White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-11-27
Compelling Story Of the Romantic West
THE FIGHTING RANGER
BY F. j. MCCONNELL and GEORGE W. PIPER
Copyright 1s25-Universal Pictures Corporation)
Continued from Last Week.
CHAPTER s
The Enemy Listens

CHAPTER s
The Enemy Listens
From trivial things so often arise
such serious consequences.
For example: When, one day, some
three years previous, new and wild
bronco was put into John Marshall's
stable in Paradise Canyon, he became
ucontrollable. They let him vent his
anger by himself in the stable. The
horse neighed and whinnied and
snorted. He plunged back and forth
and stamped and kicked. He kicked
and kicked. So hard did he kick
against the walls of the stable that
he loosened several of the boards.
But the stable remained standing all
right, and nobody thought anything
of 1t at the time. 1t was not serious
enough to bother repairing. Pretty
soon everyone had forgotten all about
the incident.
But on this night Buck Mcleod, the
man who had sneaked into the can
yon, and been captured by MarshalPs
men, was locked up, a prisoner in
this very same stable. Buck had
every reason for wanting to get free,
and none for remaining. AS soon as
night had fallen, and all was quiet
outside, Buck started to try and find
ways and means Of escape. 1t did
not take him long to discover the
loose boards. He found one which
the bronco three years ago had kicked
so hard that it required very little
pushing on his part to wrench 1t
loose from it's support. Cautiously he
broke through, and peered about the
stable. There was no one in sight
He crept out stealthily, and found
himself free man.
He stood thinking a moment what
to do next, when he perceived light
shining in the window of the Mar
shall cabin. He decided to take ad
vantage Of his opportunity and see
what he could learn. Stealthily he
made his way toward the lighted win
dow. When he began to get close he
dropped on his hands and knees, tt
keep out of the range of vision o1
the occupants Of the cabin. AS he
drew still closer, the spy dropped and
crawled on his stomach. A minute
later he was lying directly beneath
the ledge of the open window. Rails
ing himself cautiously he peered fur
lively inside. He saw Marshall and
Mary, sitting on the sofa, engaged in
earnest conversation. He immediate
ly dropped his head just below the
ledge to safeguard himself against be-
ing seen, and then listened intently
Marshall was talking. Buck heard
him saying:
and SO, my dear, you see
was forced to shoot-in self-protec
ton. But he had powerful friends
so that night l fled with you in my
arms. / left the ranch in the care
of my friend Taggart. He has man
aged it for me ever since.
Things went along fairly well un
til the last couple of years. Then
there came a big slump from which
We have never recovered. Since ther
things have been going steadily from
bad to worse We have had large
losses due to cattle rustlers. Wher
l saw Taggart today l learned from
him that there aren't half enough cat
tie on the ranch to pay back the
100000 we owe the bank"
Marshall's voice halted on a note
Of dependency. He began again
falteringly:
THAT means dear-that simply
means that unless we buy at least
1000 feders at once and fatten them
for the fall market, we'll lose every
thing"
ooh, but we'll find a way out
Daddy" came Mary's voice reassur
ing her father. I'VE must find a way
and we will"
There was a moment of silence;
then Marshall spoke again:
"The only money we have is this
At these words the spying Buck
lifted his head again and looked in
the window. He saw that Marshall