The Little River news., 1920-06-02

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 "Cass Fendrick." But he didn't claim to recognize the | holdup?
 Mot for certain. He guessed a man 1 whose initials are the same as those in 1 that hat"
 "f you mean Luck Cullison. it's | d-d re-" exploded the cattleman. He Wa .urous with himself, for he | felt now that he had been unsuspect- ingly helping to certify the suspicious ] of the sheriff. Like an idiot. he had let out much that told heavily against his friend.
 "I hope so. What about this hat, with the two holes shot through the rim?"
 "Sho! We all wear rats just like that. Look at mine." Billie held 1t out eagerly.
 Has yours an l.. 0. stamped :n the sweat band?" Bolt asked with smile.
 "I know you ain't his friend, Nick. | But you want to be fair to him even if he did oppose your election" N-lken- zie laid an appealing .a1t on the knee of the man s:atei o3.es:te him. "Pm sheriff oi Papago county. It doesn't make any difference who worked for or against me, Billie. was elected. and I'm going to enforce the law. By the way, I've got to pay for some supplies this morning. Can you cash a check for hundred?" "I reckon so." Mackenzie drew from his pocket the roll Cullison had given him two hours before. He peeled five twenties from 1t. The sheriff observed that the prevailing denomination was the same.
 "Get these from LuckY' he asked carelessly. The cattleman stared at him, and the suspicion grew on him that he had been trapped again.
 "Why do you ask7" Because 1t happens the bills stolen from the w. & s. were all twenties." From the office of the sheriff, Mac kenzie Wandered to the club in search of Luck. He was thoroughly disprited, both dreaded to meet Luck, and yet was anxious to do so. Cullison had left the club, but Alec Flandrau was still there. Billie drew him into a corner, and learned that l Luck had just settled with him. "Anyone see him give it to you, Alec?"
 "No. He took me upstairs to the library and paid me-"
 "In bills?"
 "Yes-in tWentieS" "For Gods sake, don't tell anybody chat" In dozen jerky sentences the owner of the Fiddleback told Flandrau of the suspicious of the sheriff. Together they went in search of Luck. But though they looked for him all day, he was not to be found. The last that had been seen of him Luck was walking along the plaza toward the hotel, not hundred and fifty yards from the latter. A dozen men had spoken to him in the distance of block But he had not been seen to reach his hotel. He had not called for his room key. Somehow he had vanished, and none could tell how or where.
 To Bolt his disappearance was as good as confession of guilt. He searched Luck's room at the hotel. Among other things, he found an old envelope with interesting data pen ciled on it.
 Before nightfall the word was whis- pered all over Saguache that Luck Cullison, pioneer cattleman and for mer sheriff, was suspected of the w. X S. express robbery ahd had fled to save himself from arrest. At first men marveled that one so well known and so popular, one who had been so prom inent in affairs, could be suspected Of such crime, but as they listened to the evidence and saw it fall like blocks of a building into place. the conviction grew that he was the masked bandit wanted by the sheriff.
 
 Red-headed Bob Cullison finished making the diamond hitch and proudly called his cousin Kate to inspect the packhorse.
 You never saw the hitch thrown better sis" he bragged. boylike. "Upcle Luck says do 1t well as he can"
 "It's fine, Bob." his cousin agreed, with the proper enthusiasm in her dark eyes. "Youll have to teach me how to do 1t one of these days"
 She was in khaki riding skirt, and she pulled herself to the saddle of her own horse. From this position she gave him final instructions before leav- ing.
 IL. had been on Wednesday morning that Luck CullisOn disappeared from the face of the earth. Before twenty four hours the gossip was being whis- pered in the most distant canonS of Papago county. The riders of the Circle c knew it, but none of thl n had yet told either Bob or Kate.
 Now 1t was Friday morning and Kate was beginning to wonder why her father did not call her up. Could it be that Soapy Stone was pulling off his train robbery at Tin Cup and her