The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1920-04-15
CROOKED TRAILS
AND STRAIGHT
William Macleod Rdine
Dmnsha Company

was the maddest man In Arizona. Like
bull he lowered his head and rushed.
Curly side-stepped and lashed out hard
with his left.
II was sledge-hammer bout, with
no rules except to hit the other man
often and hard. Curly watched his
chance, lodged Wild swing and
threw himself forward hard with his
shoulder against the chest Of the con-
Wet. The man staggered back, tripped
on the lowest step Of the porch and
the breath ont Of him.
Had enough2" demanded Curly.
For answer Blackwell bit Flandrau's
thumb savngely.
"Since you like II so well, have an
other taste" Curly, now thoroughly
angry, sent a short-arm Jolt to the
mouth.
him on, but Flandrau's fingers found
his hairy throat and frightened.
You're killing mel" the convict
gasped.
"EnoughG"
yves.
Curly stepped back quickly, ready
either for a knife or a gunplay. Black
well got to his feet and went Into the
house. swearing to get even. His face
was livid with fury.
"You wouldn't think little thing
like whaling given fair and square
would make man hold grudge. My
system has absorbed several without
doing It any harm" Sam stopped to
Inspect rapidly discoloring eye.
Say, Curly, he hung peach of
lamp on you."
Soapy made no comment in words,
but he looked at Flandrau with q new
respect. For the first time 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 find the other four whispering
over something. Occasionally man
had ridden into the yard late at night
for a private talk with Stone, and
Curly was morally certain that the
man was the little cowpuncher Dutch
of the Circle O.
Through II all Curly wore a manner
Of open confidence. But all the time
his brain was busy with questions.
What were they up TOT What was It
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 a paper sticking out OF your
pocket" 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 a railroad time table. II was
schedule OF the trains Of the Texas,
Arizona & Pacific for July. Curly
turned the pages idly till q penciled
marking caught his eye. Under Num-
ber AS time wps'scrawled. Just below
Saguache, the words Tin Cup, and
opposite them the figures 10:19. The
express was due to leave Saguache at
9:67 In the evening. From there II
pushed up 10 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 II reached
the water tank. There must be q rea.
son for II.
Flandrau's doubt had been convert
ed into a lively suspicion. Presently
he took gun and strolled on 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 rehearsing some
kind of a scene, Of which Soapy was
stage director.
The man on the rock smiled grimly
They're having quarrel, looks like
} Now the kids telling Soapy tC
go TO Guinea, and Soapy's paving
t around mad as a bull moose. It's al
. a play. They don't mean It. But
whyT
Curly's mind was 30 full Of guesse:
: that his poker was not up to par thaI
, night About daylight he began to Sc,
; his way into the maze. His first CLEAN
I NJ light Was when row started he