The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1920-01-29
different wifi vo,,r hov. str.

DlHeFent with your boys. sir"
So the boys are little excited. ere
they ~
They were last night, anyhow"
Curly answered, with glimmer of q
smile.
Cullison looked quickly at Maloney
and then at his daughter.
iii listen to what you've been hid
ing from me-" he told them.
"Oh. the boys had notions. Miss
Kate argued with them and they saw
things different" the Bar Double M
rider explained.
But Cullison would not let it go at
that. He made them tell him the whole
story When Curly and Maloney had
finished he buried his daughters little
hand in his big brown fist. His eyes
were dancing with pride, but he gave
her not word of spoken praise.
Kate spoke to Curly. "Father wants
me to tell you that we don't blame you
for shooting at him. We understand
just how it was. Your friend got ex-
cited and shot as soon as he saw he
was surrounded. We are both very
sorry he was killed. Father could not
stop the boys in time. Perhaps you re-
member that he tried to get you to
surrender"
The rustler nodded. Eyes. heard
him boiler to me to put my gun down,
but the others blazed away at me-"
"And so you naturally defended
yourself. Father wants it made clear
that he feels you could have done moth
ing else."
much obliged. I've been sorry ever
since hit him, and not only on my
own account"
'Then none of us need to hold hard
feelings" The girl looked at her IA
Their, who answered her appeal with a
grim nod, and then she turned again
to the young rustler little timidly 81
wonder if you would mind if asked
you question"
you've earned the right to ask as
many as you like"
Its about We have been told
you know the man they call Soapy
Stone. Is that true?"
Flandrau's eyes took on stony look.
1t was as if something had spOnged all
the boyishness from his face. Still try
ing to get him to give away his part
ners in the rustling, were they? Well,
he would show them he could take his
medicine without squealing.
"Your boys were asking that ques-
ton about Soapy last night. They had
a rope round my neck at the time
Nothing unfriendly in the matter, of
course. Just casual interest in my
doings."
Cullison was looking at him with
the steel eyes that bored into him like
gimlet. Now he spoke sharply.
"rve got an account running with
Soapy Stone. Some day I'll settle it.
likely. But that amt the point now.
Do you know his friends-the bunch
he trails with?"
WEAKNESS still seemed to crouch in
the cool eyes of Flandrau.
"And if say yes, I'll bet your next
question will be about the time and
the place last saw them
Kate picked up a photograph from
the table and handed it to the prisoner.
"We're not interested in his friends
except one of them. Did you ever see
the boy that sat for that picture?"
The print was a snapshot of a boy
about nineteen, bright-faced hand |
some fellow, little sulky around the |
mouth but with pair of straight hon. |
est eyes.
Curly shook his head slowly. Yet he |
was vaguely reminded of some one he |
knew. CHANGING up, he found instant |
ly the clue to what had puzzled him.
The young man in the picture was like
20 foo fAr
that matter.
Hes your brother" The words
were out before Flandrau could stop
them.
Eyes. You've never met him"
mo"
Cullison had been watching the +
young man steadily. "Never saw him
with Soapy Stone?"
mo"
"Never heard Stone speak of Sam
Cullison?"
"No Soapy doesn't talk much about
who his friends are"
The ex-sheriff nodded. give met
him."
Of course he had met him. Curly
knew the story of how in one drive he
had made a gather of outlaws that had
brought fame to him. Soapy had
broken through the net, but the sheriff
had followed him into the hills alone
and run him to earth. What passed
between the men nobody ever found
,ut. Stone had repeatedly given it out
hat he could not be taken alive. But
Cullison had brought him down to the
7alley bound and cowed. In due sea
,on the bandits had gone over the
'oad to Yuma. SOapy and the others
lad sworn to get their revenge some
lay. Now they were back in the hills
# their old tricks. Was it possible
hot C,,IIieop,S son was with them. |