The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-07-19


said Sandy. 'If. at any time, a strik
Is made In the Molly, I shall be gla,
10 transfer to you personally TIN
same amount Of shares from my owl
holdin's. I'll put that In writin', I
you prefer It,"
"No," said Creel, at amt neces
sary.' He glumly made the retrans
FER Sandy viseed Kefth's account.
and took Keith's check for the bal
ance placing 1t to personal account
Tor Molly. The check was on thu
Hereford bank and 1t practically ex
hausted Keith's local resources.
Keith's powerful car made nothing
OF the few miles between Hereford
and the Three Star and It was only
mid-afternoon when they arrived
Molly and Donald Keith were still ab.
sent, there was no sign of Brandon.
Keith stayed In his car, smoking,
ignoring the very existence of the
ranch and It's people The afternoon
wore on with the sun dropping grad
ualfy toward the last quarter Of the
days march. AT four O'Clock one of
the Three Star riders came In at a
gallon carrying double. Behind him,
clingtng tight. was Donald Keith, woe
BECOME, almost exhausted, his trim
riding clothes snagged and soiled, his
shining puttees scuffed and scratched.
He staggered as he slid out of the
saddle and chung to the cantle, head
sunk on arms until Sandy took him
by the arm. Keith sprang from his
car and came over. Sam and Nor
mon hurried up.
whats thisY' demanded Keith
angrily, suspicion rife In his voice.
II picked him up three mile back,
hoofin' It He was headin' To- Bitter
Flats but he wanted the RANCH" said
the cowboy to Sandy, ignoring Keith
I'VE burned wind an leather comm
In. seem Jim Plimsoll an some of
his gang have made Off with Miss
Mollyw
"Where'd this happenT' demanded
Sandy. "Sam, go git Pronto To- me
an SADDLE up"
That's the HI of It," said the
rider. "The pore d-n fool don't
know. Plumb locol Scared to death.
Been wanderin' round sence afore
noon"
Donald Keith sagged suddenly and
Sandy picked the lad up in his arms,
strobe with him to the car and laid
him on the cushions.
"Git some water" he ordered
Keith. we've got no Ticker on the
ranch"
Keith bent. opened shallow
irawer beneath the seat and produced
/ silver flask. He unscrewed the top
md poured some liquor into 1t. San
ly raised the boys head and lifted
he whisky to his pallld lips. gray as
his face where the flesh matched the
'ovvdery alkaH that covered 1t.
The cordial trickled down and Don
lids eyes opened Almost immediate
y color came back into his cheeks
md lips and he tried to sit up. Sandy
helped him.
"Now, sonny" he said. "Tell us
about 1t. Where did you leave
MollyY
II don't know just where. l wasn't |
noticing just which way we rode. She
did the leading. don't know how
ever got back"
didn't she tell you where you
were maxim fo'Y'
"She didn't name It. II was little
lake in some canyon where Molly said
there used to be beavers"
"Beaver Dam canyon" said Sandy
''You left here bout
seven. How fast did you trailY'
I'VE walked the horses most Of the
time. 1t was all uphill. And l looked
1T my watch little before It hap
Dened- II WIS quarter of eleven.
We saw some men ahead Of us. Molly
who they could be. Then
hey disappeared. We were riding in
| pass and two of them showed again,
coming out Of the trees ahead Of us.
One Of them, on a big black horse,
leld up his hand"
"Jim Plimsollw
'Yes. Molly recognized him and
spoke to him to get out Of the trail.
Grit was trailing us. Plimsoll
wouldn't move. / heard more horses
back Of us and 1 turned to look. Two
more men were coming up behind.
Molly spurred Blaze on and cut at
Plimsoll with her quirt. He grabbed
her hand with his left. Grit sprang
up at him and he got out his gun from
the shoulder sling and shot him."
"Shot the dawg7 Hit himY'
Eyes, In the leg. He fired at him
again, but Grit got into the brush"
"Jest what were you dom all the
timer Sandy knew the lad was
tenderfoot. knew he would have been
small use on such an occasion, but
the thought of Grit rising to the res
cue, falling back shot, brought the
taunt
"The two men behind told me to
throw up my hands," said young
Keith, his face reddening. "What
could l dor
"Nothin', son. You c'dn't have done
a thing. Go on"
"Plimsoll twisted Molly's wrist SO
that the quirt fell to the ground. The
man who was with him tossed his
rope over her and they twisted 1t
round her arms. I had the muzzle
Of rifle poked into my RIBS. They
made me get of my horse. And they
made mo walk bach aIrynO tho frail