The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-02-09

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terrifying sight Bob. had ever look
ed upon. Monster flames leapad
ct the. walls Of the, gulch; swept
In an. eyebeat over draws, cked
with a. savage roar tho dry. yegeta-
ton. The noise was like the crash
OF mountains meeting. Thunder
could scarce have made itself
heard.
Sanders was In tho Office Of the
Jackpot Company looking over
s9pmei blue.prints when Joyce Craw+
ford ,caue in. dad told me some.
thing last night, Mr.. Sanders. He
sad i might pass 1t onto you and
Bob. though 1t isn't TO 90. farther.
It's about tssat ten thousand. d ollars
he paid the bank when ii called
his loan. he got the money from
Buck Byington."
"Buck!" exclaimed tie young
man.
al know" she explained. "The
money wasn't his. Hos executor
| or something for the children Of
| his dead brother. When he heard
| Dad waS so desperately hard up for
cash he let him have the money.
Now It has been Strengthened out.
That's why Dad couldn't tell where
i he got the money, Buck would
have been In trouble
81 see."
A shadow darkened the doorslll
| and Bob Fart stepped into the
/; office.
His first words wore oniinous,
but before he spoke both Of those
looking at him knew he was the
bearer OF bad ncws. Thoro was in
his boyish face an unwonted gray
J lily.
land going strong"
Sanders spoke ono word
"Where?"
Started in Bear Canon but It's
jumped out into the hills"
Joyce guessed the situation was
a desperate one. "Is Dad in
dangcr?" she saked.. II
Hart answered. "No-not now,
anyhow"
what can I do to help?"
we'll have hundreds of men In
the field probably, II this fire has
a real start" Dave told her. "We'll
need food and cotfee-lots OF It
Organize tho women. Make meat
Embellishments Of them.
And send out to the Jackpot
dozens Of coffee-pots. 71tfour Job Is
TO keep tho workers wei fed. Bet.
ter send baudages and salv6, In
casa some get burnt"
Sanders was on the road inside
LOT twenty minutes, a group oil
horsemen galloping at his heels
Through tho smoke the sun was
blood-red. The air was heavy and
heated.
From the Ere limo Crawford
came to meet these new allies,
We're holdln'. her here. It's been
nip an tuck."
Emerson Crawford was holding
his ground. though barely holding
III
"How are things UP aboye2" he
asked In hoarse whisper.
Good. We held the Check,lneP'
"See 1t through. Say. son, look
who's here!" His thumb hItched
toward his right shoulder.
Dave looked down the line Of
blackened, grlmy tire-fghters and
his eye fell on Shorty. He was
still wearing Chaps, but his Chi.
huahua hat had succumbed Ions
ago. Manifestly the man had been
on the fighting limo for some hours
| Doesn't he know about the re.
ward?"
ayes. Flo was htdln' in MalapI
when the call came for men. SAYS
he's no gutter, whatever else he
is. You bet he amt He's worth
two of most men at this work, Soon
as We get through he'll be on the
dodge aga'n. He's a good sport
anyhow. Ill say that or him."
CHAPTER XXII
When Shorty separated from
sDoble in Frio Canon he rode in
.conspicuously to a tendejon where
he could be snugiy hidden from the
public gaze and yet meet, a few
pals" whom he could trust al
least MS long as he could keep his
eyes on them.
i Shorty was an outlaw and a bad
man. He had Killed, and might al
any time kill again. To save the
Jackpot from destruction he would
not have made a turn OF the hand
But, Shorty was cattleman. He
was loyal to the hand that paid
! him. he stood by his pals, and he
believed In and after his OWL
fashion, loved cattle and the life OF
which they were the central fact
| To destroy the range feed wantonly
was. a crime 30 nefarlous that he
could not believe Doble guilty Of
it. And yet
He could not let the matter lie
in doubt. He lott the tendejon
and rodeito Steelman's house.
>. where's Dug?" Shorty de.
manded OF steeiman.
CONTINUED. IN, Our Next 1Ssue)