The Lamar register., 1920-01-14


was free. 1t shot out like Il pile
driver, all his weight behind the blow.
Dutch went down as II charging bull
had hung him.
Almost simultaneously Curly hit the
sand hard Before he could stir three
men were straddled over his anatom
One Of them ground his head Into the
dust.
You would. eh? Wen see about
that. Jake. bring yore rope"
They tied the hands OF the boy
hauled him to his feet, and set him
astride Q horse. In the distance a
Windmill Of the Circle @ ranch was
shining In the morning sun. Toward
the group OF buildings clustered around
this two Of his captors started with
rlandrau.
As they rode along fenced lane
which led to the house a girl came fly
ing down the steps. At sight of those
coming toward her she called out
quickly:
How 10 dady' The qulver OF fear
broke 10 her voice.
D0u gthf -'Ah's' aN"'Nf -,
swsred one OF the men. Hes right
peart. though. Says for to tell you
not to worry. We've got re the
NANCY son Of q gun that did H..
Before he had finished she was OFF
ike an arrow shot from a bow, but
aot until her eyes had fallen on the
youth sitting bareheaded and bloody
between the guns OF his guard. Curly
noticed that she had given shudder,
as one might at sight of mangled
mad dog which had just bit dear
friend. Long after the pounding OF
her pony's hoofs had died away the
prisoner could see the startled eyes Of
fear and horror that hnd rested on
him.
His guards put Flandrau In the bunk
house and one of them sat at the door
with a rife across his knees. The cook,
the stable hoy. and red-headed Bob
Culiison. = nephew of the owner Of the
ranch, pcered past the vaquero at the
captive with the same awe they would
have yielded to q Gagged panther.
why. he's only kid. Buck" the
cook whispered.
Buck chewed tobacco impassively.
old enough to be a rustler and
killer"
terest. "I'Il bet he's regular Billy
the KID" murmured the half-grown
hoy to the other lad.
Sure. Course he is. He's got bad
eyes all right"
I'll bet he's got notches on his gun.
say, II Uncle Luck dies" Bob left
the result to the Imagination.
The excitement at the Circle @ In
creased Horses cantered up. Men
shouted to each other the news. Oc-
casionsily some one came in TO have q
look at the bad man" who had shot
Luck Cuiiison. Young Flandrau lay
on cot and stared at the ceiling.
pa wing no more attention to them than
IL they had been blocks of wood.
The crunch OF wagon wheels over
aisintegrated granite drifted to th'
bunkhouse.
They're bringing the boss back.
Buck announced from the door to on'
Of his visitors.
The man Joined him and looked owe
his shoulder. Miss Kate there toor
Yep. Say, II the old man don't pull
through Il will break her all up"
The boy on the bed turned bis fac
to the wall. He had not cried for tel
years. but now he would have liked tn
relief OF tears. A big lump rose In hi
throat aud would not stay down. Tn
irony Of II was that he was staged TO
the part Of 4 gray wolf on the howl
while he felt more like n little chilli
that has lost Its last friend.
| After q time there came again tn
crisp roll Of wheels.
DOC Brown" announced Buck cas-
ualiy to the other men In the bunk
house.
There was more than one anxiou
heart at the Circle C waiting for tn
verdict of the bowlegged. baldheade
little man with the satchel. but no
one OF them-no, not even Kate GU
lison herself-was in q colder fea
than Fiandrau, for II Cullison shoul
die he knew that he would follow hlr
within = few hours. These men woul
take no chances with the delays Of tn
law.
The men at the clubhouse had Of
fered more than once to look at Cui
ly's arm. but the young man decline
| c,,rflx Tho hIaadipg had afanped ht1