The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1920-07-01

cOuVof1AtlOn with VOICE nho uie.
"she went on toward the gulch and !
kept on to the ranch. The last saw
Of her she was going straight on. We'd
better travel over toward Mesa Verde,
so as to be ready to start at day
break"
CulIison's gnze had never left him.
II observed. weighed, appraised. "0ood
enough. Wen start"
He left Sweeney to answer the tele-
phone while he was away. All Of his
other riders were already out combing
the hills under the supervision Of
Curly. Luck had waited with Sam
only to get some definite information
before starting. Now he had his lead.
Fendrick was either telling the truth
or he was lying with some sinister pur-
pose in view. The cattleman meant to
know which.
The perty pushed up the gulch as
rapidly as they could. The ashes OF a
camp Ore halted them few minutes
later. Scattered about lay the feath-
ers and dismembered bones Of some
birds.
Cass stopped and picked up some Of
the feathers. "Quails, reckon. Miss
Culllson had three tied to her saddle
horn when I met her"
"Why did she come up here to cook
themf" Sam asked.
Luck was already off his horse, quar-
toring over the ground to read what 1t
might tell him..
"She wasn't alone. There was a
man with her. See these tracks7"
II was Fendrick who made the next
discovery. He had followed a draw
for q short distance and climbed to a
little mesa above. Presently he called
to Cullison.
Father and son hurried toward him.
The sheep owner was standing at the
edge Of a prospect hole pointing down
with his finger.
"Some one has been in that pit re-
Gently. and he's been there several
days"
"Then how did he get outr Sam
asked.
Fendrick knelt on the edge of the
pit and showed him where a rope had
been dragged 80 heavily that II had
cut deeply into the clay.
"Some one pulled him out"
whats It mean anyhow1 Kate
wasn't In that hole, was she7"
CasS shook his head. "This Is my
guess. Some one was coming along
here In the dark and fell in. Suppose
Miss Cullison heard him calling as she
came up the gulch. What would she
doT"
"Come up and help the fellow out"
"Sure she would. And If he was
hungry-as he likely was-she would
cook her quail for him."
"And then7 Why didn't she come
homer"
Luck turned a gray agonized face on
him. boy, don't you sect The man
was Blackwell"
"And II you'll put yourself in Black
wills place you'll see that he couldn't
let her 60 home to tell where she had
seen him." Fendrick explained.
"Then where Is she7 What did be
do with herr"
"He may have shot her when he got
a good chance, but ! don't think so
He would keep her for a hostage al
long as he could"
"That's the way figure It," agreed
Culllson. 'He daren't hurt her, for hC
would know Arizona would hunt hin
down like a wolf II he did"
"Then where's he taking herf" San
asked.
Somewhere into the hills. His idet
win be to slip down and cut across thu
line into Sonora. He's a rotten baC
lot. but he won't do her any harm un
less he's pushed to the wall. The feal
of Luck Culllson Is in his heart"
That's about IT," nodded Luck
Hes somewhere In these hills unles
he's broken through
There's a chance he'll make 70
one OF my sheep camps to lay in sup
ply. Wouldn't 1t be good idea +
keep a man stationed at each one o
themf"
you're talking sense" CullIson ap
proved. "Sam, ride back and get Il
touch with Curly. Tell him to do that
And rouse the whole country over tn
wire. Wen run him down and fee,
him to the coyotes
CHAPTER XII.