courtin' bein' seen;
but I reckon everybody in town knows he's been here. He
swears by you."

Despite Idaho's boasts to the contrary his ranch again
had nocturnal visitors, and there was no lead-flying wel
come accorded them. Having spied out the distribution of
Lukins' riders the visitors chose a locality free from
guards and with the coming of night drifted a sizable herd
of Diamond L cattle across an outlying section of the
range and with practiced art and uncanny instinct drove
the compacted herd onto and over the rocky plateau, where
the chief of the raiders obtained a speed with the cattle
which always bordered upon a panicky flight, but never
quite reached it. All that night they rumbled over the
rocky stretch and as dawn brightened the eastern sky the
running herd passed down a gentle slope, picked up the
waiting caviya and not long thereafter moved over the
hard bottom of a steep- walled ravine which could have
been called a canyon without unduly stretching the mean
ing of the word.

The chief of the raiding party cared nothing for the
fatness of the animals, or other conditions which might
operate against the possibilities of a lucrative sale. There
later would be time for improving their condition, plenty
of time in a valley rich with grass. All he cared for now

186 THE BAR-W THREE

was to put miles speedily behind him, and this he was ac
complishing like the master cattleman he was. After a
mid-day breathing space they went on again, alternately
walking and running, and well into the second night, stop
ping at a water-hole known only to a few men other than
these. Some miles north of this water-hole was another,
and very much smaller one, being only a few feet across,
and there also was a difference between the waters of the
two. The larger was of a nature to be expected in such
a locality, but much better than most such holes, for the
water was only slightly alkaline and the cattle drank it
eagerly. The other was sweet and pure and cold, but
rather than to cover the distance to it and back again, it
was ignored by all but one man, for the other stayed with
the herd. There was grass around both; not enough to
feed a herd thoroughly, but enough to keep it busy hunting
over the scanty growth. With more than characteristic
thought these holes had been named in a manner to couple
and yet to keep them separate, and to Kane's drive crew
they were known as " Sweet " and " Bitter."

Again on the trail before the sun had risen above the
horizon, the herd was sent forth on another day's hard
drive, which carried it, with the constantly growing tail
herd of stragglers, far into the following night, despite all
dumb remonstrances. No mercy was shown to it, but only
a canny urging, and if no mercy was shown the cattle none
was accepted by the drivers, who rode and worked, swore
and panted on wiry ponies which, despite frequent chang
ing, began to show the marks of their efforts under the
pitiless sun and through the yielding sands. Both cattle
and horses had about reached their limits when the late

THE STAKED PLAIN 187

afternoon of the next day brought them to a rocky ledge
sticking up out of the desert's floor, which now was hard
and stony; and upon turning the south end of the ridge an
emerald valley suddenly lay before their eyes, from
whence the scent of water had put a new spirit into cattle
and horses for the last few miles ; and now it nearly caused
a fatal stampede at the entrance to the narrow ledge which
slanted down the steep, rock walls.

To a stranger such a sight would have awakened amazed
incredulity, and strong suspicion that his sanity had been
undermined by the heat-cursed, horror-laden desert miles ;
or he might have sneered wisely at so palpable a mirage,
scorned to be tricked by it in any attempt to prove it other
wise and staggered on with contemptuous curses. But
Miguel and the men he so autocratically bossed knew it
to be no vision, no trick of air or mind, and sighed with
relief when it finally lay before them. While they all knew
it was there and had visited it before, none of them, except
Miguel, had ever learned the way, try as they might, for
until the high ledge of rock, hidden on the west by a great,
upslanting billow of sand, came into sight there were no
landmarks to show them the way. Each new journey
across the simmering, shimmering plateau found fears in
every heart but the guide's that he would lose his way.
That their fears may be justified and to show them blame
less in everything but their lack of confidence in him, it
may be well to have a better understanding of this desert
and what it meant ; and to show why men should hold as
preposterous any claim that a cattle herd could safely
cross it. Some went even further and said no man,
mounted or not, could make that journey, and confessed

i88 THE BAR-W THREE

to themselves a superstitious fear and horror for it and
everything pertaining to it.

Before the deep ruts had been cut in the old Santa Fe
Trail in that year of excessive rains ; before the first wheel
had rolled over the prairie soil to prove that wagons could
safely make the long and tiresome trip; before even the
first pack trains of heavily laden mules plodded to or
from the Missouri frontier, and even before the pelt-
loaded mules of the great fur companies crossed Kansas
soil to the trading posts of the East, Mexican hunters rode
from the valley of Taos and Santa Fe to procure their win
ter meat from the vast brown herds of buffalo migrating
over their curious, crescent-shaped course to and from
the regions of the Arkansas, Canadian, and Cimarron.
They dried the strips of succulent meat in the sun or over
fires, the fuel for the latter having been supplied by the
buffalo themselves on previous migrations ; they stripped
the hides from the prostrate bodies and cured them, and
trafficked with the bands of Indians which followed the
herds as persistently as did the great, gray wolves. Of
these ciboleros, swarthy-skinned hunters of Mexico, some
more hardy and courageous than their fellows, or by
avarice turned trader, ventured further afield and were not
balked by the high, beetling cliffs which bordered a
great, forbidding plateau lying along and below the capri
cious Cimarron, in places a river of hide-and-seek in the
sands, wet one day and dry the next.

From the mesa-like northern edge, along the warning
arroyos of the Cimarron, where erosion, Nature's patient
sculptor, carved miracles of artistry in the towering clays,
shales, and sandstones, to the great sand hills billowing

THE STAKED PLAIN 189

along its far-flung other edges, this barren waste of dreary
sand and grisly alkali was a vast, simmering playground
for dancing heat waves and fantastic mirage, and its
treacherous pools of nauseous, alkaline waters shrunk
daily from their encrusted edges and gleamed malignantly
under a glowering, molten sun. Arroyos, level plain,
shifting sand, and imponderable dust, with a scrawny,
scanty, hopeless vegetation which the whimsical winds
buried and then dug up again, this high desert plateau lay
like a thing of death, cursing and accursed. It sloped im
perceptibly southward, its dusty soil gradually breaking
into billowy ridges constantly more marked and with
deeper troughs, by insensible gradations becoming low
sand hills, ever growing more separate and higher until at
last they were beaten down and strewn broadcast by more
persistent winds, and limited by the firmer soils which
were blessed with more frequent rains to coax forth a
thin cover of protecting, anchoring vegetation. To the
west they intruded nearly to the Rio Pecos, a stream which
in almost any other part of the country would have been
regarded as insignificant, but here was given greatness
because its liquid treasure was beyond price and because it
was permanent, though timid.

Of the first of the Mexicans to push out over this great
desolation perhaps none returned, except by happy chance,
to tell of its tortures and of the few serviceable water-
holes leagues apart, the permanency of which none could
foretell. But return some eventually did, and perhaps
deprecated the miseries suffered, in view of the saving in
miles; but their experience had been such as to impel
them to drive a line of stakes along the happily chosen

THE BAR-W THREE

course to mark in this manner the way from each more
trustworthy water-hole to the next, be they reservoirs or
furtive streams which bubbled up and crept along to die
not far from their hopeful springs, sucked up by palpitant
air and swallowed by greedy sands, their burial places
marked by a shroud of encrusted salts. In the winter
and spring an occasional rain filled hollows, ofttimes com
ing as a cloudburst and making a brave showing as it
tumultuously deepened some arroyo and roared valiantly
down it toward swift effacement The trail was staked, if
not by the swarthy traders, then by their red-skinned
brothers, and from this line of stakes the tableland derived
its name, and became known to men as the Lano Estacada,
or Staked Plain.

Of this accursed desert no one man had full knowledge,
nor thirsted for it if it were to be had only through his
own efforts. There were great stretches unknown to any
man, and there were other regions known to men who
had not brought their knowledge out again; and what
knowledge there was of its south-central portions was
not to be found in men with white skins, but in certain
marauding redmen fitted by survival to cope with problems
such as it presented, and to live despite them. One other
class knew something of its mysteries, for among the
Mexicans there were some who had learned by bitter pil
grimages, but mostly from the mouths of men long dead
who had passed the knowledge down successive genera
tions, each increment a little larger when it left than when
it came, who had a more comprehensive, embracing knowl
edge of the baking tableland ; and these few, because what
they knew could best be used in furtive, secretive pursuits

'THE STAKED PLAIN 191

bearing a swift penalty for those caught in them, hugged
that knowledge closely and kept it to themselves. A man
\vho has that which another badly needs can drive shrewd
bargains. 'And of the few Mexicans who were enriched
by the possession of this knowledge, those who knew
most about it had mixed blood flowing through their
veins, for the vast grisly plateau had been a short cut and
place of refuge for marauding bands of Apaches, Utes,
and Comanches while civilization crawled wonderingly
in swaddling clothes.

Of the knowing few Pecos Kane owned two, owned
them body and soul, and to make his title firmer than even
proof of murder could assure, he threw golden sops to
the wise ones' avarice and allowed them seats in the sun
and privileges denied to their fellows. One of them, by
name Miguel, a small part Spaniard and the rest Mescalero
Apache, was a privileged man, for he knew not only the
main trails across the plain but certain devious ways twist
ing in from the edges, one of which wandered for accursed
miles, first across rock, then over sand and again over
rock and unexpectedly turned a high, sharp ridge to look
upon his Valle de Sorprendido, deep and green, whose
crystal spring wandered musically along its gravelly bed
from the graying western end of the canyon-like ravine to
sink silently into the thirsty sands to the east and be seen
no more. Manuel, also, knew this way.

Surprise Valley was no terminal, but a place for tongue-
lolling, wild-eyed cattle to pause and rest, drink and eat
before the fearful journey called anew. No need for cor
ral, fence, or herders here to keep them from straying, but
an urgent need for pressing riders to throw the herd back

192 THE BAR-20 THREE

on the trail again, to start the dumbly protesting animals
on the thirty-six-hour drive to the next unfailing water,
against the instinct which bade them stay. A valley of
delight it was, a jewel, verdant and peaceful, forced by
man to serve a vicious purpose; but as if in punishment
for its perversion the glistening sand hills crept slowly
nearer, each receding tide of their slow advance encroach
ing more and more each year until now the valley had
shrunk by half and a stealthy grayness crept insiduously
into its velvety freshness like the mark of sin across a
harlot's cheek.

Near the fenced-in spring was an adobe building, de
serted except when a drive crew sought its shelter, and it
served principally as a storehouse should a place of refuge
suddenly be needed. It lay not far from the sloping banks
of detritus which now ran halfway up the sheer, smooth
stone walls enclosing the valley. Across from it on the
southern side of the depressed pasture a broad trail slanted
up the rock cliffs to the desert above. The cabin, the trail,
and the valley itself long ago would have been obliterated
by sand but for the miles of rocks, large and small, which
lay around it like a great, flat collar. Should some terrific
sand storm sweep over it with a momentum great enough
to bridge the rocky floor the valley would cease to be ; and
smaller storms raging far out on the encircling desert car
ried their sands farther and farther across the stubborn
rock, until now its outer edge was closer by miles. Already
each rushing wind retained sand enough to drop it into the
valley and powder everything.

The pock-marked guide, disdaining the precarious
labors of getting the herd down the ledge with no fatali-

THE STAKED PLAIN 193

ties among the maddened beasts, lolled in his saddle on the
brink of the precipice and watched the struggle on the
plain behind him, where hard-riding, loudly yelling herd
ers were dashing across the front of the weaving, shifting,
stubborn mass of tortured animals, letting them through
the frantic restraining barrier in small groups, which con
stantly grew larger. Here and there a more determined
animal slipped through and galloped to the descending
ledge, head down and tail up. The cracking of revolvers
fired across the noses of the front rank grew steadily and
Miguel deemed it safer to leave the brim of the cliff. It
was possible that the maddened herd might break through
the desperate riders and plunge to its destruction. Had
the trail been a few hours longer nothing could have held
them.

" Give a hand here ! " shouted the trail-boss as the guide
rode complacently out of danger. "Ride in there an'
help split 'em ! "

" I weel be needed w'en we leeve again," replied Miguel.
" To run a reesk eet ees foolish. I tol' you to stop 'em
a mile away an' spleet 'em there. Eet ees no beesness of
Miguel's, theese. You deed not wan' to tak' the time?
Then tak' w'at you call the consequence."

Eventually the last of the herd which mercifully was
composed of stragglers whose lack of strength made them
more tractable, were successfully led to the ledge and
stumbled down it to join their brothers standing or lying
in the little brook as if to appease their thirst by absorp
tion before drinking deeply. The frantic, angry bawling
of an hour ago was heard no more, for now a contented
lowing sounded along the stream, where the quiet animals

194 THE BAR-20 THREE

often waited half an hour before attempting to drink.
They stood thus for hours, reluctant to leave even to graze
and after leaving, left the grass and returned time after
time to drink. There were a few half -blinded animals
among the weaklings, but water, grass, and rest would
restore their sight. Here they would stay until fit for the
second and lesser ordeal, and the others in turn.

The weary riders, turning their mounts loose to join the
rest of the horse herd, piled their saddles against the wall
of the hut and waited for the cook to call them to fill their
tin plates and cups. One of them, more energetic and per
haps hungrier than the rest, unpacked the load of firewood
from a spiritless horse and carried it to the hut

The perspiring Thorpe looked his thanks and went on
with his labors and in due time a well-fed, lazy group
sprawled near the hut, swapping tales or smoking in satis
fied silence. At the other side of the building Miguel sat
with those of his own kind, boasting of his desert achieve
ments and in reply to a sneering remark from the other
group he showed his teeth in a mocking smile, raised his
eyebrows until the crescent scar reached his sombrero and
shrugged his shoulders.

" Eet ees not good to say sooch theengs to Miguel," he
complacently observed. "Eef he should get ver' angree
an' leeve een the night eet would be ver' onluckie for
Greengos. Quien sabe?"

" He got you there, Jud," growled a low voice. " He
shore hurts me worse'n a blister, but I'm totin' my grudge
silent."

"Huh," muttered another thoughtfully. "A man can
travel fast without no cattle to set th' pace. He shore can

THE STAKED PLAIN 195-.

' leeve ' an' be d — d, for all 7 care. An' I'm sayin' that
if he does there'll be a d — d dead Greaser in Mesquite
right soon after I get back. Th' place for him to ' leeve '
us is at Three Ponds — for then we shore would be in one
bad fix."

" I ain't shore I'd try to get away," said Sandy Woods
slowly. " There's good grass an' water here, no herdin',
no strayin', nobody to bother a feller. A man can live a
long time on one steer out here, jerkin' th' meat. Th'
herd would grow, an' when it came time to turn 'em into
money he'd only have to drive plumb west. It wouldn't
be like tryin' to find a little place like this. Just aim at th'
sunset an' keep goin'."

" How long would this valley feed a herd like th' one
here now?" ironically demanded the trail-boss. "You
can tell th' difference in th' grass plain at th' end of a
week. Yo're full of loco weed."

" Eef you say sooch things to me I may leeve in the
night," chuckled the other. " Wish they'd stampeded an'
knocked him over th' eege! One of these days
some of us may be quittin' Kane, an' then there'll
be one struttin' half-breed less in Mesquite. Tell
you one thing : I won't make this drive many more times
before I know th' way as well as he does ; an' from here on
we could stake it out."

Soft, derisive laughter replied to him and the trail-boss
thoughtfully repacked his pipe. " It ain't in you," he said.
" You got to be born with it."

" You holdin' that a white man ain't got as much brains
as a mongrel with nobody knows how many different kinds
of blood in him?" indignantly demanded Sandy.

196 THE BAR-W THREE

"'He's got generations behind him, like a setter or a
pointer, an' it ain't a question of brains. It's instinct,
an' th' lower down yore stock runs th' better it'll be.
There ain't no human brains can equal an animal's in
things like that. I doubt if you could leave here an' get
off this desert, plumb west or not. You got a big target,
for it's all around you behind th' horizon ; but I don't think
you'd live till you hit it at th' right place. Don't forget
that th' horizon moves with you. If there wasn't no
tracks showin' you th' way you'd die out on this fryin'
pan."

"An' th' wind'll wipe them out before mornin'," said
one of the others.

The doubter laughed outright. "Wait till we come
back. I'll give you a chance to back up yore convictions.
Don't forget that I ain't sayin' that I'd try it afoot I'd
ride an' give th' horse it's head. There ain't nothin' to
be gained arguin' about it now. An' I'm free to admit
that I'm cussed glad to be settin' here lookin' out instead
of out there some'ers try in' to get here to look in. Gimme
a match, Jud."

The trail-boss snorted. "Now yo're takin' my end,"
he asserted. "If you ride a cayuse an' give it its head it
ain't a white man's brains that yo're dependin' on. That
ain't yore argument, a-tall. I'll bet you, cayuse or no
cayuse, you can't leave Three Ponds an' make it. A
cayuse has to drink once in awhile or he'll drop under
you an' you'll lose yore instinct-compass."

"I'll take that when we start back," retorted Sandy,
" if you'll give me a fair number of canteens. I'm fig-
gerin' on outfittin' right."

THE STAKED PLAIN 197

"Take all you want at Cimarron corrals," rejoined
the trail-boss. "After we leave there I'm bettin' no
body will part with any of theirs." He looked keenly
at the boaster and took no further part in the conversa
tion, his mind busy with a new problem; the grudge he
already had

CHAPTER XV

DISCOVERIES

HOPALONG and Red liked their camp and were
pleased that they could stay in it another day and
night. They jerked the bear meat in the sun and smoke
and took a much-needed bath in the creek, where the gen
tle application of sand freed them from the unwelcome
guests which the jail had given them. Clothing washed
and inspected quickly dried in the sun and wind. Neither
of them had anything on but a sombrero and the effect
was somewhat startling. Red picked up his saddle pad
to fling it over a rock for a sun bath and was about to let
go of it when he looked closer.

" Hey, did you rip open this pad? " he asked, eying his
friend speculatively.

Hopalong added his armful of fuel to the pile near the
fire and eyed his friend. " For a growed man you shore
do ask some childish questions," he retorted. "Of course
I did. I allus rip open saddle pads. All my life I been
rippin' open every saddle pad I saw. Many a time I got
mad when I found a folded blanket instead of a pad. I've
got up nights an' gone wanderin' around looking for pads
to rip open. You look like you had sense, but looks shore
is deceivin'. Why'n blazes would I rip open yore saddle
pad? I reckon it's plumb wore out an' just nat'rally come

198

DISCOVERIES 199

apart. You've had it since Adam made th' sun stand
still."

"You must V listened to some sky pilot with yore
feet ! " retorted Red. "Adam didn't make th' sun stand
still. That was Moses, so they'd have longer light for
to hunt for him in. An' you needn't get steamed up,
neither. Somebody ripped this pad, with a knife, too.
Seein' that it was in th' same camp all night with you,
I nat'rally asked. I'm shore / didn't do it. Then who
did?" He swaggered off to get his friend's pad and
picked it up. "Of course you wouldn't rip yore own.
That — " he held it closer to his eyes and stared at it.
" Cussed if you didn't, though ! It's ripped just like mine.
I reckon you'll be startin' on th' saddles, next ! "

Hopalong's amusement at the ripping of his com
panion's pad faded out as he grabbed his own and looked
at it. " Well, I'm cussed ! " he muttered. " It shore was
ripped, all right. It never come apart by itself. Both of
'em, huh ? " He pondered as he turned the pad over and
over.

" They didn't play no favorites, anyhow," growled Red.
" Wonder what they thought they'd find ? Jewels ? "

Hopalong pushed back his hat and gently scratched a
scalp somewhat tender from the sand treatment. " Things
like that don't just happen," he said, reflectively.
" There's allus a reason for things." He grew thoughtful
again and studied the pad. " Mebby they wasn't lookin'
for anythin'," he muttered, suspiciously.

Red snorted. "Just doin' it for practice, mebby?" he
asked, sarcastically. "Not havin' nothin' else to do,
somebody went up to our rooms an' amused themselves

200 THE BAR-SO THREE

by rippin' open our pads. You got a head like a calf,
only it's a hull lot smaller."

"We was accused of robbin' th' bank, Reddie," said
Hopalong in patient explanation. "They knowed we
didn't do it — so they must 'a' wanted us to be blamed for
it. Th' best proof they could have, not seejn' us do it,
was to plant somethin' to be found on us. This is past
yore ABC eddication, but I'll try to hammer it into you.
If it makes you dizzy, hold up yore hand. What does a
bank have that everybody wants ? Money ! Why do peo
ple rob banks? To get money, you sage-hen! What
would bank robbers have after they robbed a bank?
Money, you locoed cow ! Now, Reddie, there's two kinds
of money. One is hard, an' th' other is soft like yore
head. Th' soft has pretty pictures on it an' smells power
ful. It also has numbers. Th' numbers are different,
Reddie, on each bill. Some banks keep a list of th' num
bers of the biggest bills. Reckon I better wait an' let
you rest up."

"Too bad they got us out of jail — both of us," said
Red. " I should 'a' stayed behind. It wouldn't 'a' been
half as bad as hangin' 'round with you."

" Now," continued his companion, looking into the
pad, "if some of them numbered bills was found on us
they'd have us, wouldn't they? We wasn't supposed to
have no friends. An' where would a couple of robbers
be likely to carry dangerous money ? On their hats ? No,
Reddie ; not on their hats. In their pockets, where they
might get dragged out at th' wrong time? Mebby; but
not hardly. Saddle pads, says th' little boy in th' rear of
the room. Right you are, sonny. Saddle pads, Reddie,

DISCOVERIES 201

is a real good place. While you go all over it again so
you can get th' drift of it I'll put on some clothes. I'm
near baked."

" It started some time ago," said Red innocently.

"What did?"

" Th' bakin'. You didn't get that hat on quick enough,"
his friend jeered. "I've heard of people eatin' cooked
calves' brains, but they'd get little nourishment an' only
a moldy flavor out of yourn. An' you'd shore look better
with all yore clothes on. I can see th' places where you've
stopped washin' yore hands, feet, an' neck all these years."

Hopalong mumbled something and slid into his under
wear. " Gee ! " he exulted. " These clean clothes shore
do feel good ! "

"You'd nat'rally notice it a whole lot more than I
would," said Red, following suit. As his head came into
sight again he let his eyes wander along the eastern and
southeastern horizon. " You know, them bluffs off yon
der remind me a hull lot of parts of th' Staked Plain,"
he observed. "We hadn't ought to be very far away
from it, down here."

"They're its edge," grunted Hopalong, rearranging
the strips of meat over the fire. Both became silent, go
ing back in their memories to the events of years before,
when the Staked Plain had been very real and threatening
to them.

At daylight the following morning they arose and not
much later were riding slowly southward and as near the
creek as the nature of its banks would allow. When the
noon sun blazed down on them they found the creek
dwindling rapidly and, glancing ahead down the sandy

202 THE BAR-SO THREE

valley they could make out the dark, moist place where
the last of it disappeared in the sands. They watered
their horses, drank their fill and went on again toward
the place where they were to meet Johnny, riding on a
curving course which led them closer and closer to the
forbidding hills. In mid-afternoon they came to a salt
pond and instead of arguing about the matter with their
thirsty mounts, let them go up to it and smell it. The
animals turned away and went on again without protest.
A little later Red squinted eastward and nodded in answer
to his own unspoken question.

" Shore it is," he muttered.

Hopalong followed his gaze and grunted. " Shore."
He regarded the distant bulk thoughtfully. " Strikes me
no sane cow ever would go out there, unless it was drove.
It's our business to look into everythin'. Comin' ? "

" I shore am. Nobody can buffalo me an' chuck me into
jail without a comeback. I'm lookin' for things to fatten
it."

"It can't get too fat for me," replied his friend.
" Helpin' th' Kid get his money back was enough to set
me after some of that reward money ; but when I sized up
Kane an' his gang it promised to be a pleasure ; now, after
that jailin', it's a yelpin' joy. If there's no other way
I'm aimin' to ride into Mesquite an' smoke up with both
guns."

As they neared the carcass Red glanced at his cheerful
friend. " Head's swelled up like a keg," he said. " Struck
by a rattler."

"Reckon so; but cows dead from snakebite ain't
common."

DISCOVERIES 203

They pulled up and looked at it at close range.

"Shot," grunted Hopalong.

" Then somebody was out here with it," said Red swing
ing down. " He was tender-hearted, he was. Gimme a
hand. We'll turn it over an' look at th' brand."

Hopalong complied, and then they looked at each other
and back to the carcass, where a large piece of hide had
been neatly trimmed around and skinned off.

" Didn't dare let it wander, an' they plugged it after
it got struck," said Red.

"Careful, they was," commented his companion.
" They was too careful. If they'd let it wander it wouldn't
'a' told nothin', 'specially if it wandered toward home.
But shootin' it, an' then doin' this — I reckon our come
back is takin' on weight"

" It shore is," emphatically said Red. " Cuss this hard
ground ! It don't tell nothin'. They went north or south
— an' not long ago, neither. Which way are you ridin' ? "

Hopalong considered. "If they went either way they'd
be seen. I got a feelin' they went right across. Greasers
an' Injuns know that desert, an' there's both kinds workin*1
for Kane. It allus has been a shore-thing way for 'em.
Remember what Idaho said ? "

" It can't be done," said Red.

" Slippery Trendly an' Deacon Rankin did it."

" But they only crossed one corner," argued Red.

" McLeod's Texans did it ! "

"They didn't cross much more'n a corner," retorted
Red. "An' look what it did to 'em ! "

" It's a straight drive for them valleys along th' Cim-
arron," mused Hopalong. " Nobody to see 'em come or

204 THE BAR-SO THREE

go, good grass to fatten 'em up after they got there, an'
plenty of time for blottin' th' brands. I'll bet Kane's got
men that knows how to get 'em over. There's water-
holes if you only know where to look, an' how to head
for 'em; an' some of these half-breeds down here know
all of that. If they went north or south on a course far
enough east to keep many folks from seein' 'ehi they'd
find it near as dry. Well, we better go down an' meet th'
Kid before we do anythin' else. We got our bearin's
an' can find th' way back again. What you say?"

Red mounted and led the way. "If I'm goin' to ride
around out here I'm goin' to have plenty of water, an'
that means canteens. I'm near chokin' for a drink; an'
this cayuse is gettin' mean. Come on."

" We might pick up some tracks if we hunt right now,'*
said Hopalong. "If we wait longer this wind'll blot
'em out. I ain't thirsty," he lied. "You go down an'
meet th' Kid an' I'll look around east of here. We can't
gamble with this : if I find tracks they'll save us a lot of
ridin' an' guessin'. Go ahead."

"If you stay I stay," growled Red.

"Listen, you chump," retorted Hopalong. "It's only
a few hours more if I stay out here than if I go with you.
Get canteens an' supplies. Th' Kid can bring us more
tomorrow. I'm backin' my guess: get a-goin'."

Red saw the wisdom of the suggestion and wheeled, rid
ing at good speed to the southwest while his friend went
eastward, his eyes searching the desert plain. It was night
when Red returned, picking his way with a plainsman's
instinct to the carcass of the cow, and he softly replied
to a low call which came from behind a billow of sand.

DISCOVERIES 205

Hopalong arose. " You made good time," he said.

" Reckon so," replied Red, riding toward him. " I only
got two canteens an' not much grub. Th' Kid'll be ready;
for us tomorrow. What about yore cayuse? "

" Don't worry," chuckled Hopalong. " It's th' cayuses
that's been botherin' me most. They're all right now. I
found a little hole with cold, sweeet water, an' there's
grass around it for th' cayuses. There ain't much, but
enough for these two goats. Th' water-hole ain't more'n
three feet across an' a foot deep, but it fills up good an*
has wet quite a spot around it. An' Red, I found some-
thin' else!"

"Good; what is it?"

" There's clay around it an' a thin layer of sand over th'
clay," replied Hopalong. " I found th' prints of a cayuse
an' a man, an' they was fresh — not more'n twenty- four
hours old if I'm any judge. I cast around on widenin'
circles, but couldn't pick up th' trail any distance from th'
hole. Th' wind that's been blowin' all day wiped 'em out ;
but it didn't wipe out much at th' edge of th' water. I
could even make it out where he knelt to drink. There
you are : a dead cow, with th' brand skinned off ; tracks
of a man an' a cayuse at that water-hole; no herd tracks,
no other cayuse tracks — just them two, an' our suspicions.
What you think?"

Red chuckled. "I think we're gettin' somewhere,
cussed slow an' I don't know where; but I'm playin' up
that skinned cow. If it was all skinned I'd say a hide
hunter might 'a' done it, an' that he made th' tracks you
saw ; but it wasn't. You should 'a' looked better near th'
carcass instead of huntin' up th' water-hole. You might

206 THE BAR-20 THREE

'a' seen th' tracks of a herd, or what th' wind left of 'em,
'though I reckon they drove that cow off quite a ways
before they dropped it."

"Did you cross any herd tracks after you left me?"
asked Hopalong.

"No; why?"

"An* we didn't cross any before you left," said Hop-
along. "If there's been any to see runnin' east an' west
\ve'd 'a' found 'em. That was all hard ground ; an' there
was th' wind. There wasn't none to find."

"Huh!" snorted Red, and after a moment's thought
he looked up. "Mebby that feller found th' cow all
swelled up with snakebite, away off from water as he
thought, an' just put an end to its misery ? "

" Then why did he cut out th' brand ? " snapped Hop-
along.

" What are you askin' me for ? " demanded Red, trucu
lently. " How'd I know ? You shore can ask some
!d — n fool questions!"

"Yo're half-baked," growled his companion. "I will
be, too, before I get any answer to what I'm askin' myself.
I'm aimin' to squat behind a rise north of that water-hole
an' wait for my answer if it takes a month. I can get a
good view from up there."

Red, whose hatred for deserts was whole-hearted,
looked through the darkness in disgust at his friend.
" You've picked out a fine job for us ! " he retorted. "If
yo're right an' they did drive a herd across to th' other
side it'll shore be a wait. Be more'n a week, an' mebby
two."

"They've got to drive hard between waters," replied

DISCOVERIES 207

Hopalong. " They'll waste no time ; an' they won't waste
time comin' back again, when they won't have th' cows to
hold 'em down. There's one thing shore : They won't be
back tomorrow or th' next day, an' we both can ride down
an' see th' Kid, an' mebby McCullough. It's too good a
lead to throw away. But before we meet Johnny we're
goin' to have a better look around, 'specially south an'
east."

"All right," agreed Red. " How'd you come to find th'
hole?"

"Rode up on a ridge an' saw somethin' green, an*
knowin' it wasn't you I went for it," answered his friend.
"If it had been made for us it couldn't be better. With
water, an' grass enough for night grazin', an a good ridge
to look from, it's a fine place for us. IWe'll take turns at
it, for it won't feed two cayuses steady. Th' off man can
ride west to grass, mebby back to our camp, an' by takin'
shifts at it we can mebby save most of th' grass at th'
hole."

"An* mebby get spotted while we're ridin* back an'
forth?"

" Th' ridge will take care of that, an' I reckon when it
peters out there'll be others to hide us. I'm dead set on
this : I'm so set that I'll stick it out all alone rather than
pass it by. I tell you I got a feelin'"

"I ain't quittin'," growled Red; "I ain't got sense
enough to quit. Desert or no desert I'm aimin' to do my
little gilt-edged damndest ; but I'm admittin' I'll be plumb
happy when it's my time off. We'll get supplies an' more
canteens from th' Kid tomorrow, an' be fixed so we can
foller any other lead that sticks up its head. I shore can

208 THE BAR-20 THREE

stand more than ridin' over a desert if it'll give us any thin*
on them fellers."

" Here we are," grunted his companion, swinging from
the saddle. " Finest, coldest water you ever drunk. I'm
puttin' double hobbles on my cayuse tonight, just to make
shore."

" Me, too," said Red, dismounting.

In the morning they rode up for a look along the ledge,
found that it would answer their requirements and then
went southeast, curving further into the desert, and it was
not long before Red's roving glance caught something
which aroused his interest and he silently rode off to in
vestigate, his companion going slowly ahead. When he
returned it was by another way and he rode with his eager
eyes searching the desert beneath and ahead of him.
Reaching his friend, who had stopped and also was scan
ning the desert floor with great intentness, he nodded in
quiet satisfaction.

"Think you see 'em, too?" he smilingly inquired.
" They're so faint they can't hardly be seen, not till you
look ahead, an' then it's only th' difference between this
strip of sand that we're on an' th' rest of th' desert. It's
a cattle trail, Hoppy; I just found another water-hole,
a big one. Th' bank was crowded with hoof marks, cat
tle an' cayuses. Looks like they come from th' west,
bearin' a little north. Th' only reason we didn't see 'em
when we rode down was because they was on hard ground.
That shore explains th' dead cow."

"An' in a few hours more," said his companion, "this
powdery dust will blot 'em out. If they was clearer I'd
risk follerin' them, even if we only had a canteen apiece.

DISCOVERIES 209

We can ride as far between waters as they can drive a
herd, an' a whole lot farther. It's only fearin' that th'
trail will disappear that holds me back."

"We don't have to risk it yet," said Red, grimly.
"We've found out where they cut in an' how they start
across; an' all we got to do is to lay low up there an'
wait for 'em to come back, or start another herd across,
to learn who they are."

"If we wait for their next drive we can f oiler 'em on
a fresh, plain trail, an' be a lot better prepared," supple
mented Hopalong. " I reckon we're shore goin' to fatten
our comeback ! "

" It's pickin' up fast," gloated his friend. "All we got
to do is watch that big water-hole' an' we got 'em. There
ain't so many water-holes out on this skillet that they can
drive any way they like. We'll camp at th' little one, of
course, but we can lay closer to th' big one nights."

"An' from th' ridge up yonder th' man on day watch
can see for miles."

" Yes ; an' fry, an' broil, an' sizzle, an' melt ! " muttered
Red. "D — n'em!"

Hopalong had wheeled and was leading the way into the
southwest as straight as he could go for the meeting with
Johnny, and Red pushed up past him and bore a little more
to the west. They had seen all they needed to see for the
day, and they had made up their minds.

At last after a long, hot ride they reached the bluffs
marking the side of the plateau and soon were winding
down a steep-walled arroyo which led to the plain below,
and the country began to change with such insensible
gradations that they hardly noticed it. Sage and grease-

2io THE BAR-SO THREE

wood became more plentiful and after an hour had passed
an occasional low bush was to be seen and the ground
sloped more and more in front of them. A low fringe
of greenery lay along the distant bottom, where Sand
Creek or some other hidden stream came close to the top
of the soil, later to issue forth and become the stream into
which the Question-Mark's creek later emptied. They
crossed this and breasted an opposing slope, followed
around the base of a low ridge of hills and at last stopped
under a clump of live-oak and cotton woods in the extreme
east end of the Question-Mark valley.

While the two friends were riding toward the little
clump of trees west of the Question-Mark ranch visitors
rode slowly up to the door of the ranchhouse and one of
them dismounted. The shield he wore on his open vest
shone in the sun with nickel brightness, but his face was
anything but bright. The job which had been cut out for
him was not to his liking and had destroyed his peace of
mind, and the peace of mind of the two deputies, who
needed no reflection upon their subordinate positions to
keep them in the sheriff's rear. What little assurance they
might have started with received a jolt soon after they had
left town, when a gruff and unmistakably unfriendly voice
had asked, with inconsiderate harshness and profanity,
their intended destination and their business. At last
allowed to pass on after quite some humiliation from the
hidden sentries, they now were entering upon the danger
ous part of their mission.

Corwin stepped up to the door and knocked, a formality
which he never dispensed with on the Question-Mark.
Other visitors usually walked right in and found a chair

DISCOVERIES 211

or sat on the table, but it never should be said to Corwin's
discredit that an officer of the law was rude and ignorant
in such a well-known and long-established form of eti
quette. So Sheriff Corwin knocked.

" Come in ! " impatiently bawled a loud and rude voice.

The sheriff obeyed and looked around the door casing.
"Ah, hello, Mac," he said in cheery greeting.

"Mac who?" roared the man at the table.

" McCullough," said the man at the door, correcting
himself. " How are you ? "

"Yo're one full-blooded d — n fool of a sheriff,"
sneered the trail-boss. "Where's them two prisoners I
been waitin' for?"

" They got away. Somebody helped 'em bust th' jail.
I sent word back to you by yore own men."

" Shore, I got, it ; I know that. That's no excuse
a-tall ! " retorted the trail-boss. " I went an' sent word
down to Twitchell on th' jump that his fool way worked
an' that I was goin' to send him th' men he wanted. Then
you let 'em bust out of jail ! Fine sort of a fool you made
of me ! Where's yore reward now, that you was spendin'
so fast? An' what'll Twitchell say, an' do? He wants
th' bank robbers, not excuses ; an' more'n all he wanted th'
man that shot Ridley. It ain't only a question of per-
tectin' th' men workin' for him, but it's personal, too.
Ridley was an old friend of his'n — an' he'll raise h — 1
till he gets th' man that killed him. What about it ? What
have you done since they got away ? "

"We trailed 'em, but they lost us," growled Corwin.
" Reckon they got up on that hard ground an' then lit out,
jumpin' th' country as fast as they could. Kane had it on

212 THE BAR-W THREE

'em, cold an' proper — but I had my doubts, somehow. I
ain't quittin' ; I'm watchin' an' layin' back, an' I'm figgerin'
on deliverin' th' man that got Ridley."

"(You mean Long an' Thompson are innocent?" de
manded McCullough with a throaty growl. " Yo're sayin'
it yoreself ! What was you tryin' to run on me, then?"

"They must 'a' robbed th' bank," replied the sheriff;
"but I got my own ideas about who killed yore friend.
This is between us. I'm waitin' till I get th' proof; an'
after I get it, an' th' man, I'll mebby have to leave th'
country between sunset an' dawn. I ain't no dog, an' I'm
gettin' riled."

" Then it was Kane who cold-decked them two fellers ? "
demanded McCullough.

" I ain't sayin' a word, now," replied the sheriff. " Not
yet, I ain't, but I'm aimin' to get th' killer. Where's that
Nelson?"

"What you want with him?" asked the trail-boss.
"Reckon he done it?"

"No; he didn't," answered Corwin. "He only helped
them fellers out of jail, an' I'm goin' to take him in."

"What?" shouted McCullough, and then burst out
laughing. "I'm repeatin' what I said about you bein'
full-blooded! Say, if you can turn that trick I won't
raise a hand — not till he's in jail; an' then I'll get him
out cussed quick. He's workin' for me, an' he didn't do
no crime, gettin' a couple of innocent men out of that
mud hut; an', besides, I don't know that he did get 'em
out. Go after him, Corwin; go right out after him."
He glanced out of the window again and chuckled. " I
see you brought some of yore official fam'bly along.

DISCOVERIES 213

Shucks ! That ain't no way to do, three agin' one. An'
I heard you was a bad hombre with a short gun ! "

" It ain't no question of how bad I am ! " retorted the
sheriff. "We want him alive."

" Oh, I see ; aim to scare him, bein' three to one. All
right; go ahead — but there ain't goin' to be no pot-
shootin'. Tell yore fam'bly that. I mean it, an' I cut in
sudden th' minute any of it starts."

" There won't be no pot-shootin'," growled the sheriff,
and to make sure that there wouldn't be any he stepped
out and gave explicit instructions to his companions before
going toward the smaller corral. When part way there
he heard whistling, wheeled in his tracks and went back
to the bunkhouse, hugging the wall as he slipped along it,
his gun raised and ready for action.

Johnny turned the corner, caught sight of the two depu
ties, who held his suspicious attention, and had gone too
far to leap back when he saw Corwin flattened against
the wall and the sheriff's gun covering him. Presumably
safe on a friendly ranch, he had given no thought to any
imminent danger, and now he stood and stared at the
unexpected menace, the whistling almost dying on his
pursed lips.

" Nelson ! " snapped the sheriff, " yo're under arrest for
helpin' in that jail delivery. I'll shoot at th' first hostile
move ! Put up yore hands an' turn 'round ! "

Johnny glanced from him to the deputies and thought
swiftly. Three to one, and he was covered. He leaned
against the wall and laughed until he was limp. When
he regained control of himself he blinked at the sheriff
and drew a long breath, which nearly caused Corwin to

214 THE BAR-20 THREE

pull the trigger; but the sheriff found it to be a false alarm.

"What th' devil makes you think / was mixed up in
that ? " he asked, laughing again. He drew another long
breath with unexpected suddenness, and again the nervous
sheriff and the two deputies nearly pulled trigger; and
again it was a false alarm.

" I've done my thinkin' ! " snapped Corwin. " Watch
him, boys ! " he said out of the corner of his mouth. "An*
if you wasn't mixed up in it you won't come to no harm."

"No; not in a decent town," rejoined Johnny, leaning
against the wall again, where Corwin's body somewhat
sheltered him from the deputies. The sheriff tensed again
at the movement. " But Mesquite's plumb full of liars,"
drawled Johnny, "trained by Kane. How do I know
I'll get a square deal? "

" You'll get it ! Put 'em up ! " snapped Corwin, raising
his gun to give the command emphasis, and it now pointed
at the other's head.

"Long an' Thompson — " began Johnny, and like a
flash he twisted sidewise and jerked his head out of the
line of fire, the bullet passing his ear and the powder
scorching his hair. As he twisted he slipped in close, his
left hand flashing to Corwin's gun-wrist and the right,
across his body, tore the weapon from its owner's hand.
The movement had been done so quickly that the sheriff
did not realize what had occurred until he found himself
disarmed and pressing against his own weapon, which was
jammed into his groin. Johnny's left-hand gun had leaped
into the surprised deputies' sight at the sheriff's hip and
they lost no time in letting their own guns drop to the
ground in instant answer to the snapped command. Cor-

DISCOVERIES 215

win's momentary surprise died out nearly as quickly as
it was born and, scorning the menace of the muzzle of his
own gun, he grabbed Johnny. As he shifted his foot
Johnny's leg slipped behind it and a sudden heave turned
the sheriff over it, almost end over end, and he struck the
ground with a resounding thump. Johnny sprang back,
one gun on the sheriff, the other on the deputies.

" Get off them cayuses," he ordered and the two men
slowly complied. "Go over near th' corral, an' stay
there." In a moment he gave all his attention to the
slowly arising officer.

"All this was unnecessary," he said. " You put us all
in danger of bein' killed. Don't you never again try to
take me in till you know why yo're doin' it! My head
might 'a' been blowed off, an' all for nothin' ! You don't
know who busted that jail, judgin' by yore fool actions,
an' you cussed well know it. You got plenty of gall,
comin' down here an' throwin' a gun on me, for that!
I'm sayin', frank, that whoever done that trick did th'
right thing; but that ain't sayin' that / did it. Hope I
didn't hurt you, Corwin; but I had to act sudden when you
grabbed me."

" Don't you do no worryin' on my account ! " snapped
the sheriff.

" I ain't blamin' you for doin' yore duty, if you was
doin' it honest," said Johnny ; " but you ain't got no busi
ness jumpin' before yo're shore. I ain't holdin' th' sack
for nobody, Corwin; Kane or nobody else. Now then:
you can tell what proof you got that it was me that busted
th' jail."

Corwin was watching the smiling face and the accusing

216 THE BAR-20 THREE

eyes and he saw no enmity in either. " Then who did ? "
he demanded.

Johnny shrugged his shoulders. "Quien sdbef" he
asked. "There's a lot of people down here that would
have more reason to do a thing like that, even for strang
ers, than / would. You ain't loved very much, from what
I've heard. I don't want any more enemies than I got;
but I'm tellin' you, flat, that I ain't goin' back with you ;
an' neither would you, if you was in my place, in a strange
town. Here," he said, letting the hammer down and toss
ing the gun at the sheriff's feet, "take your gun. I'm
glad you ain't hurt; an' I'm cussed glad / ain't. But
somebody's shore goin' to be th' next time you pull a
gun on me on a guess. You want to be dead shore, Cor-
win. We've had enough of this. Did you get any trace
of them two ? "

The sheriff watched his opponent's gun go back into its
holster and slowly picked up his own. "No; I ain't,"
he admitted, and considered a moment as he sheathed
the weapon with great care. "I ain't got nothin' flat
agin' you," he said ; " but I still think you had a hand in it.
That's a good trick you worked, Nelson ; I'm rememberin'
it. All right; th' next time I come for you I'll have it
cold ; an' I'm shore expectin' to come for you, an' Idaho,
too."

"That's fair enough," replied Johnny, smiling; "but
I don't see why you want to drag Idaho in it for. He
didn't have no more to do with it than / did."

" I'm believin' that, too," retorted the sheriff ; " since
you put it just that way. I haven't heard you say that
you didn't do it. Before I go I want to ask you a ques-

DISCOVERIES 217

tion : Where was you th' night th' Diamond L lost them
cows ? "

" Right here with Mac an' th' boys."

"He was," said McCullough. "Yo're ridin' wide of
th' trail, Cor win."

"Mebby," grunted the sheriff. "There's two trails.
I mebby am plumb off of one of 'em, as long as you know
he was down here that night; but I'm ridin' right down
th' middle of th' other. When did you meet Long an'
Thompson first ? " he asked, wheeling suddenly and facing
Johnny.

"Thinkin' what you do about me," replied Johnny,
" I'd be a fool to tell you anythin', no matter what. So,
as long as yo're ridin' down th' middle you'll have to read
th' signs yoreself. Some of 'em must be plumb faint, th'
way yo're guessin', an' castin' 'round. Get any news
about them rustlers?"

"What's th' use of makin' trouble for yoreself by
bein' stubborn ? " asked McCullough. He looked at Cor-
win. " Sheriff, I know for shore that he never knowed
any Bill Long or Red Thompson until after he come to
Mesquite. What news did you get about th' rustlers?"

"Huh!" muttered Corwin, searching the face of the
trail-boss, whose reputation for veracity was unquestioned.
" I ain't got any news about 'em. Once they got on th'
hard stretch they could go for miles an' not leave no trail.
I'm figgerin' on spendin' quite some time north of where
Lukins' boys quit an' turned back. There's three cows
missin' that are marked so different from any I've ever
seen that I'll know 'em in a herd of ten thousan' head;
an' when they're cut out for me to look at there's some

2i8 THE BAR-20 THREE

marks on horns an* hoofs that'll prove whose cows they
are. I'm takin' a couple of his boys with me when I go,
to make shore. Of course, I don't know that we'll ever
see 'em, at all. Well," he said, turning toward his horse,
"reckon I'll be goin'." He waved to the deputies, who
approached, picked up their guns under Johnny's alert
and suspicious scrutiny, and mounted. "As for you,
Nelson, next time I'll be dead shore ; an' I'll mebby shoot
first, on a gamble, an' talk afterward. So-long."

Watching the three arms of the law ride away and out
of sight, Johnny swung around and faced the grinning
trail-boss. "You told th' truth, Mac; but I wonder if
Corwin heard it like I did?"

McCullough shrugged his shoulders. "Who cares?
I'm thankin' you for an interestin' lesson in how to beat
th' drop; but I reckon I'm gettin' too old to be quick
enough to use it. I reckon Waffles has been tellin' th'
truth about yore Bar-2O outfit. Where you goin' now?"

"Off to see a couple of better men from that same
outfit," grinned Johnny.

He went on with his preparations and soon rode Pepper
toward a gap in the southern chain of hills, leading a
loaded pack horse behind him. Emerging on the other
side of the pass he followed the chain westward and in
due time rounded the last hill and headed for the little
clump of trees where he saw his two friends waiting.
They waved to him and he replied, chuckling with pleasure.

Red looked critically at the pack animal. " Huh ! From
th' looks of that cayuse I reckon he figgers we're goin' to
be gone some months, like a prospector holin' up for th'
winter."

DISCOVERIES 219

" He never underplays a hand," grunted Hopalong, a
warm light coming into his eyes. " Desert or no desert,
it's shore good to be with him again. He never should 'a'
left Montanny,"

Johnny soon joined them, dismounted, picketed the
pack horse, pushed back his sombrero and rolled a cigar
ette, grinning cheerfully. "If you want any more can
teens you can have th' pair on my cayuse," he said. " Find
anythin'?"

They told him and he nodded in quiet satisfaction.
"You shore ain't been asleep," he chuckled. "You've
just about found out somethin' that's been puzzlin' a lot
of folks down here for some years. I wonder how close
they ever come to them water-holes when they was scoutin'
around? But mebby they never scouted over that way
much — everybody was bankin' on 'em stayin' on th' hard
stretch over Lukins' way, instead of crossin' it so close to
town. You'd never thought of lookin' for 'em over east
if you hadn't remembered Slippery Trendly, now would
you?"

" We wasn't lookin' for nothin' nor nobody except you,"
admitted Hopalong. "But when Red saw a dead cow
is far out on th' desert as it was, we just had to take a
iOok at it. An' when we saw it had been shot we couldn't
do nothin' else but look for th' brand. That bein' cut out
made us plumb suspicious. One thing just nat'rally led
to th' next, as th' mule said when its tail was pulled."

"What you bet that missin' brand wasn't a Diamond
"w?" Johnny asked.

"Ain't that th' ranch Idaho works for ? " queried Red.

Johnny nodded. "They raided Lukins th' night of th'

220 THE BAR-W THREE

day you an' Hoppy left town. That outfit put in two
days ridin' along th' hard ground, half of 'em up an'
half of 'em down. They lost over a hundred head."

His friends exchanged looks, each trying to visualize
the all but obliterated trail, and both nodded.

" Mebby it was a Diamond L," said Hopalong, and he
explained their plans to some length.

"That's goin' to win if you can stick it out," said
Johnny. " McCullough's steamin' a little, but he's still
carryin' out Twitchell's wishes; an' I been arguin' with
him, too, to give you fellers a chance. Hey ! " he ex
claimed, grinning. " I allus knowed I'd get a bad name
for hangin' out with you two coyotes ; an' I done got it.
I'm suspected strong of bein' a criminal, like you fellers,
an' I'll mebby be an outlaw, too. Sheriff Corwin just
said so, an' he ought to know if anybody does. He
arrested me for helpin' to get you fellers out of jail, but
he didn't say how he aimed to keep me in it, busted like
it is."

" How'd you get away ? " asked Red. " Wouldn't you
go with him?"

"Mebby he didn't have th' rest of th' dozen," sug
gested Hopalong.

"Oh, he wasn't real shore about it really bein' me he
wanted, so he turned me loose," replied Johnny. "Any
how, I couldn't 'a' gone with him : I had to get this stuff
out to you fellers. An' besides, I knowed if I got in that
'dobe hut you wouldn't have th' nerve to bust me out
again."

"I'm honin' to bust Corwin's 'dobe head," growled
Red.

DISCOVERIES 221

" There's four canteens an' plenty of grub, with Mac's
compliments," said Johnny, waving at the pack horse.
" When am I to meet you again ? "

Hopalong considered a moment. "There's too much
ridin', comin' down here unless we has to," he said. " Tell
you what : We'll find a hill, or a ridge up on th' plateau
where a fire can be lit that won't show to nobody north
of them hills you just come around. Take that white
patch up yonder : we can see it plain for miles. You ride
up to it every day about two hours after sun-up ; an' every
night just after dark. If you see smoke puffs in daylight,
or a winkin' fire at night, ride toward that split bluff be
hind us. We'll meet you there. If you get news for us,
do th' same thing on th' other slope, so it can't be seen
from across this valley. As long as it can be seen on a
line with th' split bluff we won't miss it."

Johnny scratched his head. " Strings of six puffs or
six winks means trouble : come a-latherin'," he suggested.
" Strings of three means news, an' take yore time. Better
have a signal for grub an' supplies : it'll mebby save ridin'.
Say groups of two an' five, alternate? "

Hopalong nodded and repeated the signals to make
certain that he had them right. " Two an' five, alternate,
for supplies; strings of six, come a-runnin'; strings of
three, news, an' take our time. Couple of hours after
sun-up an' just after dark. All right, Kid."

" Mac's got an old spyglass. Want it, if I can get it ? "
asked Johnny.

" Shore ! " grunted Red.

"Bring it next time you come," said Hopalong.

"All right. Where you goin' now ? "

222 THE BAR-20 THREE

" Up on Sand Creek, where we're camped," answered
Red. " We got a couple of days before we move out on
th' fryin' pan, an' we're aimin' to make th' most of it"

" Wait till I get th' glass, an' I'll go along," suggested
Johnny, eagerly.

" Get a rustle on — an' take this pack animal back with
you," smiled Hopalong as Johnny started without it.
"We'll empty out th' canteens, an' we can tote th' sup
plies without it."

CHAPTER XVI

A VIGIL REWARDED

THE days passed quietly for the two watchers after
Johnny had gone back to the Question-Mark, the
hours dragging in monotonous succession. In the Sand
Creek camp time passed pleasantly enough, but out on the
great, up-slanting billow of sand north of Sweet Spring,
devoid of shelter from the blazing sun and from the
reflected glare of the gray- white desert around it, was
another matter. Prone on his stomach lay Hopalong
on the northward slope, his face barely level with the
crest of the ridge. Down in the hollow behind him was
his horse, picketed and hobbled as well, and at his side
on his blanket to keep the cutting sand and clogging dust
from barrels and actions lay his rifle and his six-guns, so
hot that their metal parts could not be touched without a
grimace of discomfort coming to his face. The telescope
at intervals swung around the shimmering horizon, magni
fying the dancing heat waves until the distortion of their
wavering, streaming currents at times rendered the view
chaotic and baffling. Strange sights were to be seen in
the air and knowing what they were he watched them as
his only source of amusement. A tree-bordered lake
appeared, its waters sparkling, arose into the air, became
vague and slowly dissolved from view, calling from him

223

224 THE BAR-W THREE

caustic comment. Inverted mountains reached down from
the heavens, standing on snow-covered tops, writhed more
and more from their outer edges and melted down from
the up-flung bases, slowly fading from view. They were
followed by a silvery, winding river, certain features
which caused him to think that he recognized it and while
he studied it a herd of cattle upside down, and greatly
magnified, pushed through into sight as the river scene
faded away. Another hour passed and then a steep-
walled, green valley inverted itself before his gaze. He
could make out a hut and a few trees and then as mounted
men began to ride up its slanting bluff trail his attention
became riveted on it and he reached for the hot telescope.
One look through the instrument made him grunt with
disgust, for the figures danced and shrunk and expanded,
weaved and became like shadows, through which he
looked as though through a rare, discolored vapor. He
was mildly excited and tried in vain to search his visual
image of the sight for the faces of the men; but it was in
vain, and he opened his eyes as the image faded and then
closed them again to better search the memory picture.
This, too, availed him nothing and he realized that he had
not really seen the faces. He was perplexed and vexed,
for there was something familiar about some of those
riders. About to move for a look around through the
telescope, he yielded to a humorous warning and lay quiet
for awhile. Was it possible that the mirage had been
double-acting, and had revealed each to the other?

"Mebby they won't put as much stock in theirs as I
did in mine," he said, and slowly picked up the telescope
for a final look all around the horizon before Red should

A VIGIL REWARDED 225

relieve him. East, south, west he looked and saw nothing,
Swinging it toward the Sand Creek camp he grunted in
satisfaction as a figure very much like Red wavered and
danced as it emerged over a ridge of sand. Further north
he swung it and slowly swept the northern horizon.
Swearing suddenly he stopped its slow progress and
brought it back searchingly over ground it had just cov
ered. Rigid he held it and looked with unbelieving eyes.

" Mirage ? " he growled, questioningly. " It's too solid
for that — I'm goin' up to see."

Getting his horse he gingerly slipped the hot rifle
into its scabbard, hastily dropped the six-guns into
their holsters and, mounting, rode to meet his nearing
friend.

" Cooked ? " queried Red, grinning. " You shore didn't
lose no time gettin' started after you saw me! Ain't it
h — lout here ?"

" H — 1 is right," answered Hopalong, handing over the
telescope. " But we got cayuses, full canteens, an' know
where we are. Swing that blisterin' tube over yonder,"
pointing, "an' tell me what you see?"

Red obeyed and the moving glass suddenly stopped and
swung back a little. After long scrutiny he raised his
head and gazed steadily over the rigid tube as though
along a rifle barrel. " I see him, now, without it," he said.
"A-foot, he is, staggerin' every-which way. Comin'?"

His companion replied by pushing into the lead and
setting a stiff pace through the soft sand and alkali dust.
As they drew near they both shivered at the sight which
steadily was being better revealed.

The figure of a man. and scarcely more than figure,

226 THE BAR-SO THREE

stumbled crazily across the sand, hatless, his bare feet
covered with dust which had become pasty with the blood
exuding through the deepening clefts in the skin and flesh.
Progress on such feet would have made him mad from
pain if he had not already become so from other causes.
His trousers were ripped and frayed to the swollen, dust-
plastered knees, the crimson fissures running up and down
his swollen legs. Shirt he had none, save the strip which
hung stiff and crimson from his belt. His upper body
was a thing of horror, swollen, matted with crusts of dried
blood, from beneath which more oozed out to in turn
coagulate. His burning eyes peered through slits in the
puffed face and his tongue, blackened and purplish, stuck
out of his mouth.

"G — d !" muttered Red, glancing awesomely at the
tense face of his companion.

"He's gone," said Hopalong, softly. "Nothing can
save him. It would be a mercy — " but he checked
the words, searching Red's acquiescent eyes.

" Can't do it," said Red. " Can you ? "

Hopalong drew in a deep breath and shook his head.
"We got to try th' other first," he said. "It's wrong —
but there's nothin' else. We ain't doctors, an' there may
be a fightin' chance. Hobble th' cayuses. We'll both
tackle him — one alone might have to be too rough, for
he'll mebby fight."

" He's down," said Red as he swung from his saddle.
" Lookin' right at us, too, an' don't see us."

The figure groveled in the sand, digging with blunder
ing fingers worn to the bone by previous digging, and
choked sounds came from the swollen throat. Red talked

A VIGIL REWARDED 227

to himself as he hobbled his horse and pushed down the
picket pin.

" Lost his cayuse, somehow, or went crazy an' chased
it away. Used up his last water an' then threw away
everythin' he had. Tore off his shirt because th' neck
band got too tight, an' th' cloth stuck to th' blood clots an'
pulled at 'em. I've seen others, but they warn't none of
'em as bad as him," growled Red more to himself than
to his companion.

Hopalong pushed home his own picket pin and stood
up. " Comin' ? " he asked, starting slowly for the grovel
ing, digging thing on the sand.

They stepped up to him and lifted the unfortunate from
the ground. Dazed and without understanding, the pitiful
object of their assistance suddenly snarled and reached
its bleeding fingers for Red's throat, and for the next few
minutes two rational, strong men had as hard a fight on
their hands as they ever had experienced ; and when it was
over and the enraged unfortunate became docile from
exhaustion they were covered with blood. Letting a few
drops of water trickle down the side of the protruding
tongue, which they forced to one side when the drops were
stopped by it, they worked over the dying man as long
as they dared in the sun and then, carrying him to Hop-
along's horse they put him across the saddle, lashing him
securely, and covered him with a doubled blanket to cheat
the leering sun.

" Go ahead to th' water-hole," said Hopalong, straight
ening up from tying the last knot. " I'll take him to camp
an' do what I can. There won't be no trouble handlin'
him, tied like he is. Got to try to save him — 'though I

22S THE BAR-SO THREE

hope somebody puts a bullet through my head if I ever
get like him."

" Bein' crazy, he mebby ain't feelin' it as much as he
might," replied Red. "Seems to me he's the one they
called Sandy Woods; but he's so plumb changed I ain't
shore."

Hopalong thought of the last mirage he had seen, was
about to speak of it, but abruptly changed his mind. He
conveyed his warning in another way. " Keep a-lookin'
sharp, Red," he said. " Th' poor devil shore was one of
them rustlers ; an' they mebby ain't far behind him. It's
gettin' nearer an' nearer th' time they ought to come back.
I'll stay with him in camp an' let th' Kid's signal go, if
he makes one. This feller ain't got long to live, I'm
figgerin'."

" It's a wonder he lived this long," said Red, riding off
to take up the vigil.

Hopalong swung his belts and guns over the pommel
of the saddle to lighten him, drank sparingly from a
canteen and started on foot for the camp, .leading his
dispirited horse. After a walk through the hot, yielding
sand which became a punishment during the last mile he
sighed with relief as he stopped the horse on the bank of
Sand Creek and tenderly placed its burden on the ground
in the shade of a tree. More water, in judicious quanti
ties, and at increasingly frequent intervals brought no
apparent relief to the sufferer, and in mid-afternoon
Sandy Woods lost all need of earthly care. Kane's thiev
ing trail-boss had won his bet.

Hopalong looked down at the body freed of its suffer
ing and slowly shook his head. " Th' other way would

A VIGIL REWARDED 229

V been th' best," he said. "I knowed it; Red knowed it
— yet, both plumb shore, an' knowin' it was better, we
just couldn't do it. A man's trainin' is a funny thing."

He looked around the little depression and walked
toward a patch of sand lying near a mass of stones which
had rolled down the slope ; and before the evening shadows
had reached across the little creek, a heaped-up pile of
rocks marked the place of rest of one more weary traveler.
At the head, lying on the ground, was a cross made of
stones. Why he had placed it there Hopalong could
hardly have told, but something within him had stirred
through the sleep of busy and heedless years, and he had
unthinkingly obeyed it.

He looked up at the sun and found it was time to go
on watch again. He had been given no opportunity to
sleep, but did not complain, carelessly accepting it as one
of the breaks in the game. When he reached his friend,
ready to go on duty again, Red looked up at him and
scrutinized his face.

" Lots of sleep you must 'a' got," said Red. " How's
our patient ? "

" Gettin' all th' sleep there is," came the reply. " We
was right — both ways."

" Spread yore blanket here," said Red. " I'm stickin'
to th' job till you have a snooze. Anyhow, somethin'
tells me that two won't be more'n we need out here at
night, from now on."

" It's my trick," replied Hopalong, decisively. " Spread
yore own blanket."

" Him turnin' up like he did was an accident," retorted
Red, "an5 accidents are shared between us both. Any-

23Q THE BAR-W THREE

how, I ain't sleepy — an' th' next few hours are pleasant.
Get some sleep, you chump ! "

" Well, as long as we're both handy, it don't make much
difference," replied Hopalong, spreading the blanket.
" We can spell each other any time we need to. Hope th'
Kid ain't tryin' to signal nothin'."

"We got more to signal than he has," growled Red.
" Shut up, now ; an' go to sleep," and his companion,
blessed by one of the prized acquirements of the plains
man, promptly obeyed; but it seemed to him that he
scarcely had dozed off when he felt his friend's thrusting
hand, and he opened his eyes in the darkness, staring up
at the blazing stars, in surprise.

" Yes ? " whispered Hopalong, without moving or mak
ing any other sound, again true to his training.

His companion's whisper, a whisper by force of habit
rather than for any good reason, reached him: "Turn
over, an' look over th' ridge."

Hopalong obeyed, threw off the blanket which Red
had spread over him when the chill of the desert night
descended, and became all eyes as he saw the faint glow
of a distant fire, which rapidly grew and became brighter.
" It's them, down at th' other water-hole," he said, arising
and feeling to see if his Colts had slid out of their holsters
while he slept. " I'm goin' down for a better look," and
he glanced at the northern sky just above the horizon,
memorized a group of stars and disappeared noiselessly
into the night.

Nearing the larger water-hole he went more slowly and
finished by wriggling up to the crest of a sand billow, his
head behind a lone sage bush, and his eyelids closed to

A VIGIL REWARDED 231

a thin crack, lest the light of the fire should reflect from
his eyes and reveal him to some keen, roving glance.

The grease wood fire blazed under a pair of skillets,
while a coffeepot imitated the Tower of Pisa on the glow
ing coals at one edge. Around it, reclining on the powdery
clay, or squatting in the more characteristic attitude of
men of the saddle, were a half-dozen of Kane's pets,
Miguel and his cronies well to one side. The hidden
watcher knew them all by sight and saw several men who
had helped the sheriff trick him and Red. In the dark
ness behind the group he heard their horses moving about
as they grazed.

" Do you reckon he made it, Miguel ? " asked the trail-
boss, apropos of the conversation around the fire.

Miguel turned his face to the light, the scar over his
eye glistening against the duller skin around it. " I say
no," he drawled. " He change hees horrse at the corrals,
no? The-e horrse he took was born at the-e Cimarron
corral an' foaled eet's firrst colt there. I would not lak'
sooch a horrse eef I did not know my way. But, quien
sabef' '

The trail-boss looked at him searchingly, wondering
how much the half-breed knew about Sandy's reasons for
making the change. Kane would not allow fighting in
the ranks, and grudges live long in some men. Besides,
to lose the bet was to lose his share of the drive profits
to a man he secretly hated, and this did not suit the trail-
boss.

Miguel smiled grimly into the cold, searching eyes and
shrugged his shoulders, his soft laugh turning the cold
stare into something warmer. "Eef he deed, then eet

232 THE BAR-W THREE

ees ver' good," he said; "eef he deed not, then eet hees
own fault. But he should not change hees horrse."

"We'll know tomorrow night, anyhow," said a voice
well back from the fire. " Get a rustle on you, Thorpe,"
it growled. " You move around like an old woman."

"Ain't no walls to climb," said another, laughing.

The red- faced cook did not raise his head or retort,
but in his memory another name was deeply carved, to
replace the one he was certain would be erased when they
reached Mesquite. Sandy Woods' dislike for the horse
given to him at the corrals had been overcome by the
smooth words of the unforgiving cook, who also had a
score to pay.

"When do we rustle next?" asked a squatting figure.
" We been layin' low too long, an' my pile has done faded ;
I wasn't lucky, like you, Trask, an' the sheriff," he said,
looking at the trail-boss. " Next time a bank is busted
/ aim to be in on it. You fellers can't hog all th' good
things."

" Don't do no good to talk about it," snapped the trail-
boss. " Kane names them he wants. Trask an' me was
robbed of half of our share — I ain't forgettin' it, neither.
An' as for th' next raid, that's settled. As long as all of
us are in it, you might as well know. We're cleanin' up
on McCullough's west range, an' there won't be much
of a wait." Neither the speaker, his companions, nor the
man behind the sage brush knew that Kane already had
changed his mind, and because of Lukins' activity had
decided to raid McCullough's east range.

"How soon?" demanded the questioner.

" Some night this week, I reckon," came the answer.

A VIGIL REWARDED 233

"If we get a good bunch we'll sit back an' take things
easy for awhile. Too many drives may cut a trail that'll
show, an' we can't risk that"

" Too bad we have to drive west an' north before we hit
for the plain," said Jud Hill. "Takes two days more,
that way."

The trail-boss smiled. " I know a way that would suit
you, Jud," he said. "So does Miguel — but we've been
savin' it till th' old route gets too risky. It joins th'
regular trail right here. Well, at last th* cook has really
cooked — pass it this way, Thorpe. I'm eatin' fast an'
I'm turnin' in faster. Th' more we beat th' sun gettin'
away from here, th' less it'll beat on us. We're leavin'
an hour ahead of it."

Not waiting until the camp should become silent, when
any noise he might make would be more likely to be heard,
Hopalong crept away while the rustlers ate and returned
to his friend, who waited under a certain group of stars.

Red cocked his head at the soft sound, his Colt swinging
to cover it, when he heard his name called in his friend's
voice, and he replied.

Hopalong sat down on the blanket and related what he
had seen and heard without comment from his listener
until the end of the narrative.

" Huh ! " said Red. " You learned a-plenty. An' I'm
glad they reached that water-hole after dark, an' are goin'
to go on again before it gets light. They missed our
tracks. I call that luck," he said in great satisfaction.
" We wasn't doin' much guessin'. That's shore their drive
trail, an' th' best thing about it is that it's th' bottom of th'
Y. They've got two ways of leavin' th' ranges without

234 THE BAR-W THREE

showin' tracks, but they both come together down yonder.
I reckon mebby we'll have a piece to speak when they come
this way again. Coin' to tell McCullough what's bein'
hatched?"

"We ought to," answered his companion, slowly.
"We'll tell th' Kid an' leave it to him. They must be
purty shore of themselves to rustle Question-Mark cattle
at this time. If th' Kid tells Mac, an' they try it, Mesquite
shore is goin' to be a busy little town. I think I know his
breed."

"They ain't takin' much of a chance, at that, if they
try it," said Red. " They don't know that we know any-
thin' about it an' that McCullough will know it, if th' Kid
tells him. Mebby they rigger that by springin' it right now
when th' feelin' is so strong agin' 'em, that it would make
folks think they didn't do it, because they oughten't to —
oh, pshaw ! You know what I'm gettin' at ! "

" Shore," grunted Hopalong. He was silent a moment
and then stirred. " We ain't got no reason to stay out here
for a day or two. Let's pull out an' go down where we
can signal th' Kid after sun-up. We'll ride well to th' east
past their camp. What wind is stirrin' is comin' from
th' other way, an' there's no use makin' any fresh tracks
in front of 'em."

An hour or so after daylight a small fire sent a column
of smoke straight up, the explanation of its smoking quali
ties suggested by the canteen lying near it. Hopalong and
Red slid a blanket over the fire and drew it suddenly aside,
performing this operation three times in succession before
letting the column mount unmolested for brief intervals.
In the west, above and behind a bare spot on a ridge of

A VIGIL REWARDED 235

hills an answering column climbed upward, and then a
series of triple puffs took its place. Scattering the fire
over the ground the two friends absent-mindedly kicked
sand over the embers, and suddenly grinned at each other
at the foolishness of their precautions.

When they reached the little grove they found Johnny
waiting for them, his horse well loaded with more pro
visions. As they transferred the supplies to their own
mounts they told him what had occurred and he decided
that McCullough should be informed of the forthcoming
raid, whether or not it would in any way jeopardize the
winning of the rewards.

" It's a toss-up whether Mac will wait for them to run it
off," he said, "when I tell him. He's gettin' more riled
every minute, but he seemed to calm down a little after
Corwin visited him. Somethin' sort of pulls him back
when he gets to climbin' onto his hind legs, an' he ends up
by leanin' agin' th' wall an' swearin'. I'm not tellin' him
nothin' about anythin' but th' raid. You aimin' to go back
to that water-hole?"

Hopalong shook his head. "No, sir," he answered.
"There ain't no reason to till th' raid happens. We're
campin' on Sand Creek till you signal that it's been run
off. Time enough then for us to watch on that cussed
griddle."

" Have special signal for that? " suggested Red. " Say
two, two an' three, repeated. Mebby won't have time to
hear what th' news is. When you get our answer don't
bother ridin' down here to tell us anythin' — we'll be
makin' tracks pronto."

Johnny nodded. " Two, two an' three is O. K. I'll be

236 THE BAR-W THREE

ridin' back to tell Mac there's goin' to be a party on his
west range some night soon. I'm bettin' it'll be a bloody
party, too. Say," he exclaimed, pulling up, " Lukins an5
Idaho was down last night. They're mad as h — 1, an'
they're throwin' a cordon of riders plumb across th' hard
stretch every night. Lukins an' Mac are joinin' forces,
an' from now on th' two ranches are workin' together as
one. With us scoutin' around east of town somethin'
shore ought to drop." He pressed Pepper's sleek sides
and started back to the sheltering hills.

" Somethin's goin' to drop," growled Red, the memory
of the jailing burning strongly within him. " Don't for
get, Kid — two, two an' three."

Johnny turned in his saddle, waved a hand and kept
on going. Rounding the westernmost hill he rode stead
ily until opposite the white patch of sand on the northern
slope and then, dismounting, collected firewood, and built
it up on the dead ashes of his signal fire, ready for the
match. Going on again he rode steadily until he reached
the place in the arroyo which lay directly behind the ranch-
house.

McCullough returned from a ride over the range to
find his cheerful friend smoking some of his tobacco.

"Want a job, Nelson?" asked the trail-boss, swinging
from the saddle with an easy agility belying his age and
weight.

Johnny smiled at him. "A'nythin', that don't take me
away from th' ranch too far or too long. Call it."

" One of th' boys, ridin' south of th' hills on a fool's
errand, this mornin', thought he saw smoke signals back
of White Face," said McCullough. " He says he reckons

A VIGIL REWARDED 237

he's loco. I ain't goin' that far. Think you could find out
any thin' about 'em?"

Johnny considered, and chuckled. " Huh ! " he snorted.
" He's plumb late. / saw them before he did, an' know
all about 'em. You stuck a couple of jabs into me about
bein' lazy, an' likin' to set around all day doin' nothin'.
Any chump can wear out cayuses ridin' around discoverin'
things, but th' wise man is th' feller that can set around all
day, lazy an' no-account, an' figger things out. I don't
have to go prowlin' around to find out things. I just set
in th' shade of th' house, roll cigarettes an' hold pow
wows with my medicine bag. [You'd be surprised if you
knowed what I got in that bag, an' what I can get out of
it. You shore would."

McCullough looked at him with an expression which
tried to express so many uncomplimentary things at once
that the composite was almost neutral; at least, it was
somewhat blank.

" Ye-ah ? " he drawled, his inflection in no way suggest
ing anything to Johnny's credit.

"Ye-ah," repeated the medicine man somewhat bel
ligerently.

" Oh," said the trail-boss, eyeing his victim speculative-
ly. " You know all about 'em, huh ? "

" Everythin'," placidly replied Johnny, rolling another
cigarette.

" I wish to heaven you'd quit smokin' them cussed things
around here," said McCullough plaintively. "Yo're
growed up now, purty near; an' you ain't no Greaser.
I'll buy you a pipe if you'll promise to smoke it."

" Pipes, judgin' from yourn," sweetly replied Johnny,

238 THE BAR-%0 THREE

calmly lighting the cigarette, "are dangerous, unless a
man hangs around th' house all th' time. When I used to
go off scoutin', I allus wished th' other fellers smoked
pipes, corncob pipes, like Mister McCullough carries
around. Why, cuss it, I could smell 'em out, up-vf'md, if
they did. It would 'a' saved me a lot of crawlin' an' wor-
ryin'. I knowed you was comin' back ten minutes before
I saw you. Now, you can't blame a skunk — he was born
that way, an' he's got good reasons for keepin' on th' way
he was born. But a human, goin' out of his way, to smell
like some I knows of," he broke off, shrugging his shoul
ders expressively.

McCullough slowly produced the corncob, blew through
the stem with unnecessary violence, gravely filled and lit
it, his eyes twinkling. "Takes a man, I reckon, to enjoy
it's aromer," he observed. " Goin' back to yore medicine
bag, let's see what you can get out of it," he challenged.

Johnny drew out his buckskin tobacco pouch, placed it
on the floor, covered it with his sombrero and chanted
softly, his eyes fixed on the hat. " I smell a trail-boss an'
his pipe. They went to th' bend of th' crick, an' they says
to Pete Holbrook, who rides that section, that he ought to
ride on th' other side of th' crick after dark." He was
repeating information which he had chanced to overhear
near the small corral the night before; when he had passed
unobserved in the darkness.

McCullough favored the hat with a glance of surprise
and. Johnny with a keen, prolonged stare.

K Pete, he said that wouldn't do no good unless he went
far enough north to leave his section unprotected. He
borrowed a chew of tobacco before th' man an' th' pipe

A VIGIL REWARDED 239

went away an' let th' air get pure again." The medicine
man knew Pete's thrifty nature by experience.

"Yo're shore a good guesser," grunted McCullough.
"What about them smoke signals, that you know all
about?"

Johnny readjusted the hat a hair's breadth, passed his
hands over it and closed his eyes. " I see smoke signals,"
he chanted. " There's palefaces in 'em, ridin' cautious at
night over a hard plain. They're driftin' cows into a herd.
Th' herd is growin' fast, an' it drifts toward th' hard
ground. Now it's goin' faster. Th' brands are Diamond
L. I see more smoke signals an' more ridin' in th' dark.
Another herd, bigger this time, is runnin' hard over that
same plain. Th' brands are SV, vented ; an' plain Ques
tion-Mark. It seems near — within a week — an' it's on
yore west range." He opened his eyes, kicked the hat
across the room and pocketed the tobacco pouch.

"Mac," he said, gravely. "That's a shore-enough
prophecy. Leavin' out all jokin', it's true. Hoppy an'
Red told me, a little while ago, that they overheard some
of Kane's gang talkin'. They're goin' to raid you like I
said. Th' smoke signals was me answerin' theirs. They
say Sandy Woods is dead. They ought to know because
they buried him. They know three of th' men that robbed
th' bank an' they've knowed ever since Ridley was shot,
who killed him. They've seen Kane's drive trail crew an'
they know a whole lot that I ain't goin' to tell you now ;
mebby I'll not tell you till we get th' rewards ; but if it'll
make you feel any better, I'm saying' that we're goin' to
get them rewards right soon. When Kane raids you he
springs th' trap that'll clear a lot of vermin off this range."

240 THE BAR-W THREE

"How much of all that do you mean? " demanded the
trail-boss, his odorous pipe out and reeking more than
ever. He was looking into his companion's eyes with a
searching, appraising directness which many men would
have found uncomfortable.

"All of it," complacently answered the medicine man,
rolling a new cigarette. "There's only one thing I'm
doubtful about, 'though it was what Hoppy overheard,
so I gave it to you that way. They said yore west range.
If Kane learns how th' Diamond L riders are spread out,
an' I'm bettin' he knew it near as soon as Lukins did,
he'll be a fool to drive that way. If it was me, I'd split my
outfit an' put half of 'em on th' east end! but I'm a
gambler."

McCullough considered the matter. "They'll leave a
plain trail if they raid th' east section," he muttered ; " an'
th' desert'll hold 'em to a narrow strip north or south.
There's water up th' north way, but there's people scat
tered all around, an' they're nat'rally near th' water.
South, there's less water, an' more people th' further they
go. They might tackle th' desert, but Lukins an' me figger
they go west from th' hard ground. I ain't agin' gamblin',
but I don't gamble with anythin' / don't own. If yore
friends heard them coyotes say 'west,' I'm playin' my
cards accordin' to their case-rack. I may call it wrong,
I may get a split, or I may win — but I'm backin' the'
case-keepers, 'specially when they're keepin' th' rack for
me. West it is — an' west is where h — 1 will pop when
they pay their visit. An' lemme tell you this, Nelson:
Win, lose, or split on th' raid, if it comes off within a
week, I'll be dead shore who's behind it, an' there's a

'A VIGIL REWARDED 241

cyclone due in Mesquite right soon after. Twitchell had
his chance. His game's no good — I'm playin' th' cards
I've drawn in my own way when they show their hand in
this raid. I'm bein' cold-decked by Corwin — but I'll
warm it a-plenty. You hang around an' see th' fire
works ! "

Johnny stretched, relaxed, and grinned. "I'm aimin'
to touch some off, myself," he replied, "an' I reckon
Hoppy an' Red will send up a couple of rockets on their
own account. Rockets ? " He grinned. " No ; not rock
ets — there's allus burned sticks comin' down from rock
ets. Besides, they're too smooth an' easy. Reckon they'll
touch off some pinwheels. Whizzin', tail-chasin' pin-
wheels ; or mebby nigger-chasers. Most likely they'll be
nigger-chasers, th' way some folks'll be steppin' lively to
get out of th' way. Don't you bank on this bein' yore,
celebration — you'll only own th' lot an' make th' noise.
Th' grand display, th' glorious finish is Bar-2O. Just
plain, old-fashioned Bar-2O. Gee, Mac, it makes me a
kid again ! "

" It's got an easy job, then ! " snorted the trail-boss.

CHAPTER XVII

A WELL-PLANNED RAID

ON NIGHT shift again Pete Holbrook reached the
end of his beat, waited until his fellow-watcher on
the east bulked suddenly out of the darkness, exchanged
a few words with him and turned back under the star-
filled sky, his horse having no difficulty in avoiding ob
structions, but picking its way with ease around scattered
thickets, grass-tufted hummocks, and across shallow
ravines and hollows. Objects close at hand were dis
cernible to eyes accustomed to the darkness and Pete's
range of vision attained the enviable limits enjoyed by
those who live out-of-doors and look over long distances.
An occasional patch of sand moved slowly into his cir
cumscribed horizon as he rode on ; vague, squatting bulks
gradually revealed their vegetative nature and an occa
sional more regular bulk told him where a cow was lying.
These latter more often were catalogued by his ears before
his eyes defined them and from the contentment in the
sounds he nodded in satisfaction. Soon he felt the gentle
rise which swept up to the breeze-caressed ridge which
projected northward and forced the little creek to follow
it for nearly a mile before the rocky obstruction could be
passed.

There had been a time when the ridge had forced the

242

A WELL-PLANNED RAID 243

creek again as far out of its course, but on quiet nights a
fanciful listener could hear the petulant grumblings of
the stream and its constant boast. Placid and slow above
the ridge, the waters narrowed and deepened when they
reached the insolent bulk as in concentrating for the
never-ending assault. They had cut through softer re
sistance along the edges and now gnawed noisily at the
stone itself. Narrower grew the stream and deeper, the
pools clear and with clean rock bottoms and sides where
the hurrying water, now free from the last vestige of
color imposed by the banks further up, became crystal in
the light of day. Hurrying from pool to pool, singing
around bowlders it ran faster and faster as if eager for the
final attempt against its bulky enemy, and hissed and
growled as it sped along the abrupt rock face. Loath to
leave the fight, it followed tenaciously along the other
side ojf the ridge and at last gave up the struggle to turn
sharply south again and flow placidly down the valley
on a continuation of the line it had followed above.

This forced detour made the U-Bend, so called by
Question-Mark riders, and the sloping ground of the
ridge was as much a favorite with the cattle as were its
bordering pools with the men. Here could be felt every
vagrant breeze, and while the grass was scantier than
that found on the more level pastures round about, and
cropped closer, the cattle turned toward it when darkness
came. It was the best bed-ground on the ranch.

The grunting, cud-chewing, or blowing blots grew
more numerous as Holbrook went on and when he had
reached the crest of the ridge his horse began to pick its
way more and more to avoid them, the rider chanting a

244 THE BAR-20 THREE

mournful lay and then followed it with a song which,
had it been rightfully expurged, would have had little
left to sing about. Like another serenade it had been
composed in a barroom, but the barroom atmosphere was
strongly in evidence. It suddenly ceased.

Holbrook stopped the song and his horse at the same
instant and his roving glances roved no more, but settled
into a fixed stare which drew upon itself his earnest con
centration, as if the darkness could better be pierced by
an act of will.

" Did I, or didn't I ? " he growled, and looked around
to see if his eyes would show him other lights. Deciding
that they were normal he focussed them again in the
direction of the sight which had stopped the song.
" Bronch, I shore saw it," he muttered. " It was plain as
it was short." He glanced down at the horse, saw its ears
thrust rigidly forward and nodded his head emphatically.
"An' so did you, or I'm a liar ! "

He was no liar, for a second flash appeared, and it
acted on him like a spur. The horse obeyed the sudden
order and leaped forward, careening on its erratic course
as it avoided swiftly appearing obstacles.

" Seems to me like it was further west th' last time,"
muttered Holbrook. " What th' devil it is, I don't know ;
but I'm goin' to show th' fambly curiosity. Can't be Kane's
coyotes — folks don't usually show lights when they're
stealin' cows. An' it's on Charley's section, but we'll
have a look anyhow. Cuss th' wind."

The light proved to be of will-o'-the-wisp nature, but
he pursued doggedly and after a time he heard sounds
which suggested that he was not alone on the range. He

A WELL-PLANNED RAID 245

drew his six-gun in case his welcome should take that
course and swung a little to the left to investigate the
sounds.

"Must be Charley," he soliloquized, but raised the
Colt to a better position. One would have thought Char
ley to be no friend of his. The Colt went up a little higher,
the horse stopped suddenly and its rider gave the night's
hailing signal, so well imitated that it might easily have
fooled the little animal to whom Nature had given it.
It came back like a double echo and soon Charley bulked
out of the dark.

" You f ollerin' that, too ? " he asked, entirely reassured
now that his eyes were all right, for he had had the same
doubts as his friend.

" Yes ; what you reckon it is ? "

" Dunno," growled Charley. " Thought mebby it was
some fool puncher lightin' a cigarette. It wasn't very
bright, an' it didn't last long."

" Reckon you called it," replied Holbrook. " Well, th'
only animal that lights them is humans; an* no human
workin' for this ranch is lightin' cigarettes at night, these
nights. Bein' a strange human where strange humans
shouldn't ought to be, I'm plumb curious. All of which
means I'm goin' to have a closer look."

" I'm with you," said Charley. " We better stick to
gether or we'll mebby get to shootin' each other ; an' I'm
frank in sayin' I'm shootin' quick tonight, an' by ear.
There ain't no honest human ridin' around out here, day
or night, that don't belong here ; an' them that does be
long ain't over there, lightin' cigarettes nor nothin' else.
That lightnin' bug don't belong, but he may stay here.

246 THE BAR-W THREE

Look! There she is again — this side of where I saw it
last!"

" Same place," contradicted Holbrook, pushing on.

" Same place yore hat ! "

" Bet you five it is."

" Yo're on ; make it ten? "•

"It is. Shut yore face an* Keep goin'. Somethin's
happenin' over there."

Minute after minute passed and then they swore in the
same breath.

"It's south!" exulted Charley. "You lose."

" He crossed in front of us, cuss him," said Holbrook.

As he spoke an answering light flashed where the first
ones had been seen and Holbrook grunted with satisfac
tion. " You lose; there's two of 'em. We was bettin' on
th' other."

"They're signalin', an' there's mebby more'n two.
What's th' difference? Come on, Pete! We'll bust up
this little party before it starts. But what are they lightin'
lights for if they're rustlin'? An' if they ain't rustlin'
what'n blazes are they doin' ? "

" Head over a little," said his companion, forcing his
horse against his friend's. " We'll ride between th' flashes
first, an' if there's a herd bein' collected we'll mebby hit
it. Don't ask no questions; just shoot an' jump yore
cay use sideways."

South of them another puncher was riding at reckless
speed along the chord of a great arc and although his sec
tion lay beyond Holbrook's, he was now even with them.
When they changed their course they drew closer to him
and some minutes later, stopping for a moment's silence

A WELL-PLANNED RAID 247

so they could listen for sounds of the enemy, they heard
his faint, far-off signal and answered it. He announced
his arrival with a curse and a question and the answer did
not answer much. They went on together, eager and
alert.

"Heard you drummin' down th' ridge — you know
that rocky ground rolls 'em out," the newcomer explained.
" Knowed somethin' was wrong th' way you was poundin',
an' follered on a gamble till I saw th' lights. Reckon
Walt ain't far behind me. I'm tellin' you so you'll signal
before you shoot. He's loose out here somewhere."

When the light came again it was much further west
and the answering flash was north. The three pulled up
and looked at each other.

"There ain't no cayuse livin' can cover ground like
that second feller," growled Holbrook. " He was plumb
south only a few minutes ago, an' now will you look
where he is ! "

" Mebby they're ghostes, Bob," suggested Charley, who
harbored a tingling belief in things supernatural.

"'Ghostes'!" chuckled Holbrook. "Ghosts, you
means ! Th' same as ' posts ! ' Th' ' es ' is silent, like in
'cows.' I never believed in 'em; but I shore don't claim
to know it all. There's plenty of things / don't under
stand — an' this is shore one of 'em. My hair's gettin*
stiff!"

" Yo're a couple of old wimmin ! " snorted Bob.
" There's only one kind of a ghost that'll slow me up — .
that's th' kind that packs hardware. Seein' as they ain't
supposed to tote guns, I'm goin' for that coyote west of
here. He don't swap ends so fast. Mebby I can turn

248 THE BAR-SO THREE

him into a real ghost. Look out where you shoot. So-
long!"

" We'll assay his jumpin' friend," called Charley.

Again the flashes showed, one to the south, the other
to the north, and while the punchers marveled, the third
appeared in the southwest.

" One apiece ! " shouted Holbrook. " I'll take th' last.
Go to 'em ! " and drumming hoofbeats rolled into silence
in three directions.

Soon spitting flashes in the north were answered iiv
kind, the reports announcing six-guns in action; in the
west a thinner tongue of flame and a different kind of
report was answered by rapid bursts of fire and the jarring
crashes of a Colt. Far to the south three stabbing flashes
went upward, Walt's signal that he was coming. From
beyond the U-Bend, far to the east, the triple signal came
twice, flat and low. Beyond them a yellow glow sprang
from the black void and marked the ranchhouse, where
six sleeping men piled from their bunks and, finishing
their dressing as they ran, chased the cursing trail-boss
to the saddled, waiting horses, their tingling blood in an
instant sweeping the cobwebs of sleep from their conjec
turing brains. There was a creaking of leather, a soft,
musical jingling of metal and a sudden thunderous rolling
of hoofbeats as seven bunched horses leaped at breakneck
speed into the darkness, the tight-lipped riders eager,
grim, and tense.

Through a bushy arroyo leading to Mesquite three
Mexicans rode as rapidly as they dared, laughing and
carrying on a jerky, exultant conversation. A mile be
hind them came a fourth, his horse running like a fright-

A WELL-PLANNED RAID 249

ened jack rabbit as it avoided the obstructions which
seemed to leap at them. A bandage around the rider's
head perhaps accounted for his sullenness. The four
were racing to get to Red Frank's, and safety. Out on
the plain the fifth, and as Fate willed it, the only one of
the group openly allied to Kane, lay under his dead horse,
his career of thieving and murder at an end. Close to
him was a dead Question-Mark horse, and the wounded
rider, wounded again by his sudden pitch from the saddle
as the horse dropped under him, lay huddled on the
ground. Slowly recovering his senses he stirred, groped
and sat up, his strained, good arm throbbing as he shakily
drew his Colt, reloaded it and fired into the air twice,
and then twice more. A burst of firing answered him and
he smiled grimly and settled back as the low rumbling
grew rapidly louder. It threatened to pass by him, but
his single shot caused a quick turn and soon his friends
drew up and stopped.

"Who is it?" demanded McCullough, dismounting at
his side.

" Holbrook," came the answer, shaky and faint. " They
got me twice, an' my cayuse, too. Reckon I busted my
leg when he went down — I shore sailed a-plenty afore
I lit."

"You got one!" called an exultant voice. A match
flared and in a moment the cheerful discoverer called
again. " Sanchez, that Greaser monte dealer of Kane's.
Plumb through th' mouth an' neck, Pete! I call that

shootin', with th' dark an' all " his voice trailed off

in profane envy of the accomplishment.

But Pete, hardy soul that he was, had fainted, a frac-

25Q THE BAR-SO THREE

tured leg, the impact from his flying fall and three bullet
holes excuse enough for any man.

The flaring of the match brought a distant report and
a bullet whined above the discoverer's head. Someone
hurriedly fired into the air and a little later the group
heard hoofbeats, which stopped abruptly when still some
distance away. A signal reassured the cautious rider
and soon Walt joined the group, Bob and Charley com
ing up later. Two of the men started back to the ranch-
house with Holbrook, the rest of the group riding off
to search the plain for the two riders who had not put
in an appearance, and to see what devilment they might
discover. Both of the missing men were found on the
remote part of the western range, one plodding stolidly
toward the ranchhouse, his saddle and equipment on his
shoulders ; the other lay pinned under his dead horse, not
much the worse, as it luckily happened, for his experience.

While the outfit concentrated on the western part of
the ranch, events of another concentration were working
smoothly and swiftly east of the ranchhouse, where
mounted men, now free from interference, thanks to
their Mexican friends, rode unerringly in the darkness,
and drifted cattle into a herd with a certainty and dispatch
born of long experience. Steadily the restless nucleus
grew in size and numbers, the few riders who held it to
gether chanting in low tones to keep the nervous cattle
within bounds. The efficiency of these night raiders mer
ited praise, nefarious as their occupation was, and the
director of the harmonious efforts showed an uncanny
understanding of the cattle, the men, and the whole affair
which belongs to genius. Not a step was taken in uncer-

A WELL-PLANNED RAID 251

tainty, not an effort wasted. Speed was obtained which
in less experienced hands would have resulted in panic
and a stampede. Steadily the circle of riders grew shorter
and shorter; steadily, surprisingly, the shadowy herd
grew, and as it grew, became more and more compact.
Further down the creek a second and smaller herd was
built up at the same time and with nearly the same smooth
ness, and waited for the larger aggregate to drift down
upon it and swallow it up. The augmented trail herd
kept going faster and faster, the guarding and directing
riders in their alloted places and, crossing the creek, it
swung northeast at a steadily increasing pace. The cattle
had fed heavily and drunk their fill and to this could be
ascribed the evenness of their tempers. Almost without
realizing it they passed from the Question-Mark range
and streamed across the guarding hills, flowing rapidly
along the northern side. Gradually their speed was in
creased and they accepted it obediently, and with a docility
which in itself was a compliment to the brains of the trail-
boss. Compacted within the close cordon of the alert
riders it maintained a speed on the very edge of panic,
but went no further. Shortly before dawn two hard-
riding rustlers pounded up from the rear, reported all
clear, and fell back again, to renew their watch far back
on the trail. For three hours the herd had crossed hard
ground and as it passed over a high, dividing ridge and
down the eastern slope the trail-boss sighed with relief,
for now dawn held no terrors for him. He had passed
the eastern horizon of any keen-eyed watchers of the pil
laged range. On went cattle and riders, and the paling
dawn saw them following the hard bottom of a valley

252 THE BAR-SO THREE

which led to others ahead, and kept them from dangerous
sky lines. When the last hard-floored valley lay behind
and sloping hollows of sand lay ahead, the trail-boss
dropped back, uncorked his canteen of black coffee tem
pered with brandy, and drank long and deep. It was
interpreted by his men to mean that the danger zone had
been left in the rear, and they smilingly followed his
example, and then leisurely t and more critically looked
over the herd to see what they had gained. The entire
SV trail herd was there, a large number of Question-
Mark cattle and a score or more miscellaneous brands,
which Ridley from time to time had purchased at bargain
prices from needy owners. The trail-boss grinned broadly
and waved his hand. It was a raid which would go down
the annals of rustler history and challenge strongly for
first honors. At noon the waiting caviya was picked up,
and Miguel and his three friends added four more riders
to the ranks. He took his place well ahead of the hurry
ing cattle, and remained there until the first, and seldom
visited, water-hole was reached, where a short rest was
taken. Then he led the way again, abruptly changing the
direction of the herd's course and, following depressions
in the desert floor, struck for Bitter Spring, which would
be reached in the early morning hours. By now the raid
was a successful, accomplished fact, according to all expe
rience, and the matter of speed was now decided purely
upon the questions of water and food, which, however,
did not let it diminish much.

The trail-boss dropped back to his segundo and smiled.
" Old Twitchell's got somethin' to put up a holler over
now."

A WELL-PLANNED RAID 253

The other grinned expansively. " He'll mebby ante up
another reward — he shore is fond of 'em."

Back on the Question-Mark a sleepy rider jogged along
the creek, idly looking here and there. Suddenly he stif
fened in the saddle, looked searchingly along the banks
of the little stream, glanced over a strangely deserted
range and ripped out an oath as he wheeled to race back
to the ranchhouse. His vociferous arrival caused a flurry,
out of which emerged Johnny Nelson, who ran to the
corral, caught and saddled his restive black, and scorning
such a thing as a signal fire, especially when he feared
that he could not start it within the limits of the time
specified, raced across the valley, climbed the hills at a
more sedate pace, dropped down the further slopes like a
stone, and raced on again for the little camp on Sand
Creek.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE TRAIL-BOSS TRIES HIS WAY

Mc CULLOUGH watched the racing horseman for
a moment, a gleam of envious appreciation in
his eyes at the beautiful action of the black horse, nodded
in understanding of the rider's journey and wheeled
abruptly to give terse orders.

Charley swung into the saddle and started in a cloud
of dust for the Diamond L, to carry important news to
Lukins and his outfit; two men sullenly received their
orders to stay behind for the protection of the ranch and
the care of Pete Holbrook, their feelings in no way re
lieved by the remark of the trail-boss, prophesying that
Kane and his gang would be too busy in town to disturb
the serenity of the Question-Mark. The rest of the outfit,
procuring certain necessaries for the visit to Kane's head
quarters, climbed into their saddles and followed their
grim and taciturn leader over the shortest way to town.

Far back on the west end of the northern chain of hills
a Mexican collapsed his telescope, hazarded a long-range
shot at the hard-riding Charley and, mounting in haste,
sped to carry disturbing news to his employer. The
courier looked around as the singing lead raised a puff of
dust in front of him, snarled in the direction from whence
he thought it had cpme and, having no time for personal

254

THE TRAIL-BOSS TRIES HIS WAY 255

grievances, leaned forward and quirted the horse to
greater speed. Whirring across the Diamond L range
Charley caused another Mexican, watching from a ridge
overlooking the ranch buildings, to run to the waiting
horse and mount it, after which he delayed his departure
until he saw the Diamond L outfit string out into a race
for town, whereupon he set a pace which promised to hold
him his generous lead.

In Mesquite a Mexican quirted a lathered horse for a
final burst of speed up the quiet street, flung himself
through Kane's front door, shouted a warning as he
scrambled to his feet and dashed through the partition
door to make his report direct to his boss. As he bolted
out of sight behind the partition, other men popped from
the building like weasel-pursued rabbits from a warren
and scurried over the town to spread the alarm to those
who were most vitally concerned by it. Two streams
forthwith flowed over their trails, the first and larger
heading for Kane's; the other, composed entirely of
Mexicans, flowed toward Red Frank's, which had been
allotted the role of outlying redoubt, to help keep harmless
the broken ground between it and Kane's front wall, and
was now being put in shape to withstand a siege.

Around Kane's was the noisy activity of a beehive.
Hurrying men pulled thick planks from the piles under the
floor and hauled them, on the jump, to windows and
doors, feeding them into eager hands inside the building.
Numbers of empty sacks grew amazingly bulky from the
efforts of sand shovelers and were carried, shoulder high,
in an unending line into the building. Great shutters
were unfastened and swung away from the outer walls,

THE BAR-SO THREE

their cobwebbed loopholes soon to play their ordained
parts. A feverish squad emptied the stables of horses and
food, taking both into the dining-room, and returned,
posthaste, to remove doors and certain planks which
turned the stables into sieves of small use to an attacking
force, even if they were won. That the need for haste
was pressing was proved by the sound of a handbell on the
roof, where a selected group of riflemen lay behind the
double-planked parapet to give warning, and exhibitions
of long-range shooting. The shovelers hurled their tools
through open windows, the plank carriers shoved the last
board into the building and leaped to the shutters, slam
ming them shut as they hastened along the side of the
building, and poured hastily through the front door, which
now was protected by a great, outer door of planks, mor
tised, bolted, and braced in workman-like manner. From
the roof sounded two heavy reports, and grim iron tubes
slid into loopholes along the walls. The bartenders
carried boxes of ammunition and spare weapons, leaving
their offerings below every oblong hole. To threaten
Kane was one thing; to carry it to a successful end,
another.

Puffs of gray-white smoke broke unexpectedly from
points around the building, to thin out as they spread and
drifted into oblivion. The cracking of rifles and the echo-
awakening, jarring reports of heavy six-guns, were
punctuated at intervals by the booming roar of old-time
buffalo guns, of caliber prodigious. Punchers, guns in
their hands, made the rounds of the town, going from
building to building to pick up any of Kane's men who
might have loitered, or who planned to hide out and open

THE TRAIL-BOSS TRIES HIS WAY 257

fire from the rear. Their efforts were not entirely wasted,
for although Kane's brood had flocked to its nest, there
were certain of the town's inhabitants who were neither
flesh nor fish and might become one or the other as ex
pediency urged. These doubtful ones were weeded out,
disarmed, and escorted to their horses with stern injunc
tions as to the speed of their departure and their continued
absence. Some of the neutrals, seeing that the mastery
of the town at present lay with the ranchmen, trimmed
their sails for this wind and numbered themselves with
the offense in spirit if not in deeds. Of these human
pendulums Quayle had a fair mental list and the owners
of certain names were well watched.

The first day passed in perfecting plans, assigning men
to strategic stations, several of these vantage-points
remaining tenantless during the daylight hours because
of the alertness and straight shooting of the squad on
Kane's roof, who speedily made themselves obnoxious to
the attackers. The owner of the freight wagon, remem
bering a smooth-bore iron cannon of more than an inch
caliber, a relic of the prairie caravans which had followed
the old Santa Fe and other trails a generation past, exulted
as he dragged it from its obscurity and spent a busy hour
scaling the rust from bore and touch-hole. Here was the
key to the situation, he boasted, and rammed home a
generous charge of rifle powder. To find a suitable missile
was another question, but he solved it by falling upon
bar-lead with ax and hammer. Wheeled into position, its
rusty length protruding beyond the corner of an adobe
building, it was sighted by spasmodic glances, an occupa
tion not without danger, for which blame could be given

258 THE BAR-%0 THREE

to the argus-eyed riflemen on the roof of the target.
Consternation seized the defenders, who had not allowed
for artillery, and they awaited its thundering debut with
palpitant interest.

The discoverer and groom of the relic was unanimously
elected gunner, not a dissenting voice denying his right to
the honor, a right which he failed either to mention or
press. The powder heaped over the touch-hole was jarred
off by the impact of a Sharp's bullet and to replace it
required a kitchen spoon fastened to a stick, which was
an alluring if small target to the anxious aerial riflemen.
At last heaped up again, the gunner declined methods in
vogue for the firing of such ancient muzzle-loaders and
used a bundle of kerosene-soaked paper swinging by a
wire from the end of the spoon. A few practice swings
were held to be fitting preliminaries to an event of such
importance, and then the nervous cannoneer, screwing his
courage to the sticking-point, swept the blazing mass
across the scaly breach and shrunk behind the sheltering
corner. He escaped thunderous destruction by an eyelash,
for what he afterward found was a third of the doughty
weapon whizzed past his corner, taking a large chunk of
sun-dried brick with it. From the besiegers arose guffaws ;
from the defenders, howls of derision; and from the
owner of the adobe hut, imprecation and denouncement
in fluent Spanish. The wall of his habitation closest to
the fieldpiece justified all he said and even all he thought.

" You should ought 'a run it under Kane's before you
touched her off," bawled a hilarious voice from cover.
"Got another?" he demanded. "Tie it together an' try
again."

THE TRAIL-BOSS TRIES HIS WAY 259

The cannoneer without a job affected gaiety, drew
inspiration from the taunts and hastened home to fashion
bombs out of anything he could which would answer his
purpose, finally deciding upon a tomato can and baling
wire, and soon had a task to occupy the flaming fires of
his genius.

Red Frank's, being the weaker of the two defenses and
only point-blank range from the old adobe jail whose
walls, poor as they were, could be relied upon to stop
bullets, formed the favorite point of attack while the
offense settled down into better-ordered channels. Idaho
and others of his exuberent youth decided that it was their
" pudding " and favored it with attentions which were as
barren of results as they were full of enthusiasm. Dis
covering that their bullets passed entirely through the
frame second-story and whirred, slobbered, and screamed
into the air, they wasted ammunition lavishly, ignorant
that for three feet above the second-story floor the walls
were reinforced with double planking of hard wood, each
layer two inches thick. They might turn the upper two-
thirds of walls into a bird cage and do no one any material
damage. And so passed the first day, McCullough's
efforts unavailing in face of the careless enthusiasm of
his men, caused by the novelty of the situation ; and not
until one man had died and several others received serious
wounds did the larking punchers come fully to realize
that the game was deadly, and due to become more so.

CHAPTER XIX

A DESERT SECRET

WHILE McCullough argued and swore and waited
for sanity to return to his frisking men, three
punchers lay on the desert sands north of Sweet Spring,
and baked. The telescope occasionally swept the southern
horizon and went back between the folds of the blanket,
which also hid the guns from the rays of the molten sun.
The situation and most of the possible variations had been
gone over from every angle and a course of action yet
had to be agreed upon. Knowing that a fight in town was
imminent, each feared he would miss it and that the
reward would be lost to them. From their knowledge of
deserts in general they did not wish to assume the labors
of driving a herd back across it, even if they were able
to capture it ; but neither did they wish to let it get entirely
away and be lost to McCullough. And so they continued
to discuss the problem, jerkily and without enthusiasm,
writhing under the sun like frogs on a gridiron. The
afternoon dragged into evening and with the coming of
twilight came quick relief from the heat, soon to be fol
lowed by a cold undreamed of by the inexperienced. The
stars appeared swiftly and blazed with glittering brilliance
through the chill air and the three watchers sought their
blanket rolls for relief.

260

^_ A DESERT SECRET 261

Hopalong unrolled from his covering and arose.
" Dark enough, now," he said. " I'm goin' down to th'
other water-hole to wait for 'em. May learn somethin'
worth while." He rolled his rifle in the blanket to protect
it from sand and stretched gratefully.

"I'm goin' with you," said Johnny, covering his own
rifle.

" I reckon I'll have to lay up here an' hold th' sack, like
a fool," growled Red, who longed for action, even if it
were no more than a tramp through the sand.

"You shore called it, Reddie," chuckled Johnny.
" Somebody has got to stay with th' cayuses ; an' I don't
know anybody as reliable as you. Don't forget, an' build
a camp fire while we're gone," and with this parting insult
Johnny melted into the darkness after his leader and
plodded silently behind him until Hopalong stopped and
muttered a command.

"We're not far away now," he said. "Reckon we
oughtn't get too close till they come to th' hole an' get
settled down. Some of 'em may have to ride far an' wide
if th' herd's ornery, an' run onto us. We've got th'
trumps, an' they're worth twice as much if they don't
know we got 'em. They shoot off their mouths regardless
out here."

Johnny grunted his acquiescence and squatted comfort
ably on his haunches, the tips of the fingers of one hand
in the sand. " Never felt more like smokin' than I do
now," he chuckled. " Got any chewin' ? "

His friend passed over the desired article and Johnny
worried off a generous mouthful. " It's got too many
stems in it; but bein' th' first chew I've had since I got

262 THE BAR-20 THREE

married I ain't kickin'," he complacently remarked.
" Margaret says it sticks to me for hours."

Hopalong grunted. " Gettin' to be real lady-like, ain't
you? " he jeered. " Put perfumery on yore shirt bosom? "

" I would if she wanted me to," retorted his companion.
" I don't just know what I wouldn't do if she wanted me
to."

Hopalong snorted. "That so?" he demanded, pug
naciously. "Reckon she might like to know what yo're
doin' down here, how much longer you aim to stay, an' if
yo're still alive — an' other little foolish things like that.
Let me tell you, Kid, you don't know how big a woman
fills up yore life till you've lost her."

"I can imagine what it would be without her," said
Johnny, slowly and reverently, his heart aching for his
friend's loss. " She knows all about it ; nearly all, anyhow.
I've writ to her every third day, when I could, an' some
times oftener. She may be worryin', but I'm bettin' every
cent I'll ever have that she ain't doin' no cryin' ! There
ain't many wimmen like her, even in this kind of country."

"Then she's shore got Red an' me figgered for a fine
pair of liars," murmured Hopalong; "but just th' same
I'm feelin' warmer toward you than I have for a week,"
he announced. "When did you tell her all about this
scrambled mess ? "

" When I found that I couldn't tell how much longer
I'd have to stay here," confessed Johnny. "I couldn't
write letters an' lie good enough to fool her ; an' I had to
write letters, didn't I ? "

"I'll take everythin' back, Kid," said his companion,
grinning in the dark.

A DESERT SECRET 263

Johnny grunted and the silence began again, a silence
which endured for several hours, such a silence that can
exist between two real friends and be full of under
standing. It endured between them and was not even
broken by the distant, dim flare of a match, nor when low
sounds floated up to them and gradually grew into the
clicking and rattle of horns against horns, and the low
rumble of many hurrying hoofs — hoofs hurrying toward
the water which bovine nostrils had long since scented.
The rumble grew rapidly as the thirst-tortured herd
stampeded for Bitter Spring. A revolver flashed here
and there on the edges of the animated avalanche and
then a sweet silence came to the desert, soon to be tune
fully and pleasantly broken by the soft lowing of cattle
leg deep in the saving water.

Let th' air blow in up-on m-e-e,
Let me see th' mid-night s-k-y;

Stand back, Sisters, from a-round m-e-e:
God, it i-s s-o-o h-a-r-d to d-i-e,

wailed a cracked voice, the owner relieving his feelings.
"Thorpe, if you don't wrastle a hot snack d — d quick,
I'll eat yore ears ! "

"Give him anythin' to stop that yowlin'," bellowed
another. " Can't he learn nothin' but ' Th' Dyin' Nun ' ?
Thank heaven he never learned no more of it. A sick
calf ain't no cheerfuller than him."

" You'll have to eat lively, boys," sang out the trail-boss.
" Everythin' is on th' move in an hour. If yo're in such
a cussed hurry, Jud, get some wood for him. Take it

264 THE BAR-W THREE

from that lame pack horse. Reckon we'll have to shoot
him if he don't get better in a hurry."

Up to my knees in mud I go

An' water to my middle;
Whenever firewood's to be got

I'm Cookie's sec-ond fid-die,

chanted Jud, splashing out to where the lame pack horse
conducted an experiment in saturation. "Hot, cussed
hot," he enlightened the cheerful, but tired group on
the bank. "Hot an' oozy. Hello, hoss," he greeted,
slapping the shrinking shoulder. "You heard what th'
boss said about you? Pick up, Ol' Timer; pick up or
you'll get shot. What? Don't blame you a bit, not a
cussed bit. I'd ruther be shot, too, than tote wood over
this part of h — 1. Oh, well; life's plumb funny. You'll
fry if you do, an' you'll die if you don't. What's th'
difference, anyhow, Ol' Timer ? "

" Hey, Jud," called a voice. " Got a new bunkie ? "

" I could have worse than a cayuse," replied Jud. "A
cussed sight worse."

"There's mocassins, rattlers, copperheads, tarantulas,
an' scorpions in that pond! " warned another.

"You done forgot Gila monsters, tigers an' — an' —
Injuns," retorted Jud. "Now comes a job. With both
arms full of slippin', criss-crossin' firewood, th' rest slidin'
from th' pack, I got to hang on to what I got, put th'
rest back like it ought to go an' make every thin' tight.
Come out here, some d — d fool, an' gimme a hand.
Better move lively — only got four arms an' six hands.

A DESERT SECRET 265

There ! " he exploded. " There goes th' shootin'-match
off th' hoss. Th' wind'll blow 'em ashore an' we can pick
up th' whole caboodle."

" Wind ? " jeered the snake-enumerator. " Where's th'
wind? Yo're a fool!"

"On th' bank, where yo're settin', you thick-headed
ass ! " yelled Jud. " You got so cussed much to say,
suppose you muddy yore lily-white pants an' do somethin'
besides bray ! "

"Did you spill any of 'em, Jud?" anxiously asked a
voice. " I heard a splash."

Jud's reply was such that the trail-boss snapped a warn
ing which checked some of the conversation, and promised
his help. " Wait for me, Jud ; I'm comin'," he said.

"Why don't you send that white-washed idol?" asked
Jud. "I'll show him who's th' fool; an' what a splash
sounds like ! "

Hopalong nudged his companion and they crept for
ward, feeling before them for anything which might
make a sound if stepped on. A vibrant whirl made them
spring back and go around the warning snake, and soon
they reached the little, sandy ridge which had sheltered
Hopalong on his other visit.

" I'm glad you hung on to what you had, Jud," came
Thorpe's thankful voice as his match caught the sun
baked wood and sent a tiny flame licking upward among
the shavings whittled by his knife. "What you do you
allus do right. It's dry as a bone."

"An' so am I," grunted the horse wrangler. " Who's
got their canteen?"

"He's askin' for a canteen, with th' whole pond in

266 THE BAR-20 THREE

front of him ! " laughed a squatting rustler. " Here ; take
mine."

The fire grew quickly and a coffeepot, staunch friend of
weary travelers, was placed in the flame, no one caring
what it looked like or how hot the handle got. Time
passed swiftly in talking of the raid and in consuming
the light, hurried meal and soon the wrangler argued to
his charges from the bank, and then waded in for his own
horse, after which the matter was much simplified. He
had them bunched, the next change of horses had been
cut out by the men and they were ready to resume the
drive when a distant voice hailed them. Soon a lathered
horse glistened in the outer circle of light, and the hard-
riding courier dashed up to the fire.

"They've hit th' town, boys!" he shouted. "Thf
Question-Mark an' th' Diamond L have joined hands
agin' us. Their friends in town are backin' 'em. Kane
says to drive this herd hell-to-leather to th' valley, leave
it there an' burn th' trail back. Where's Hugh Roberts ? "

"Here," answered the trail-boss, stepping forward.
"Hello, Vic."

"Got strict orders from th' boss," said Vic, leaning
over and whispering in the ear of the trail-boss.

Roberts stiffened and swore angrily. "Is that all he
says for us to do ? " he sneered. " I got a notion to tell
him to go to h — 1 ! "

Eager questions assailed him from the pressing group
and he pushed himself free. "He says we are to take
Quayle's hotel, their headquarters, from th' rear at dawn
of th' day we get back — an' hold it ! That's all ! "

An angry chorus greeted the announcement and the

A DESERT SECRET 267

shouting courier had a hard time to make himself heard,
" That's wins for us ! " he yelled. " You get their leaders,
you split 'em in two — an' Kane'll turn his boys loose to
hit 'em during th' confusion. He's got a wise head, I'm
shoutin'. Red Frank's gang smashes from th' west end,
an' they'll never know what happened. We'll have 'em
split three ways, leaderless, not knowin' what's happened.
It'll be a stampede an' a slaughter. Cuss it, I'll be with
you ! That shows what I think of it ! "

" Throw th' herd back on th' trail," ordered the boss.
" We'll drive hard, an' turn th' rest of it over in our minds
as we go. So we can have yore valuable assistance yo're
goin' with us. Get a fresh cayuse from th' caviya. I say,
yo're goin' with us, savvy? "

Covered by the noise of the renewed drive Hopalong
and Johnny wriggled back until they could with safety
arise to their feet, when they hastened back to Red and
tersely reported what they had learned. Red's reply was
instant.

"One of us has got to learn where that herd is kept;
th' others light out for McCullough. Th' herd trailer can
go to town when he gets it located. We can't lose them
cattle, now."

" Right ! " said Hopalong. " I'm puttin' cartridges in
my hand. Th' worst guesser goes after th' herd. Odd
or even. Red, you first," and he placed his clenched fist
in Red's hand.

" Even," said Red, and then he opened the fist, felt of
the cylinders and chuckled. There were two.

Hopalong fumbled at his belt and placed his fist in
Johnny's hand. " Call it, Kid," he said.

268 THE BAR-20 THREE

"Even," said Johnny, carelessly. He felt the closed
hand slowly open and cast his fingers over its palm, rinding
two cartridges, and he grunted. "Better take th' extra
canteens, Hoppy; an' that spyglass. It'll mebby come in
handy. Want Pepper ? "

" Just 'cause she's a good cayuse for you don't say that
she is for me," chuckled the loser. " She knows you ; I'm
a stranger," and he led the way to the picketed and hobbled
horses. In a few minutes he swung into the saddle, the
telescope under his arm, cheerily said his good-byes and
melted into the darkness, bound further into the desert,
where or how far he did not know. Passing the southern
water-hole he drew two cartridges from his belt, placed
one in the palm of his right hand and held the other
between his fingers. Slowly opening the clenched fist he
relaxed the fingers and the second cartridge dropped onto
its mate with a little click. There was no need to cough
now and hide that slight, metallic noise, so he grinned
instead and slowly pushed them back into the vacant
loops.

"Fine job, lettin' th' Kid go out on this skillet," he
snorted, indignant at the thought. "Me, now — it don't
matter a whole lot what happens to me these days; but
th' Kid's got a wife, an' a darned fine one, too. Go on,
you lazy cow — yo're work's just startin'."

It was not long before he caught the noise of the hard-
driven herd well off to his right and he followed by
sound until dawn threatened. Then, slowing his horse,
he rode off at an angle and hunted for low places in the
desert floor, where he went along a course parallel to that
followed by the herd. Persistently keeping from sky lines,

A DESERT SECRET 269

although added miles of twisting detours was the price,
and keeping so far from his quarry that he barely could
pick out the small, dark mass with the aid of the glass,
he feared no discovery. So he rode hour after weary
hour under the pitiless sun, stopping only once to turn
his sombrero into a bucket, from which his horse eagerly
drank the contents of one huge canteen, its two gallons
of water filling the hat several times.

" Got to go easy with it for awhile, bronch," he told it.
"Water can't be so terrible far ahead, judgin' from that
herd pushin' boldlike across this strip of h — 1 — but
cows can go a long time without it when they has to ; an'
out here they shore has to. I'm not cheatin' you — there's
four for you an' one for me, an' we won't change it."

Mile upon burning mile passed in endless procession as
they plodded through hard sand, soft sand, powdery dust,
and over stretches of rocky floor blasted smooth and
slippery by the cutting sands driven against it by every
wind for centuries. An occasional polished bowlder
loomed up, its coat of " desert-varnish " glistening brown
under the pale, molten sun. He knew what the varnish
was, how it had been drawn from the rock and the min
eral contents left behind on the surface as its moisture
evaporated into the air. An occasional "side-winder,"
diminutive when compared to the rattlesnakes of other
localities, slid curiously across the sand, its beady, glitter
ing eyes cold and vicious as it watched this strange invader
of its desert fastness.

Warned at last by the fading light after what had
seemed an eternity of glare, he gave the dejected horse
another canteen of water and then urged it into brisker

27Q THE BAR-SO THREE

pace, to be within earshot of the fleeing herd when dark
ness should make safe a nearer approach.

With the coming of twilight came a falling of tempera
ture and when the afterglow bathed the desert with magic
light and then faded as swiftly as though a great curtain
had been dropped the creeping chill took bold, sudden
possession of the desert air to a degree unbelievable. So
passed the night, weary hour after cold, weary hour ; but
the change was priceless to man and beast. The magic
metamorphosis emphasized the many-sided nature of the
desert, at one time a blazing, glaring thing of sinister
aspect and death-dealing heat; at another cold, almost
freezing, its considerable altitude being good reason for
the night's penetrating chill. The expanse of dim gray
carpet, broken by occasional dark blots where the scrawny,
scattered vegetation arose from the sands, stretched away
into the veiling dark, allowing keen eyes to distinguish
objects at surprising distances. Overhead blazed the
brilliant stars, blazed as only stars in desert heavens can,
seeming magnified and brought nearer by the dry, clear
air. His eyes at last free from the blinding glare of
quivering air and glittering crystals of salts in the sand;
his dry, parched, burning skin free from the baking heat,
which sucked moisture from the pores before perspiration
could form on the surface; he sucked in great gulps of
the vitalizing, cold air and found the night so refreshing,
so restful as to almost compensate for the loss of sleep.

The increased pace of his mount at last brought
reward, for there now came from ahead and from the
right the low, confused noise of hurrying cattle, as con
tinuous, unobtrusive, and restful as the soft roar of »

1

A DESERT SECRET 271

distant surf. So passed the dark hours, and then a warn
ing, silver glow on the eastern horizon caused him to pull
up and find a sandy depression, there to wait until the
proper distance was put behind it by the thirsty herd, still
reeling off the miles as though it were immune to fatigue.
The silver band widened swiftly, changed to warmer tints,
became suffused with crimson and cast long, thin, vague,
warning shadows from sage bush and greasewood — and
then a molten, quivering orb pushed up over the prostrate
horizon and bathed the shrinking sands with its light.

The cold, heavy-lidded rider glowered at it and removed
the blanket which had been wrapped around him, rolling
it tightly with stiff fingers and fumblingly made it secure
in the straps behind the cantle of his saddle.

" There it is again, bronch," he growled. " We'll soon
wonder if th' cold was all a dream."

He stood up in the stirrups and peered cautiously over
the bank of the depression, making out the herd with
unaided eyes.

" They can't go on another day," he muttered. " This
ain't just dry trail — it's a chunk out of h — 1. They
can't stand much more of it without goin' blind, an' that's
th' beginnin' of th' end on a place like this. I'm bettin'
they get to water by noon — an' then we got to wait till
th' coast is clear." He shook the canteen he had allotted
himself and growled again. "About a quart, an' I could
drink a gallon! All right, bronch; get a-goin'," and on
they plodded, keeping to the hollows and again avoiding
all elevations, to face the torments of another murderous
day. Again the accursed hours dragged, again the horse
had a canteen of water, a sop which hardly dulled the edge

272 THE BAR-20 THREE

of its raging thirst. Earth, air, and sky quivered, writhed
and danced under the jelly-like sun and the few, soft night
noises of the desert were heard no more. The leveled
telescope kept the herd in sight as mile followed mile
across the scorched and scorching sand.

The sun had passed the meridian only half an hour
when the sweeping spyglass revealed no herd, but only a
distant ridge of rock, like a tiny island on a stilled sea.

"It shore is time," muttered the rider, dismounting.
" Seein' as how we're nearly there, I reckon you can have
th' last canteen. You shore deserve it, you game old
plodder. An' I'm shore glad them rustlin' snakes have
their orders to get back pronto; but it would just be our
l-uck if that bull-headed trail-boss held a powpow in that
valley of theirs. His name's Roberts, bronch; Hugh
Roberts, it is. We'll remember his name an' face if he
makes us stay out here till night. You an' me have got
to get to that water before another sunrise if all th'
thieves in th' country are campin' on it — we got to, that's
all."

An hour passed and then the busy telescope showed a
diminutive something moving out past the far end of the
distant ridge. Despite the dancing of the heat-distorted
image on the object-glass the grim watcher knew it for
what it was. Another and another followed it and soon
the moving spots strung out against the horizon like a
crawling line of grotesque, fantastic insects, silhouetted
against the sky.

" There they go back to Mesquite to capture Quayle's
hotel an' win th' fight," sneered Hopalong. " I could tell
'em somethin' that would send them th' other way — but

A DESERT SECRET 273

we'll let 'em ride with Fate ; an' get to that water as quick
as yore weary legs can take us. Th' herd is there, bronch ;
all alone, waitin' for us. It's our herd now, if we want
it, which we don't. Huh! Mebby they left a guard!
All right, then; he's got a big job on his hands. Come
on ; get a-goin' ! "

Swinging more and more to the south he soon forsook
the windings of the hollows and struck boldly for the
eastern end of the valley, and when he reached it he
hobbled and picketed the horse, frantic with the heavy
scent of water in its crimson, flaring nostrils, and went
ahead on foot, the hot Sharp's in his hands full cocked
and poised for instant action. Crawling to the edge of
the valley he inched forward on his stomach and peered
over the rim. An exclamation of surprise and incredulity
died in his throat as the valley lay under his eyes, for
it was the valley he had seen in the mirage only a few
days before.

The stolen herd filled the small creek, standing like
statues, soaking in the life-giving fluid and nosing it
gently. One or two, moving restlessly, blundered against
those nearest them and the watcher knew that they had
gone blind. The sharpest scrutiny failed to discover any
guard, and he knew that his uncertain count of the kalei
doscopic riders had been correct. Hastening back to the
restless horse he soon found that it had in reserve a
strength which sent it flashing to the trail's edge and
down the dangerous ledge at reckless speed. At last in
the creek it, too, stood as though dazed and nosed the
water a little before drinking.

Hopalong swung into the stream, removed saddle and

274 THE BAR-W THREE

bridle and then splashed across to the hut, dumping his
load, canteens, and all against the front wall. To make
assurance doubly sure he scouted hurriedly down one side
of the little valley, crossed the creek and went back along
the other wall.

Thorpe's carefully stacked firewood provided fuel for a
cunningly built-up fire; one of Thorpe's discarded tomato
cans, washed and filled in the spring near the hut's walls
sizzled and sputtered in the blazing fire and soon boiled
madly. Picking it out of the blaze with the aid of two
longer sticks the hungry cook set it to one side, threw in
a double handful of Thorpe's coffee, covered it with
another washed can and then placed Thorpe's extra frying
pan on the coals, filling it with some of Thorpe's bacon.
A large can of Thorpe's beans landed close to the fire and
rolled a few feet, and the cheerful explorer emerged from
the hut with a sack of sour-dough biscuits which the
careless Thorpe had forgotten.

" Bless Thorpe," chuckled Hopalong. " I'll never make
him climb no more walls. I wouldn't 'a' made him climb
that one, mebby, if I'd knowed about this."

Looking around as a matter of caution, his glance
embracing the stolid herd and his own horse grazing with
the jaded animals left behind by the rustlers, he fell to
work turning the bacon and soon feasted until he could
eat no more. Rolling a cigarette he inhaled a few puffs
and then, picking up telescope and rifle, he grunted his
lazy way up the steep trail and mounted the ridge, sweep
ing the western horizon first with the glass and then
completed the circle. Satisfied and drowsy he returned
to the valley, spread his folded blanket behind the hut,

A DESERT SECRET 275

placed the saddle on one end of it for a pillow and lay
down to fall asleep in an instant.

When he awakened he stretched out the kinks and
looked around in the dim light. He felt unaccountably
cold and he looked at the blanket which he had pulled over
him some time during his sleep, wondering why he had
felt the need for it during the daylight hours in such a
place as this.

"Well, I'll cook me some more bacon before it gets
dark, an' then set up with a nice little fire, with a 'dobe
wall at my back. It'll be a treat just to set an' smoke an'
plan, th' night chill licked by th' fire an' my happy stomach
full of bacon, beans, an' biscuits — an' coffee, cans an'
cans of coffee."

It suddenly came to him that the light was growing
stronger instead of weaker, that it was not the afterglow,
and that the chill was dying instead of increasing.
Shocked by a sudden suspicion he glanced into the eastern
sky and stared stupidly, surprised that he had not noticed
it before.

" I was so dumb with sleep that I didn't savvy east from
west," he muttered. "It's daylight, 'stead of evenin' —
I've slept all afternoon an' night ! Well, I don't see how
that changes th' eatin' part, anyhow. No wonder I pulled
th' blanket over me, an' no wonder I was stiff."

With the coming of the sun a disagreeable journey
loomed nearer and nearer but, as he told the horse when
cinching the saddle on its back, the return trip would not
be one of uncertainty; nor would they be held down to
such a slow pace by any clumsy herd. A further thought
hastened his movements : there was a big fight going on

276 THE BAR-W THREE

in Mesquite, and his two friends were in it without him.
Looking around he saw that he had cleaned up and effaced
all signs of his visit and, filling the canteens and fastening
them into place, he mounted and rode up the steep slope,
turned his back to the threatening sun and loped westward
along a plain and straight trail, a grim smile on his face.

CHAPTER XX

THE REDOUBT FALLS

AFTER Hopalong had ridden off on his desert trail
ing, Johnny and Red rode to the Question-Mark,
reaching it a little after daylight and were promptly
challenged when near the smaller corral. The sharp voice
changed to a friendly tone when the sentry had a better
look at the pair.

"Thought you'd be up with th' circus," said the
Question-Mark puncher.

"On our way now," replied Johnny. "Come down
here to learn what was happenin'. Meet Red Connors,
an old friend of Waffles."

" Howd'y," grunted the puncher, looking at Red with
a keener interest. "You fellers are lucky — we got to
stay here an' miss it all. Walt come down last night an'
said Kane's goin' to be a hard nut to crack. He's fixed
up like a fort."

" Reckon we'll take a look at it," said Johnny, wheeling.

"Hey! If you want to find Mac, he's hangin' out at
Quayle's."

Johnny waved his thanks and rode on with his cheerful
companion. In due time they heard the distant firing
and not much later rode up to Quayle's back door and
went in. McCullough was raging at the effectiveness of

277

278 THE BAR-W THREE

the sharpshooters on Kane's roof who had succeeded in
keeping the fight at long range and who dominated certain
strategic positions which the trail-boss earnestly desired
to make use of; all of which made him irritable and
unusually gruff.

" Where you been ? " he demanded as Johnny entered.

"Locatin' a missin' herd of yore cattle," retorted
Johnny, nettled by the tone. "They're waitin' for you
when you get time to go after 'em. Now we'll locate them
sharpshooters. Anythin' else you can't do, let us know.
Come on, Red," and he went out again, his grinning friend
at his heels. At the door Red checked him.

"Looks like a long-range job, Kid. My gun's all right
for closer work, but I ought to have a Sharp's for this
game."

Johnny wheeled and went back. " Gimme a Sharp's,"
he demanded.

"Take Wilson's — they got him yesterday," growled
the trail-boss, pointing.

Johnny took the gun and the cartridge belt hanging on
it, joined Red and led the way to a place he had in mind.
Reaching the selected spot, an adobe hut on the remote
outskirts of the sprawled town, he stopped. "This is
good enough for me," he grunted, " except th' range is too
cussed long. Well, we'll try it from here, anyhow."

" I'm goin' to th' next shack," replied Red, moving on.
"We'll use our old follow-shootin' — an' make 'em sick.
Ready? I'm goin' to cross th' open." At his friend's
affirmative grunt Red leaned over and dashed for the
other adobe. A bullet whined in front of him, barely
heard above the roar of Johnny's rifle. He settled down,

THE REDOUBT FALLS 279

adjusted the sights and proceeded to prove title to his
widely known reputation on other ranges of being the
best rifle-shot of many square miles. " Make a hit, Kid ? "
he called. " It's mebby further than you figger."

"It is," answered Johnny. "Like old times, huh?
Lord help 'em when you get started! Are you all set?
I'm ready to draw 'em."

" Wind gentle, from th' east," mumbled Red. " Dirty
gun — got to shoot higher. All right," he called, nestling
the heavy stock.

Johnny pushed his rifle around the corner of the
building, aimed quickly and fired. A hatted head arose
above Kane's roof and a puff of smoke spurted into the
air above it as Red's Sharp's roared. The hat flew back
ward and the head ducked down again, its owner surprised
by the luck of the shot.

Johnny laughed outright. "For a trial shot I'm
admittin' that was a whizzer. I ain't no slouch with a
Sharp's — but how th' devil you can make one behave
like you do is a puzzle to me."

"I'm still starin'," said a humorous, envious voice
behind them and they looked around to see Waffles
hugging the end of the building. " If I can get over on
Red's right I'll help make targets for him."

" Walk right over to that other shack," called Johnny.
"Yo're safe as if you was home in yore bunk. Cover
him, Red."

Waffles' mind flashed back into the past and what it
presented to him greatly reassured him, but to walk was
tempting Providence; he ran across the open and again
Red's rifle roared.

28o THE BAR-SO THREE

" Got him ! " yelled Johnny, staring at the body lying
over the distant parapet. It was swiftly pulled back out
of sight. The rest of Johnny's words were profanely
eulogistic.

" Shut yore face," growled Red. " It was plumb luck."

"Shore it was," laughed his friend in joyous irony;
" but yo're allus makin' 'em. That's what counts."

Waffles, having gained the shelter he coveted, looked
around. " Heads was plentiful up there yesterday. There
was allus one or two bobbin' up. I'm bettin' they'll be
scarcer today."

"They'll be scarcer tomorrow, when we are behind
them other shacks," replied Red. "They're easy three
hundred paces nearer, an' that's a lot sometimes."

"An' twice as much to them," rejoined Johnny. " Th'
nearer you get th' more you make it even terms. You stay
where you are — me an' Waffles'll go out there tonight."

When the afternoon dragged to an end Red had another
sharpshooter to his credit, and the dominating group on
the roof were much less dominant. They cursed the long-
range genius who shot hats off of heads, clipped ears, and
had killed two men. The shooting, with a rest and plenty
of time to aim, would have been creditable enough; but
to hit a bobbing head meant quick handling. They were
properly indignant, for it was a toss-up with Death to
show enough of their heads to sight a slanting rifle. One
of their number, whose mangled ear was bound up with
a generous amount of bandage, savagely hammered the
chisel with which he was cutting a loophole through four
inches of seasoned wood, vowing vengeance on the man
who had ruined his looks.

THE REDOUBT FALLS 281

The light failing for close shooting, the three friends
left their positions and went to the hotel for a late supper,
Red receiving envious, grinning looks as he entered the
dining-room. Idaho promptly forsook his bosom friends
and went over to finish his meal at the table of the new
comers.

"We got Red Frank's place plumb full of holes — you
can see daylight through th' second floor," he announced ;
"but it don't seem to do no good. If I could get close
enough to use a bomb I got, we might clean 'em up."

" Crawl up in th' dark," suggested Waffles.

" Can't ; they spread flour all around th' place, an' th'
minute a man crosses it he shows up plain. Two of us
found out all about that!"

" Go through or over th' buildin's this side of th' place,"
said Johnny, visualizing the street. " They lead up close
to Red Frank's."

Idaho stared, and slapped his thigh in enthusiastic
endorsement. " I reckon you called it ! " he gloated.
" Wait till I tell th' boys," and he hastened back to his
friends. Judging from the sudden noise coming from
the table, his friends were of the same opinion and, bolting
the rest of the meal, they hastened away to forthwith try
the plan.

McCullough entered the dining-room and strode
straight to Johnny. " Did I hear you say you know where
my cattle are? " he asked, sitting down.

Johnny nodded, chewed hurriedly and replied. "I
didn't finish it. / don't know where they are, but Hop-
along is trailin' 'em, an' he'll know when he comes back.
Pay us them rewards now, instead of later, an' I'll do

282 THE BAR-%0 THREE

some high an' mighty guessin' about yore head — an' bet
you th' rewards that I guess right."

The trail-boss laughed. " You've shore got plenty o£
nerve," he retorted. " When this fight is over there won't
be no rewards paid. We got th' whole gang in them two
buildin's, an' we got 'em good. You've had yore trouble
for nothin', Nelson."

"How 'bout th' gang that are with th' herd?" asked
Johnny, a note of anger edging his words.

McCullough shrugged his shoulders. " I ain't worryin'
about them — they'll never come back to Mesquite."

"That so?" queried Johnny, sarcastically. "I ought
to keep my mouth shut, th' way yo're talkin', but I hate
to see good men killed. I'll bet you they'll come back just
at dawn, some time in th' next five days. An' I'll bet you
they'll sneak up on this hotel an' raise th' devil, while
Kane starts a bunch from his place and Red Frank's, to
help 'em. Th' minute they start shootin' in here their
friends '11 sortie out an' carry th' fight to you. Want to
bet on it ? "

McCullough regarded the speaker through narrowed
lids. "How do you figger that?" he demanded sus
piciously. "You gettin' that out of yore medicine bag,
too?" and then he eagerly drank in every word of the
explanation. After a moment's thought he loolWd around
the room and then back to the smiling Johnny. " Much
obliged, Nelson. I'm beginnin' to see that I owe you
fellers somethin', after all. If them fellers we want were
loose an' you got 'em, then of course th' reward would
stand ; but you can't win it very well when we've got 'em
corraled. Who-all is in that bunch with th' herd ? "

THE REDOUBT FALLS 283

Johnny smiled but shook his head.

"Didn't you say you knowed who killed Ridley?" per
sisted the trail-boss.

" I know him, an' how he did it. Hopalong saw him
while his gun was smokin', but didn't know what he had
shot at till later."

"Why didn't you tell me, an' earn that reward right
away ? "

"That's only half of th' rewards," replied Johnny.
" There's money up for th' fellers that robbed th' bank.
If we got Ridley's murderer th' others might 'a' smelled
out what we was after. You see, I was robbed of more
than eleven hundred dollars th' first night I was in town.
Th' money belonged to th' ranch. Th' only chance I had
of gettin' it back was to make th' rewards big enough to
stand three splits that would be large enough to cover it.
An' I'm still goin' to do that, Mac. Pay it now an' we'll
stick with you till you get th' men an' yore herd. Of
course, yo're going to get th' herd, anyhow, as far as we
are concerned. I ain't holdin' that over yore head; I'm
only tryin' to show you why I can't be open an' free with
you."

" I couldn't pay th' rewards now even if I wanted to,"
said the trail-boss.

"I know that, an' I didn't think you would. I was
only showin' you how things are with us."

McCullough nodded, placed a hand on the speaker's
shoulder and arose, turning to Red. " Connors," he said,
"yo're a howlin' wonder with a Sharp's. Much obliged
for holdin' down that roof. If you can clean 'em up there
this fight'll go on a cussed sight faster. Th' cover on th'

284 THE BAR-W THREE

north side of Kane's is so poor that we can't do much
out there, but we can do a little better when them sharp
shooters are driven down. From what I know of you
two, yore friend Cassidy is shore able to trail that herd.
I've quit worryin' about everythin' but th' fight here in
town. An' lemme make a long speech a little longer: If
you fellers can earn them rewards I won't waste no time
in payin' up; but there ain't a chance for you. We got
'em under our guns."

"Who was right about where that raid on you was
goin' to take place?" asked Johnny. "You was purty
shore about that, too, wasn't you ? "

The trail-boss smiled and shook his head. "Yo're a
good guesser," he admitted, and went out to consult with
Lukins.

The next day found the line a little tighter around the
stronghold, thanks to Red's shooting, which increased in
accuracy after he had decided to use closer cover and cut
three hundred paces out of the range. Better positions
had been gained by the attackers during the night, some
of the more daring men now being not far from point-
blank range, which enabled them to make the use of
Kane's loopholes hazardous. To the north another rifle
man lay in a hollow of the sandy plain, but too far away
to do much damage. The north parapet of the building
was hidden from Red by the one on the south and the
aerial marksmen made free use of it.

Red Frank's place was in jeopardy, for Idaho and his
enthusiastic companions were in the building next on the
south, separated from the Mexican's house by less than
twenty feet. There was an open window facing the gam-

THE REDOUBT FALLS 285

bling-house and Idaho, chancing quick glances through it,
noticed that one of the heavy, board shutters of a window
of the upper floor sagged out a little from the top. Sig
naling the men behind the jail to increase their fire, he
coiled his rope and cast it through the window. It struck
the upper edge of the shutter, dropped behind it and grew
swiftly taut Two of his companions added their strength
to his, while the other two covered them by pouring a
heavy revolver fire at the two threatening loopholes. The
shutter creaked, twisted, and then slowly gave way, finally
breaking the lower hinge and sailing over against the
other house to a cheer from the jail. Heavy firing came
through the uncovered window, the bullets passing
through the opposing wall and driving the Diamond L
men to other shelter. Here they waited until it died down
and then, picking up the bomb made by the owner of the
new freight wagon, Idaho lit the jumpy, uncertain fuse,
waited as long as he dared and hurled it across the inter
vening space and through the shutterless window as the
opening was being boarded up. There was a roar, jets
of smoke spurt from windows and holes and the wild
cursing of injured men rang out loudly. A tongue of
flame leaped through a trapdoor on the roof and grew
rapidly brighter. At intervals the smoke pouring up be
came suddenly heavy and thick, but cleared quickly be
tween the onslaughts of the water buckets. Fire now
crept through the side of the frame structure and mounted
rapidly, and such a hail of lead poured through the smoke-
spurting, upper loopholes that it became impossible for
the buckets to be properly used. It was only a matter of
time before the blazing roof and floor would fall on the

286 THE BAR-W THREE

defenders in the adobe- walled structure below, and
through a loophole Red Frank suddenly shoved out a
soiled towel fastened on the end of a rifle barrel.

" Come ahead, with yore hands up! " shouted a stento
rian voice from the jail. " Quit firin', boys ; they're sur-
renderin'." Almost on the tail of his words a hurrying
line of choking Mexicans, bearing their wounded,
streamed from the front door. They were promptly and
proudly escorted by the hilarious attackers to safe quarters
on the southern outskirts of the town.

CHAPTER XXI

ALL WRAPPED UP

MCCULLOUGH and Lukins drew men from the
cordon around the gambling-hall until the line was
thinned and stretched as much as prudence allowed, cover
ing only the more strategic positions, while the men taken
from it were placed in an ambuscade at the rear of
Quayle's hotel. Both leaders would have preferred to
have placed their reception committee nearer the outskirts
of the rambling town but, not knowing from which direc
tion the attack would come and not being able to spare
men enough for outposts around the town, they were
forced to concentrate at the object of the attack. When
night fell and darkness hid the movement they set the
trap, gave strict orders for no one to approach the rear
of the hotel during the dark hours, and waited expec
tantly.

The first night passed in quiet and the following day
found the cordon reen forced until it contained its original
numbers. By nightfall of the second day Red, Johnny,
and Waffles had cleared the parapet and made it useless
during daylight, and as the moon increased in size and
brightness the parapet steadily became a more perilous
position at night for the defenders. All three marksmen,
now ensconced within three hundred yards of the gam-

287

288 THE BAR-W THREE

bling-house and out of the line of sight of every lower
loophole, had the range worked out to a foot. Red and
Waffles had discarded their borrowed Sharp's and were
now using their own familiar Winchesters, and it was
certain death to any man who tried to shoot from Kane's
roof on any side but the north one.

Evening came and with it came a hair-brained attempt
by Idaho and his irrepressibles to capture and use the
stables. Despite McCullough's orders to the contrary the
group of youngsters, elated by their success against Red
Frank's, made the attempt as soon as darkness fell ; and
learned with cost that the stables were stacked decks.
One man was killed and all the others wounded, most of
them so badly as to remove them from the role of com
batants; but one dogged, persistent, and vindictive unit of
the foolish attack managed to set fire to the sun-dried
structures before crawling away.

The baked wood burned like tinder and became a mass
of flames almost in an instant, and for a few minutes it
looked as though they would take the gambling-hall with
them. It was a narrow squeak and missed only because
of a slight shift of the wind. The scattered line of punch
ers to the north of the building, not expecting the sudden
conflagration, had crawled nearer to the gambling-hall
in the encroaching darkness, only to find themselves sud
denly revealed to their enemies by the towering sheets of
flame. They got off with minor injuries only because the
north side of the building was not well manned and be
cause the stables were holding the attention of most of the
besieged. When the flames died down almost as swiftly
as they had grown, the smouldering ashes gave a longer

'ALL WRAPPED UP 289

and less obstructed view to the guards of Kane's east
wall and rendered useless certain positions cherished by
McCullough.

The trail-boss, seething with anger, stamped up to
Lukins and roared his demands, with the result that Idaho
and the less injured of his companions were sent to take
the places of cooler heads in the ambush party and were
ordered to stay in Quayle's stable until after the expected
attack.

In Quayle's kitchen four men waited through the drag
ging hours, breaking the silence by occasional whispers as
they watched the faintly lighted open spaces and the walls
of certain buildings newly powdered with flour so as to
serve as backgrounds and to silhouette any man passing in
front of them. Only the north walls had been dusted and
there was nothing to reveal their freshly acquired white
ness to unsuspecting strangers coming up from the south.
In the stable Idaho and his restless friends grumbled in
low tones and cursed their inactivity. Three men at the
darkened ofHce windows, and two more on the floor above
watched silently. Outside an occasional shot called forth
distant comment, and laughter arose here and there along
the alert line.

On the east end of the line a Diamond L puncher,
stretched out on his stomach in a little depression he had
scooped in the sand during the darker hours of the second
night, stuck the end of his little finger in a bullet hole in
his canteen and rimmed the hole abstractedly, the water
soaking his clothes making him squirm.

"Cuss his hide," he growled. "Now I got to stay
thirsty." He slid a hand down his body and lifted the

£90 THE BAR-SO THREE

dinging clothing from the small of his back. " If it was
only as cold as that when I drink it, I wouldn't grumble.
An' I wasn't thirsty till he spilled it," he added in petulant
afterthought.

To his right two friends crouched behind the aged ruins
of an adobe house, paired off because one of them shot
left-handed, which fitted each to his own corner. " Got
any chewin' ? " asked Righthand. " Chuck it over. Seems
to me that they — " he set his teeth into the tobacco, tore
off a generous quantity and tossed the plug back to its
owner — " ain't answerin' as strong as they was this after
noon."

" No ? " grunted Lefthand, brushing sand from the plug.
He shoved it back into a pocket and reflected a moment.
" It was good shootin' while th' stable burned." Another
pause, and then: "Did you hear Billy yell when them
fools started th' fire?"

Righthand laughed, stiffened, fired, and pumped the
lever of the gun. "I'm gettin' so I can put every one
through that loophole. Hear him squawk ? " He dropped
to his knees to rest his back, and chuckled. " Shore did.
Billy, he was boastin' how near he could crawl to them
stables. I reckon he done crawled too close. Lukins
ought to send them kids home."

In a sloping, shallow arroyo to their right Walt and
Bob of the Question-Mark lay side by side. Behind them
two shots roared in quick succession. Walt lazily turned
his head from the direction of the sounds and peeped over
the edge of the bank.

" I reckon some coyote took a look over th' edge of th'
roof," he remarked.

'ALL WRAPPED UP 291

"Uh-huh," replied Bob without interest and without
relaxing his vigil.

"I don't lay out here one little minute after Connors
leaves that 'dobe," said Walt. He spat noisily and turned
the cud. " I'm savin' shootin' like his is a gift. I'm some
shot, myself, but h — 1 "

" You'd shore a thought so," replied Bob, grinning as
he reviewed something, " if you'd seen that sharpshooter
flop over th' edge of th' roof th' other day. I'd guess it
was close to fifteen hundred." He changed his position,
grunted in complacent satisfaction and continued. " Some
folks can't see a man's forehead at that distance, let alone
hit it. Of course, th' sky was behind it."

"Which made it plainer, but harder to figger right,"
observed Walt. " Waffles says Connors can drive a dime
into a plank with th' first, an' push it through with th' sec
ond, as far away as he can see th' dime. When it's too
far away to be seen, he puts it in th' middle of a black cir
cle, an' aims for th' middle of th' circle. But I put plenty
of salt on th' tails of his stories."

" Which holds 'em down," grunted Bob. " Who's that
over there, movin' around that shack ? "

Walt looked and cogitated. " Charley was there when
I came out," he answered. " Cussed fool — showin' his-
self like that." He swore at a thin pencil of flame which
stabbed out from a loophole, and fired. " Told you so ! "
he growled. " Charley is down ! "

Both fired at the loophole and hazarded a quick look at
the foolish unfortunate, who had dragged himself behind
a hummock of sand. Rapid firing broke out behind them
and, sensing what it meant, they joined in. A crouched

292 THE BAR-W THREE

figure darted from a building, sprinted to the hummock,
swung the wounded man on its back, and staggered and
-zigzagged to cover.

" That was Waffles," said Walt, reloading the magazine
of his rifle. "It's a cussed shame to make a man take
chances like that by bein' a fool."

Behind the building Waffles lowered his burden to the
ground, ripped off the wet shirt and became busy. He
fastened the end of the bandage and stood up. "Fools
are lucky sometimes," he growled; "an' I says you are
lucky to only have a smashed collar bone. You try a fool
trick like that again an' I'll bust yore head. Ain't you
got no sense?"

"Don't you go to put on no airs, Waffles," said Red
Connors. " I can tell a few things on you. I know you."

Johnny chuckled. "Tread easy," he warned. "We
both know you."

" Go to h — 1 ! " grunted the ex- foreman of the O-Bar-O,
grinning. " Fine pair of sage-hens you are to tell tales on
me! I got you thro wed and hog-tied before you even
start." He wheeled at a noise behind him, and glared at
the wounded man. "Where'n h — 1 are you goin'?" he
demanded, truculently.

" Without admittin' yore right to ask fool questions,"
groaned Charley, still moving, " I'll say I'm goin' to join
th' ambush party at Quayle's, an' relieve somebody else."
He gritted his teeth and stood erect. " I can use a Colt,
can't I ? " he demanded.

" Yo're so shaky you can't hit a house," retorted Waf
fles.

" Which I ain't aimin' to do," rejoined the white- faced

'ALL WRAPPED UP 293

man. " You'll show more sense if you'll tie my left arm
like it ought to be, instead of standin' with yore mouth
open. You'll shore catch a cold if you don't shut it purty
soon."

" You stubborn fool ! " growled Waffles, but he fixed the
arm to its owner's satisfaction.

"If he gets smart, Charley," suggested Johnny, "pull
his nose. He allus was an old woman, anyhow."

With the coming of midnight the cordon became
doubled in numbers as growling men rubbed the sleep
from their eyes and took up positions for the meeting of
Kane's sortie in case the hotel was attacked by his ex
pected drive outfit.

The hours dragged on, the silence of the night infre
quently broken by bits of querulous cursing by some
wounded puncher, an occasional taunt from besieger or
besieged and sporadic bursts of firing which served more
for notifications of defiance and watchfulness than for any
grimmer purpose. Patches of clouds now and then drifted
before the moon and sailed slowly on. Nature's denizens
of the dark were in active swing and filled the night with
their soft orchestration. The besiegers, paired for night
work, which let one man doze while his companion
watched, hummed, grumbled, or snored ; in the gambling-
hall fortress weary men slept beside the loopholes, the dis
heartened for a few hours relieved of their fears or carry
ing them across the borderland of sleep to make their
slumbers restless and broken, while scowling, disheart
ened sentries kept a keener watch, alert for the rush
hourly expected.

South of town a group of horsemen pulled up, dis-

294 THE BAR-W THREE

mounted, tied their mounts to convenient brush and slipped
like shadows toward the nearest house, approaching it
round-about and with animal wariness. From house to
house, corral to corral, cover to cover they crept, spread
out in a fan-shaped line, silent, grim, vindictive and des
perate. Not a shadow passed unsearched and unused, not
a bowlder or thicket was above suspicion nor below being
utilized. Nearer and nearer they worked their way, eyes
straining, ears tuned for every sound, high-strung with
nerves quivering, keyed to swift reflex and instant de
cision. The scattered, infrequent firing grew steadily
nearer, every flat report was searched for secret meanings
and the sharp squeak of a gyrating bat overhead sent every
man flat to the earth. The last in the group became can-
nily slower as opportunity offered and soon managed to
be so far behind that his quick, furtive desertion was un
noticed in the tenseness of conjecture as to what lay im
mediately ahead.

Kane's trail-boss slanted his watch under the moon's
rays and gave a low, natural signal, whereupon to right
and left a man detached himself and left the waiting group.
Minutes passed, their passing marked on nervous fore
heads by the thin trickle of cold sweat. Any instant might
a challenge, a shot, a volley ring out on any side ; hostile
eyes might be watching every movement, hostile guns
waiting for the right moment, like ravenous hounds in
leash. The scouts returned as silently as they had de
parted and breathed their reassuring words in Roberts'
ear. The town lay unsuspecting, every waking eye bent
on the bulking gambling-hall. Not a hidden outpost, not
a pacing sentry to watch the harmless rear. To the right

ALL WRAPPED UP 295

showed the roof of a two-story building, bulking above the
low, thick roofs of scattered, helter-skelter adobes, in
any one of which Death might be poised.

Again the slow advance, and breathed maledictions on
the head of any unfortunate who trod carelessly or let his
swinging six-gun click against buckle or button. Roberts,
peering around the end of an adobe wall, held his elbows
from his sides, and progress ceased while a softly whistling
figure strode across the street and became lost to sight.
This was the jumping-off place, the edge of a black
precipice of fate, unknown as to depth or what lay below.
The savage, thankful elation which had possessed every
man at his success in making this border line of life and
death faded swiftly as his mind projected itself into the
unknown on the other side of the house. Roberts knew
what might follow if hesitation were allowed here, and
that the conjecturing minds might have scant time to
waver he nerved himself and snapped his fingers, leaping
around the corner for Quayle's kitchen door, his men
piling after him, still silent and much more tense, yet
tortured to shout and to shoot. Ten steps more and the
goal would have been reached, but even as the leaping
group exulted there came a shredded sheet of flame and
the deafening crash of spurting six-guns worked at top
3peed at point-blank range. The charging line crumpled
in mid-stride, plunged headlong to the silvered sands and
rolled or flopped or lay instantly still. At the head of his
men the rustler trail-boss offered a target beyond the wait
ing punchers' fondest hopes, yet he bounded on unscathed,
flashed around the hotel corner, turned again, doubling
back behind the smoke-filled stable and scurried like a

I

296 THE EAR-W THREE

panic-stricken rabbit for the brush-filled arroyo, while hot
and savage hunters searched the street for him until a
hail of lead from Kane's drove them to any shelter which
might serve.

When the sheltering arroyo led him from his chosen
course Roberts forsook it and ran with undiminished
speed toward where the horses waited. At last he reached
them and as he stretched out his arm his last measure of
energy left him and he plunged forward, rolling across
the sand. But a will like his was not to be baffled and in a
few moments he stirred, crawled forward, clawed him
self into a saddle, jerked loose the restraining rope and
rode for safety, hunched over and but half conscious.
Gradually his pounding heart caught up with the demand,
his burning lungs and spasmodic breathing became more
normal, his head steadied and became a little clearer and
he looked around to find out just where he was. When
sure of his location he turned the horse's head toward,
Bitter Spring, and beyond it, to follow the tracks he knew
were still there to the only safe place left for him in all
the country.

He seemed to have been riding for days when he caught
sight of something moving over a ridge far ahead of him
and he closed his eyes in hope that the momentary rest
would clear his vision. After awhile he saw it push up
over another low ridge and he knew it to be a horseman
riding in the same direction as himself. Again he closed
his eyes and unmercifully quirted the tired and unwilling
horse into a pace it could not hold for long. Another look
ahead showed him that the horseman was a Mexican,
which meant that he was hardly a foe even if not a friend.

ALL WRAPPED UP 297

And he sneered as he thought how little it mattered
whether the Mexican was an enemy or not, for one enemy
ahead and a Greaser at that was greatly to be preferred to
those who might be following him. Soon he frowned in
slowly dawning recognition. It was Miguel and he had
obtained quite a start. Conjecturing about how he had
managed to be so far in the lead stirred up again the vague
suspicions which had been intruding themselves upon him
while he had been unable to think clearly; but he was
thinking clearly now, he told himself, and his eyes glinted
the sudden anger.

He thought he now knew why the town had been en
tered so easily, why they had been allowed to penetrate
unopposed to its center. It was plain enough why they
had been permitted to get within a few feet of Quayle's
back door, and then be stopped with a volley at a mur
derously short range. As he reviewed it he almost was
stunned by the thought of his own escape and he tried to
puzzle it out. It might be that every waiting puncher
thought that others were covering him — and in this he
was right. The compact group behind him had drawn
every eye. It had been one of those freakish tricks of
fate which might not occur again in a hundred fights ; and
it turned cold, practical Hugh Roberts into a slave of
superstition.

On the way to town he had sneered when Miguel had
pointed out a chaparral cock which raced with them for
several miles and claimed that it was an omen of good
luck ; but from this time on no " roadrunner " ever would
hear the angry whine of his bullets. Thinking of Miguel
brought him back to his suspicions and he looked at the

298 THE BAR-20 THREE

distant rider with an expression on his face which would
have caused chills to race up and down the Mexican's
back, could he have seen them. Miguel, unhurt, riding
leisurely back to the herd, with a head-start great enough
to be in itself incriminating. And then the Mexican
turned in his saddle and looked back, and Roberts let
his horse fall into a saner pace.

The effect upon Miguel was galvanic. He reined in,
flung himself off on the far side of his horse and cau
tiously slid the rifle from its scabbard while he pretended
to be tightening the cinch. His swarthy face became a
pasty yellow and then resumed its natural color, a little
darker, perhaps, by the sudden inrush of blood. After
what he had done in town Hugh Roberts would be on
his trail for only one thing. Miguel's racing imagination
and his sudden feeling of guilt for his deliberate, planned
desertion found a sufficient reason for the pursuing horse
man. Sliding the rifle under his arm he waited until the
man came nearer, where a hit would be less of a gamble.
The Mexican knew what had happened, for he had de
layed until he heard that crashing volley, and knew it to
be a volley. Knowing this he knew what it meant and
had fled for Surprise Valley and the big herd waiting
there. That Roberts should have escaped was a puzzle
and he wrestled with it while the range was steadily short
ened, and the more he wrestled the more undecided he be
came. Finally he slipped the gun back, mounted, and
waited for the other to come up. He had a plausible
answer for every question.

Roberts slowed to a walk and searched the Mexican's
eyes as he pulled up at his side. "How'd you get out

ALL WRAPPED UP 299

here so far ahead of me? " he demanded, his eyes cold
and threatening.

Miguel shrugged his shoulders, but did not take his
hand from his belt. "Ah, eet ees a miracle," he breathed.
" The good Virgin, she watch over Miguel. An' paisano,
the roadrunner — deed I not tell you eet was good luck ?
An' you, too, was saved ! How deed eet happen, that you
are save?"

" They none of them looked at me, I reckon," replied
Roberts. " They got everybody but me — an' you. How
is it that yo're out here, so far ahead of me? "

"Jus' before the firs' shootin' — the what you call vol
ley — I stoomble as I try not to step on Thorpe. I go
down — the volley, eet come — I roll away — they do
not see me — an' here I am, like you, save."

" Is that so ? " snapped Roberts.

" Eet ees jus' so, so much as eet ees that somewan tell
we are comin' to Quayle's," answered Miguel. "For
why they do not see us, in the town, when we come in?
For why that volley, lak one shot ? Sometheeng there ees
that Miguel he don' understan'. An' theese, please : Why
ees there no sortie wen we come in ? We was on the ver*
minute — eet ees so?"

"Right on th' dot!" snarled Roberts, his thoughts
racing along other trails. "Huh!" he growled. "Our
shares of th' herd money comes to quite a sizable pile — >
mebby that's it. Take th' shares of all of us, an' it's
more'n half. Well, I don't know, an' I ain't carin' a
whole lot now. Think we can swing that herd, Miguel,
an' split all th' money, even shares ? "

The Mexican showed his teeth in a sudden, expansive

3QQ THE EAR-W THREE

smile. "For why not? Theese hor-rses are ver* tired;
but the others — they are res' now. We can wait at Bitter
Spring tonight, an' go on tomorrow. There ees no hurry
now."

"We don't hang out at Bitter Spring all night," con
tradicted Roberts flatly. " We'll water 'em an' breath 'em
a spell, an' push right on. Th' further I get away from
Mesquite th' better I'm goin' to like it. Come on, let's
get goin'."

"There ees no hurry from Bitter Spring," murmured
the Mexican. "They ees only one who know beyond;
an' Manuel, he ees weeth Kane."

"I don't care a d — n ! " growled his companion, stub
bornly. " I'm not layin' around Bitter Spring any longer
than I has to."

Neither believed the other's story, but neither cared,
only each determined to be alert when the drive across
the desert was completed. Before that there was hardly
need to let their mutual suspicions have full play. Each
was necessary to the success of the drive — but after?
That would be another matter. Fate was again kind to
them both, for as they hurried east Hopalong Cassidy
hastened west along his favorite trail, the rolling sand
between hiding them from him.

Back in the town the elated ambushers buried the
bodies, marveled at the escape of Roberts and drifted
away to take places on the firing line, which soon showed
increased activity. Here and there a more daring puncher
took chances, some regretting it and others gaining better
positions. Red, Johnny, and Waffles attended strictly to

ALL WRAPPED UP 301

the roof, which now had been abandoned on all sides but
the north, where lack of cover prohibited McCullough's
men from getting close enough to do any considerable
damage. The few punchers lying far off on the north
were there principally to stop a sortie or an attempt at
escape. As the day passed the defenders' fire grew a
little less and the Question-Mark foreman was content
to wait it out rather than risk unnecessary casualties in
pushing the fighting any more briskly.

Evening came, and with it came Hopalong, tired, hun
gry, thirsty, and hot, which did not add sweetness to his
disposition. Eager to get the men he wanted and to return
for the herd, he listened impatiently to his friends' account
of the fight, his mind busy on his own account. When the
tale had been told and McCullough's changing attitude
touched upon he shoved his hat back on his head, spread
his feet and ripped out an oath.

" ! " he growled. "All these men, all this time,

to clean up a shack like that ? "

" Mac's playin' safe — it's only a matter of time, now,"
apologized Waffles, glaring at his two companions, who
already had worn his nerves ragged by the same kind of
remarks.

« H — 1 ! " snorted Hopalong impatiently. " We'll all
grow whiskers at this rate, before it's over ! " He turned
to Johnny and regarded him speculatively. " Kid, let Red
an' Waffles handle that roof an' come along with me.
I'm goin' to start things movin'."

"You'll find Mac plumb set on goin' easy," warned
Waffles.

"Th' h — 1 with Mac, an' Lukins, an' you, an' every-

302 THE BAR-W THREE

body else," retorted Hopalong. "We're not workin' for
nobody but ourselves. All I got to do is keep my mouth
shut an' Mac loses a plumb fine herd. Let me hear him
talk to me ! Come on, Kid."

Johnny deserted his companions as though they were
lepers and showed his delight in every swaggering move
ment. A whining bullet over his head sent his fingers to
his nose in contemptuous reply, but nevertheless he went
on more carefully thereafter. As they reached the rear
of a deserted adobe Hopalong pulled him to a stop.

" I'm tired of this blasted cpuntry, an' you ought to be,
for you've got a wife that's havin' dull days an' sleepless
nights. I'm goin' to touch somethin' off that'll put an end
to this fool quiltin' party, an' let us get our money an'
go home. By that I'm meanin' th' SV, for it's goin' to
be home for me. Besides, it's our best chance of gettin'
them rewards. So he's aimin' on cuttin' us out of 'em,
huh? All right; I'm goin' to Quayle's, an' while I'm
holdin' their interest you fill a canteen with kerosene an'
smuggle it into th' stable."

"What you goin' to do?" demanded his companion
with poorly repressed eagerness.

"I'm goin' to set fire to that gamblin'- joint an' drive
'em out, that's what ! "

" Th' moon won't let you," objected Johnny, but as he
looked up at the drifting clouds he hesitated and qualified
his remark. "You'll have times when it won't be so
light, but it'll be too light for that."

"When I start for th' hotel gamblin'-joint I go agin'
th' northeast corner, where there ain't but one loophole
that covers that angle. I got it figgered out. When I

ALL WRAPPED UP 303

start, you an' Red won't be loafin' back there where I
found you, target-practicin' at th' roof."

Reaching the hotel they found a self-satisfied group
complacently discussing the fight. Quayle looked up at
their entry, sprang to his feet and heartily shook hands
with both.

"Welcome to Mesquite, Cassidy," he beamed. "Tis
different now than whin ye left, an* it won't be long be
fore honest men have their say-so in this town,"

"Couple of weeks, I reckon, th' way things are
driftm'," replied Hopalong, smiling as Johnny left the
office to invade the kitchen, where Murphy gave a grin
ning welcome and looked curiously at the huge canteen
held out to him.

"Couple of days," corrected Quayle.

McCullough arose and shook hands with the new
comer. " Hear you been trailin' my herd," he said. " Lo
cate 'em?"

" They're hobbled, and' waitin' for yore boys to drive
'em home. Wish you'd tell yore outfit an' th' others not
to shoot at th' feller that heads for Kane's northeast
corner tonight, but to cut loose at th' loopholes instead.
I'm honin' to get back home, an' so I'm aimin' to bust
up this little party tonight. To do that I got to get close."

" That's plumb reckless," replied the trail-boss. " We
got this all wrapped up now, an' it'll tie its own knots in
a day or two. What's th' use of takin' a chance like
that?"

"To show that bunch just who they throwed in jail!
Somebody else might feel like tryin' it some day, an' I'm
aimin' to make that * some day ' a long way off."

3Q4 THE BAR-20 THREE

"Can't say I'm blamin' you for that. Whereabouts
did you leave th' herd ? "

"Where nobody but me an' my friends, on this side
of th' fence, knows about," answered Hopalong. "I'll
tell you when I see you! again — ain't got time now." He
nodded to the others, went out the way he had come in
and walked off with Johnny, who carried the innocent
canteen instead of putting it into the stable.

As they started for the place where Hopalong had left
his horse, not daring to ride it into town, they chose a
short-cut and after a few minutes' brisk walking Hopa
long pointed to a bunch of horses tied to some bushes.

" Th' fellers that owned them played safer than I did,"
he said, " leavin' 'em out here. I reckon they're all Ques
tion-Mark. "

Johnny put a hand on his friend's arm and stopped
him. " I got a better guess," he said. " I know where all
their cayuses are. Hoppy, that rustlin' drive crew must
'a' come in this way. What you bet ? "

"I ain't bettin'," grunted his companion, starting
toward the little herd, "I'm lookin'. I don't hanker to
lose that cayuse of mine, an' they'll mebby get th' hoss
I ride after I start for their buildin' tonight. He's so
mean I sort of cotton to him. An' he's got some thor
oughbred blood in his carcass, judgin' from what Arch
said. In a case like this it's only fair to use theirs. Be
sides, they're fresh; mine ain't."

Johnny pushed ahead, stopped at the tethered group and
laughed. " Good thing you didn't bet," he called over his
shoulder.

Hopalong untied a wicked-looking animal. " He looks

ALL WRAPPED UP 305

like he'd buffi1 th' ground over a short distance, an' that's
what I'm interested in. I'm goin' down an' turn mine
loose. If things break like I figger they will there's no
tellin' when I'll see him again, an' I don't want him to
starve tied up to a tree. He's so thirsty about now that
he'll head for McCullough's crick on a bee line."

Johnny nodded, considered a moment and went toward
the tie ropes. " Shore, an' not stray far from that grass,
neither." He released the horses except the one he
mounted and then rode up so close to his friend that their
knees rubbed. " No tellin' when anybody will be comin'
this way or when they'll get a drink. You look like you
been hit by an idea. That's so rare, suppose you uncork
it?"

"It's one I've been turnin' over," replied his friend,
" an' it looks th' same on both sides, too."

" Turn it over for me an' lemme look."

" Kid, I'm lookin' for somethin' to happen that shore
will bother Mr. McCullough a whole lot if he happens to
think of it. When that buildin' starts burnin' it's shore
goin' to burn fast They can't fight th' fire like they
should with them punchers pourin' lead into them lighted
loopholes. Once it starts nothin' can stop it ; an' I'm tellin'
you it's shore goin' to start right. Th' south side is goin'
first. They know there's only a few men watchin' th'
north side, an' them few are layin' too far back. It won't
take a man like Kane very long to learn that he's got to
jump, an' jump quick; an' when he does he'll jump right.
Right for him an' right for us. He can't do nothin' else.
You said they got their cayuses in there with 'em? "

Johnny nodded. " So I was told. I'm seem' yore drift,

306 THE BAR-W THREE

Hoppy; an' when Kane an' his friends jump me an' Red
shore will have jammed guns an' not be able to shoot at
'em."

" Marriage ain't spoiled yore head," chuckled his com
panion. "Kane havin' us jailed that way riled me; an'
McCullough tryin' to slip out of payin' them rewards has
riled me some more. I'm washin' one hand with th' other.
Do you think you an' Red could get yore cayuses an' an
extra one for me, in case they get this one, around west
somewhere back of where yo're goin'?"

"How'll this one do for you?" asked his companion,
slapping the horse he was on.

"Plenty good enough."

"Then he'll be there, ready to foller th' jumpers,"
laughed Johnny.

"Good for you, Kid. You shore have got th' drift.
Now, seem' that I may get into trouble an' be too late to
go after 'em when they jump, you listen close while I tell
you where to ride, an' all about it," and the description of
the desert trail and the valley was as meaty as it was terse.
He told his friend where to take the horses and where to
look for him before the night's work began, and then went
back to Kane and his men. " They're bound to head for
that valley. There ain't no place else for 'em to go. I'll
bet they've had that figgered for a refuge ever since they
learned about it."

Johnny laughed contentedly. "An' Mac tellin' me that
he's got 'em all tied up an' ain't aimin' to pay no rewards !
But," he said, becoming instantly grave, " there's one thin'
I don't like. I'm admittin' it's yore scheme, but we ought
to draw lots to see who's goin' to use that kerosene. After

ALL WRAPPED UP 307

all, yo're down here to help me out of a hole. Dig up some
more cartridges, you maverick! "

"Don't you reckon I got brains enough to run it off? "
demanded his friend.

"An' some to spare," replied Johnny; "but I ain't no
idjut, myself. Here ; call yore choice," and he reached for
his belt.

" Yo're slow, Kid," chuckled Hopalong, holding out his
hand. "Call it yourself."

Johnny hesitated, pushed back the cartridges and placed
his hand on those of his friend. " You went at that like
you was pullin' a gun : an' I can't say nothin' that means
anythin' faster. Why th' hurry ? "

" Habit, I reckon," gravely replied his friend. " Savin'
time, mebby ; I dunno why, you chump ! "

" It's a good habit ; an' I'm shore you saved considerable
time, which same I'm aimin' to waste," replied Johnny.
He thought swiftly. Last time he had called " even," and
lost. He was certain that Hopalong wanted the task.
How would his friend figure? The natural impulse of a
slow-witted man would be to change the number. Hop-
along was not slow-witted; on the contrary so far from
slow-witted that he very likely would be suspicious of the
next step in reasoning and go a step further, which would
take him back to the act of the slow-witted, for he knew
that the cogitating man in front of him was no simpleton.
Odd or even : a simple choice ; but in this instance it was
a battle of keen wits. Johnny raised his own hand and
looked down at his friend's, the upper one clasping and
covering the lower; and then into the night-hidden eyes,
which were squinting between narrowed lids to make their

3Q8 THE BAR-20 THREE

reading hopeless. Being something of a gambler Johnny
had the gambler's way of figuring, and this endorsed the
other line of reasoning: he believed the chances were not
in favor of a repetition.

" Cuss yore grinnin' face," he growled. " I said ' even '
last time, an' was wrong. Now I'm say in' * odd.' Open
up!"

Hopalong opened the closed hands and his squinting
eyes at the same instant and laughed heartily. " Kid, I
cussed near raised you, an' I know yore ways. Mebby it
ain't fair, but you was tryin' hard to outguess me. There
they are — pair of aces. Count 'em, sonny; count 'em."

"Count 'em yourself," growled Johnny; "if you can
count that far ! " He peered into the laughing eyes and
thrust out his jaw. " You know my ways, do you ? Well,
when we get back to th' SV, me an' you are goin' in to
Dave's, get a big stack of two-bit pieces an' go at it. I'll
cussed soon show you how much you know my ways!
G'wan ! Get out of here before I get rough ! "

" He's too old to spank," mused Hopalong, kneeing the
horse, "an* too young to fight with — reckon I'll have to
pull my stakes an' move along." Chuckling, he looked
around. "Ain't forgot nothin' about tonight, have you,
child?"

"No!" thundered Johnny. "But for two-bits I
would!'' Hopalong's laugh came back to him and sent a
smile over his face. " There ain't many like you, you old
son-of-a-gun ! " he muttered, and wheeled to return to
the town and to Red.

His departing friend grinned at the horse. " Bronch."
he said, confidently, " he shore had me again. I'm gettin'

ALL WRAPPED UP 309

so cheatin's second nature ; an' worse'n that, I'm cheatin'
my best friends, an' likin' it. Yessir, likin' it ! Ain't you
ashamed of me? You nod that ugly head of yourn again
an' I'll knock it off you ! G'wan : This ain't no funeral
yet!"

CHAPTER xxn

THE BONFIRE

JOHNNY rode up to the hotel, got a Winchester and
ammunition for it from the stack of guns in the
kitchen and then went to the stable for Red's horse and
Pepper. As he led them out he stopped to answer a perti
nent question from the upper window of the hotel and
rode off again, leading the extra mounts.

Ed Doane lowered the rifle and scratched his head.
" Coin' for a moonlight ride," he repeated in disgust as
he drew back from the window. " Cussed if punchers ain't
gettin' more locoed every day. Moonlight ride ! Shore —
go out an' look at th' scenery. Looks different in th'
moonlight — bah ! To me a pancake looks like a pancake
by kerosene, daylight, wood fire or — or moonlight. I
suppose th' moonlight'll get into 'em an' they'll be singin'
love-songs an' harmonizin' ; but thank th' Lord I don't have
to go along ! " He glanced around at a sudden thap! grinned
in the darkness at the double planking on that side wall and
sat down again. " Shoot ! " he growled. " Shoot twice !
Shoot an' be d — d ! Waste 'em ! Reckon th' moonlight's
got into you, you cow-stealin', murderin' pup." Filling
his pipe he packed and lit it, blew several clouds through
nose and mouth and scratched his head again. " Coin' for
a moonlight ride, huh? Well, mebby you are, Johnny,

310

THE BONFIRE 311

my lad ; but Ed Doane's bettin' there's more'n a ride in it.
You didn't go for no moonlight rides before that missin'
friend of yourn turned up; an' then, right away, you ride
up on one hoss, collect two more an' go gallivantin' off
under th' moon. I'm guessin' close. Eddie Doane, I'll bet
you a tenspot them three grizzlies are out for to put their
ropes on them rewards. An' I hope they collect, cussed if
I don't. That Scotch trail-boss is puttin' on too many airs
for me — an' he's rilin' Nelson slow but shore. Go get it,
Bar-2o : I'm bettin' on you."

There came steps to his door. "Ar-re ye there, Ed? "
called a voice.

" Shore; come in, Murphy."

The door opened and closed as the cook entered. " Have
ye a pipeful ? Mine's all gone."

" Help yourself," answered Doane, tossing the sack.
" There it is, by yore County Cork feet."

" I have ut," grunted Murphy. "An' who was th' lad
ye was talkin' to from th' windy just now? "

" Nelson. He's goin' ridin' in th' moonlight. Must aim
to go far, for he's got three horses."

" Has he, now? " Murphy puffed in quiet satisfaction
for a moment. " He's a good la-ad, Ed. Goin' ridin', is he ?
Well, ridin' is fine for them as likes it. But I'm wonderin'
what he's doin' with th' kerosene I gave him ? "

"Kerosene? When?"

" Whin he come in with his friend Cassidy — an' a fine
bye that man is, too. Shure : a hull canteen av it. Two
gallons. He says for me to kape it quiet: as if I'd be
tellin'! Quayle would have me scalp if he knowed it —
givin' away his ile like that. Now where ye goin' so fast ? "

312 THE BAR-%0 THREE

" For a walk, under th' moonlight ! " answered Doane.
"^o're goin', too — an' we're goin' with our mouths shut.
Not a word about th' hosses or th' kerosene. You remem
ber what Cassidy said about goin' agin' Kane's northeast
corner ? Come on — an' see th' bonfire ! "

" Shure, an' who's fool enough to have anny bonfires
now ? "

" Murphy, I said with our mouths shut. Come on, up
near th' jail ! "

The cook scratched his head and favored his companion
with a sidewise glance, which revealed nothing because
of the darkness of the room. "Th' jail?" he muttered.
"He's crazy, he is. Th' jail won't make no bonfire. It's
mud. But as long as he has th' 'baccy, I'll go wid him.
Whist!" he exclaimed as another thap! sounded on the
wall. "An' what's that?"

" This room's haunted," explained Ed.

"Lead th' way, thin; or let me," said Murphy in great
haste. " I'll watch yore mud bonfire."

After leaving the hotel Johnny kept it between himself
and Kane's building, rode to the arroyo which Roberts
had found so useful and followed it until out of sight of
anyone in town. When he left it he turned east, crossed
the main trail and dismounted east of the place where he
and Red had kept watch on the gambling-house roof.
Working his way on foot to his sharpshooting friends he
lay down at Red's side and commented casually on several
subjects, finally nudging the Bar-2O rifleman.

" I'm growin' tired of this spot an' this game," he grum
bled. "They know where we are now, an' that roof's
plumb tame."

THE BONFIRE 313

Red stirred restlessly. " You must 'a' read my mind,"
he observed. " You've had a spell off — stay here while I
take a rest."

"Stay nothin'!" retorted Johnny. "This ain't our
fight, anyhow."

" Somebody's got to stay," objected Red.

"Let Waffles, then," rejoined Johnny. "You don't
care if we look around?"

" I'd just as soon stay here as go any place else," said
the ex- foreman of the O-Bar-O. "Where you fellers
aimin' to go ? "

" Over west to cover Hoppy," answered Johnny, re
membering that this much was generally known. "He
aims to make a dash for th' hotel, an' he's so stubborn
nobody can stop him. He says th' fight's been goin' on
too long ; an' you know how he can use six-guns. To use
'em right he'll have to get plumb close."

" Cussed fool ! " snorted Red, arising to his knees.
" How can he end it by makin' a dash, an' usin' his short
guns ? Mebby he's aimin' to put his rope on it an' pull it
over, shootin' as they pop out from under ! " he sarcastical
ly suggested.

"Mebby; better ask him," replied Johnny. "I did.
Mebby you can get it out of him. When he wants to keep
his mouth shut, he shore can keep it shut tight. There's
no use wastin' our breath on it. He's got some fool
scheme in his head an' he's set solid. All we can do is to
try to save his fool skin. Waffles can hold down this place
till we come back. Come on, Red."

Red grumbled and stretched. "All right. See you later
mebby, Waffles."

THE BAR-W THREE

Johnny turned. " Don't forget an' shoot at th' feller
runnin' for th' east end of th' buildin'," he warned.

" Mac sent th' word along a couple of hours ago," re
plied Waffles, settling down in the place vacated by Red
to resume the watch on the hotel roof, which was fairly
well revealed at times by the moon. He seemed to be
turning something over in his mind, but finally shrugged
his shoulders and gave his attention to the roof. " They've
got somethin' better'n six-guns at close range," he mut
tered. " Well, a man owes his friends somethin', so I'm
holdin' my tongue."

Reaching the horses Johnny and his companion mounted
and rode northward, leading the spare mount.

" What's he up to ? " demanded Red.

" Coin' to set fire to th' shack," answered Johnny, and
he forthwith explained the whole affair.

" Huh ! " grunted Red. " There ain't no doubt in my
mind that it'll work if he can get there an' get th' fire
started." He was silent for a moment and then pulled
his hat more firmly down on his head. "If he don't get
there, I'll give it a whirl. Anyhow, I'd have to leave cover
to get to him if he went down — so it ain't much worse
goin' th' rest of th' way. An' I'm tellin' you this : That
lone loophole is shore goin' to be bad medicine for any
body try in' to use it after he starts. I'll put 'em through
it so fast they'll be crowdin' each other."

"An* while yo're reloadin' I'll keep 'em goin'," said
Johnny, patting his borrowed Winchester. " They'll shore
think somebody's squirtin' 'em out of a hose."

Some time later he stopped his horse and peered around
in the faint light.

THE BONFIRE 315

Red stopped, also. "This th' place?"

"Looks like it — we ought to get some sign of Hoppy
purty soon. Anyhow, we'll wait awhile. Glad that moon
ain't very bright."

"An' cussed glad for th' clouds," added Red. " Clouds
like them ain't th' rule in this part of the country." He
leaned over and looked down at the sand. " Tracks, Kid,"
he said. "Follow 'em?"

" No," answered his companion slowly. " I'm bettin'
they're Hoppy's. Stay with th' cayuses — I'm goin' to
look around," and as he dismounted they heard a hail.
Red swung to the ground as their friend appeared.

"You made good time," said Hopalong, advancing.
" I been off lookin' things over. We can leave th' cayuses
in a little hollow about long rifle-shot from th' buildin'.
From there you two can get real close by travelin' on yore
bellies from bush to bush. Th' cover's no good in day
light, but on a night like this, by waitin' for th' clouds,
it'll be plenty good enough."

" How close did you get ? " asked Johnny.

"Close enough to send every shot through that loop
hole, if I wanted to."

" Did they see you? Did you draw a shot? "

" No. They ain't watchin' that loophole very close.
Ain't had no reason to since th' stables burned. There
ain't nobody been layin' off in this direction. Th' cover
wasn't good enough to risk it, with only a blank wall to
watch, an' with them fellers on th' roof to shoot down.
Red couldn't cover th' north part of it from where he was.
I been wonderin' if I ought to use a cay use at all."

" There's argument agin' usin' one," mused Johnny.

316 THE BAR-%0 THREE

" Th' noise, an' a bigger object to catch attention," re
marked Red. "If you walked th' cayuse to soften its
steps, it still looms up purty big ; an' if you cut loose an*
dash in, th' noise shore will bring a shot. Me an' th' Kid
would have to start shootin' early an' keep it up a long
while — an' we're near certain to leave gaps in th' string."

"What moonlight there is shines on this end of th*
buildin'," observed Johnny. "That loophole show up
plain ? " he asked.

" You can't see nothin' else," chuckled Hopalong. " It's
so black it fair hollers."

Red drew the Winchester from its sheath and turned
the front sight on its pivot, which then showed a thin
white line. He never had regretted having it made, for
since it had been put on he had not suffered the annoy
ance of losing sight of it against a dark target in poor
light. "Bein' bull-headed," he remarked, "you chumps
has to guess; but little Reddie ain't doin' none of it. I
told you long ago to have one put on."

" Shut up ! " growled Johnny, turning his own Win
chester over in his hands.

" I reckon I'm travelin' flat on my stomach," said Hop-
along, slinging the big canteen over his head. " I'll go
with you till we has to stop, let you get set an' then make
a run for it. Seein' that th' Kid has got a repeater, too,
you'll be able to keep lead flyin' most of th' time I'm in
th' open if you don't pull too fast; an' when you run out
of cartridges I'll start with my Colts. I'll be close enough,
then, to use 'em right. When you see that I'm under th'
buildin' go back quite a ways so th' fire won't show you
xip too plain, an' watch th' roof. I'll start a fire under

THE BONFIRE 317

that loophole before I leave, an' that'll spoil their view
through it; an' I ain't leavin' before I've fixed things so
them fellers will have so much to do they won't have
much time for sharpshootin'. That buildin' will burn like
a pine knot"

" Then yo're comin' back th' way you go in ? " asked
Red.

"Shore," answered Hopalong. "Everythin' plain?"

" Watch me," ordered Red, his hand rising and falling.
J'If we space our shots like this we ought to be able to
reload while th' other is emptyin' his gun. Is it too
slow?"

" No," said Johnny, considering.

" No," said the man with the canteen, watching closely.
" It'll take that long to throw a gun into th' loophole an'
line it up, in this light."

"Not bein' used to a repeater like Red is," suggested
Johnny, "I'd better shoot th' second string — that'll give
us three of 'em before it's my time to reload. Red can
slide 'em in as fast as I can shoot 'ern out, timin' 'em like
that."

" You can put 'em through that hole as good as I can,"
said Red. "It's near point-blank shootin'. You do th'
shootin' an' I'll take care of loadin' both guns. We can't
make no blunders, with Hoppy out there runnin' for his
life."

"That's why I ought to do th' runnin'," growled
Johnny. " I can make three feet to his two."

" It's all settled," said Hopalong, decisively. " I got th'
kerosene, an' I'm keepin' it. Come on. No more talkin'."

They followed him over the course he had picked out

318 THE BAR-SO THREE

and with a caution which steadily increased as they ad
vanced until at length they went ahead only when the
crescent moon was obscured by drifting clouds. Ahead
loomed the two-story gambling-hall, its windowless rear
wall of bleached lumber leaden in the faint light. An
occasional finger of fire stabbed from its south wall to be
answered by fainter stabs from the open, the reports flat
and echoless. A distant voice sang a fragment of song
and a softened laugh replied to a ribald jest. A horse
neighed and out of the north came quaveringly the faint
howl of a moon-worshiping coyote.

The three friends, face down on the sand, now each
behind a squat bush, wriggled forward silently but swiftly,
and gained new and nearer cover. Again a cloud passed
before the moon and again they wriggled forward, their
eyes fixed on the top of the roof ahead, two of them
heading for the same bush and the other for a shallow
gully. The pair met and settled themselves to their satis
faction, heads close together as they consulted about the
proper setting of the rear sights. One of them knelt, the
rifle at his shoulder reaching out over the top of the bush,
his companion sitting cross-legged at his side, a pile of
dull brass cartridges in the sombrero on the ground be
tween his knees to keep the grease on the bullets free
from sand.

The kneeling man bent his head and let his cheek press
against the stock of the heavy weapon, whispered a single
word and waited. Twice there came the squeak of a
frightened rat from his companion and instantly from
the right came an answering squeak as the figure of a man
leaped up from the gully and sprinted for the lead-colored

THE BONFIRE 319

wall, the heavy, jarring crash of a Winchester roaring
from the bush, to be repeated at close intervals which
were as regular as the swing of a pendulum. A round,
dark object popped up over the flat roof line and the
cross-legged man on the ground threw a gun to his shoul
der and fired, almost in one motion. The head dropped
from sight as the marksman slid another cartridge into
the magazine and waited, ready to shoot again or to ex
change weapons with his kneeling friend.

The runner leaped on at top speed, but he automatically
counted the reports behind him and a smile flashed over
his face when the count told him that the second rifle was
being used. He would have known it in no other way,
for the spacing of the shots had not varied. Again the
count told of the second change and a moment later an
other extra report confirmed his belief that the roof was
being closely watched by his friends. A muffled shout
came from the building and a spurt of fire flashed from
the loophole, but toward the sky and he fancied he heard
the sound of a falling body. Far to his left jets of flame
winked along a straggling line, the reports at times
bunched until they sounded like a short tattoo, while be
hind him the regular crashing of an unceasing Winchester
grew steadily more distant and flatter.

His breath was coming in gulps now for he had set
himself a pace out of keeping with the habits of years
and the treacherous sand made running a punishment.
During the last hundred feet it was indeed well for him
that Johnny shot fast and true, that the five-hundred
grain bullets which now sang over his aching head were
going straight to the mark. He suddenly, vaguely real-

320 THE BAR-W THREE

ized that he heard wrangling voices and then he threw
himself down onto the sand and rolled and clawed under
the building, safe for the time.

Gradually the jumble of footsteps over his head im
pressed themselves upon him and he mechanically drew
a Colt as he raised his head from the earth. Suddenly
the roaring steps all went one way, which instantly
aroused his suspicions, and he crawled hurriedly to the
black darkness of a pile of sand near the bottom of the
south wall, which he reached as the steps ceased. No
longer silhouetted against the faint light of the open
ground around the building, a light which was bright by
contrast with the darkness under the floor, he placed the
canteen on the ground and felt for chips and odds and
ends of wood with one hand while the other held a ready
gun.

There came the sharp, plaintive squeaking of seldom-
used hinges, which continued for nearly a minute and
then a few unclassified noises. They were followed by
the head of a brave man, plainly silhouetted against the
open sand. It turned slowly this way and that and then
became still.

" See anythin' ? " came a hoarse whisper through the
open trap.

There was no reply from the hanging head, but if
thoughts could have killed, the curious whisperer would
have astonished St. Peter by his jack-in-the-box appear
ance before the Gates.

"If he did, we'd know by now, you fool," whispered
another, who instantly would have furnished St. Peter
with another shock.

THE BONFIRE 321

" He'd more likely feel somethin', rather than see it,"
snickered a third, who thereupon had a thrashing coming
his way, but did not know it as yet.

The head popped back into the darkness above it, the
trapdoor fell with a bang, and sudden stamping was
followed by the fall of a heavy body. Furious, high-
pitched cursing roared in the room above until lost in a
bedlam of stamping feet and shouting voices.

" He ought to kill them three fools," growled Hopalong,
indignant for the moment ; and then he shook with silent
laughter. Wiping his eyes, he fell to gathering more wood
for his fire, careless as to noise in view of the free-for-all
going on over his head. Removing the plug from the
canteen he poured part of the oil over the piled-up wood,
on posts, along beams and then, saturating his neckerchief,
he rubbed it over the floor boards. Wriggling around the
pile of sand he wet the outer wall as far up as his arm
would reach, soaked two more posts and another pile of
shavings and chips and then, corking the nearly empty
vessel, he felt for a match with his left hand, which was
comparatively free from the kerosene, struck it on his heel
and touched it here and there, and a rattling volley from
the besiegers answered the flaming signal. Backing under
the floor he touched the other pile and wriggled to the
wall directly under the loophole. Again and again the
canteen soaked the kerchief and the kerchief spread the
oil, again a pile of shavings leaned against a wetted post,
and another match leaped from a mere spot of fire into a
climbing sheet of flame, which swept up over the loop
hole and made it useless. As he turned to watch the now
well-lighted trapdoor, there came from the east, barely

322 THE BAR-20 THREE

audible above the sudden roaring of the flame, the reports
of the rifles of his two friends, the irregular timing of the
shots leading him to think that they were shooting at ani
mated targets, perhaps on the roof.

The trapdoor went up swiftly and he fired at the head
of a man who looked through it. The toppling body was
grabbed and pulled back and the door fell with a slam
which shook the building. Hopalong's position was now
too hot for comfort and getting more dangerous every
second and with a final glance at the closed trapdoor he
scrambled from under the building, slapped sparks from
his neck and shoulders and sprinted toward his waiting,
anxious friends, where a rifle automatically began the
timed firing again, although there now was no need for it.
Slowing as he left the building further and further behind
he soon dropped into a walk and the rifle grew silent.

"Here we are," called Johnny's cheery voice. "I'm
admittin' you did a good job ! "

"An' 7'm sayin' you did a good one," replied Hopalong.
" Them shots came as reg'Iar as th' tickin' of a clock."

"Quite some slower," said Red. "That gang can't
stay in there much longer. Notice how Mac's firin' has
died down?"

" They're waitin' for 'em to come out an' surrender,"
chuckled Hopalong. " Keep a sharp watch an' you'll see
'em come out an' make a run for it."

" Better get back to th' cayuses, an* be ready to foller,"
suggested Red.

"No," said Johnny. "Let 'em get a good start If
we stop 'em here Mac may get a chance to cut in."

"An' we'll mebby have to kill some of th' men we want

THE BONFIRE 323

alive," said Hopalong. "Let 'em get to that valley an'
think they're safe. We can catch 'em asleep th' first
night"

The gambling-hall was a towering mass of flames on
the south and east walls and they were eating rapidly
along the other two sides. Suddenly a hurrying line of
men emerged from the north door of the doomed struc
ture, carrying wounded companions to places of safety
from the flames. Dumping these unfortunates on the
ground, the line charged back into the building again and
soon appeared leading blind-folded horses, which bit and
kicked and struggled, and turned the line into a fighting
turmoil. The few shots coming from the front of the
building increased suddenly as McCullough led a running
group of his men to cover the north wall. A few horses
and a man or two dropped under the leaden hail, the ac
curacy of which suffered severely from the shortness of
breath of the marksmen. The group expanded, grew close
at one place and with quirts rising and falling, dashed
from the building, pressing closely upon the four leaders,
and became rapidly smaller before the steadying rifles of
its enemies took much heavier toll. Before it had passed
beyond the space lighted by the great fire ®nly four men
remained mounted, and these were swiftly swallowed up
by the dim light on the outer plain.

McCullough and most of his constantly growing force
left cover and charged toward the building to make cer
tain that no more of their enemies escaped, while the rest
of his men hurried back to get horses and form a pursuing
party.

CHAPTER XXXIII

SURPRISE VALLEY

HOPALONG turned and crawled away from the
lurid scene, his friends following him closely. As
soon as they dared they arose to their feet and jogged
toward where their horses waited, and soon rode slowly
northeastward, heading on a roundabout course for Sweet
Spring.

" Take it easy," cautioned Hopalong. " We don't want
to get ahead of 'em yet. If my eyes are any good th' four
that got away are Kane, Corwin, Trask, an' a Greaser.
What you say ? "

Reaching the arid valley through which Sand Creek
would have flowed had it not been swallowed up by the
sands, they drew on their knowledge of it and crossed on
hard ground, riding at a walk and cutting northeastward
so as to be well above the course of the fleeing four, after
which they turned to the southeast and approached the
spring from the north. Reaching the place of their former
vigil they dismounted, picketed the horses in the sandy
hollow and lay down behind the crest of the ridge. Half
an hour passed and then Johnny's roving eyes caught sight
of a small group of horsemen as it popped up over a rise
in the desert floor. A moment later and the group strung
out in single file to round a cactus chaparral and revealed

324

SURPRISE VALLEY 325

four horsemen, riding hard. The fugitives raced up to
Bitter Spring, tarried a few moments, and went on again,
slowly growing smaller and smaller, and then a great slope
of sand hid them from sight.

Hopalong grunted and arose, scanning their back trail.
"They've been so long gettin' out here that I'm bettin'
they did a god job hidin' their trail. I can see Mac an' his
gang ridin' circles an' gettin' madder every minute. Well,
we can go on, now. By goin' th' way I went before we
won't be seen."

" How long will it take us ? " asked Red, brushing sand
from his clothes as he stood up.

" Followin' th' pace they're settin' we ought to be there
tonight," answered Hopalong. " Give th' cayuses all they
can drink. If them fellers hold us off out there we'll have
to run big risks gettin' our water from that crick. Well,
let's get started."

The hot, monotonous ride over the desert need not be
detailed. They simply followed the tracks made by Hop-
along on his previous visit and paid scanty attention to
the main trail south of them, contenting themselves by
keeping to the lowest levels mile after burning mile. It
was evening when they stopped where their guide had
stopped before and after waiting for nightfall they went
on again in the moonlight, circling as Hopalong had cir
cled and when they stopped again it was to dismount where
he had dismounted behind a ridge. They picketed and
hobbled the weary, thirsty horses and went ahead on foot.
Following instructions Red left them and circled to the
south to scout around the great ridge of rock before taking
up his position at the head of the slanting trail from the

326 THE BAR-20 THREE

valley. His companions kept on and soon crawled to the
rim of the valley, removed their sombreros and peered
cautiously over the edge. The faint glow of the fire behind
the adobe hut in the west end of the sink shone in the
shadows of the great rock walls and reflected its light from
bowlders and brush. Below them cattle and the horses of
the caviya grazed over the well-cropped pasture and a strip
of silver told where the little creek wandered toward its
effacement. Moving back from the rim they went on
again, looking over from time to time and eventually
reached the point nearly over the fire, where they could
hear part of the conversation going on around it, when
the voices raised above the ordinary tones.

" You haven't a word to say ! " declared Kane, his out
stretched hand leveled at Trask, the once- favored deputy-
sheriff. "If it wasn't for your personal spite, and your
d — d avarice, we wouldn't be in this mess tonight ! You
had no orders to do that."

Trask's reply was inaudible, but Corwin's voice reached
them.

" I told him to let Nelson alone," said the sheriff. " He
was dead set to get square for him cuttin' into th' argu
ment with Idaho. But as far as avarice is concerned, you
got yore part of th' eleven hundred."

" Might as well, seeing that the hand had been played ! "
retorted Kane. " What's more, I'm going to keep it. Any
body here think he's big enough to get any part of it?"

" Nobody here wants it," said Roberts. " Th' boys I
had with me, an' Miguel, an' myself have reasons to turn
this camp fire into a slaughter, but we're sinkin' our griev
ances because this ain't no time to air 'em. I'm votin' for

SURPRISE VALLEY 327

less squabblin'. We ain't out of this yet, an' we got four
hundred head to get across th' desert. Time enough, later,
to start fightin'. I'm goin' off to turn in where there ain't
so much fool noise. I've near slept on my feet an' in th'
saddle. Fight an' be d — d ! " and he strode from the fire,
keen eyes above watching his progress and where it ended.

The hum around the fire suffered no diminution by his
departure, but the words were not audible to the listeners
above. Soon Corwin angrily arose and left the circle, his
blankets under his arm. His course also was marked.
Then the two Mexicans went off, and the eager watchers
chuckled softly as they saw the precious pair take lariats
from the saddles of two picketed horses and slip noise
lessly toward the feeding caviya. Roping fresh mounts,
and the pick of the lot, they made the ropes fast and went
back to the other horses. Soon they returned with their
riding equipment and blankets, saddled the fresh mounts
and, spreading the blankets a few feet beyond the radius
of the picket ropes, they rolled up and soon were asleep.

" Sensitive to danger as hounds," muttered Johnny.

"Cunnin' as coyotes," growled Hopalong, glancing at
the clear-cut, rocky rim across the valley, where Red by
this time lay ensconced. " I hope he remembers to drop
their cayuses first — Miguel's worth more to us alive."

"An' easier to take back," whispered Johnny. "We
want 'em all alive — an' we'd never get 'em that way if
they wasn't so played out. They'll sleep like they are dead
— luck is with us."

Down at the dying camp fire Kane, his back to the hut,
talked with Trask in tones which seemed more friendly,
but the deputy was in no way lulled by the change. He

328 THE BAR-W THREE

sensed a flaming animosity in the fallen boss, who blamed
him for the wreck of his plans and the organization.
Muttering a careless good night, Trask picked up his
blankets and went off, leaving the bitter man alone with
his bitterness.

Tired to the marrow of his bones, so sleepy that to
remain awake was a torture, the boss dared not sleep. In
the company of five men who were no longer loyal, whose
greed exceeded his own, and each of whom nursed a real
or fancied grudge against him and who searched into the
past, into the days of his contemptuous treatment of
them for fuel and yet more fuel to feed the fires of their
resentment, he dared not close his eyes. On his person
was a modest fortune compacted by the size of the bills
and so well distributed that unknowing eyes would not
suspect its presence; but these men knew that he would
not leave his wealth behind him, to be perhaps salvaged
from a hot and warped safe in the smoking ruins of his
gambling-house.

He stirred and gazed at the glowing embers and an
up-shooting tongue of flame lighted up the small space so
vividly that its portent shocked through to his dulled brain
and sent him to his feet with the speed and silence of a
frightened cat. He was too plain a target and too de
fenseless in the lighted open, and like a ghost he crept
away into the darker shadows under the great stone cliff,
to pace to and fro in an agonizing struggle against sleep.
Back and forth he strode, his course at times erratic as
his enemy gained a momentary victory; but his indomi
table will shook him free again and again ; and such a will
it was that when sleep finally mastered him it did not

SURPRISE VALLEY 329

master his legs, for he kept walking in a circular course
like a blind horse at a ginny.

When he had leaped to his feet and left the hut the
watchers above kept him in sight and after the first few
moments of his pacing they worked back from the valley's
rim and slipped eastward.

" Here's th' best place," said Hopalong, turning toward
the rim again. They looked over and down a furrow in
the rock wall. "We'll need two ropes. It'll take one,
nearly, to reach from here to that knob of rock an' go
around it. Red's got a new hemp rope — bring that, too.
If he squawks about us cuttin' it, I'll buy him a new one.
Got to have tie ropes."

Johnny hastened away and when he returned he threw
Red's lariat on the ground, and joined the other two.
Fastening one end around the knob of rock he dropped
the other over the wall and shook it until he could see
that it reached the steep pile of detritus. Picking up the
hemp rope he was about to drop it, too, when caution told
him it would make less noise if carried down. Slinging
it over his shoulder he crept to the edge, slid over, grasped
the rope and let himself down. Seeing he was down his
companion was about to follow when Johnny's whisper
checked him.

"Canteens — better fill 'em while it's easy."

Hopalong drew his head back and disappeared and it
was not much of a wait before the rope was jerking up
the wall and returned with a canteen. To send down
more than one at a time would be to risk them banging
together. When they all were down Johnny took them
and slipped among the bowlders, Hopalong watching his

33Q THE BAR-W THREE

progress. For caution's sake the water carrier took two
trips from the creek and sent them up again one at a time.
Soon his friend slid down, glanced around, took the
hemp rope and cut it into suitable lengths, giving half of
the pieces to Johnny and then without a word started
for the west end of the valley, treading carefully, Johnny
at his heels.

Roberts, sleeping the sleep of the exhausted, awoke in
a panic, a great weight on his legs, arms, and body, and a
pair of sinewy thumbs pressing into his throat. His
struggles were as brief as they were violent and when
they ceased Hopalong arose from the quiet legs and re
leased the limp arms while his companion released the
throat hold and took his knees from the prostrate chest.
In a few minutes a quiet figure lay under the side of a
rock, its mouth gagged with a soiled neckerchief and the
new hemp rope gleaming from ankles, knees, and wrists.

Corwin, his open mouth sonorously announcing the
quality of his fatigue, lay peacefully on his back, tightly
rolled up in his blankets. Two faint shadows fell across
him and then as Johnny landed on his chest and sunk the
capable thumbs deep into the bronzed throat on each side
of the windpipe, Hopalong dropped onto the blanket-
swathed legs and gripped the encumbered arms. This
task was easy and in a few minutes the sheriff, wrapped
in his own blankets like a mummy, also wore a gag and
several pieces of new hemp rope, two strands of which
passed around his body to keep the blanket rolled.

The two punchers carried him between two bowlders,
chuckled as they put him down and stood up to grin at
each other. The blanket-rolled figure amused them and

SURPRISE VALLEY 331

Johnny could not help but wish Idaho was there to enjoy
the sight He moved over against his companion and
whispered.

"Shore," answered Hopalong, smiling. "Go ahead.
It's only fair. He knocked you on th' head. I'll go up
an' spot Kane. Did it strike you that he must have a lot
of money on him to be so h — 1-bent to stay awake ? I
don't like him pacin' back an' forth like that. It may
mean a lot of trouble for us ; an' them Greasers are too
nervous to suit me. When yo're through with Trask slip
off an' watch them Mexicans. Don't pay no attention
to me no matter what happens. Stick close to them two.
I'll give you a hand with 'em as soon as I can get back.
If you have to shoot, don't kill 'em," and the speaker went
cautiously toward the hut.

Johnny removed his boots and, carrying them, went
toward the place where he had seen the deputy bed down ;
but when he reached the spot Trask was not there.
Thanking his ever-working bump of caution for his silent
and slow approach he drew back from the little opening
among the rocks and tackled the problem in savage haste.
There was no time to be lost, for Hopalong was not aware
that any of the gang was roaming around and might not
be as cautious as he knew how to be. Why had Trask
forsaken his bed-ground, and when ? Where had he gone
and what was he doing? Cursing under his breath Johnny
wriggled toward the creek where he could get a good view
of the horses. Besides the two picketed near the sleeping
Mexicans none were saddled nor appeared to be doing
anything but grazing. Going back again Johnny searched
among the bowlders in frantic haste and then decided

332 THE BAR-%0 THREE

that there was only one thing to do, and that was to head
for the hut and get within sight of his friend. Furious
because of the time he had lost he started for the new
point and finally reached the hut. If Trask was inside
he had to know it and he crept along the wall, pausing only
to put his ear against it, turned the corner and leaped
silently through the door, his arms going out like those
of a swimmer. The hut was empty. Relieved for the
moment he slipped out again and started to go toward
Kane.

"I'll bet a month's pay — " he muttered and then
stopped, his mind racing along the trail pointed out by the
word. Pay ! That was money. Money ? As Hopalong
had said, Kane must have plenty of it on him — money?
Like a flash a possible solution sprang into his mind.
Kane's money! Trask was a thief, and what would a
thief do if he suspected that the life savings of a man
like Kane might easily be stolen ? And especially when he
had been so angered by the possessor of the wealth?

"I got to move pronto!" he growled. "I'm no friend
of Kane's but I ain't goin' to have him killed — not by a
coyote like Trask, anyhow. We got to have him alive,
too. An' Hoppy?" His reflections were such that by
the time he came in sight of Kane his feelings were a
cross between a mad mountain lion and an active volcano.
He stopped again and looked, his mind slowly forsaking
rage in favor of suspicion. Kane was walking around
in a circle, his eyes closed ; his feet were rising and falling
mechanically and with an exaggerated motion.

"War dancin'?" thought Johnny. "What would he
do that for? He ain't no Injun. I'm sayin' he's loco.

SURPRISE VALLEY 333

Kane loco ? Like h — 1 ! Fellers like him don't get loco.
Makin' medicine ? I just said he ain't no Injun. Prancin'
around in th' moonlight, liftin' his feet like they had ropes
to 'em to jerk 'em. An' with his eyes close shut! I'm
gtttin' a headache — an' I'm settin' tight till I get th' hang
of this walkin' Willy. Mebby he thinks he's workin' a
charm ; but if he is he ain't goin' to run it on me ! "

He pressed closer against the bowler which sheltered
him and searched the surroundings again, slowly, painstak
ingly. Then there came a low rustling sound, as though a
body were being dragged across dried grass. It was to his
left and not far away. If it is possible to endow one sense
with the total strength of all the others, then his ears were
so endowed. Whether or not they were strengthened to
an unusual degree they nevertheless heard the rubbing of
soft leather on the bowlder he lay against, and he held
his breath as he reversed his grip on the Colt.

" Hoppy, or Trask ? " he wondered, glad that his head
did not project beyond the rock. A quick glance at the
milling Kane showed no change in that person's antics
and he felt certain that he had not been detected by the
boss. He froze tighter if it is possible to improve on per
fection, for his ears caught a renewal of the sounds. Then
his eyes detected a slow movement and focussed on a
shadowy hand which fairly seemed to ooze out beyond
the rock. When he discerned a ring on one of the fingers
he knew it was not Hopalong, for his friend wore no
ring. That being so, it only could be Trask who was
creeping along the other side of the rock. Johnny glanced
again at the peripatetic gang leader and back to the creep
ing hand, and wondered how high in the air its owner

334 THE SAR-20 THREE

would jump if it were suddenly grabbed. Then he men
tally cursed himself, for his independent imagination
threatened to make him laugh. He could feel the tickle
of mirth slyly pervading him and he bit his lip with an
earnestness which cut short the mirth. The hand stopped
and the heel of it went down tightly against the earth as
though bearing a gradual strain. Johnny was reassured
again, for Trask never would be stalking Kane if he had
the slightest suspicion that enemies, or strangers, were in
the valley, and he hazarded another glance at Kane.

The mechanical walker was drawing near the rock again
and in a few steps more would turn his back to it and
start away. By this time Johnny had solved the riddle,
for although such a thing was beyond any experience of
his, his wild guess began to be accepted by him: Kane
was walking in his sleep. Where was Hopalong? He
hoped his friend would not try to capture the boss until
he, himself, had taken care of Trask. This must be his
first duty, and knowing what Trask would do very shortly
he prepared to do it.

He got into position to act, moving only when the slight
sound of Kane's footfalls would cover the barely audible
noise of his own movements. Kane's rounding course
brought him nearer and then several things happened at
once. The owner of the hand leaped from behind the rock
and as his head popped out into sight a Colt struck it,
and then Johnny started for Kane ; but as he reached his
feet something hurtled out of the shadows to his right
and bore the boss to the ground. Then came the sound
of another gun-butt meeting another head and the swiftly
moving figure seemed to rebound from the boss and sail

SURPRISE V 'ALLEY 335

toward Johnny, who had started to meet it. He swerved
suddenly and muttered one word, just as Hopalong
swerved from his own course. They both had turned in
the same direction and came together with a force which
nearly knocked them out. Holding to each other to keep
their feet, they recovered their breath and without a word
separated at a run, Hopalong going to Kane and Johnny
to Trask. Less dazed by the collision than his friend was,
Johnny finished his work first and then helped Hopalong
carry Kane to the shelter of the rock.

"Good thing you forgot what I said about watchin'
them Greasers," grunted Hopalong. "It's them next, if
— " his words were cut short by two quick shots, which
reverberated throughout the valley, and without another
word he followed his running companion, and scorned
cover for the first few hundred yards.

When they got close to the trail they saw two bulks on
it, which the moonlight showed to be prostrate horses.

" Where are they, Red ? " shouted Johnny. " They're
th' only ones free ! "

"Down near you somewhere," answered the man
above, and his words were proved true by a bullet which
hummed past Johnny's ear. He dropped to his stomach
and began to wriggle toward the flash of the gun, Hopa
long already on the way.

Cut off from escape up the trail the two Mexicans tried
to work toward the hut, from which they could put up
a good fight ; but their enemies had guessed their purpose
and strove to drive them off at a tangent.

Red, watching from the top of the cliff, noticed that
the occasional gun flashes were moving steadily north-

336 THE BAR-20 THREE

westward and believed it safe to leave his position and
take an active hand in the events below. After their expe
rience on the up-slanting trail the Mexicans would hardly
attempt it again, even though they managed to get back
to the foot of it, which seemed very improbable. The
thought became action and the trail guard started to
wriggle down the declivity, keeping close to the bottom of
the wall, where the shadows were darkest. Because of the
necessity for not being seen his progress was slow and
quite some time elapsed before he reached the bottom and
obtained cover among the scattered rocks. The infre
quent reports were further away now, and they seemed
to be getting further eastward. This meant that they were
nearer to the hut, and his decision was made in a flash.
The hut must not be won by the fugitives, and he arose
and ran for it, bent over and risking safety for speed.
After what seemed to be a long time he reached the
little cleared space among the rocks, bounded across it,
and leaped into the black interior of the hut. Wheeling,
he leaned against the rear wall to recover his breath,
watching the open door, a grim smile on his face. While
keeping his weary watch up on the rim he had craved
action, and congratulated himself that he now was a great
deal nearer to it than he was before.

Meanwhile the two fugitives, not stomaching a real
stand against the men whom they had seen exhibit their
abilities in Kane's gambling-hall, had managed to work
on a circular course until they were northwest of the hut
and not far from it. This they were enabled to do because
they were not held to a slow and cautious advance by
enemies ahead of them, as were the old Bar-2o pair. They

SURPRISE VALLEY 337

were moving toward the hut, not far from the north wall
of the valley, when they blundered upon Trask. In a
moment he was released and began a frantic search for
his gun, which he found among the rocks not far away.
Losing no time he hurried off to release the man he would
have robbed, glad to have his assistance. Kane went into
action like a spring released and began a hot search for his
Colt. When he found it, the cylinder was missing and
suspicious noises not far away from him forced him to
abandon the search and seek better cover, armed only with
a deadly and efficient steel club.

Hopalong and Johnny, guided entirely by hearing, fol
lowed the infrequent low sounds in front of them, think
ing that they were made by the Mexicans, and drew stead
ily away from the hut. The Mexicans, motionless in their
cover, exulted as their scheme worked out and finally went
on again with no one to oppose them. Reaching the last
of the rocky cover they arose and ran across the open,
leaped into the hut and turned, chuckling, to close the
door, leaving Trask to his fate.

Warned by instinct they faced about as Red leaped.
Miguel dropped under a clubbed gun, but Manuel, writh
ing sidewise, raised his Colt only to have it wrenched
from his hand by his shifty opponent. Clinching, he drew
a knife and strove desperately to use it as he wrestled with
his sinewy enemy. At last he managed to force the tip of
it against Red's side, barely cutting the flesh ; and turned
Red into a raging fury. With one hand around Manuel's
neck and the other gripping the wrist of the knife-hand,
Red smashed his head again and again into the Mexican's
face, his knee pressing against the knifeman's stomach.

338 THE BAR-W THREE_

Suddenly releasing his neck hold Red twisted, got the
knife-arm under his armpit, gripped the elbow with his
other hand and exerted his strength in a twisting heave.
The Mexican screamed with pain, sobbed as Red's knee
smashed into his stomach and dropped senseless, his arm
broken and useless. Red dropped with him and hastily
bound him as well as possible in the poor light from the
partly opened door.

He had just finished the knot in the neckerchief when a
soft, swift rustling appraised him of danger and he moved
just in time. Miguel's knife passed through his vest and
shirt and pinned him to the hard-packed floor. Before
either could make another move the door crashed back
against the wall and Kane hurtled into the hut, landing
feet first on the wriggling Mexican. He put the knife
user out of the fight and pitched sprawling. His exclama
tion of surprise told Red that he was no friend and now,
free from the pinning knife, Red pounced on the scram
bling boss.

The other struggles of the crowded night paled into in
significance when compared to this one. Red's superior
strength and weight was offset by the fatigue of previous
efforts, and Kane's catlike speed. They rolled from one
wall to another, pounding and strangling, Kane as inno
cent of the ethics of civilized combat as a maddened bob
cat, and he began to fight in much the same way, using his
finger-nails and teeth as fast as he could find a place for
them. Red wanted excitement and was getting it. Torn
and bleeding from nails and teeth, his blows lacking power
because of the closeness of the target and his own fatigue,
Red shed his veneer of civilization and fought like a gorilla.

SURPRISE VALLEY 339

Planting his useful and well-trained knee in the pit of his
adversary's stomach, he gripped the lean throat with both
hands and hammered Kane's head ceaselessly against the
hard earth floor, while his thumbs sank deeply on each
side of the gang leader's windpipe. Too enraged to sense
the weakening opposition, he choked and hammered until
Kane was limp and, writhing from his victim's body, he
knelt, grabbed Kane in his brawny arms, staggered to his
feet and with one last surge of energy, hurled him across
the hut. Kane struck the wall and dropped like a bag of
meal, his fighting over for the rest of the night.

Red stumbled over the Mexicans, fell, picked himself
up, and reeled outside, fighting for breath, his vision
blurred and kaleidoscopic, staring directly at two men
among the rocks but seeing nothing. " Come one, come
all — d — d you ! " he gasped.

Trask, thrice wounded, hunted, desperate, fleeing from
a man who seemed to be the devil himself with a six-gun,
froze instantly as Red appeared. Enraged by this unex
pected enemy and sudden opposition where he fondly ex
pected to find none, Trask threw caution to the winds and
raised the muzzle of the Colt. As he pulled the trigger a
soaring bulk landed on his shoulders, knocking the explod
ing weapon from his hand and sending him sprawling.
Snarling like an animal he twisted around, wriggled from
under and grabbed Johnny's other Colt from its holster.
Before he could use it Johnny's knee pinned it and the
hand holding it to the ground. A clubbed six-gun did the
rest and Johnny, calling to Red to watch Trask, hurried
away to see if Roberts and Corwin were loose. The latter
was helpless in the blanket, but Roberts had freed his feet

340 THE BAR-ZO THREE

and was doing well with the knots on his wrists when
Johnny's appearance and growled command put an end
to his efforts. He put the rope back on the kicking feet
and arose as Hopalong limped up.

" Phew ! " exclaimed Johnny. " This has been a reg'lar
night ! Here, you stay with Corwin while I tote this coyote
to th' hut." He got Roberts onto his back and staggered
away, soon returning for the sheriff.

Dawn found six bound men in varying physical condi
tion sitting with their backs to the hut, their wounds crude
ly dressed and their bounds readjusted and calculated to
stay fixed. Kane was vindictive, his eyes snapping, and he
seethed with futile energy, notwithstanding the mauling
he had received. His lean face, puffed, discolored and
wolfishly cruel, worked with a steadily mounting rage,
which found vent at intervals in scathing vituperative
comments about Trask, whom he still blamed for the pre
dicament in which he found himself. Corwin, sullen and
fearful, kept silent, his fingers picking nervously at the
buckle and strap on the back of his vest. Roberts was
angry and defiant and sneered at his erstwhile boss, send
ing occasional verbal shafts into him in justification of
Trask. The two Mexicans had sunk into the black depths
of despair and acted as though they were stunned. Trask,
a bitter sneer on his face, glared unflinchingly at the
storming boss and showed his teeth in grim, ironical
smiles.

"Th' crossbreed shows th' cur dog when th' wolf is
licked," he sneered in reply to a particularly vicious attack
of Kane's. "What you blamin' me for? You took yore
share of Nelson's money, an' took it eager. You heard

SURPRISE VALLEY 341

me ! " he snarled. " I don't care who knows it — I got it,
an' you took yore part of it. It was all right then, wasn't
it ? An' you didn't know it was his — you let him make a
fool of you an' wouldn't listen to me. But as long as you
got yourn you didn't care a whole lot who lost it. Serves
you right."

" Shut up ! " muttered Roberts.

" Shut up nothin'," jeered Trask. " Think I'm goin' to
swing to save a mad dog like him ? Look at him ! Look
at th' dog breakin' through th' wolf! Wolff Huh!
Coyote would be more like it. Don't talk to me!" He
looked at the camp fire and at the man busy over it. "I
can eat some of that, Nelson," he said.

Johnny nodded and went on with the cooking.

Sounds of horses clattering down the steep trail sud
denly were heard and not much later Red rode up on a
horse he had captured from the rustlers' caviya and dis
mounted near the fire. His face was a sight, but the grin
which tried to struggle through the bruises was sincere.
He dropped two saddles to the ground, the saddles belong
ing to the Mexicans, which he had stopped to strip from
the dead horses on the trail up the wall.

" Our cayuses went loco near th' crick," he said. " I left
Hoppy to take off th' saddles an' let 'em soak themselves,"
referring to the three animals they had left up on the desert
the evening before. " I'm all ready to eat, Kid. How's it
shapin' up ? "

" Grab yore holt," grunted Johnny. He stood up to rest
his back. "Mebby it would be more polite to feed our
guests first," he grinned.

Red looked at the line-up. " We'll have to feed 'em, I

342 THE BAR-SO THREE

reckon. I ain't aimin' to untie no hands. Who's first ? "

" Don't play no favorites," answered Johnny. " Go up
an' down th' line an' give 'em all a chance." He faced the
prisoners. " ,You fellers like yore coffee smokin' ? " Only
two men answered, Roberts and Trask, and they did not
like it smoking hot. "Let it cool a little, Red; no use
scaldin' anybody."

The prisoners had all been fed when Hopalong appeared
on another horse from the rustlers' caviya and swung
down. " Smells good, Kid ! an' looks good," he said. " I
got all th' saddles on fresh cayuses, waitin' — all but these
here. We'll lead our own cayuses. That Pepper-hoss of
yourn acts lonesome. She ain't lookin' at th' grass, at all."
He sat down, arose part way and felt in his hip pocket,
bringing out the cylinder of a six-gun. Glancing at Kane,
to whom it belonged, he tossed it into the brush and re
sumed his seat.

Johnny's face broke into a smile and he whistled shrilly.
Quick hoof beats replied and Pepper, her neck arched,
stepped daintily across the little level patch of ground and
nosed her master.

"Ha!" grunted Trask. "That's a hoss!" A malig
nant grin spread over his face and he turned his head to
look at Kane. " Kane, how much money, that money you
got on you now, would you give to be on that black back,
up on th' edge of th' valley ? All of it, I bet ! "

" Shut up ! " snapped Roberts, angrily.

"Go to h — 1," sneered Trask, and he laughed nastily.
"You wait till I speak my little piece before you tell me
to shut up ! No dog is goin' to ride me to a frazzle, blamin'
me for this wind-up, without me havin' somethin' to say

SURPRISE VALLEY 343

about it ! " He looked at Red. " What was them two
shots I heard, up there on top ? They was th' first fired
last night."

"That was me droppin' th' Greasers' cayuses from
under 'em on th' ledge," Red answered. " They was pullin'
stakes for th' desert."

"Leavin5 us to do th' dancin', huh?" snapped Trask.
"All right ; I know another little piece to speak. Where
you fellers takin' us ? "

Red shrugged his shoulders and went off to get horses
for the crowd.

A straggling line of mounted men climbed the cliff trail,
the horses of the inner six fastened by lariats to each other,
and three saddleless animals brought up the rear. They
pushed up against the sky line in successive bumps and
started westward across the desert.

CHAPTER XXIV

SQUARED UP ALL AROUND

MESQUITE, still humming from the tension of the
past week felt its excitement grow as Bill Trask,
bound securely and guarded by Hopalong, rode down the
street and stopped in front of Quayle's, where the noise
made by the gathering crowd brought Idaho to the door.

" Hey ! " he shouted over his shoulder. " Look at this ! "
Then he ran out and helped Hopalong with the prisoner.

Quayle, Lukins, Waffles, McCullough, and Ed Doane
fell back from the door and let the newcomers enter, Idaho
slamming it shut in the face of the crowd. Then Ed
Doane had his hands full as the crowd surged into the bar
room.

" Upstairs ! " said Hopalong, steering the prisoner ahead
of him. In a few minutes they all were in Johnny's old
room, where Trask, his ropes eased, began a talk which
held the interest of his auditors. At its conclusion McCul
lough nodded and turned to Hopalong.

"All this may be true," he said ; " but what does it all
amount to without th' fellers he names ? If you'd kept out
of th' fight an' hadn't set fire to that buildin' we would 'a'
got every one of them he names. Gimme Kane an' th'
others an' better proof than his story an' you got a claim
to that reward that's double sewed."

344

I SQUARED UP ALL 'AROUND 345

Hopalong seemed contrite and downcast. He looked
around the group and let his eyes return to those of the
trail-boss. " I reckon so," he growled. " But have you
got th' numbers of th' missin' bills ? " he asked, skeptically.

"Yes, I have; an' a lot of good it'll do me, now!"
snapped McCullough. " We was countin' on them for th'
real proof, but that fool play of yourn threw 'em into th'
discard! What'n h — 1 made you set that place afire?"

Hopalong shrugged his shoulders. " I dunno," he mut
tered. " Waz you aimin' to find th' missin' bills on them
fellers ? " he asked. " Would that 'a' satisfied you ? "

"Of course ! :' snorted the trail-boss. "An' with Trask,
here, turnin' agii:' 'em like he has it would be more than
enough. Any fool knows that ! "

Hopalong arose. "I'm glad to hear you come right
out an' say that, for that's what I wanted to know. I've
been bothei/ed a heap about what you might ask in th' line
of proof. You shore relieve my mind, Mac. If you
fellors will straddle leather we'll ride out where Kane an'
th' others Trask named are waitin' for visitors. I don't
reckon they none of them got away from Johnny an' Red."
f " What are you talkin' about ? " demanded McCullough,
his mouth open from surprise.

" I mean we've got Kane, Roberts, Corwin, Miguel, an'
another Greaser all tied up, waitin' to turn 'em over to you
an' collect them rewards. As long as we know just what
you want, an' can give it to you, I don't see no use of
waitin'. I'm invitin' Lukins an' th' rest along to see th'
finish. What you goin' to do with Trask ? "

McCullough was looking at him through squinting eyes,
his face a more ruddy color. Glancing around the group

346 THE BAR-20 THREE

he let his eyes rest on Trask. Shrugging his shoulders he
faced Hopalong. "Take him south, I reckon, virith th'
others. If he talks before a jury like he's talked up here
I reckon he won't be sorry for it." He walked to a window
and looked down into the street. "Hey!" He called.
"Walt, get a couple of th' boys an' come up jiere right
away. We got somebody for you to stay with," and in a
few minutes he and the others left Walt and his compan
ions to guard and protect the prisoner.

The sun was at the meridian when Hopalong led his
companions into the Sand Creek camp an 1 dismounted in
front of Red, who was watching the \

"Where's th' Kid?" he asked curi<

" Don't jrcw do ijw wwrrym' "answi «fcd. He low
ered ms voice and put his mouth close to his friend's ear.
''' Th' Greaser on th' end is goin* to pieces. Pound him
hard an' he'll show his cards."

The information was conveyed to McCuHough, who
stood looking at the downcast group. He strode over to
Miguel, grabbed his shoulders and jerked him to his i'eet.
Running his hands into the Mexican's pockets he brouf ht
out a roll of bills. Swiftly running through them he drev-'
out a bill, compared it with a slip which he produced from
his own pocket, whirled the bound man around and glared
into the frightened eyes.

" Where'd you get this ? " he shouted, shaking his cap
tive.

" Kane geeve eet to me — he owe me money," answered
the Mexican.

"What for?" demanded McCullough, ohaking him
again.

SQUARED UP ALL AROUND 347

"I lend heem eet."

"You loaned him money?" roared the trail-boss.
" That's likely ! Why did he give it to you ? "

Miguel shrugged his shoulders and did not answer.
McCullough jerked him half around and pointed to
Hopalong. "This man here saw you sneakin' from
Kane's south stable with a smokin' Sharp's in yore hand
after you shot Ridley. Trask says you did it. Is this all
Kane gave you for that killin' ? "

f " I could no help," protested Miguel, squirming in the

trail-boss' grip. "Wen Kane he say do theese or that

rtheeng, I mus' do eet. I no want to but I mus'."

, I McCullough whirled around and faced Corwin. " That

: story you told me down in th' bunkhouse that night about

how Bill Long shot Ridley is near word for word what

Bill says about th' Greaser, an' Trask's story backs him

) up. How did you come to know so much about it ? Come

• on, you coyote ; spit it out ! Who told you what to say ? "

'-, Corwin's silence angered him and he showed his teeth.

"There's a lynchin' waitin' for you in town, Corwin,

f if you don't s+op it by speakin' up. Who told you

that?"

Corwin looked away. " Miguel," he muttered. " I told
you I was hopin' to get th' real one."

" He lie ! I never say to heem one word ! " shouted the
Mexican. "He lie! Kane, he was the only one who
know like that beside me! "

"Stand up, Sheriff!" snapped McCullough. He
searched the sullen prisoner and found two rolls of bills.
Going quickly over them he removed and grouped certain
of them, and then compared them with his list. " There's

.-348 THE BAR-20 THREE

five here that tally with th' bank's numbers." he said,
looking up. " Where'd you get 'em ? "

"Won 'em at faro-bank."

"Won five five-hundred-dollar bills at faro, when
•everybody knows yo're a two-bit gambler ? " shouted the
.trail-boss. "I'm no d — d fool! Don't you forget
what I said about th' lynchin', Corwin. I'm all that
stands between you an' it. Where'd you get 'em? Like
Trasksaid?"

Corwin's hunted look flashed despairingly around the
.group. "No," he said. "Kane gave 'em to me, to gpet
changed into smaller bills ! "

" Reckon Kane must 'a' robbed that bank all by hisself ,' '
sneered McCullough. "I never knowed he had diamond
drills an' could bust safes. Didn't you go along to protect
an' keep an eye on that eastern safe-blower that Kane had1
come to do th' job? Pronto! Didn't you? "

" I had to," growled Corwin, in a voice so low that
the answer was lost to all but the man to whom he was
talking. .

McCullough gave him a contemptuous shove and
wheeled to question Roberts. " Get up," he ordered, and
searched the rustler trail-boss. "By G — d!" he ex
claimed when he saw the size of the roll. "You coyotes
was makin' money fast! There's near three thousand
here! Let's see how they compare with my list." In a
few moments he nodded. "How'd you get these five-
hundred-dollar bills ? Kane give 'em to you, too ? "

" No, Kane didn't give 'em to me ! " snapped Roberts
in angry contempt. "I earned 'em as my share of th'
-bank robbery, along with Corwin, th' white-livered snake !

SQUARET UP ALL 'AROUND 349

Kane didn't give -in to either of us." He glared at the
one-time sheriff. "I'm sayin' plain that if I ever get a
chance I'm aimh' to shoot this skunk, along with Trask.
You hear me?"

" If you a.ii't got a gun, hunt me up an' I'll lend you
one," offered Idaho.

"Shut up!" snapped McCullough, glaring at the
puncher. Whirling he pushed Roberts away. " It'll be
a long time before you shoot anybody or anythin'. Now,
then," he said, stepping up in front of Kane: "Get up!"

Kane arose slowly, his eyes burning with rage. He sub
mitted to the exploring fingers of the trail-boss and main-
tavned a contemptuous silence as his shirt was whipped
rip out of his trousers and the two money belts removed
from around his waist.

McCullough opened the belts and his eyes at the same
time. Neatly folded bunches of greenbacks followed each
other in swift succession from the pockets of the belts
and, scattering as they were tossed into a pile, made quite
an imposing sight. Staring eyes regarded them and more
than one observer's mouth gaped widely.

" Seven thousand," announced McCullough, reaching
for another handful. "I'm sayin' you wasn't leavin'
nothin' behind." He looked up again after a moment.
" Eighteen thousand five hundred," he growled and picked
up another handful. " Holy mavericks! " he breathed as
the last bill was counted and placed on the new pile.
"Forty-nine thousand eight hundred and seventy! You
was takin' chances, totin' all that with this gang of thieves !
Fifty thousand dollars, U. S. ! "

Handing his written list to Quayle, he selected the

350 THE BAR-SO 1HREE

five-hundred-dollar bills and callel off the numbers
laboriously, Quayle as laboriously hmting through the
list. It took considerable time before tley were checked
off and put to one side, and then he lookeo up.

"There's still a-plenty of them bills m/ssin'," he an
nounced. " Where did they get to ? "

Hopalong stepped forward and drew a roll from his
pocket. " Here's what I found on Sandy Woods when he
died in this camp," he said, offering it to the astonished
trail-boss.

McCullough took it, opened and counted it and called
the numbers off to the excited holder of the list.

"They're all on th' list — th' Lord be praised!" s^id
Quayle.

"Where'd Sandy Woods come in this?" demanded*
McCullough, looking around from face to face.

Roberts sneered. "Huh! He was th' man that took
th' safe-blower out of th' country. He didn't have no
hand in th' bank job. I'm glad th' skunk died, an' I'm
glad it was me that planned his finish. He shore must
'a' held up that feller. How much is there, in th' bank's
bills?"

" Five thousand," answered the trail-boss.

" He got it all, cuss him ! " snorted Roberts.

McCullough looked at Kane. " I never hoped to meet
you like this," he said. "I ain't goin' to ask you no
questions — -you can talk in court, an' explain how you
came to have so many of th' registered bills ; an' there's
other little things you can tell about, if somebody don't
tell it all first." He turned to Hopalong. "We'll be
takin' these fellers to th' ranch now."

SQUARED UP ALL 'AROUND 351

" Better take th' reward money out of that bundle,"
replied Hopalong, nodding at the money in the hands of
the trail-boss. " We've dealt 'em like you asked, an' gave
you th' cards you want. Our part is finished."

McCullough looked from him to the prisoners and then
at his friends. "How can I hand it to you?" he asked.
" Where's Nelson ? He's settin' in this."

" He'll show up after th' money's paid," said Red in
nocently as he arose.

McCullough hesitated and looked around again. As he
did so Idaho carelessly walked over to Red, smoothing out
a cigarette paper, and took hold of a paper tag hanging
out of Red's pocket and pulled it. Carelessly rolling a
cigarette he shoved the tobacco sack back where he
had found it, but he did not leave Red's side. Blow
ing a lungful of smoke into the air he smiled at
McCullough.

" Shucks, Mac," he said. " You shouldn't ought to have
no trouble findin' them rewards in that unholy wad. An'
mebby you could find Nelson's missin' eleven hundred on
Trask, if you looked real hard. I like a man that goes
through with his play."

" I'm not lookin' for no eleven hundred at all ! " snapped
McCullough. "An' I ain't shore that they've earned th*
reward, burnin' that buildin' like they did ! They let these
fellers get away, first!"

"I just handed you th' money I found on Sandy
Woods," said Hopalong. " That's like givin' it to you to
pay us with. H — 1 ! You act like you hated to make
good Twitchell's bargain. Well, of course, you don't
have to take this bunch, nor th' money, neither; but I'm

352 THE BAR-80 THREE

sayin' they don't go separate. Suits us, Mac — we'll keep
th' whole show — money an' all, if you say so."

"Fine chance you got!" retorted the trail-boss, bri
dling. "They're here — an' I'm takin' 'em, with th'
money."

" There ain't nobody takin' nothin'," rejoined Hopalong
calmly, "until th' bargain's finished. Don't rile Johnny,
off there in th' brush ; he's plumb touchy." His drawling
voice changed swiftly. "Come on — a bargain's a bar
gain. Five thousand, now! "

" Mac ! " said Quayle's accusing voice.

The trail-boss looked at the money in his hand and
slowly counted out the reward amount, careful not to
include any of the registered bills. "Here," he said,
handing them to Hopalong. " You give us a hand gettin'
'em to th' ranch?"

"If three of us could catch 'em, an' bring 'em here,"
said Hopalong, coldly, " I reckon you got enough help to
take 'em th' rest of th' way — if you steer clear of town."

"Don't worry, Mac," said Idaho, cheerfully. " Til go
along with you."

The trail-boss growled in his throat and began, with
Lukins, Waffles, and Quayle, to get the prisoners on the
horses. This soon was accomplished and he headed them
south, Lukins on the other side, Quayle and Waffles and
Idaho bringing up the rear.

" Better come to town for a celebration," called the pro
prietor, disappointment in his voice. "Ye can leave at
dawn."

Johnny shook his head. " There's a celebration waitin'
at th' ranch," he shouted, and turned to find his two com-

SQUARED UP ALL AROUND 353.

panions mounted and his black horse waiting impatiently
for him. Mounting, he wheeled to face northward, but
checked the horse and turned to look back in answer to a
faint hail from Idaho, and grinned at the insulting gesture
of the distant puncher.

He replied in kind, chuckled, and dashed forward to
overtake his moving friends.

" Home ! " he exulted. " Home — an' Peggy ! "

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Laughing Girl, The. By Robert W. Chambers.
Law Breakers, The. By Ridgwell Cullum.
Law of the Gun, The. By Ridgwell 'Cullura.

Popular Copyright Novels

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A. L. Burt Company's Popular Copyright Fiction

League of the Scarlet Pimpernel By Baroness Orczy

Lifted Veil, The. By Basil King. '

Lighted Way, The. By E. Phillips Oppenheim.

Lin McLean. By Owen Wister.

Little Moment of Happiness, The. By Clarence Budington

Kelland.

Lion's Mouse, The. By C. N. & A. M. Williamson.
Lonesome Land. By B. M. Bower.
Lone Wolf, The. By Louis Joseph Vance.
Lonely Stronghold, The. By Mrs. Baillie Reynolds.
Long Live the King. By Mary Roberts Rinehart.
Lost Ambassador. By E. Phillips Oppenheim.
Lost Prince, The. By Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Lydia of the Pines. By Honore Willsie.
Lynch Lawyers. By William Patterson White.

Macaria. (111. Ed.) By Augusta J. Evans.

Maid of the Forest, The. By Randall Parrish.

Maid of Mirabelle, The. By Eliot H. Robinson.

Maid of the Whispering Hills, The. By Vingie E Roe

Major, The. By Ralph Connor.

Maker of History, A. By E. Phillips Oppenheim.

Malefactor, The. By E. Phillips Oppenheim.

Man from Bar 20, The. By Clarence E. Mulford

Man from Bitter Roots, The. By Caroline Lockhart.

Man from Tall Timber, The. By Thomas K. Holmes.

Man an the Jury Box, The. By Robert Orr Chipperfield.

Man-Killers, The. By Dane Coolidge.

Man Proposes. By Eliot H. Robinson, author of "Smiles*

Man Trail, The. By Henry Oyen.

Man Who Couldn't Sleep, The. By Arthur Stringer.

Marqueray's Duel. By Anthony Pryde.

Mary 'Gusta. By Joseph C. Lincoln.

Mary Wollaston. By Henry Kitchell Webster.

Mason of Bar X Ranch, By E. Bennett.

Master Christian, The. By Marie Corelli.

Master Mummer, The. By E. Phillips Oppenheim.

Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. By A. Conan Doyle.

Men Who Wrought, The. By Ridgwell Cullum.

Midnight of the Ranges. By George Gilbert.

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Mischief Maker, The. By E. Phillips Oppenheim.

Missioner, The. By E. Phillips Oppenheim.

Miss Million's Maid. By Berta Ruck.

Money Master, The. By Gilbert Parker.

Money Moon, The. By Jeffery Farnol.

Moonlit Way, The. By Robert W. Chambers.

More Tish. By Mary Roberts Rinehart.

Mountain Girl, The. By Payne Erskine.

Mr. Bingle. By George Barr McCutcheon.

Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo. By E. Phillips Oppenheim.

Mr. Pratt. By Joseph C. Lincoln.

Mr. Pratt's Patients. By Joseph C. Lincoln.

Mr. Wu. By Louise. Jordan Miln.

Mrs. Balfame. By Gertrude Atherton.

Mrs. Red Pepper. By Grace S. Richmond.

My Lady of the North. By Randall Parrish.

My Lady of the South. By Randall Parrish.

Mystery of the Hasty Arrow, The. By Anna K. Green.

Mystery of the Silver Dagger, The. By Randall Parrish.

Mystery of the 13th Floor, The. By Lee Thayer.

Nameless Man, The. By Natalie Stunner Lincoln.

Ne'er-Do-Well, The. By Rex Beach.

Net, The. By Rex Beach.

New Clarion. By Will N. Harben.

Night Horseman, The. By Max Brand.

Night Operator, The. By Frank L. Packard.

Night Riders, The. By Ridgwell Cullum.

North of the Law. By Samuel Alexander White.

One Way Trail, The. By Ridgwell Cullum.

Outlaw, The. By Jackson, Gregory.

Owner of the Lazy D. By William Patterson White.

Painted Meadows. By Sophie Kerr.

Palmetto. By Stella G. S. Perry.

Paradise Bend. By William Patterson White.

Pardners. By Rex Beach.

Parrot & Co. By Harold MacGrath.

Partners of the Night. By Leroy Scott.

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