Evening journal., 1922-03-22

clawsd upward at his face. Her left
arm. doubled between their two
bodies. she strove to work free so
that she could grab his gun.
Rafe received three distinct claw
ings that considerably altered the
appearance OF one side OF his face
before he was able to confine those
active fingers.
"Here" he bawled in a fury. I'll
fix youl"
He tried TO seize her by the
throat and his thumb. slipped by
mistake into her mouth. She prompt
ly clamped down hard on the thumb.
With a yell. Rafe released his grip
on her body and worked a thumb
and ring finger into her cheeks in
a frantic effort to force open her
locked jaws.
He jumped back against the wall,
dragging her with him. and began
10 shake her as a dog does rat.
And then the old Terry clock did
that for which It surely must have
shoulders struck the wall. his head
knocked away the bracket that held
the clock. Involuntary he ducked
his head. II was the worst thing
he could have done. giving. as IL
did. the clock an extra foot TO fall.
II fell. one corner struck him fair
ly on the temple and knocked him
cold as a wedge.
When Hazels reeling senses had
re- established their equilibrium. she
found herself on the floor. lying
across the inert legs OF Rafe Tuckle-
ton. She raised herself on her two
arms and looked az him He was
breathing very lightly.
She dragged herself on hands and
knees to where he had thrown his
six shooter.
Rafe groaned a little He rolled
over and sat up. his chin saEging
forward on his chest. He moved his
head and looked at her vacantly.
The blood ran down his cheek and
dripped slowly off his chin.
The light Of reason glared OF a
sudden in Rates eyes. She could
see that he was absorbing the situa-
tion from every angle.
"I'u give you FIVE minutes 10 pull
yourself together and get out" she
announced clearly. II you're still
here by the time I've counted three
hundred I'll begin TO shoot"
Z Rafe started 20 go by the time she
reached sixty. With the siX-shooter
/ pointing al the small OF his back, her
finger on the trigger. step by step
she drove him out Of the house to
where ne had left his horse.
Hazel watched him ride away and
after a little become az once with th'
moonit landscape She walked bach
10 the house. She felt that she was
taking enormous strides. In reality
she was stepping short and stagger-
ing badly. She went into the
kitchen. She closed the door. drop
ped the bar into place and fell int,
the nearest chair.
"Afy God" she said aloud, Il won
der what will happen next"
CHAPTER XIV
Now that we've got Dan out o.
Jail" the district. attorney patteres
on. we've got to glom onto Bit
Wingo. and the sooner the quicker
Me. I'm going out to Walton's to
night and question Hazel
"weu 60" said Sam Larder de
cidedlv. "I amt a heap attracted b,
your methods with the ladies. and
intend to see the girl gets squar
deal"
Mo too" chimed In Felix Craft
The district attorney was none to-
well pleased and showed IL.
The moon was high In III
r heavens when the 'three men cam
, 10 the mouth OF the draw leading {
r the Walton ranch. A quarter-mil
up this draw they came upon
man standing beside horse. II
proved 10 be the town marshal, Re
Herring.
cit ain't necessary for you 10 b
watching the walton ranch sal
r the crotchety district attorney.
Il got as much right to the re-
, ward as the next one, 1 guess" fare
the marshal. III wanna watch IN
ranch. 1 guess I got right to d
that. too. You don't want to choris
; any idea that you own the earth an
me. too. Artie Rale!
Two hundred yards short Of th
! bend in the draw that concealed th
ranchhouse from view the distri'
attorneys horse which was leadir
snorted at something that lay acroi
e his path. and SHE'D with gre'
=, vigor coming within a red hair
j.. throwing the district attorney Off q
his ear.
The district attorney swore ar
, jerked the animal back. Then
p. dismounted hurriediy and ran 70
y ward 20 view al close range the ol
! iect that had startled the horse.
!. The three others pulled up ar
= followed his example.
IL my Gawd!" shrilled the distri
attorney. TITS Rafe Tuckletonl"
Continued I'm Our Next Issue.)