THE CENTRE
THE STORY
Garrett O'Hara,
on his way to
Concho, wild western town, Is
shot at from ambush by Shep
Sanderson, who mistakes him for
Judge Warner, whom certain
cattle Interests wish to prevent
holding court. Barbara Steelman,
who thought the shot was di-
rected at her, warns Garrett not
to go to Concho because of the
big cattle war. Steve Worrall
tells Garrett about the cattle
war between Ingram and Steel-
man, father of Barbara. Garrett
tells Ingram he desires to re-
main neutral, but the latter de-
clares there can be no neutral-
ity. Bob Quantrell, young killer
for Ingram, saves Garrett and
an Englishman, Smith-Beresford,
from being shot by Sanderson.
The three become friends. Gar-
rett accidentally witnesses a
meeting between Barbara and
Ingram. They are lovers. Garrett
and the Englishman buy a ranch
with Steelman as silent partner
Fitch, Steelman man, kills an In.
gram follower. A p« includ-
ing Quantrell and Sanderson,
capture and t g Fitch. Sander-
son starts a fight at the ranch
and Garrett and the Englishman
are wounded. Ingram and Bar-
bara appear and put an end to
the fight Quantrell changes
sides 1 joins with the two
“tenderfeet.” A lull in the cattle
war follow Quantre
Sanderson and another
gunman,
young lawyer,
practice at
use,
1
I kills
ingram
CHAPTER VII—Continued
a
He could not leave the subject on
that note. It was incongruous that all
the splendid life of her should be sub-
merged in a shame born of an un-
happy experience for which he did not
feel her to blame. He looked away
at broken line of the silhouetted hills
pushing their crests skyward. Pres-
ently he sald, as though the comment
were a “I wouldn't think
much of a man who couldn't do some-
thing foolish {f—Iif he was fond of—
of some one."
“You mean of a girl,” she specified.
“Say of a girl,” he admitted, and the
color came again into his face. Never
before had he talked about such
things to a woman,
“Yes, but a girl is
know that well enough. It's her place
to be modest and wait. She mustn't
show her feelings, If she's nice she's
not to
till
O'Hara summoned his courage and
blurted what was in mind.
“You couldn't be anything but sweet
and good. | wish—I wish you wouldn't
talk that way. All you've done 1s
what I'd want you to do {f—if— ©
He stopped. The hot blood stained
his face from throat to forehead.
Barbara's ) ) shinir
casual one,
different. You
R11 E ep ha v ' 11
supposed have any-—not till—
:
out his
eyes
18
“I'm glad you came
she said softly,
He
for be
much She
d already he
more than that.
-
did not let his eyes meet hers
wns afraid they
1
i
hi
”~
Oliere
war
1 » Jofr } County
} issne
had be
Both
ves In
come 10 local
factions w y ju ving
long lett
;
themse
newspapers, The
territori favored Steel
man bes
tions, and Si} i (8% bh
moved on a
nected wi his bond.
the feud had reached Washing.
ton talk of national
interference,
Ingram’s warriors had “jumped™
two of Steelman’s cowboys while they
were branding a calf claimed by the
Diamond Tail. There had been a
fight and the two Hashknife riders
had been left dead beside their fire
In reprisal the Hashknife forces had
captured Houck, a notorions gunman
from the Indian territory employed by
Ingram, and had left his body in a
draw,
Smith Beresford
promise to Steelman.
“What say Garrett and 1 ride
and have a cozy little talk with
gram? Might make the fellow
reason. Eh, what?”
Steelman reflected that it could do
hart, Moreover, It would be a
good talking point later to be able to
say that he and his partners had tried
to arrange a compromise. Also, there
was urgent need of peace financially
if it could be brought about.
“Sults me, Lyulph,” he said.
“Question is about a compromise.
What can we offer him?”
“What had you thought of offering?”
Steelman usked, a flicker of cynical
humor in his eyes. He had not faith
in the success of this mission. “He'll
think you've come to tell him we've
had enough an’ want to quit. But
have it yore own way, boys. Go talk
with him. Make yore proposition an’
see what it gets you.”
The three men talked terms while
Barbara listened. One thing Steelman
lusisted upon. There could be no set
tiement of the trouble until Ingram
moved his men bag and baggage from
the Hughes place. If be would do that
it would be evidence that he really
wanted peace,
The three men drafted a letter and
sent it to Ingram by one of the Hash
knife riders. Word of what was in
the alr spread and Bob Quantrell sug.
gested to O'Hara that he would be
glad to go to town with him to meet
Ingram,
“Much obliged, Bob, but 1 don't
thing that would be wise,” O'Hara
told him promptly, “Since our latest
trip to town I expect you'd be like a
nent
connec
ad been
technicali
cot tumor
even
here
and was
suggested com
over
In-
see
0
to a bull as far as Ingram
”
red rag
goes, No, we'll leave you at home.
“Some of his warriors are liable
to make trouble. Who do you aim to
take along with you?"
“Nobody but Lyulph. We want to
make it plain that this is to be a
peace powwow. [Perhaps we'll go ab-
solutely unarmed.”
“Hmp! You've still got a lot of
those fool notions you brought West
with you. There will be a dozen In-
gram men in town, every last one of
'em armed, What guarantee you got
that Ingram or his pardner Tom Har-
vey won't sic’ some of 'em on you
like Harvey did those fellows on me?”
“We'll have to take a chance on
that.”
jut after O'Hara had talked the
matter over with his two partners it
was decided that the envoys should
wear thelr revolvers, not as a threat
but because it was the habit of cow-
boys and cattle men to carry them.
There was always a chance that the
fact they had them In plain sight might
them from attack.
nzram and Harvey,
of the came
young fellow who had
moved to the territory for
lung trouble. His name was Millikan,
“They're alone,” he reported. “Just
rode up to the Concho house and have
gone They for two-
three minutes at the Longhorn corral
before they went to the hotel.”
not with them,
siive
To
the office
their clerks, a
recently
in
of
sitting
store, one
inside, stopped
“Steelman then?”
“No, sir"
“Drift out make
‘em.
an'
Join
into the street
sure none of their men
After the clerk had gone Ingram
turned to his partoer. “We'll let ‘em
wait a Tom. Don't want ‘em
to get the notion we're anxious for a
while,
compromise.’
Harvey agreed, but added a rider:
“Just I reckon we better
meet ‘em halfway. If this war goes
on much longer we'll he busted higher
than a Kite, you an’ me.”
Ingram looked out of the window at
the red hill shoulder dotted with jack
pines. Reluctantly he admitted to
himself that what Harvey was
true. The expense of
the same
said
maintaining the
little army of gunmen had been high.
Trade had fallen off. It was a bad
year for cattle from the market point
of view. He had been forced to carry
the the
Moreover, to meet Steelman’s en-
his ranchers In
allies,
hills.
croachments he had borrowed heavily
short-time notes were falling
The
his
He
owner of the Hashknife had had busi-
ness with most the
territory and th to
him rather than to his enemies in this
f Add all this the facet that
was talk of intervention from
Washington, If soldiers came in from
the fort was littl ioubt that
would I
nd Colonel Rar
the
and
due. could borrow no more.
of the bankers In
¢y were friendly
end.
there
there
they support Steelman
dal
ph had
Civil
y¥ side In war
the field Ingram coul
He was not disturbes
l
ling alwars that the
In
own.
abo
ft come in
id read of generals who
the
thought of comp 1 Was
won
The
hitter
him, f he new ha i Steelman
must
every battle war
to
made
accept it.
Yet he
the possibili “How
an?’ } ald. “He must
near the end of his rope, too. His ex-
penges are heavier than ours. It
hasn't heen any better year for cows
for him than it has for us. He's bor
rowed more than we have, don't you
oer
reckon?
was relopetant to admit
even
defeat about
Steein he
“Maybeso. But he's got more money
backing him than we have. Far as we
ean Dave, we're down to the
ianket.”
“Well, let's hear what these fellows
have got to propose”
Ingram and Harvey walked down
the street to the Concho house. The
fat hotel keeper Brad Helm waddled
forward and wheezed a greeting.
“The other gents are waitin’
you in the dining room,” he
The cattle man moved with
strong tread into the dining
His cool flinty eyes fastened
two men sitting at the table,
them greet the
though of them
shake
“Glad to see you, gentlemen.” Smith-
leresford said genially, “Make your.
selves comfortable. Cigars? Whisky?
jeer?”
“Nothing, thanks,” Ingram answered
brasquely. “You have a proposition
to make, 1 understand.”
“About time we have a talk. Eh,
what? Sit down gentlemen.”
Ingram flung himself carelessly Into
a chair. “I'm ready to listen,” be sald.
O'Hara opened the conference. “I
don't know what you think, Mr. In-
gram, but as law-abiding citizens Mr.
Smith-Beresford and [| feel that the
present conditions are outrageous and
deplorable.”
“Are you talkin' for yoreselves or
for Wes Steelman?’ asked Ingram
curtly.
“We're talking for him and for our
selves, too. He Is ready to patch up
a peace If you are”
“Had enough, has he?’ jeered Har
vey.
O'Hara looked at him. “If that's
the spirit in which you are coming to
this conference, Mr. Harvey, I'm
afrald we won't get far,” he sald.
“Say, young fellow, you're a fine
bird to come here preachin’ to us”
Ingrom's partner retorted angrily.
“Why, you've done more to make
trouble than any other gunman on the
See
.
for
added.
light
room,
on the
Both of
newcomers,
offered to
to
neither
hunds,
rose
ry
Willaim MacLeod Raine
Copyright by William Macleod Raine
WNU Service
maybe yore sidekick
Bob Quantrell. Who jumped pore
Shep Sanderson an’ devilled him an’
finally got yore hired killer to bump
off both him an’ the Texas Kid? Who
tried to stop a posse from doing its
duty an’ killed Brad Sowers an’ shot
up three more deputies? Who egged
on Wes Steelman to all the deviltry
that's been going on all over the
range, dry-gulchin' an’ what not?"
“That's bally nonsense, you know,
Mr, Harvey,” Smith-Beresford replied.
“O'Hara Is as peaceably inclined as 1
am. Both of us would go a long way
to stop the wicked foolishness that has
started simply because conflicting In
terests have not been gensibly adjust
ed. You know perfectly well that
wanted no trouble with that fellow
Sanderson and that neither of
structed the posse in its duty,
fought for his life”
“Let that ride, Tom.” Ingram
up. “Let's hear how
law-abldin’ Christians
range, except
he
us ob
He
spoke
these two quiet
propose to ad
Bob Quantrell Roped and Sadadied
at the Corral in a Cloud of Dust.
conflictin' interests
Wes
the
Knowin'
say
Just
fo
I'd
down with
him.”
“Th
to start from n«
Kt pe
he's
settle this thing
to
ur feelings
If we get
cussing our wrongs o
feels
complain of,
become Steelman
* actual business
gestions at
O'Hara
the concessions Steelman
q
named ithout argument,
was willl
to make. He would keep his cattle ot
the range east of the pass He would
San Jacinto market
they
feave the to
gram and his friends if wonld
vith him at tt
He
men against
wotdd discharge an
% proof
Ia cet
iAwieus
he
whom there wa
of rustling catt Ag to the
of the months,
willing to let bygones be bygones
Harvey laughed unpleasantly. “He's
sure promisin’ a lot. Has our friends
shot up by hired killers an’ then is
willin' to call It off. Offers to keep
outa the San Jacinto market when
knows Dave has got it corralied, but
wants us to leave him lay at the
agency where we've been outsellin’'
him right along. Yes, sir, I'd sure
call that a Wes Steelman compromise.”
“What about the Jerry Hughes
place? asked Ingram. “Will he quit
gumshoein' around tryin’ to euchre
me out of it?"
fs
tile,
HERS past few Wis
he
|
ende
“He's willing to leave that to the
law,” O'Hara answered,
“To the slick judge he bought to
make him administrator, Not by a
Jugful. The only compromise I'll dis-
cuss is where he gives up all
claim to the Hughes place. Jerry was
my friend. He owed me money when
he died. I've a right to run the place
till I'm pald what he owes, Steelman
butted In without any claim whatever,
merely because he wanted to devil
me. Well, he won't get away with
it.” Ingram slammed his heesvy brown
fist down on the table, his eyes gleam
Ing savagely.
O'Hara said, “Tell us the very best
you'll do, the concessions you are will
ing to make,
inducements
Hughes place
“No, sir, I'm stayin’ right there, an’
you can the word that he'll
the day he an’ his killers try to drive
us out.”
acne
Perhaps we can offer
to have you leave the
"
pass rue
O'Hara smiled, the friendly flash of
teeth that made him
“I haven't got much yet from you that
Steelman Haven't
1it
white men like
will hearing
you any ise In your 8%
all? We're gupposed to be
peace and not wa
compron
“I'm ready to ti
I want {8s my rigt
of my
iy
none + done is
defend mysel
“That's =o,’
“We're right
all the way
not lookin’ f«
If Dave's agr
got no
where
“An'
ahout
Ne Sint
I'n
the
west
pass
side ir
let
killers he has got
the
fire t} bunch of
hired,”
business him
ngram sald
‘Will you get rid of yours if he does
his, Mr. ith-Beres
ford. .
*T'Il meet Steelman half way there,
too, an’ turn off those I don't need as
range riders.™
The difficulties between the fac
detail, When
Ingram?" asked Sn
8
were talked over Is
two irel () partners rose
f conference
they fel hat as a first
had
They
game trall O'Hara
day he first saw ti
ley look
level Ax
smoothed away
As they :
rider dashed around ti
trail and at si
horse to a hall
e curve
ht of them drazoes
He was a Me
vaquero In a ple str
earrings, Wi
motion the man
The hor
air, bucking
tered to the grou
The Mexican was
but the trail
as though
fired
The
8 superh
was narrow, [It looked
the bucker would piten
down the glone. To save himself the
man flung his body from the saddle
toward the hill, went clambering up a
precipitous rocky outerop of gneiss,
lost his footing, and sild down again
Before he could regain his feet a
sharp voice gave orders,
“Stick up your hands,
business.”
O'Hara had slipped from the saddle
and run forward, revolver in hand.
No funny
As a boundary division the “Mason
and Dixon” line got its name from the
two men who surveyed and established
it, Charles Mason and John Dixon. It
was run by agreement between the
Calverts, of Maryland, and William
Penn to settle a controversy regard
ing the boundary line between Penn
sylvania and Maryland. Mason and
Dixon came from England In 1764 for
that express purpose. They were both
men of scientific attainments, Mason
at one time being assistant at the
royal observatory at Greenwich. They
ran the line with great care, cutting
a space eight feet wide through the
forest and setting up a stone at the
end of each mile. Every fifth stone
was larger than the others and had
on the north side the arms of William
Penn and on the south those of Lord
Baltimore. The smaller, Intermediate
stones had the letter “P” on the north
surface and “M” on the south, for
Shakespeare's Income
Not nll of the earlier authors were
as badly treated as their legends have
led the public to believe, Shakespeare,
for example, may have been profil
gate but he was pot necessarily pen
niless. He received about 10 pounds
~the equivalent of $400 today--for
each of his plays, and he produced
them at the rate of two a year. He
also made $800 a year and more as
an actor during most of his active
career. ~Golden Book.
Pennsylvania and Maryland. The line
has nothing to do with slavery, except
18 it uitimutely became the boundary
line between free states and the slave,
though that was not the thought at the
time, When the line was established
slavery existed in Pennsylvania as it
did in the colonies, and was not abol
ished in Pennsylvania until 1780 and
then only by a law providing that all
colored persons thereafter born within
the state should be set free at the age
of twenty-cight years.
Damaged .
Potter arrived at his studio one
morning and found that during the
previous night it had been ruined by
fire,
Ye at once telephoned to his insur
ance agent to come and estimate the
damage.
An hour later the man arrived.
“Now, with regard to these ean:
vases?" went on the agent. “You say
they cost about $2.50 each”
“Ahout that.”
“Were they Just plain canvases?’
asked the Insurance man.
“No. I'd painted on most of them”
Potter returned.
“Ah” sald the agent thoughtfully.
“Then suppusing we say $1.25 each?”
Productive Grapevines
Bome varieties of grapevines con.
tinue fruitful for at least 300 or 400
years.
Up went the Mexican's arms, “Si
senor,” he answered submissively,
“You're one of Ingram's riders?’
“Si, senor.”
“What made you shoot at ns?
you been told to kill us at sight?”
The man broke into a torrent
Spanish, then interpreted it with ex-
citable broken Englisii. The
3 O partners understood from what he
sald that a battle was Io progress at
the Jerry Hughes ranch, A group
Hashknife warriors had made a sur-
prise attack upon the place and he,
Have
ture with a bunch of horses, had been
fired upon by them and made his es
When he had caught sight
Circle 8 O partners he had
to the conclusion that they
there to cut off his retreat.
Wherefore he had not walted for them
to
cape,
the
Jumped
were
hostilities
told morning
was riding down to the valley ranch
open
“Steelman us this
today,"
“Y og
But
teelman migl
Smith-Beregford
O'Hara.
thought was
}
sald,
agreed
in his mind
t have said this
He might be with
might have ridden
that
ize the
divert
+» attackers, or he
away, tongue in cheek, knowing
his men were going to try to se
rancl hi latter alterna
not } Hike hin Whatever
Hughes
tive did
ey
3
de-
CHAPTER VIII
Quantrell’s Posse Rides
Bob Quantrell
in a cloud
milling horses
d and saddled at
of dust raised
Others were rop-
The young man
ung astride of his horse and looked
rope
Fore
the corral
at the same time,
and counted
ve men were mounted in addition
Jin
(18%
answered
{o the
upper
headed into the
meet
nped there
the
an’ pretty.”
were crossing
‘
try, filled with ravines
sieen ascents
Texas Jim «
forefront
lone bird is
down there
“Salt
back from
“An’
roostin’
Sriritieow © 320s
Springs od
ra
the of the line
fome sure
before a
enong
nigrerhends”
Sommers. His horse picked and slid
its way down the face of a bluff,
“I been wailtin® here quite some
time." he complained “You told
you'd be along either last night or be.
fore daybreak.”
Sommers was a hard-eved, frozen
faced specimen. He had been a pro
fessional gambler until recently.
“1 sald, barrin’ accidents” Quan-
trell corrected. “We were held up at
the ranch. The belted earl an’ his
friend O'Hara were over there to stick
around till the Old Man had got off
for the lower ranch. We didn't get
started till ten o'clock.”
As they drew closer to the timber
ahove the Hughes place the men rode
warily, They might by chance come
at any moment on some of the enemy.
In the timber, near the upper edge
of it, the men dismounted. Boy
though he was, Quantreil by common
consent took command,
They stole forward through the
grove, Quantrell and the deputy in the
tead. From a bluff well sheltered by
brush they could look down on the
Hughes ranch house, not more than
two hundred yards away.
A couple of men were at the stable,
sitting in the shade cast by the build.
ing. One of them was whittling, the
other oiling a revolver. A third man
was at the brook which ran back of
the house. He was washing some
socks and hanging them on the
branches of some willows that fringed
the stream,
“Looks like we'll have to disturb
a right happy home” Quantrell mur.
mured ironically to the deputy. “Get
yore artillery ready, boys, an' we'll
send some lead plums down there,
I'll take the fellow by the creek. The
two sociable guys will he yore meat.”
The young killer glanced around at his
men. “Are you all ready?
TO RAE CONTINUED)
me
There May be
Poison in YOUR
Bowels!
BTEP out tomorrow morning with
the fresh buoyancy and briskness
that comes from a clean intestinal
tract. Syrup Pepsin—a doctor's
prescription for the bowels—will
help you do this, This compound
of fresh laxative herbs, pure pepsin
and other pure Ingredients will
clean you out thoroughly—without
griping, sickening or discomfort.
Poisons absorbed into the sys-
tem form souring waste in the
bowels, cause that dull, headachy,
sluggish, bilious condition : coat the
the breath; sap ener-
tongue; foul :
and
gy, strength
little of Dr.
nerve-force, A
Caldwell's
up
ty
iy,
will make in
188 over night
Dr. Caldwell trou-
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experience enabled hi (
prescription
old
, Women,
need to
make their bowels ip themselves,
Its natural, mild, thorough action
and its pleasant taste commend it
to everyone. That's why “Dr. Cald-
well's Syrup Pepsin” is
called, is the most popular laxa-
tive drug stores sell,
people
as it
Da. W. B. Catowerr's
RUP PEPSIN
A Doctors Family Laxative
Pin Worth Having
“But didn’t you promise” she
§ sg)
sobbed
inal little liver pills pu y 60 years ago.
They regulate liver and bowels.—Adv.
Excuses
Wh
WRN
neglect a COLD
ISTRESSING cold in chest or
throat —that so often leads to
something serious-—generally responds
to good old Musterole with the first
application. Should be more effective if
used once every hour for five hours.
This famous blend of oil of mustard,
camphor, menthol and other helpful in-
gredients brings relief naturally. Mis
terole gots action because it is a scientific
“counter-irritant’’ —not just a salve
~it penetrates and stimulates blood
circulation, helps to draw out infection
and pain. Used by milbions for 20 years,
Recommended by doctors and nurses,
Keep Musterole handy —jarsand tubes
To Mothers—Musterole is also
made in milder form for babies
and small children. Ask for Chile
dren's Musterole.
Coral Island Group
The Bermudas are a group of
about 360 coral islands and islets,
about 20 of which are inhabited.
Happiness Is a great love and
much serving. Olive Schreiner.
INDIGESTION
GOES—QUICKLY,
PLEASANTLY
When you suffer from heartburn,
Eas or Indigestion, it's usually too
much acid in your stomach. The
quickest way to stop your trouble Is
with Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia, A
spoonful in water neutralizes many
times its volume In stomach acids
instantly, The symptoms disappear
in five minutes,
Try Phillips® Milk of Magnesia,
and you will never allow yourself to
suler from overacidity again. It is
the standard anti-acld with doctors,
Your drugstore has Phillips’ Milk
of Magnesia, with directions for use,
in generous 20¢ and 00c bottles,