The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-03-03

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Moore nodded, his hands up, bu,
still grasping the relns.
Then climb down over the wheel
Jim, take a look under. that canvas
Moore, here, is generally u genial sort
o'~lfar and we'd better be sure. An
rieht-hey? Then dismount, Matt and
De quick about it. Now unbuckle that
beltsand hand the whole outfit over to
i"Westcott;. then We'll talk business to-
: gether." ,.,
lie showed his own weapon back into
IT'S holster and faced the prisoner. who
mad recovered from his first shock Of
surprise and whose pugnacious temper
was beginning to assert itself. Bren.
nan:read this, In. the mans sulky. de.
nant glance, and his. lips smiled
grimly.
Getting bullish, are you, Matt7' he
said; rather softly. "Goin' ter keen q
close tongue in yer head: so that's the
gamer Well, 1 wouldn't, son, If I was
''you. Now, see mere, Moore. and the
r .marsbaEs- eyes were like flints. .sYou
know me. / reckon, an that I amt
much en- boys play. You never heard
ten O. my hittin' anybody just fer fun,
did yer2"
There was no answer.
An yer never heard no one saw
went ON Brennani that was afraid
ter hit when needed to. reckon also
yer knows what sorter man Jim West.
colt is. Now the two ov us amt out
mere In this id ShOshone desert
fer the fun of it-nOt by jugful. Get
that fact into yer head, son, an maybe
it'll bring yer some sense. Do yer get
me?
Yes" sulfenly and reluctantly
but yer haven't got nuthin' on me-"
"Oh, haven't 1? You drove Young
woman out here from Haskell night
afore last for Bill Lacy. Amt alb.
duction no crime? An that's only one
count. I've had an eye on you for
moren six months. an .Lacy's been
making catspaw out of you all that
time. Well. Lacy is playin' his last
''hand right now, an I've got the
cards." The marshal paused, fully
aware that he had struck home, then
added quietly: "It alters struck me.
Matt, that naturally you was pretty
decent fellow, but had drifted in with
bad crowd. I'm offering you now a
chance to get straight again." He
threw back his coat and exhibited his
star. Yer see, l amt just talkin' ter
yer as Dan Brennan-Tm the law"
The. boy. for he was scarcely more
than that in years, shufllcd his feet
uncasily. and his eyes wandered from
Brennan to Westcott. The look of sui.
len defiance had vanished.
"Wotcher wanter ask?"
WHO was with you the out-trip,
along with Miss Donovan?"
"Joe Skies"
"And yer left him back there, guard.
ing the girl?"
"He stayed; them was the orders,
While l was to bring back the team e:
but L reckon he Won't need to do no
guardin' to speak of, fer we run inter
bunch o. fellows"
How many are they?"
Maybe dozen / don't Just know"
What was done with the young
lady?"
Moore spat vindIctlvely into the
sand, digging hole with his heel. He
had talked already more than he In.
tended, but what was the difference?
"Cateras took her." he admitted,
but don't know &har tried ter find
out whar she was, but nobodyd tell
me. Then l had ter pull out"
Westcott interjected a question.
whats the valley like. an how do
you get into it?"
well, I'd say 1t was just a sort O.
sink in the desert, kinder freak.
Anyhow, l never saw nuthin' like 1t
afOre. The walls is solid rock, almost
straight up an down, but thar's con.
siderable stream flowin' down thar
that just bursts out hole in the
rock, an plenty O. grass fer quite a
bunch of steers"
How do they get down into it?"
Long windin' trail on the west
side. 1t used to be mighty rough, /
reckon, an only good fer hkers. but
they fixed 1t up so they can drive cat
tie down, an even a wagon If yer take
1t easy"
"And there is no other way to the
bottom except along this trailP'
That's bout ALL"
Brennan and Westcott looked at
each other, both uncertain as to the
next step. What were they to do with
their prisoner? And how could they
proceed toward effecting the rescue Of
the helpless girl? It was a problem
not easy to solve, If what Moore told
them was true. The latter shufied his
feet in the sand, lifted his eyes shrewd-
ly, and studied the faces of his cap
tors. He was figuring his own
chance.
"You fellows want ter get down in.
ter the valley?" he asked at Inst
Yes" and Brennan turned again
quickly, IF 1t can be done. OF course
tnar s only ryo of us, an it would be
sort o foolish tryin' ter fight way
through, even ag'in' Mexicans. Fif-
teen ter two is some odds, but faint in