The Snowflake herald. [volume] (Snowflake, Ariz.) 1913-1969, 1923-06-29
Author Of
A Man To His Nate Etc
Illustrations by
Iswisl Nyei"
sent there was no Sign of Brandon.


ranch and It's people The afternoon
wore on with the sun dropping grad
ually toward the last quarter OF the
days march, At four o'clock one of
the Three Star riders came in at
gallop, carrying double. Behind him,
clinging tight, was Donald Keith, Woe
begoue, 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 tie 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.
81 picked him up three mile back,
hoofin' 1t. He was headin' fo' Bitter
Flats but he wanted the ranch said
the cowboy to Sandy, ignoring Keith.
eve burned wind an leather comm
in, SEEM Jim Plimsoll an some of
his gang have made off with Miss
Molly p
"Where'd this happenY' demanded
Sandy. "Sam. go git Pronto TO me
an saddle up"
THAT'S the HI of It," said the
rider 1.-THE pore d-n fool don't
know. Plumb loco! 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. "Weve got no ticker on the
ranch"
Keith bent, opened shallow
drawer beneath the seat and produced
a silver flask. He unscrewed the top
and poured some liquor into It, San
dy raised the boys head and lifted
the whisky to his pallid lips. gray as
his face where the flesh matched the
powdery alkali that covered it.
Tie cordial trickled down and Don
AIDS eyes opened Almost immediate
ly color came back into his cheeks
andslips and he tried to sit up. Sandy
helped him.
s'Now, sonny he said Tell us
about IT, Where did you leave
Molly?"
81 don't know just where / 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'?"
"She didn't name It, 1t was little
lake in some canyon where Molly said
there used to be beavers"
Beaver Dam canyon" said Sandy
eXultantly. you left here bout
seven. How fast did you tral?"
Eve walked the horses most of thu
time. It was all uphill And | looked
at my watch a little before it hap
pened 1t was a quarter of eleven
We saw some men ahead of us Moll'
wondered who they could be. Then
they disappeared We were riding in
coming out of the trees ahead of us.
One of them, on big black horse,
held up his hand"
"Jim PlimSollr'
'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 l 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 dawg? Hit him?"
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 / do?'
"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 off my horse. And thew
made me walk back along the trail
They fired bullets each side of me and
laughed at me when l lodged" Don
AIDS eyes were filled with tears NJ
self-pity and the remembrance of his
helpless rage. II didn't know what
to do. l couldn't rescue Molly with
out horse | only had a revolver
against their rifles and I'm NOT much
of a shot. tried to get back here
h,,f hard fo Gr11