The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-06-14

tne canvas, any more than tne tW'
riders had expected to bring W
against a boulder. The impact, witt
their ponies spurred. urged on by theil
shouts to their limit, tore the cinches
Of one saddle loose. jerked 1t from tht
horse and catapulted the unprepared
rider over It's head. flying through the
air to land heavily. while his mount
unencumbered, frightened. went ca
reering OF leaving its breathless mas
ter stunned amid the sage.
As the cinches had given way at
one end. the line itself had parted at
the other. The second pony had STUN
bled sidewise. rolling before the man
was free from the saddle. They could
hear It thrashing In the willows. the
rider cursing as he tried to remount
while Sandy ran cat-footed down the
hill. leaving Mormon and Sam to
handle the other.
The two found their man groaning
and limp.
Don't believe he's busted any
thing" announced Sam, "less he's
druv his neck inter his shoulders. Got
his saddle. Mormonr
yep. Want the roper
They trussed their captive with the
lariat still snubbed to his saddle-horn.
Down in the willows there was FASH
a report, a scurrying flight punctuated
BY an oath almost AZ vivid as the shot.
Sandy came up the hill toward them.
Miss himT asked Mormon.
ut was sure dahk." said Sandy.
"and I hated to plug the hawss. So
. only took one shot to cheer him on bis
way. He was mountin' at the time
an It was q snapshot. l aimed ct the
seat Of his pants. l w'udnt be sur
prised but what he's ridln' so't Of one
sided. Who you got heref Tote him
downhill. I don't believe they busted
the lantern. Well take look at him."
Sandy retrieved the lantern from
the collapsed canvas and lit It. Nor.
mon and Sam took the senseless man
down to the creek. where they at
tempted to revive him by pouring hat
fuls Of the icy water on his head He
was 4 black-haired chap, sallow Of
face, clean-shaven. His clothes were
those Of q cowman.
Looks q heap like q drowned rat"
said Mormon. TITS Sol Wyatt, one Of
Plim's riders oven to his hawss ranch.
He got fired from the Two-Bar-C Circle
To- leavin' his ridin' iron to home an
usin' another brand. Leastwise, that's
what they suspected. Hes snifin'.
Sandy; what we goin to do with
himr
take him up inter camp, soon's he's
able to walk an hand him over to
Plimsoll with our compliments. They
nggered they'd make us all look plumb
ridiculous with bein' dipped out Of the
tent. Then they'd have had the crowd
on their side erlong with the raj. way
It usually goes"
Wyatt opened a pair Of shifty black
eyes to consciousness and the light Of
the lantern and Immediately closed
them again. playing opossum. Sam
prodded him gently In the ribs.
"Wake up. SOL" he said. Come back
to earth, you sky-salutin' circus-ridsr.
You sure looped the loops fore Jon Ut.
Git upT'
Wyatt sasped and sat up. srinnins
foolishly.
what happenedr' he asked.
"Nothin'," answered Sandy. sJest
nothin'. How's yore haidr'
"Some tender"
ut amt In first-rate condition or
you w'udn't be drawin' pay from Plim-
soil. Yore saddles here, yore hawss
went west. Ell you want to leave the
saddle till you locate the hawss, you
can git It 'thout any trouble any time
you come TO 1t. Or you can pack It
with you now. We're goin' up to camp.
] don't figger we'll be jumped agin
befo' morning. FL we are, why. well
have to start the arguments all over"
II w'udn't be surprised" said the
phllossphic Wyatt. gingerly pressing
his head with his fingertips. but what
there is a gen'ral impression stab
hshed by this time that you three
hombres from the Three Star are right
obstinate about considerin' this yore
property"
"You leavin' camp with Plimsoll In
the mornin'T Mormon asked casually.
Il heard some rumor about his hit
tin the sunrise TRAIL" said Wyatt. "Ef
he. goes, ! stay. I'm a III fed up on
Jim Plimsoll lately. He pulls too
much on his picket line to suit me. Ell
he's got a yeller stripe on his belly,
I'm quittin'. Some day he's goin' to
git inter hole that'll sure test his
standard. Me. may be bit Of q wolf,
but I'm id eff trail with coyotes.
I'll leave my saddle. Any Of you got
the makin'sf I seem to have lost most
everything but my clothes. shed q
gun round here somewheres."
You can have II when you come
back TO- yore saddle, Wyatt" ssid
Sandy. where was you an yore pal
goin' to repo't back to Plimsollr
Wyatt grinned In the lantern light.
"Ef we trailed inter his place an
made bet on the red over to the faro
table he'd sabe everything went on
nne an dandy. He w'udn't hgger we'd
show At all II 1t didn't come Of. An
We w'udn't have. II was q win-or-lose
job. Pay II It was pulled on. Other.
wise, nothin' dom. You hombres
treated me white. There's lot who'd
have plugged me full Of lead an death.
! was on yore land. Ef you force me
to walk Into Plimsoll's place ahead Of
| you amt resistin' none, an I shall