The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-07

"shorty, of course He was Calamity Ben,s pal. The rest will be-don't laugh-Butch Conklin and his gang"
 "After you dropped him the other night?
 "Self-defense. and he knows it. l can ma Butch. and can make him gn go watn me- DC sides, he's out for Bard himself;
 The deputy said with much meaning "You can do a lot of queer things, Nash. "Glendin, I'm maxim the biggest play of my life: I'm off to find Butch iouh s'a'iu firm with Drew?"
 sT won't hear a word he says"
 ''Slong Be back in ten minutes. Wait for me-"
 He was as good as his word. Even before the ten minutes had elapsed he was back, and behind followed a crew of heavy thump- ing boots up the stairs of Glendin's house and into the room where he sat with Dr. Young and Shorty Kilrain. They rose, but not from respect, when Nash entered with Conk and his four followers, Lovel, lsaacs, McNamara and Ufert.
 The three men who were already in the room had been prepared by Glendin for this new arrival,- but the fact was almost too much for their credence;
 They y~repeated the oath after the deputy, in a broken, drawling chorus, stumbling phraseology.
 He ended, and then: "Nash, you're in charge of the gang. Do what you want to with them and remember that you're to get Bard back in town unharmed-lt pos sible."
 Butch Conklin smiled, and the same smile spread grimly from face to face among the gang. Evidently this point had aiready been elucidated to them by Nash, who now mus tered them out of the house and assembled them on their horses in the street below.
 (Which way do we travel:" asked Shorty Kilrain.
 1.-Two ways" answered Nash. "Of course, don't know what way Bard headed, be- cause he's got the girl with him, but l figure it this way; if tenderfoot knows any part of the range at all, he'll go in that direc- ton after he's in trouble. I've seen 1t work out before. So think-that Bard may have ridden straight for the old Drew place on cut over the hills, we can reach there by morning Kilrain, you'll go with me.
 "It may be that Bard will go near the old place, but not right to it. Chances may be good that he'll put up at some place near the old ranchhouse, but not right on the spot. Jerry Wood, he's got a house about four or lives miles to the north of Drew's old ranch. Butch, you take your men and ride for Woods place. Then switch south and ride for Partridge's store; if we and join you at Partridge's store and then double back. He'll be somewhere inside that circle and Eldara, you can lay to that"
 Chapter XXl-A Woman's Name
 A FTER the first burst of speed, Bard re- "A signed himself to following Sally.
 knowing that he could never catch her, first because her horse carried burden so much lighter than his own. but above all because the girl seemed to know every rock and twist in the trail, and rode as courag- eously through the night if it had been broad day. When at length they arrived at the old home of Drew, they had been far less than five hours on the way, yet his long detour to the south had given him three days of hard riding to cover the same points.
 Sally slipped from her horse and jerked the reins over its head. In another moment sEe had united the cinch and drawn off the saddle She held it's weight easily on one forearm and went directly through the door of the house.
 He heard the crazy floor creak beneath her weight, the saddle dropped with a thump; match scratched and a flight of shadows shook across the doorway. He un- saddled, and carried the saddle into the room. He found Sally crouched at the fire anu piling bits of wood on the rising flame. At his coming she smiled briefly up at him and turned immediately back to the fire.
 He sat on one of the hunks, and when she took her place on the other he studied her covertly, with side glances, for he was beginning to feel strangely self-conscious.
 ''The gray doesn't belong to you?"
 ''No."
 "Hoss-lifting," she unused. Who'd you