The diamond drill., 1920-03-06
Crooked
Trails
and
Straight
William Macleod R0ine
Copyright ~ q " D,Iuszhan oonpasy


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 a confession OF guilt. He
searched LuclS's room at the hotel.
Among other things, he found an old
envelope with Interesting data pen
ciled on II.
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 and had fed to
save himself from arrest. At first men
marveled that one so we'll known and
SO popular. one who had been so prom
lnent I'm affairs. could be suspected OF
such crime. but as they listened to
the evidence and saw II fall like
blocks OF a building into place. the
conviction grew that he was the
masked bandit wanted by the sheriff.
Red-headed Bob CulIison finished
making the diamond hitch and proudly
called his cousin Kate to inspect the
packhorse.
"You never saw the hitch thrown
better. Sis" he Dragged. boyiike.
"Uncle Luck says do It well as he
can"
"It's fine. Bob" his cousin agreed.
with the proper enthusiasm In her
dark eyes, you'll have 10 teach me
how to do Il 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.
that Luck Cullison disappeared from
the face OF the earth. Before twenty
four hours the gossip was being whls-
pered In the most distant canons or
Papago county. The riders of the
Circle O knew II. but none OF them
had yet told either Bob or Kate.
Now IL was Friday morning and
Kate was beginning to wonder why
her father did not call her up. Gould
II be that Soapy Stone was pulling Off
his train robbery at Tin Cup and her
father so busy that he could not take
time "a ride to a telephone station2
She did not like TO leave the ranch just
now, even for few hours, but other
business called her away. Sweeney
was holding down the fort at the Del
Oro against Fendrick's sheepherders,
and his weekly supply OF provisions
had TO be taken TO him. Since she
wanted to see with her own eyes how
things were getting along at the canon,
she was taking the supplies In person.
She rode from sunlight into shadow
and from shadow to sunlight again,
winding along the hill trail that took
her toward the Del ORC. After hours
OF travel she came 10 the saddle from
which one looked down TO the gap In
the canon walls that had been the com
mon watering place of all mems cat
tie, but now was homesteaded by her
father. She could see the hut, the
fence line running parallel TO the
stream on the other side. some grazing
cattle. Sweeney's horse In the corral
The pIteous bleatlng OF lamb float
ed to her. Kate dismounted and made
her way toward the sound. A pathetic
little huddIe OF frightened life tried TO
struggle free at her approach. The
slim leg OF the lamb had become
wedged at the Intersection Of several
rocks IN such way that II could not
be Withdrawn.
Kate pulled the boulder away, and
released the prisoner. She took the
soft, woolly creature In her arms. and
examined the wounded limb. all torn
and raw from Its efforts to escape. A
wound. she recalled. ought to be
washed with cold water and bound.
Returning to her horse. she put the lit
tie animal In front OF the saddle and
continued on the trail that led down to
the river.
Sweeney came out from the cabin
and hailed her. He was squat. wealth
er-beaten man. who had ridden for her
father ever since she could remember.
''what IN Mexico you got theref" hs
asked In surprise.
She explained the circumstances un-
der which she had found the lamb.
"And what you aiming TO do with
TT"
I'm going 10 tie up its leg and take
IL across the river. Some OF the Q. II.
herders are sure to find IL before
night"
"Shoi What are you foolIng with
Cass FendricIE's sheep for?" he
grumbled.
1T isn't sheep. but lamb. And
I'm not going to see II suffer, no mat
ter who owns 1t. I'll just ride across
and leave Il outside the fence" she
said.
'Lemme go. know the river bet
ter"
Sweeney did not walt for her assent.
but swung to the saddle. She handed
him the lamb. and he forded the