Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1920-01-23


hand, and from time to time nicked II
at the back of his victim. Twice the
lash stung. not hard, but with pepper
enough TO hurt. Each time the young
man asked him to stop
blackwell snapped the quIrt once
too often. When he picked himself
oui Of the dust five seconds later he
was the maddest man In Arizona. Like
bull he lowered his head and rushed.
curly sIde-stepped and dashed out hard
with his left.
u was n sledge. hammer bout, with
No rules except to hit the other man
often and hard. Curly watched his
chance, lodged wild swing and
lrr' himself forward hard with his
shoulder against the chest OF the con.
Wei. The man staggered back, tripped
ga HE lowest step Of the porch ard
went down hard The fall Knocked
Ihr breath out of him.
Had enough2" demanded Curly.
For answer Blackwell bit Flandrau's
thumb savagely.
since you like II so well, have an.
other tnste." Curly, now thoroughly
angry, sent a short-arm jolt to the
mouth
The man underneath tried to throw
him OF, but Flandrau's fingers found
his hairy throat and tightened.
You're killing mew the convict
gasped.
"EnoughY
ayes"
Curly stepped back quickly. ready
either for knife or gunplay. Black
well got to his feet and went into the
house, swearing to get even. His face
was livld with fury.
you wouldn't think n little thing
like whaling given fair and square
would make a man hold grudge. MY
system has absorbed several without
doing II any HARM" Sam stopped to
inspect rapidly dscoloring eye.
"Say, Curly, he hung peach of
lamp on you"
Soapy made no comment I'm words,
but he looked at Flandrau with new
respect. For the first time n doubt as
to the wisdom Of letting him stay at
the ranch crossed his mind.
His suspicion was justified. Curly
had been living on the edge of q secret
for weeks. Mystery was In the air.
More than once he had turned cor
ner to fln6 the other four whispering
over something. Occasionally a man
had ridden into the yard late at night
for private talk with Stone, and
Curly was morally certain that the
man was the little cowpuncher Dutch
of the Circle @.
Through II all Curly wore manner
Of open confidence. But all the time
his brain was busy with questions.
What were they up TOT What was 1t
they had planned?
Stone and Blackwell rode away one
morning. To Curly the word was
given that they were going to Mesa.
Four days later Soapy returned alone.
Lutte had found Job. he said.
THAT paper sticking out of your
pocket2" Flandrau asked.
Soapy, still astride his horse, tossed
the Saguache Sentinel to him as he
turned toward the stable.
Caught between the folds of the pa
per was railroad time table. It was
schedule Of the trains Of the Texas,
Arizona 4 Pacific for July. Curly
turned the pages idly TIL n penclled
marking caught his eye. Under Num-
Der As time was scrawled, Just below
Saguache, the words Tin Cup, and
opposite them the figures 1910. The
express was due TO leave Saguache at
s;57 In the evening. From there II
pushed up to the divide and slid down
with air brakes set to Tin Cup three
thousand feet lower. Soapy could not
want to catch the train fifteen miles
the other side Of Saguache. But this
note on the margin showed that he
was interested in the time It reached
the water tank. There must be rea-
son for II.
Flandrau's doubt had been convert
ed into lively suspicion. Presently
he took a gun and strolled Off to shoot
birds. What he really wanted was to
be alone that he could think the matter
over. Coming home In the dusk, he
saw Stone and young Cullison with
their heads together down by the cor
raj. Curly sat down on rock and
watched them. himself unobserved.
They appeared to be rehearsng some
kind OF scene, Of which Soapy was
stage director.
The man on the rock smiled grimly.
They're having a quarrel, looks like.
Now the kids telling Soapy to
go to Guinea, and Soapy's paving
around mad as bull moose. It's all
play They don't mean It. But
whyf
Curly's mind was so full Of guesses
that his poker was not up to par that
night About daylight he began to see
bis way into the maze. His first CLEAN
OF light was when row started be- |
tween Soapy and CullIson. Before
anyone could say word to stop them
they were going through with that
identical corral quarrel
Flandrau knew now that they had .