the dirt road. In a hog-leather belt around his waist was six thousand dollars just turned over to him by Maj

thirty miles on his way. The trouble with that was that he would then have to spend two nights out, and the long hours of darkness with their flickering shadows cast by the camp-f

nced himself with the careful dignity of the inebriate. But the gray eyes, hard

ou Clint Wadle

-what do you mean?" he stammered. Nobody was to have known

Hump when two fellows came in. Me, I was most asleep, and they sat in the booth next to me. I didn't hear all they said, but I got this-that they're ai

all I do?" a

I'm tellin' you-see

ibility that had fallen upon him out of a sky o

do ain't necessarily what you'd better do. What are y

hter, if that's

its hole. I got one slant at these fellows in the Buffalo Hu

I'm from

bluff you off the map, tak

they f

er quick if they g

re they

guy; the other's a sawed-off, hammered-down lit

follow me," said th

they will, soon as t

ointment with Wadley. It happened that the cattleman and the army officer had had a sharp difference of opinion about the merits of the herd that had been delivered, and it was not at all likely that Ponsford would give

ess to cope with a frontier emergency. Nor was he of stiff

he other man. "Can I hire yo

t-wrangler?" sn

e never been there.

from the fort. But I'll ride

to twenty dolla

e hire

we're at

a six-

ranger who had gone out of his way to warn him of the impending attac

name," said Ridle

he other. "Call me Bill Moore, an' I'll

ave at once, do

you here in an hour

eye he was far gone in drink. Young Ridley went straight to the corral where he had put up

At first they rode in silence, swiftly, leaving behind them mile after mile of dusty trail. It was a brown, level country thickly dotted with yucca. Once Moore shot a

encinal to roost,

r living off his rifle in th

the land. Time an' again I've done it from the Brazos to the Canadian. If he gets tired of game, a man can jerk the hind quarters of a b

esire to push on far into the n

a man's friend. He don't want to waste it into a sorry-lookin' shadow. Besides, we're

the fort as we can. I-I'm in a hurry t

ained teeth to smile. "Don't worr

e Lincoln County War that was still waging in New Mexico. He had freighted to the Panhandle from El Moro, Colorado, from Wichita Falls, and even from Dodge. The consummate co

before he fell asleep was seeing Moore light his pipe again with

ing of a bush awakened Ridley. He sat upright a

ed a voice sharpl

ur whipped up his gun. The hammer fell once-twice, but no explosion followed. With

he was taken at a disadvantage, and with

nt?" asked Ridley,

ky man with deep chest and extraordina

y of Clint Wadley'

o that his hands shook. A prickling of the skin went goose-quilling down his back. In the dim light t

any money,"

me lad!" jeered the tall bandit. "We'

k reasonable that an old-timer like Clint, who knocked the bark off'n this country

olver on Moore. "'Nuff fro

forty-five against the forehead of the messenger. The fluttering heart of the young man be

t. For God's sa

yore

shirt and passed it to the man behind the gun. The o

back," commande

tight, wound it about their bodies, knotted it here and there,

minutes," the lank man approve

u fellows. I will, too, some

ll be there," retorted the he

n nodded. "

up with you, it'll be me 'n' you

faint and died. Already Moore was bus

from the first we weren't in any danger? If they'd wanted to harm us

dollars," th

t cost you a cen

th his arms free and was

it. I'll never dar

in Mexico come he to send a boy

wn what I came for. I d

t you and let the boss worry. Take it from me, you're lucky not to be even

y hadn't fa

saddle the broncs. You ride in to Tascosa and tell Wadley. I'll take up the trail an' follow it while it's warm. We'll see if

dley. He had no desire to face C

' tell the old man what's happened. Tell him to send his posse across the malpais

ck faint echoes from the distance. The boy collapsed. His