The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1917-05-10
CHAPTER Viii.
Following up the Trail.

for his sake, but for the sake of
Alaire. After all. he argued, it was
barely possible that Ed had spokeu the
truth. There were many sorrel horses;
the evidence Of those rain.wnshcd hoof-
prints was far from conclusive: even
the fnct that Urbinn belonged to the
Tad Lewis outfit was no more than a
suspicious circumstance. And vet. ear
neSt'y as he strovc to convince himself
of these possibilities. the Ranger could
not down the conviction that the ranch
or had lied nnd that he himself was on
the right track.
1t was late when he arrived nt his
destination. but Lewis house was dark,
and IT. required some effort to awaken
the owner. When Tad ut last ap-
peared. clad in underShirt and trou-
scrs. he greeted the Ranger with a lev
eled rifle: but when Dave had
mad" known his identity. he invited
him in. though with surly reluctance.
Lewis was a sandy-complexiOned
man Of about forty. with colorless
brows and II mean. shifty eye. For
merly n cowboy. he had by the exer-
else Of some natural ability acquired a
good property-and a bad reputation.
Just how or why he had prospcred
was a mystery which his neighbors
never tired of discussing.
Tad. 1t seemed. resented my inter-
ruption Of his rest. aud showed the
fact plainly.
Yes. he employed a fellow named
Urhina. What was wanted Of him?
Law explained briefly.
"Why. he's II Of my best men ="
laughed the rancher. "He wouldn't
steal nothing"
"Well, 7 had to shoot another good
man Of yours" Dave said quietly.
Lewis fell back q step. (Which one?
Who?" he inquired quickly.
"Pino Garza." Dave told Of the
meeting at the branding fire and it's
outcome. Tie was aware. meanwhile,
that Lewis family were listening, for
behind n hnlf-opcn bedroom door he
could hear an excited whispering.
"Killcd the first shot, ch?" Tad was
~dumfoundcd. "Now. I never thought
Pine was that bad. but you never can
tell about these Greascrs. can you?
They'll all steal if they got a chance.
I let Pine go. bout n week back: but
he's been hangin' around. aimin' to
visit some of his relatives up In the
brush country. 1t was probably one
Of them old GuZman saw. Anyhow. 1t
couldn't Of been Adolfo Urbinn he
was over to Las Palmas all the after
noon."
did you send him there?"
"Sure. Ed Austin can tell you"
"Wllcre is Urhina now?"
II 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 had seen him since
about seven O'Clock, nor could it he dis
covered where he was spending the
night. Dave remembered that it had
been about seven when he left Las Pal
mas, and nscertaincd, Indirectly. that
Tad had a telephone. On his way from
Austin's Law had stopped at n rancho
for a 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
| n00Arf fhic 0ff0,> r:~1~ - 1o, -.,.I
nothing to wait here for Urbina's re-
turn. Unless the fellow gave himself
up, h probably could not be found,
now that the alarm was given, without
a considerable scarch-in view of
which Dave finally ]remounted his bor-
rowed horse and rode away in the di-
rection Of Jo~nesville.
1t was after Daylight when he dis
mounted stifny at Blaze's gate. He
was wet to the skin and despatched
with mud; he had been almost con-
stantly in the saddle for t%wenty-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'rc
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 add
tlonal information, which they prompt
~ 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 a discovery.
On the day previous Cara had peer
seen riding in company with a man
astride q sorrel pony, and this man
nae been recognized as Adolfo Urbina.
Pedro's witness would swear it.
TkaSp Sscke~1o ~.-- 80 ~-- u