ROBBERS"
ROOST
by
Zane Grey
§
Copyright.~WNU Service
Es
SYNOPSIS
Cwm
Jim Wall, young cowpuncher from
Wyoming, seeks a new fleld in Utah.
He meets Hank Hays, who tells him he
is working for an Englishman, Her-
rick, who has located a big ranch in
the mountains. Hays and others are
plotting to steal their employer's cat-
tle and money. With Hays and two
other rustiers, Jim Wall goes to Her-
rick's ranch. Hays unfolds his plan for
getting possession of Herrick's 12.000
head of live stock. He and his lieut-
enants ride away to drive off the first
bunch of cattle. Heeseman, Hays' rival
among the cattle rustlers, tells Wall
that Hays was once his (Heeseman's)
partner and double-crossed him. Jim
is sent to meet Miss Herrick. Hays be-
trays unusual interest in the girl's
coming. The rustlers begin driving cat-
tle from the ranch. Wall finds him-
self falling in love with Helen, and
he fears Hays has designs on the girl.
Jim coaches her in riding western
style, and finally kisses her. She ls
angry and dismisses him, but relents
and asks him not to leave the ranch.
Hays’ men return from the drive~hav.
ing sold the cattle and brought back
the money. A quick getaway is impera~
tive, Hays tells his men to go on
ahead, that he will join them at a
certain canyon. He comes, with Helen
Herrick—a captive.
CHAPTER VII
—y Yo
“Look! Riders comin'!™ exclaimed
Brad Lincoln.
“Can't be nobody but Hank.”
Jim leaped off the rock, crashing
down behind the watching men, star-
tling them. “Smoky, it's Hays. I saw
him a mile off.”
“Why didn't you say somethin’,
then?” retorted Slocum gruffly.
“I was too flabbergasted,” replied
Jim, coolly, as he joined them,
“It's Hank all right,” sald Mae.
“Shore, I see him now. Thet's
Hank.”
“Jim, what flabbergasted you?" de
manded Smoky.
“Three riders!” flashed Jim.
“Wal. . . . So I see. What you
make of thet?" ejaculated Slocum,
The three emerged clearly from be-
hind the cedars. A blank silence en-
sued. Jim at last got the tigerish
nerves under control. His thoughts
were whirling.
“Humph. Little rider in between”
commented Lincoln.
“That's Sparrowhawk behind”
“Who's the third party?”
“Hank shore is a queer duck, takin’
up with strangers like he does.”
“Somebody with a mask on!”
“An' a long slicker.”
“Fellers,” rasped out Slocum, “thet's
a woman with a veil!”
Jim thought the moment had come.
“Men, Hank has double-crossed us
He's stolen Herricks sister!”
Hank Hays led his two followers to
within a few feet of the cluster of
riders. Jim's lightning-swift glance
took the three in, thelr dust-caked
horses, and flashed back to fasten
upon Miss Herrick.” Her features were
not visible through the veil. The linen
coat showed the wear and tear of con-
tact with brush. She had on riding
boots and overalls,
“Wal, you're all here but Jeff,” be
gan Hays
“Jefl'll be comin’ by now,” replied
Smoky. “Whar you aimin' fer?”
“Brakes of the Dirty Devil”
“I take it you've fetched Herrick's
sister.”
“You're a bright boy.”
“Hank Hays, after all you double
crossed us,” roared Smoky. ‘You're a
Har. You're a cheat. You think you
can drag us In on a deal like this. I
thought you acted powerful queer. So
it was this gurl you tricked us fer?
v «» « YOu-—I"
Jim Wall strode forward and aside,
his swift action menacingly signifi-
cant,
“Hays, your Jig's up.
back I”
“Walt a minute,” the robber replied,
stridently. “Stick or quit, If you
want. I fetched this gurl fer ransom.
She come willin’, cause if she hadn't
I'd killed Herrick. He'll pay twenty-
five, mebbe fifty thousand for her.”
Jim interposed again: “Hays, you're
& dirty liar. You didn't steal this girl
for ransom,” he called out, fiercely.
Then, turning to the dejected figure on
the gray horse: “Miss Herrick, 1s he
telling the truth ?™
“Yes, he stole me for ransom.” she
replied, with emotion. “They broke
into my room-—one through the win.
dow, the other at the door. They
threatened me with guns, , , . If 1
screamed they'd kill me! If I didn't
come with them they'd kill my broth.
er! . .. Iagreed”
“We tied Herrick up before we got
the gurl” sald Hays. “An’' after, we
made him promise to pay handsome.
An’
“That's enouch,” snapped Jim, “Give
me a man or two. We'll take her back
and get the money.”
“Hold on. Thet was somethin' 1
had in mind,” drawled Hays, “But it
didn't work. I had to kill Progar,
An'—r
She goes
“Who's Progar?”
“Wal, he's Heeseman's right-hand
man. Now It happened thet foxy
Heeseman was plannin’ the same trick
I pulled. Progar an' another feller
ketched us takin' the gurl out. The
other feller got away."
“Thet's wuss than ever!” screamed
Smoky. “Heeseman will find out.”
“Huh, I should smile In perticular
thet he will. We seen his outfit on
your trail!"
“Shet up! Hosses comin'!”
The ensuing rush was quelled by
Smoky's ringing order. “Hold on! It's
Jeff I
An opening in the grove showed
Bridges plunging upon them.
“Heeseman's outfit trailin’ us,” he
announced. “Back about five miles
when I left my post.”
“Fellers, grab your rifles an' take to
cover,” yelled Smoky.
Hays made a dive for his horse and,
mounting, leaned over to take up a
rope halter round the neck of the
horse Miss Herrick was riding.
“You lied—to me,” she cried, angrily.
“You assured me that if I'd come with-
out resistance you'd soon arrange for
my freedom. Here we are miles from
Star ranch.”
Hays paid not the slightest attention
to her, but started off, leading her
horse, .
“Jim Wall, are you going to permit
this outrage?”
“I'm powerless, Miss Herrick,” he
replied, hurriedly. “If Heeseman
catches us you'll be worse off.”
The leader headed down the slope,
dragging Miss Herrick's horse. Jim
could hear the girl's protestations,
The other riders made haste to line
the pack horses. Smoky brought up
the rear,
No doubt about Hays knowing his
way! He rode as one familiar with
this red clay and gray gravel canyon.
The pack horses kicked up a dust like
a red cloud,
Jim kept unobtrusively working
ahead until there were only three pack
horses in front of him, and he could
see Hays and the girl at intervals,
Hays yelled back for his riders to
hurry. He pointed to the left wall as
If any moment their pursuers might
appear there,
The next sign from Smoky was a
rifle shot. Jim espled something flash
along the rim, high up and far back,
out of range, If It were a pursuer,
“Rustle!” shrilled Smoky. “1 seen
riders. They ducked back. They'll
alm to head us off.”
Hays bawled back an order and
pointed aloft.
Suddenly riders popped Into view
back on the point of an intersecting
canyon. Hays and Latimer opened
fire with thelr revolvers. The riders
began to return the fire with rifles
Jim saw Latimer knocked off his
horse, but he leaped up and mounted
again, apparently not badly Injured.
He raced ahead after Hays, who rode
fast, dragging the girl's horse, and at
the same time shooting at the riders
until he passed around a corner of the
canyon. Latimer soon disappeared
after him. Then the riders above
turned their attention to the rest of
Hays’ outfit,
Jim bad a quarter of a mile to ride
to pass the corner ahead to safety.
The pack horses were scattered, tear.
ing up the canyon. Jim gained on
them. Then he began to shoot.
One of his first shots hit a horse,
and his seventh connected with a
rider, who plunged like a crippled rab-
bit back out of sight. The others of
Heeseman's outfit took alarm, dodged
here and there to hide, or ran back.
Jim emptied the magazine of his rifle
Just before he passed round Into the
zone of safety,
Jim hauled Bay to a halt, and soon
the pack horses galloped by, every
pack riding well. Lincoln dashed Into
sight first, closely followed by Mae,
Happy Jack and Jeff, all with guns
smoking. And lastly came Slocum,
hatless, blood on his face,
“Jest barked,” panted Slocum. “Load
yer guns—an’ ride on!”
Around the next turn they came
upon Hays and his two riders. With
another big intersecting canyon on the
right, it looked as if thelr pursuers
were held op.
Deeper and deeper grew the ean
yon. Mid-afternoon found the fugl-
tives entering a less constricted area,
where sunlight and open ahead at-
tested to the vicinity of a wider can
yon, surely the Dirty Devil, And so
it proved, :
Hays waited for his riders and the
pack animals to reach him.
“Hank, alr you almin’ for thet roost
you always give us a hunch about but
never produced?” asked Slocum.
“I've saved It up, Smoky, fer Jest
some such deal as this"
Jim, over the back of his horse,
watched Miss Herrick. She was tiring
and her head drooped.
The robber took up her halter and,
straddling his horse, he spurred into
the muddy stream. He lead into the
middle of the river and then turned
downstream,
An hour later, he turned Into a
erack that could not be seen a hun-
dred yards back, and when Jim
reached it he was amazed to see the
robber leading up another narrow
gorge, down which ran another swift
narrow stream. Jim appreciated that
a man would have had to know where
this entrance was, or he could never
have found it. The opening was hid.
den by a point of wall which curved
out and around.
This gash wound like a snake into
the bowels of the colored, overhang.
ing earth. Presently they reached a
bottom from which weird, black, hold
walls stood up, ragged of rim against
the sky. -
“Har we alr” called out Hays
“Throw saddles an’ packs. Let the
»
hosses go. No fear of hosses ever
leavin’ this place.”
Jim's night-owl eyes discerned Hays |
lifting Miss Herrick off her horse and |
half carrying her off toward the |
rustling cottonwoods, Jim, making
pretense of leading his horse, followed |
until Hays stopped at the border of |
what appeared a round grove of cot
tonwoods Impenetrable to the sight, i
“Oh, for G—d's sake—let go of me!” |
gasped the girl, and sank down on the |
grass, i
“You may as well get used to thet,” |
replied Hays, in a low voice, “Do you
want anythip’ to eat?”
“Water—only water.
“I'll fetch some, an’ a bed fer you. |
Little did Hays realize, as he strode |
back to the horses that Jim stood there |
in the gloom, a clutching hand on his |
gun and mad lust for blood In his |
heart. Jim knew he meant to kill
Hays, Why not now? But as before |
he had the sagacity and the will to |
resist a terrible craving. . 1
With nerveless hands he unpacked |
his outfit. Then he sat down upon |
his bed roll, exhausted, and gnzed |
around him. The place fascinated, An
owl hooted down somewhere In the
canyon, and far away a wolf bayed
bloodthirstily,
Soon a crackle of fire turned Jim
to see a growing light, and dark forms
of men. Jim waited until he saw Hays
£0 to the camp fire, and then he, too,
Joined the men.
“What kind of a roost Is it, Hank?
Anythin’ like the Dragon canyon?”
“No. 1 seen that place once. It's a |
cave high up-—forty feet mebbe, from
the canyon bed. Only one outlet to
thet burrow, an' thet's by the same
way you come. This roost has four,
We could never be ketched In a hun-
dred years.”
“Hank, how'd
ride?
“She's all In."
“Gosh, no wonder.
fer men”
“Reckon I'l put up the little tent
fer my lady guest.”
“Hank, how alr yoy goin’ to collect
thet ransom now?" inquired Lincoln.
“1 dunno. Heeseman shore spolled
my plan.”
Jim watched the robber chief min-
ister to the wounded Latimer, While
he was bandaging the wound Jim stole
away in the darkness toward where
the chief had left his prisoner,
It was dark as pitch toward the
grove of cottonwoods, but Jim located
gray objects against the black grass.
He stole closer.
“Where are you, Miss Herrick? he
called in a tense whisper: “It's Jim
Wall”
He heard a sound made by boots
scraping on canvas. Peering sharply
he finally located her sitting up on a
half-unrolled bed, and he dropped on
one knee. Her eyes appeared unnate
urally large and black In her white
face.
“Oh, you must be careful. He sald
he'd shoot any mun who came near
me,” she whispered.
“He would--if he could. But hell
never kill me, Miss Herrick,” Jim
whispered back. “I want to tell yon
I'll get you out of this some way or
other. Keep up your courage. Fight
him fo”
*l felt you'd—save me” she inter
rupted, her soft voice breaking. “Oh,
if 1 bad only listened to you! Bot 1
wasn't afrald. I left both my door
and windows open. That's how they
got in. 1 ordered them out ut he
made that Sparrow man point a gun
at me. He jerked me out of bed
throwing me on the floor. | was half
stunned. Then he ordered me to dress
to ride™
“Keep your nerve,” interposed Jim,
with a backward glance toward the
camp fire. “But I'll not deceive you
Hank Hays Is capable of anything
His men are loyal Except me. I'm
with them, though 1 don't belong to
the outfit. I could kill him any time, |
but I'd have to fight the rest. The
odds are too great. I'd never save you
that way. You must help me play for
time—till opportunity offers”
“I trust you—I'll do as you say. ...
Oh, thank you.” |
*You sald he robbed you? went on
Jim, with another look back at camp
Hays was standing erect,
“Yes. I had four thousand pounds
in American currency. The Sparrow. |
hawk man found it—also my Jewelry. |
«+ « » Another thing which worries
me now--he made me pack a bundle of
clothes, my tollet articles" i
“Ahuh. But where was Herrick all |
this while?”
“They sald they had tied him up Is
the living room.” i
“How much money did Herrick have
on hand?" :
“1 don't know, but considerable.”
“It is a good bet he robbed yom
brother, too. That's make this ran
som deal look fishy, even if there were
nothing else.” |
“There! He Is coming. Go—go!|
You are my only hope”
Without a look Jim rose to glide
away along the grove. He realized!
that when Hank Hays stole this ee |
from her home he had broken the iw |
of his band, he had betrayed them. he |
I'm—choking.” |
wo
the lady stand the
Thet was a Job
had doomed himself, No matter what |
loyalty they felt for Hays, the womat |
would change ft. Her presence alon: |
meant disruption and death, i
Morning disclosed as remarkable
place as Jim had ever seen. Below
him the little gray tent Hays hac
raised for his captive had been pliched
against the grove of cottonwoods, whick
occupied a terrace. One half of the
trees stood considerably higher thar |
the other, which fact Indicated rather
a steep bank running through the mid
dle of the grove. The luxurant Jungle
of vines, ferns, flowers, moss and
grass on that bank was eloquent of
water, jh
TO BE CONTINUED, '
mal reigns supreme. The
latest gesture in high fashion circles is
white velvet for for
wrap
evening conts,
for the new basque and jacket blouses,
Designers are doing wonderful things
with the new white velvet such as a
knee-depth tunle made of white trans
parent velvet with gold cord and tassel
at the neckline and about the walst
There is also a lovely crinkled wash-
able white velvet being shown this
season which is eminently practical
seeing that It tubs to perfection. For
blouses and tunics this white washable
velvet will be found ideal
An interesting note about
the new formal evening wraps which
are fashioned of white velvet, is their
silhouettes which depart radically from
the conventional lines we have been
gocustomed to see,
intensely
For inspiration in creating the new-
er wraps, designers are turning to suct
humble sources as butcherboy smocks
and other similiar garments of
flowing lines. The butcher-boy jacket
which belts across the front, flaring
loose at the back, is wonderfully youth
ful and chic made up in white velvet.
A collar of white ermine with muff and
wee hat to match makes such an en-
semble infinitely attractive,
Then, too, In this movement toward
the silhouette which is different style
creators have even turned their atten.
tion to choir-boy gard as a contribut-
ing influence to the new wrap fashions,
The evening coat to the right In the
picture reflects somewhat this source
loose.
frail pon f Lam x 1
also par-
fashion, in
that its sleeves are loose and large at
the Seif-velvet cording bor-
ders the full cape-like sleeves as well
fs the round neckline and down the
front This very lovely gar-
ment is fastened at the throat by a sin-
gle, big Jeweled button.
Beautiful, simple and new lines dis-
tinguish the evening coat to the left
in the group. The cowl back (the monk
inspiration is a big force In the pres
ent-day styles) and full sleeves point.
ed at the elbow are details which In.
terpret new fashion trends at thelr
best for this superb wrap of ivory
crystelle velvet. We would like to tell
you mu we had space, about the
tendency of designers to seek sugges.
tions from ecclesiastical vestments for
thelr new fashions, This 8 especially
noticeable in the simple draped ef-
pted together with a wide use
takes of the
armhole,
opening.
re, if
fects ade
of big cords and tassels and hoodlike
neckline. This
ence can traced throughout
and tunic and blouse design
as in the fashioning of evening wraps,
A feature made much of in style do-
ings for this fall and winter is the use
of rich dark brown furs on white
The stunning knee-length coat of white
veivet centered in the llinstration has
luxurious cuffs of brown fox-—a lovely
combination. Here again we see the
simplicity of line whch marks the
smartest new evening wraps. The bow
tie of self-velvet at the throat Is in
perfect keeping with the chaste nalve
lines of this exquisite garment,
©. Western Newspaper Unlon,
drapes at the infig-
be dress
GOLD NAILHEADS
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
On many of the new fall dresses one
sees cabochon or big-button effects as
pictured here, which are formed of
either gold or silver nailheads. This
in popcorn weave offers several new
style notes. It Is trimmed with a lame
collar in gold which matches the nail.
heads down the front of the blouse,
The slash In the sleeves {8 especially
important for slashed treatments
abound in the new fashions, Covered
buttons outline the shoulder and trim
the tight cuffs to the elbow, The self.
fabric girdle Is wide and soft. Sash
effects such as this often take the
piace of belte In the newer models,
Skirts
Ankledength skirts will be seen on
many afternoon gowns In London's so
elety circles this winter,
WILD WEST TOUCH
From the wild and woolly West come
some of the smartest costume inspira.
tions of the season,
There Is a Buffalo Bill flair to the
taliored suits and hats which bedeck
our up-and-coming shop windows this
fall,
There is the wide brimmed felt hat
with a sombrero air which tops off
the season's tallored tweeds
priately is called the dude rancher, and
there are others, such as rough rider
and the sidesaddle beret.
Then there are the bandannas which
smart co-eds are knotting about their
aristocratic throats this season in the
manner of the dashing cowboys,
They are effective in the classic red
and blue printed cottons of the real
cowboy's bandanna., And there are
others, more pretentious, in soft neck.
tie silk,
to the tailored woolen daytime frock or
the sweater and skirt costume.
House Coats Are Smart to
Wear in One's Lazy Hours
For lazy hours of relaxation women
are now wearing smart and extremely
comfortable house coats. They are
made of heavy white silk with broad
revers as tailored as those of 8 man's
dinner jacket and belted in place with
a heavy silk cord. Pajamas or a heavy
white slip may be worn with the coat.
Another lovely negligee is one made
of a luscious angora crepe with a neck.
line and sleeves trimmed with bands
of shaved marabou feathers which give
the appearance of fur.
Green a Favorite
Green In a vivid medium tone
makes day frocks and ensembles, eves
ning gowns and wraps, as well as
blouses more sober colored sults, while
deeper shades called “forest” and
“hunter” and blue sreen are also much
favored
3
Let Our Motto Be
GOOD HEALTH
BY DR. LLOYD ARNOLD
Professor of Bacteriology and Preventive
Medicine, University of Illinois,
College of Medicine,
————
BOILS
The other day a young man of my
past experi-
said, “1 was
and in
girl
look
had
ence,
seventeen,
love with a
who wouldn't
at me, and I
bolls”
We all laughed.
Belng seventeen,
with a case of pup-
0 4 was bad
enough. But bolls
in addition!
Joils are an old
story, probably as
old as itself,
Certainly long
fore the days of Job people suffered
from bolls, and they
ing ever since.
BOND some
1 %
love,
love
be-
have
Just about every per-
is afflicted
spots
described
been suffer.
time in his life
with one of these “pussy devil
of pain,” as a writer fittingly
And, unless exceptional care is used,
one boil is apt to breed another, and
sometimes the boil keeps on, working
the same place over and over again,
until it develops into a carbuncle.
In various occupations, too, bolls are
apt to be a hazard. Cleaners and dyers
using benzene compounds and work-
engaged In metal grinding fac-
Common bolls are caused by a ball
shaped germ called staphylococcus. This
germ gets into the skin by following
down a halr follicle Then pus
velops at the place where the germ
grows In the skin and there is the
resultant throbbing and stabbing pain,
Bolls the back of
the neck or under the wrist band. or
around the walst. A bit of dirt with
the germ on it, becomes imbedded in
the
the
de-
usually occur on
hair follicle, then the rubbing of
garment chafes it, and the boil
germ has a fine place to grow. Be
fore women started shaving thelr necks,
it was very unusual for a woman to
have a boll on her neck: but now it is
quite common. It is much easier to
irritate a stubble of hair than a lon
hair,
Throughout the ages many kinds of
pouitices and remedies have been ap-
plied to bolls, but without much suc-
cess. Then some gixteen or seventeen
Years ago, a French sclentist, D'Her-
relle, Invented a fermentlike sub-
stance that dissolves bacteria as fer
ments dissolve a starch granule. When
bacteria are dissolved by this ferment-
like agent, they are destroyed and all
the material inside the germ cells are
liberated and escape Into the solution
in which the bacteria are suspended.
D'Herrelle named this substance bac
teriophage, which Is Greek for
teria-eater or germ-eater,
The writer of this article has been
interested in the study of the skin for
many years When this new bac.
teriophage was made known. it oo
curred to me that if we could develop
& bacteriophage that would eat the
staphylococcus or boll germ, we might
bac-
some Inflammation. My assistants in
the laboratory and I experimented for
a long time, and finally in 1923 we sue.
ceeded In finding a dissolving substance
for boll germs. With this substance
we could prepare a new vaccine for
the prevention and cure of boils
If you are interested in how such
growing the boll germs and then add-
ing & small amount of the ferment
like substance to the culture. After
this has been incubated for several
hours, the boll germs are dissolved
The
vaccine Is not denatured in any physical
We
staphylococcus bac
teriophage, or, translated Into everyday
The vaccine is applied by simply put-
ting a few drops on a piece of gauze
and placing the wet dressing over the
disappears within one to two days.
The treatment is not so successful
bolls and carbuncles
It yields the best re
used on a new boil
that is just developing. Then it is
By using it at once,
of long standing.
ferred to, athletes, and all others who
skin, can be spared many hours of pain
and “sitting round the house doing
nothing.” Employers, too, will benefit
from workers not having to lay off so
not reach the carbuncle stage.
Staphylococcus bacteriophage Is
made by several commercial firms and
ean be supplied by any Physician at
not a great deal of cost. We are now
experimenting In the research labora.
tory at the University of Illinois to see
if this vaccine will be of help In pre
venting typhoid fever,
Unfortunately this bacteriophage will
not stop bolls from developing in per.
sons suffering from diabetes, varicose
veins and other such debilitating dis
eases. The reason these persons get
bolls is because, due to their physical
condition, thelr bodies cannot throw off
a boll Infection, once it takes root In a
hair follicle—boll germs are always
present on every one's skin, These
persons should never “doctor” them:
selves; they should always consult a
© Western Newspaper Union,