The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1920-03-20
Crooked
Trails
and
Straight

drick."
Kate nodded. Eyes"
Curly rose. The muscles stood out
in his jaw hard as steel ropes
''Well rake the Rincons with fine
tooth comb. Don't you worry. I've al
ready wired for Bucky O'Connor to
come and help. Wen get your father
out Of the hands OF those hell hounds.
Won't we, Dick?s
The girls eyes admired him, lean.
hard.bitten Westerner. with eyes as
unblinklng as an Arizona sun and with
Muscles like wire springs. His face
stfll held Its boyishness. but II had
lost forever the responsibility or a
Few months before. She saw 10 him
an iron Will. shrewdness, courage and
resource. Out OF ten thousand men
tnere were none whose voice drummed
on her heartstrings as did that of this
youth.
Two men sat in log cabin on oppo-
site sides OF cheap table. One OF them
was immersed In a newspaper. His
body was relaxed. his mind apparently
at ease. The other watched him
malevolently. His fingers caressed the
handle OF a revolver that protruded
from the holster at his side. He would
have liked nothing better than to have
drawn IL and sent bullet crashing
into the uDperturbed brain of his pris-
.oner.
There were reasons OF policy why
IL were better TO curb this fascinating
desire, but sometimes the impulse to
Kill surged up almost uncontrollably.
On these occasions Luck Cullison was
usually "deviling" him, the only diver
sion that had been open to the ranch
man for some days past.
From time to time as Luck read he
commented genially on the news.
Blackwell merely scowled. Given his
way, Cullison would not be here to
read the Sentinel. But the brains of
the conspiracy had ruled otherwise
and insisted, too. upon decent treat
ment With one ankle securely tied TO
a leg of the table there was no danger
10 freeing the hands OF the cattleman,
but his hosts saw that never for an In
STINT were hands and feet az liberty to-
gether. For this man was not the one
with whom to take chances.
Cullison read on:
Lieutenant O'Connor of the Arl-
zona rangers left town today for a
short trip into the hills, where he ex-
poets to spend a few days hunting
Hunting what, do you reckon7 Or
hunting who. should say. Ever meet |
Bucky O'Connor. Blackwell? No. / |
reckon not. He's since your time. A
crackerjack, tool Wonder II Bucky |
amt after some friends of miner"
"Shut up." growled the other.
"Sure you'll shut up--when Bucky |
lands on you." retorted Luck cheerful
~. Then, with a sudden whoop: |
Hello, here's a personal to your adj
dress. Listen. The friends OF l.. Q.
serve notice that what occurred at the
Jack Of Hearts Is known. Any violence
hereafter done 20 him will be paid for
to the limit. No guilty man will es-
cape So the boys are getting busy.
figured they would be-"
The former convict leaned forward
.angrIly. T.emme see that paper
His guest handed II over, an index
ainger pointing out the item. Large
as life, Blackwell. No, sir. You ce'-
tainly didn't ride herd proper on that
opportunity"
Don't be too sure It's gone. Mr..
Sheriff"
"They've got you dead TO rights.
Read that personal again. Learn IL
by heart. The friends of l.. O. give
warning You better believe they're
rounding up your outfit, They know
I'm alive. They know all about the
Jack OF Hearts. Pretty soon they'll
know where you've got me hidden"
you'd better pray they won't. For
n they find the nest II will be empty.
Look out OF that window behind you"
Luck turned. The cabin was built
on ledge far up on the mountain
side. From the back wall sloped for
a hundred feet an almost perpendlc-
uar slide Of rock.
~There's q prospect hole down
there" Blackwell explained savagely.
Houd 90 down the Devils Slide
hats left of you. mean-deep into
lhat prospect hole. The timberings
are rotted and the whole top or the
ready TO cave In. When your
body hits 1t there win be an avalanche
with Mr.. Former sheriff Cullison az
the bottom OF Il. You'll be buried
without any funeral expenses, and
reckon your friends will never know
where 70 put the headstone."
The thing was devllishly simple and
Luck. still looking out Of
The window. felt the blood run cold
iown his spine, for he knew this fell
low would never stick at murder IL
he felt II would be safe.
80 you see I'm right; you'd better
Dray} your friends won't find You.
rhey can't reach here without being