THE STORY Garrett O'Hara, young lawyer, on his way to practice at Concho, wild western town, is shot at from ambush by Shep Sanderson, who mistakes him for Judge Warner, whom certain cattle interests wish to prevont holding court, Barbara Steelman, who thought the shot was di- rected at her, warns Garrett not toe go to Concho because of the big cattle war. in town San- derson picks a fight with Garrett and is getting the worst of f(t when Ingram, cattle baron, in terrupts, Steve Worrall tells Garrett about the cattle war be- tween Ingram and Steelman, fa- ther of Barbara. Garrett tells " Ingram desires to remain neutral, the latter declares there neutrality. Bob killer for 1 n, saves Garrett g smith-Bere ¥ Sanderson 3 Garrett CHAPTER V Carrett Holds the Fort From the doorway, where Five mir into view, them. rode came Quant as the wy We fs this { done? O'Hara ask “Fitch, the bird calls himself. He gunned Two-Ace Burke from I reckon you know all about it,” trell answered. “We don't. Where Is Burke badly hurt?” “He'll never be replied eallously, Boot Hill this Men trooped from the house. there,” one of them announced, “No, but he's been there,” the Texas Kid announced. “He had breakfast right in that room. Fiteh never was thorough. I know that bird. He didn’t wash his cup an’ plate.” “Some one had breakfast here. You're right about that,” O'Hara ad- mitted. “We Just go back from the eamp where our boys are branding. Whoever this fellow wad he's gone before we got here.” “What's the use of foolin’ with those pligrims?’ Sanderson cut in savagely. “They know where Fitch is at. They'll tell us or well bump ‘em off right ow." “Sure they know. This from a freckle-faced cowboy named Buck Gro- gan, He was a brother of the man known as the Texns Kid. “They've thrown In with Steelman and his outfit,” spoke up a big rangy fe:low whose right cheek bulged from a wad of tobacco. “Been livin' up at his place, Betcha the Old Man's backin' this very ranch.” O'Hara looked around on them, brown competent men, hard-visaged, ruthless, They had ridden hard and ambush, Quan- * did it happen? deader,” the Iad “We buried him in ‘9 mornin’, “Not ” TEE. far for vengeance. He realized that they were not going to be particular where the blow fell, If they could not find Fitch they might strike at the men who they thought were protecting him. Any adherent of Wes Steel- man's would do, given a reasonable excuse, He could not understand the psychology of such people. There was Bob Quantrell, for instance. He had been friendly with Smith-Beresford. He had protected them both, But Gar. rett knew that now he would not lift a hand to save them {f Sanderson or the others moved to strike, Quantrell spoke. “I'm going up to that bunch of timber an’ comb it, Three-four of you fellows come along with me. We'll take care of these gents when we get back.” Three men followed Quantrell to the The four and rode the grove, O'Hara caught the eye of his partner and the two edged back toward Very riders the discovery, hi horses, mounted toward the goon woul one which mi reaction in disastrous 1g trouble. “We've nothing O'Hara expla here as peac we want bors, about putting te of defense. Bol back barricaded it with a trunk. He the window cur tains, Another trunk he pushed into doorway, then dragged a there and propped It up in front of the trunk as a protection against bullets, All this had taken him scarcely a score of seconds, From a rack he drew rifles, a repeating Winchester for one, nnd two of Smith-Beresford's hunting guns brought with him from England. From behind the trunk and mattress O'Hara took in the situation. Two men were wounded seriously. He could see them lying on the ground where thelr companions had dragged them, Most of the others were gath- ered in a group near the horses, San- derson, waving a bandanna meant for a flag of truce, had stepped a few yards forward from the rest, Garrett felt, as he had more than once in the past weeks, that odd lift of the spirit that eame with danger. He was wounded In two places. H's companion lay helpless on the bed, A dozen desperate men, all heavily armed, were ready to swoop down on him. But he had proved his mettle, He had fought them, one against four, and driven them into retreat. These killers could and they probably would destroy him and his friend. But he knew, with an exultant thrill of racing blood, that he was not afraid of them; into a st door, he drew and he knew, too, that there would be no safety in surrender. Two of them had been wounded by him, perhaps mortally, The others would have their revenge, Sanderson would see to that. From the bed came a faint murmur. “Hold the fort, Old Top.” “No use to give up. Sanderson would never let us get away alive, , . Badly hurt, Lyulph?” “About all I can In the chest.” “Sorry. I'm hit in the shoulder and the stomach, but 1 feel pretty strong yet. Wonder if they'll rush the place.” Garrett could see the enemy grouped in consultation. Presently the men They were spreading out to house. A bullet struck front of him. Another mattres The Win- answer, carry, old chap. scattered, surround the the trunk in plowed int chester In his Apparently they O'Hara could count at least 0 ine ands barked an had settled down to a siege, five foes In the fan-shaped open ¢ ( in front of him. They were all behind cover, but the flashes of their weapons told him they lay Three or “How're you be for the was nothing g the metal Unfa ist, he wound. Ti 3 1 looked Lomach ere +31 bruise where there but a ee SS 4 Ot WNU Service buckle flesh, had been driven against Undoubtedly the had flected the bullet and saved his life. Hour after hour the on. Smith-Beresford became delirious Garrett bathed his face and gave him water to drink, and wet cloth on his forehead, The lawyer knew that his own f wns mounting. The wound in his shoulder pained a good deal. It wis his that the bullet had smashed a bone, clasp slege dra chest left a young wer guess fact that paying him a com recornized the were Grimly he the attackers pliment by their have rushed the affair In two minutes, the he had oblect le caution, They might and ended the Evider cabin great to wounded counted The men ficient cost as too were a them, now? ison to Vhat re they up to hed from the b headed toward t ve men were hel make the grad “Who started it?" demanded Ingram. The Texas Kid young fellow had a answered him. The blood-stained The idea that there is unlucky about the 82 that persons tear the corners off them to avert misfortune-occasional- Iy arouses curiosity, something bill—s0 nany A number of our readers have writ: ten in with suggestions to account for the belief in the unluckiness of this particular note. One, however, a merchant in Pennsylvania, says from bis experience as a retailer that “there is no question of superstition in connection with the £2 bill, It Is Just a darned nuisance. “There Is no compartment provided in our cash register for them.” he writes, “and when we are handed one by a customer we have to secrete it away somewhere until we get a “Higher Place” Explained Jack was the cause of much trouble to his parents. At school he was al ways at the foot of the class. One day, however, he came flying home, “Dad