The Lamar register., 1920-02-04

"You're In Luck That Convict Didn't
Shoot You Up."
"Dick told us why yon went up 10
Dead Cows creek"
"Shol / hadn't a thing to do, so
just ran up there. Sans in town with
me. We're roomIng together"
"Oh. take me to him." Kate cried
mot just now. honey" her father
said gently. This young man came
here to tell us something. Or so I
gathered from his friend Davis"
Flandrau told his story, or all OF II
that would bear telling before a girl.
He CLOSED over his account OF the dis
slpation at the horse ranch, but he
told all he knew OF Laura London and
her interest In Sam, but II was when
he related what he had heard at Chalk
eyes place that the interest grew
most tense. Luck's eyes burned like
live Goals. The color faded from the
face OF his daughter so that her lips
were gray as cigar ash. Yet she sat
up straight and did not finch.
When he had finished the owner Of
the Circle C caught his hand. You've
done fine. boy. Not man in Arizona
could have done better"
Kate said nothing in words but her
dark IOng-lashed eyes rained thanks
upon him.
They talked the situation over from
all angles. Always 1t slmmered down
to one result. II was Soapy's first
play. Until he moved they could not.
They had no legal evidence except the
word of Curly. Nor did they know on
what night he had planned TO pull of
the holdup II they were to make a
complete gather Of the outfit, with EVIL
dence enough to land them In the penl-
tentiary. 1t could only be after the
holdup.
Meanwhile there was nothing to do
but walt and take what precautions
they could against being caught by
surprise. One OF these wns to see that
Sam was never for an instant left un-
guarded either day or night. Another
was to ride to Tin Cup and look the
ground over carefully. For the pres
ent they could do no more than watch
events. attracting no attention by any
whispering together In public.
The old Arizona fashion OF settling
difference of opinion with the six
gun had long fallen into dIsuse. but
Saguache was still close enough to the
stark primeval emotions to wait with
keen interest for the crack OF the re-
yolyer that would put n period to the
quarrel between Soapy Stone and
young Flandrau. II was known that
Curly had refused to leave town. Just
as It was known that Stone and that
other prison bird Blackwell were
hanging around the Last Chance and
Chalkeye's Place drinking together
morosely. 1t was observed, too. that
whenever Curly appeared In public he
was attended by friends. Sometimes
It would be Maloney and Davis. some
times his uncle, Alec Flandrau, occa-
sionaIly a couple of the Map of Texas
vaQueros.
It CHANGED that "Old Man" Flsn-
drau. drifting into Chalkeye's Place,
found in the assembled group the man
be sought. Billie Mackenzie, grizzled
owner Of the Flddleback ranch, was
with him. and It was in the prelImi.
nary pause before drinking that Alec
made his official announcement.
mo. Mac, | amt worrying about
that any. Curly is going to get q
square deal. We're all agreed on that
If there's any shooting from cover
there1i be lynchIng pronto. That
goes"
Flandrau, senior. knew perfectly
well that inside OF an hour word
would reach Soapy Stone that only an
even break with Curly would be al.
lowed.
Another day passed. The festivltie,
had begun and Curly hsd to be much
In evidence before the public. His
friends had attempted to dissuade him
from riding In the bucking broncho
contest. but he had refused to let his
name be scratched from the list of con-
testants.
A thousand pairs of eyes in ths
grandstnnd watched the boy as he
lounged against the corral fence