The Snowflake herald., 1917-08-10

not down the conviction that the ranch
er had lied and that he himself was on
the right track.
It was late when he arrived at his
destination, but Lewis house was dark,
and it required some effort to awaken
the owner. When Tad at last ap-
peared, clad in undershirt and trou-
sers, he greeted the Ranger with lev
| eled rifle; but when Dave had
made known his identity, he invited
him in, though with surly reluctance.
Lewis was a sandy-cOmplexione
man of about forty, with colOrless
brows and a mean, shifty eye. For
merly cowboy, he had by the exer-
else of some natural ability acquired
good property-and bad reputation.
Just how or why he had prospered
was a mystery which his neighbOrs
never tired of discussing.
Tad, it seemed, resented any inter
ruption of his rest, and showed the
fact plainly.
Yes, he employed a fellow named
Urbina. What was wanted of him?
Law explained briefly.
"Why, he's one of my best men,"
laughed the rancher. "He wouldn't
steal nothing"
"Well, / had to shoot another good
man of yours" Dave said quietly.
Lewis fell back step. (Which one?
Who?" he inquired quickly.
"Pino Garza" Dave told of the
meeting at the branding fire and it's
outcome. He was aware, meanwhile,
that Lewis family were listening, for
behind a half-open bedroom door he
could hear an excited whispering.
''Killed the first shot, eh?" Tad was
dumfOunded. "Now, 1 never thought
Pine was that bad But you never can
tell about these Greasers, can you?
They'll all steal if they get a chance.
/ let Pine go, bout a week back; but
he's been hangin' around, amin to
visit some of his relatives up in the
/ brush country. 1t was probably one
of them old Guzman saw. Anyhow, it
couldn't of been Adolfo Urbina; he
was over to Las Palmas all the after
noOn."
did you send him therew
"Sure. Ed Austin can tell you."
| "Where is Urbina nOw?'
81 reckon he's asleep somewhere.
Well dig him up and talk to him, if
you say So"
But AdOlfo Urbina was nowhere to
be found. No one had seen him since
about seven o'clock, nor could it be dis
covered where he was spending the
night. Dave remembered that it had
been about seven when he left Las Pal
mas, and ascertained, indirectly, that
Tad had telephone. On his way from
Austin's Law had stopped at a rancho
for bite to eat, but he could forgive
himself for the delay if, as he sur.
missed, Urbina had been warned by
wire of his coming.
"That's too bad, amt it?" Lewis
said. "But he'll be around again in the
morning, and I'll get him for you. You
leave it to me-"
There was plainly nothing to do but
accept this offer, since it could avail
nothing to wait here for Urbina's re-
turn Unless the fellow gave himself
up, he probably could not be found,
now that the alarm was given, without
a considerable search in view of
which Dave finally remounted his bor-
rowed horse and rode away in the di-
rection of Jonesville.
1t was after daylight when he dis
mounted stiffly at Blaze's gate. He
was wet to the skin and bespattered
with mud; he had been almost con-
stantly in the saddle for twenty-four
hours, and Don RicardO's cow pony
was almost exhausted.
Blaze and Paloma, of course, were
tremendously interested in his story.
"Say, now, that's quick work." the
latter exclaimed, heartily. "You're
some thief-buster, Dave, and if you'll
just stay around here little calves can
grow up with some comfort"
|. When Dave rode to Jonesville, after
breakfast, he found that the body of
his victim had been brought in during
the night, and that the town was al
ready buzzing with news of the encoun-
ter. During the forenoon Don Ricardo
and his sons arrived, bringing addi-
tional information, which they prompt
ly impaired to the Ranger. The Guz-
mans were people of action. All three
of them had spent the night on horse
back, and Pedro had made discovery.
On the day previous Cara had been
seen riding in company with man
astride a sOrrel pony, and this man
had been recognized as Adolfo Urbina.
PedrO's witness would swear it.
Their distance from Las Palmas at
the time when they had been seen to-
gether proved beyond question that un-
less Urbina had flown he could not
have arrived at the place in question
by noon, the hour Ed Austin had fixed.
This significant bit of information.
however, Dave advised the Guzmans
not to make public for the time being.