© Alan Le May WNU Service SYNOPEI3 Billy Wheeler, wealthy young cattleman, arrives at the 94 ranch, summoned by his friend Horse Dunn, its elderly snd quick: tempered owner, because of a mysterious murder. Billy is in Jove with Dunn's niece Marian, whom he has not seen for two Years. She had rejected his suit and is still aloof. Dunn's ranch is surrounded by ene- mies, including Link Bender, Pinto Halliday and Sam Caldwell, whom he has defeated In his efforts to build a cattle kingdom. Dunn his cow hands, Val Douglas. Tulare Callahan and others to search for the kill er's horse. He explains to Billy that the morning before he had come upon blood stained ground at Short Creek and found the trail of a shod and unshod horse. The shod horse's rider had been killed. The body had disappeared. Link Bender had arrived at the scene and read the signs the way he had Dunn reveals that because of a financial crisis the ranch may be in jeopardy; his enemies may make trouble, since Sheriff Walt Amos is friendly with them. He says he has asked Old Man Coffee. the country’s best traller, to join them. Dunn and Billy meet Amos, Link Bender, his son “the Kid’ and Cayuse Cayetano, an Indian trailer, at Short Creek. Bender has found the slain man's horse, but the saddle is missing Almost supernaturally, cattle attracted to the scene by the blood-stained ground stamp out all the traces. Dunn is angered when Amos tells him not to leave the coun ty. Following an argument, Bender draws his gun, but Dunn wounds him in the arm Back at the ranch Old Man Coffee arrives, with a pack of hounds Coffee goes In search of the dedd man's saddle. Dunn tells Billy that Marian is incensed at him for try ing to settle disputes by bloodshed He re veals that the ranch is really hers, also that he recently sold his own ranch in Arizona and that his partner. Bob Flagg. is en routs with the money Billy accompanies Mariar on a ride to Short Creek. "Kid" Bender now a deputy, rides up. They have an argu ment and by a trick Bender tries to shoot him Billy saves himself by plunging against Bender's pony and “the Kid" is in jured. Coffee returns to the ranch with the saddle and reveals that Cayuse Cayetano is on the trali for Sheriff Amos The saddle belonged to Lon Magoon. a small-time cat tie thief. Billy learns he is to be arrested for assaulting "Kid"' Bender. “l am looking at it. Seems like to me, Horse, the game is a little different from that. He may be laying off of you because his crowd has a little different plan for you. I'l say right here, this sure makes it look to me like they must have a case against you on the murder of Lon Magoon—a case we maybe can begin worrying about.” “Then why do they turn and jump on Billy Wheeler?” “It might be oecause Billy Wheeler is kind of strong as a cat- tleman. I'm speaking of bank strength. 1 don't know anything about how Billy Wheeler stands in this mess. But it may be they think he might work out as an ace card in patching up the finances of the 94. That being the case, naturally they'd like nothing better than to set him aside to cool for 30 days. A man can't read his facts unless he looks a little into the people situ- ation. It sure begins to look.” said Old Man Coffee, ‘as if I'm going to have to go to Inspiration for this trial.” “No,” said Horse Dunn. “Be- cause there isn't going to be any trial.” Marian Dunn said sharply, “What do you mean?” For once Horse Dunn failed to wilt before the flare-up of his niece. “1 won't stand for it,” he declared “I've stood enough! They'll take Billy Wheeler no place.” “l think,” Marian Dunn said. “‘you must be mad!” “Mad, is it? Mad or no mad, the coyote pack will never take Billy Wheeler in.” ‘““There’s this about it, Mr. Dunn, Val Douglas drawled. “We're com. ing up against bigger things here than an open fight over whether or not this Wheeler will stand up and take his medicine for busting the Kid's leg. After all, there's some thing in wnat your niece says. Tu lare says that tonight or tomorrow Amos can raise up a posse of a hundred. We'd look good trying to bronc-stomp a hundred men.” Horse Dunn bellowed, “You stand there and tell me—"" Billy Wheeler cut in. “He's right, Horse.” “What?” Billy Wheeler looked Val Douglas over coolly. “Val doesn’t strike me like a feller that would be right very often,” he said at last. “But this ought to raise his percentage, 1 guess. I'm going to leave 'em take me, Horse.” “You'll do nothing of the kind,” Horse Dunn told him. “I'm boss herel” Billy Wheeler sprawled relaxed, as if he were resting, and met Dunn's glare evenly. If the others there dic not understand why the Old Man of the 94 tur.ed to this youngster more readily than to any one else in time“of need, they could have learned something about that by looking at them now. “l don’t know as you can stop me, Horse,” Wheeler said. The day was hardly breaking when Sheriff Walt Amos came ham- mering at the door. CHAPTER V The sherifi came alone, without show of force. Wheeler's surrender he outwardly took as a matter of though a close observer have detected a certain It was neariy six in the morning as they rolled down' the dusty ruts toward the first test of strength since the killing at Short Creek. Three cars drove to Inspiration, for Billy Wheeler had reserved certain rrivileges of free action; and the sheriff returned to Inspiration alone in his own car, as he had come. A second car was driven by Horse Dunn, who took with him Gil Baker, Steve Hurley, and Tulare Callahan; and—what seemed more important —Marian Dunn, between Val Doug- las and her huge uncle in the front seat. The Old Man of the 94 was possessed by a vague persistent hope that somewhere, some time, Marian would see something which would change her opinions as to the balance of force and justice in the Red Hills ranges. Old Man Coffee rode with Billy Wheeler, who drove his own road- ster. “There in that one car,” said Cof- {ee, watching Horse Dunn's tower of dust, ‘goes all that's left of the 94 outfit; except for you and me, who don’t really belong here.” Billy Wheeler nodded. “I couldn't hardly believe,” he said, “that Horse was trying % run 20,000 head of cattle, even through the quiet months, with only four nen and himself.” “He's got 20,000 head, has he?” “The book count shows 20,000 head. Allowing for death losses, he supposes he’s got 14 to 16 thousand. Short-handed as he is, he can't be right sure.” “I've seen the day,” Old Man Cot- fee said, *‘two, three years ago, “For One Thing—Magoon Wasn't Killed by No Man on a Horse!” when the 94 bunkhouse never held less than 12 or 15 hands. And in roundup times I've seen better than 50 riders follow the 94 wagons, But [ guess those days mse gone.” Coffee suggested that Horse Dune was getting old. “It's hard for us cid fellows to bend to new ways of nandling cows—or men. But Horse Dunn might just as well zet ready to realize he has to. He's forced his way for a long time; but comes @ time when he can't force it no more." “And that,” Wheeler said, “is what we've got to save him from. For God knows he'll never bow his head! It's up to you, more'n any- body.” “Don’t count on me.” That was Old Man Coffee's atti tude. Because of his uncommon sixth sense in handling a trail and because of his widely heard-of luck in making shrewd deductions, Old Man Coffee had been called in on many a mystery killing in the inter- mountain country. But though he worked hard without cost to any- one, he stubbornly avoided an offi. cial responsibility. “I got nothing to do with it.” That was the Coffee theme song on a murder case. But now he added, “Something's wrong. When I first looked at this case I thought it war open and shut. But something's the matter with this case. Somebody knows some thing they're not telling me.” Billy Wheeler waited, but the in- formation which silence would have brought from most men was long in coming. “People in this country is goin to the dogs,” Coffee complies “Take you. Your old father had a pair of eyes that cor’d find out devil £af “It was fired from in front of him, a little to his right-hand side, by a man on a horse.” “What else?” “The shell was home-loaded. And that's all I know, yet.” Old Man Coffee was regarding Wheeler with a peculiar fixed ex- pression. “Son,” he said at last, “lI back down; I'm free to admit I had you wrong. You're further along the trail than most of ‘em. You got the shotgun right, at least. I suppose you seen that one shot pellet bogged into the seam of the leather on Lon Magoon's saddle horn?" “Yes: 1 saw it.” “That little pellet is pretty well hid. I guess nobody saw it but you and me. But the rest of your dope’s wrong. For one thing — Magoon wasn't killed by no man on a horse!” “How do you know that?" “How did you know the shell was home-loaded?” ‘Because the charge was weak. The sign showed the horses was close together when the shot was fired. If the charge hadn't been weak that pellet of lead would have plowed a whole lot deeper than it did.” Old Man Coffee nodded approval. “A good catch,” he said. “But I think you got it wrong. If the charge had been fired from close like you say, the killer could have rammed the long shotgun barrel plumb against Magoon — there wouldn't have been no shot in the saddle horn. It was distance slowed that pellet. Lon Magoon was shot by a third man, from up on the flat ground above the cut!” “Seems like,” Wheeler objected, “the trail of the third man should have showed up, somewhere about.” “Maybe; if it had been read prop er before the cattle pawed out the sign. But—there’'s one man mixed into this that knows too much about trails to have left one himself—even if he'd been there.” They fell si- them in big spasms and gouts of dust; and far ahead presently showed the faint disturbance on the plain which was Inspiration. Inspiration consisted principally of a main street, backed by a few score houses, some of them neatly painted, with a wee or two; many simply unpainted shacks, To a stranger the town would not have seemed so full of people as Tulare Callahan's report perhaps suggested. But Billy Wheeler at once recognized a dozen or more cars which mould not ordinarily have been there, and about an equal number of dozing cow ponies. And —a8 the 84 cars pulled up in front of the little frame building that housed the county office—Wheeler noticed a small inconspicuous stir in doorways, a too casual moving to- gether of spur-heeled loungers at two or three places along the street. Billy Wheeler caught Horse Dunn’s signal as he slid his roadster to a stop. He stepped down from the wheel and walked forward to Dunn's car. “We want to all kind of keep to gether, here, as we move into this.” Horse Dunn said casually. “I don’t think there's going to be any trou ble of any kind. Still—-I wish Bob Flagg had got here. There aren't so many of us as there has been some years.” The sheriff pulled up and stepped to the sidewalk. “Court won't open yet for a little bit,” he said. “You, Wheeler, park yourself around here close. You're lucky not to be in the lock-up, by God! You, Dunn, I'll speak to you inside. I've got a couple of ques tions I figure to ask.” “All right,” Horse Dunn said. “Come on, folks." “The rest of you stay outside,” Sheriff Amos said. ‘You're the one I aim to talk to, Dunn.” Horse Dunn looked up and down the street, noting how the groups of booted loungers had grown. Hardly a doorway in that street was empty now. Wheeler saw Dunn run a quick glance along the second story win- dows across the street. Dunn turned to his car, relaxed, casual. “Marian, take this here car wait there, until someone brings word." ly, at her uncle, then once more, al- dust as she obeyed. mildness to the sheriff. “I don't fig- would hear.” The Old Man of the 94 stood square-planted-—smiling a little, al- most bland; but the confidence of a lifelong dominance was in the easy set of his enormous shoulders, so that he seemed then bigger than the town, bigger thas the range. what he was up against. Abruptly he burst out, “I decide these things here!” The mild mask fell away. “Then give your orders to people you can boss,” Dunn snarled at him. Walt Amos sized up the situation, then stood for a moment with a blank face. Then--the young sheriff grinned, not sheepishly, and not irri- tably, but with the interested hu- mor of a man who plays his own game against another's. “Oh, all right, Dunn,” he said; “1 don't set any great store on that point. I haven't got any of my fel- lers with me—1I don't need "em; but maybe you need some. Bring 'em oni" In effect, Horse Dunn had backed Sheriff Walt Amos down; but Horse admitted afterward that it was here, in the backdown, that the young sheriff had first commanded his re- spect. He grunted an assent. “Billy Wheeler, Coffee—come on.” The others moved forward, but he waved them back; and Dunn, with Wheeler and Coffee, followed Amos into the little old adobe that held the sheriff's office. “Dunn,” said Sheriff Amos, “you were the first man found out there'd been a killing at Short Crick. That was Tuesday—three days ago. Right off you sent Tulare Callahan here, to wire Old Man Coffee, clear around at McTarnahan. Dunn, why did you send for Old Man Coffee?” “1 sent for Old Man Coffee,” said Dunn, “to find out who was making free on my range. To tell you the truth, I didn't figure you numbskulils was equal to handling it." “Then it wasn’t your idea,” sald the sheriff, “to get him here to seize and suppress evidence?” “When I want to seize some- thing,” Horse Dunn told him, “I won't be sending for some old guy the other side of two ranges of mountains. I'l just seize it.” “Where were you ritling Monday, Dunn?” “Monday 1 was riding Red Sleep Ridge.” “And when," the sheriff shot at him, “did you first learn that Lon Magoon was camping on 94 range?” Horse Dunn did not hesitate for a fraction of a second. “Yesterday —when Old Man Coffee found Ma- goon's saddle.” The sheriff's smooth, cornerless face tightened a little, but Billy Wheeler saw that the man was not surprised. Instantly Wheeler knew two things. First, that one of the Inspiration crowd — perhaps with field glasses—must have seen Cof- fee pick the saddle up. And second, what was equally important, that tracing out the de and had identified it as belonging to the little cow thief, Magoon. (TO BE CONTINUED) This may come as something of a disappointment tc monkeys, but it now appears that the human race did not descend from an ape, but from a fish, writes a New York United Press correspondent. And if all goes well, man's own to a gathering of 150 learned men at Columbia university, by Dr AAA A AA AAAANAR STAR DUST Movie » Radio * %kk By VIRGINIA VALE kk *k 326 2 2 2 2 26 2 2 2 2 220 2 2 2 26 2 0 2 2 é6”J HE Prisoner of Zenda” threatens to become ev- erybody’s favorite picture. Girls love it because it is tenderly ro- mantic, boys are crazy about it because it is a thrilling adven- the court scenes. Of course, the presence is enough to bring crowds to the box offices. Cutwork That Is Anything but Work “Cutwork without bars?” Ex- actly-—and that’s the very reason this lovely Wild Rose design for doilies or buffet set is so easy to do. So encouraging, too, for the beginner who'd like to try her hand at it. Aren't they life-like— these roses? Delicate shades of pink would be most realistic, of 1. Naat . - o_o Hollywood had a lot of surprises that sent all the girls scurrying out to buy presents, Miriam Hopkins up and Anatol eloped with the director, Litvak, Be ) Tony Martin rushed Yuma, Ariz. got married, gious differences caused the breaking of their en- off to gagement severa times, Catholic. h To make Miriam Hopkins more complicated both marriage cl 8 in thei with Twenti Century-Fox The studio has forgiven them, but par- ents are said to be still pouting. Mr. Litvak, Miss Hopkins’ new groom, just finished directing Claudette Colbert in “Tonight's Our Night," at Warner Brothers’. No one over there will ever forget hi In a scene that took place in a market he insi aving real geese, turkeys, an The hot sun got in its ork and going hold. vr » studio had to replace every few but all attempts to use papier mache ones failed. Mr. Lit- vak detected the imitations at once and refused to work until real ones were provided. hours, I Claudette Colbert's good humor made a host of friends for her on the Warner lot and everyone is sorry that she was loaned to them for only one picture. One afternoon almost everyone's nerves were shat- tered by the many repetitions of a scene, While she was talking to Charles Boyer, a dog was supposed to come in carrying a shoe in iis mouth, Over and over the scene was played, but the dog never came in at just the right moment. Finally Miss Colbert, serene and fresh as an April morning, suggested that the director let the dog play the scene with Boyer and she would come in on all fours carrying a shoe in her mouth! en Yes, Somebody Else When a speaker abuses mankind in general, his hearers approve because they know somebody else “who is just like that. rid, and the writ) Wil Laugh at the w world will laugh you You don’t have to fool all of the people all of the time. A majority of one is enough. out of the Warner studio and went to work for Grand National where he is as happy as can be, there have been battles between the stu- dio and their players. Now Joan Blondell is on strike. She thinks she has been working too hard and refuses to start on the new picture scheduled for her. Kay Francis is trying to break her contract . . . says that she signed it only be. cause they promised to give her the leading role in ‘*Tonight’'s Our Night.” And after all, they gave the role to Claudette Colbert. son Woe but Fd ¥ new picture of his to while we wait for his return to the air waves. "Double or and casual and ami- able, just like all Crosby pictures. Three of the songs are real hits—"It'S Ring Crosby the Natural Thing to Do,” “It's On—It's Off,” and “The Moon Got Into My Eyes.” Martha Raye is there with her frenzied buf- foonery, and Mary Carlisle makes the prettiest heroine he ever had. son Wom ODDS AND ENDS—Ever since Nelson Many doctors recommend Nujol because of its gentle action on the bowels. Don’t confuse Nujol with unknown products, INSIST ON GENUINE NUJOL Cope. 1997. Biases Ine HOW LONG CAN A THREE-QUARTER WIFE HOLD HER HUSBAND? i OU have to work at marriage ! to make a success of it. Men may unsympathetic, i wife, take LYDIA E. PINKHAM'S VEGETABLE COMPOUND and Go “Smiling Through.” (SPER 0p 1 3 FRG RY REMEDIES IH Works! 4 ot Ringworm. tion. Eee AGENTS Men-<8Sell select Tress, Wanted—Reliable Fruits, rubs, Cosh weekly, Wie ginia a on. Rishaend, Va.
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