The Holly chieftain., 1923-07-19
CHAPTER xIll-consinu.d.


away the tent. to send Its occupants
sprawling. its contents scattered in q
confusion Of which advantage would
be taken to chase the three of their
claims, taken by surprise. made ridicu-
Sous.
Sandy and Sam. searching for con-
'venient tent site, had happened upon
. mass of outcrop. overgrown by
brush. Over this they had pitched the
tent, using the rock for table, propping
their dummies about 1t. II dynamite
was flung 1t would ind something to
work against. They had not antici-
pated the use Of the rope to demolish
the canvas. any more than the two
riders had expected to bring up
against boulder. The impact, with
their ponies spurred, urged on BY. their
shouts to their limit, tore the cinches
Of one saddle loose, jerked 1t from the
horse and catapulted the unprepared
rider over Its head. flying through the
air to land heavily. while his mount,
0nencumbered, 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 stum-
bled sidewise. rolling before the man
was free from the saddle. They could
hear 1t thrashing in the willows, the
rider cursing as he tried to remount
while Sandy ran cat-footed down the
till, 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
bis saddle, Mormon7''
yep. Want the roper
They trussed their captive with the
iariat still snubbed to his saddle-horn.
Down In the willows there was flash,
report, scurrying flight punctuated
BY an oath almost as vivid as the shot.
Sandy came up the hill toward them.
"Miss himf" asked Mormon.
'It was sure dahk," said Sandy,
"and I hated to plug the hawss. So
only took one shot to cheer him on his
way. He was mountin' at the time
an 1t was snapshot. aimed at the
seat Of his pants. w'udn't be sur.
prised but what he's ridin' so't Of one
nded. Who you got here7 Tote him
downhill. I don't believe they busted
the lantern. Wen take a 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. whera they at
tempted to revive him BY pouring hat
fuls Of the icy water on his head He
was black-haired chap, sallow Of
face, clean-shaven. His clothes were
those Of a cowman.
Looks heap like a drowned rat"
said Mormon. "It's Sol Wyatt, one Of
Plim's riders oveh to his hawss ranch.
he got fred from the Two-Bar- Circle
TO- leavin' his ridin' iron to home an
usin' anotheh brand. Leastwise, that's
what they suspected. He's 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
aggered they'd make us all look plumb
ridiculous with bein' fipped out of the
tent. Then they'd have had the crowd
on their side erlong with the raf, way
It usually goes"
Wyatt opened pair Of shifty black
eyes to consciousness and the light Of
the lantern and Immediately closed
shem again, playing opossum. Sam
prodded him gently In the ribs.
'Wake up, SOL" he said. "Come back
to earth, you sky-salutin' circus-rider.
You sure looped the loops fore you lit
Git upi"
Wyatt gasped and sat up, grinnins
foolishly.
'What happened7" he asked.
"Nothintr answered Sandy. "Jest
nothin'. How's yore haidr
"Some tender.r
ut amt in nrst-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 10 II. VI you can pack lt
with you now. We're goin' up to camp.
don't ngger well be Jumped -ag'in
befo morning. Ef we are, why, we'll
have to start the arguments all over"
II w'udn't be surprised" said the
philosophic Wyatt, gingerly pressing
his head with his fngertips, ''but what
there is gen'ral impression stab
llshed 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'?" Mormon asked casually.
II heard some rumor about his hit
tin the sunrise TRAIL" said Wyatt. "Ef
he goes, stay. I'm III fed up on
Jim Plimsoll lately. He pulls too