White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-12-18
Compelling Story of the Romantic West
THE FIGHTING RANGER
By F. ]. MCCONNELL and GEORGE w. PYPER
Copyright 1926


tact. Terence's smile, as he looked
down into her face, revived her, but
she would have liked to rest there
longer in his supporting arms.
But they could not linger Sudden
ly recovering her memory of the dan
ger still lowering she jumped up with
wild anxiety in her eyes and looked
back toward the road. Yes, there
were still coming.
"The bandits" she reminded Ter
renee.
Turning, he saw them coming like
mad, their horses on the dead run.
He leaped to his saddle, and lifted
her on in front Of him. They dashed
off the bank, in between huge bould-
ers, and picked up trail The ban
dts came on in pursuit, but Terence
almost fainting, she nevertheless still
and Mary had good lead on them.
The trail, they found, led them past
small, rock ribbed blind gully, with
narrow entrance AS his eyes took
in this place, Terence wheeled his
horse and drove into It,
1--WE can hold them off here" he
said, leaping from the saddle, and
lifting Mary down.
| He drew his gun from it's holster,
and prepared for the expected attack
The rocks protected them from all
sides. All he needed to do was guard
the narrow entrance.
Zone man can hold this place
against an army" he said "We are
in luck"
They did not have to wait long for
| the bandits to catch up to them. Two
of them at once attempted to break
through the entrance to the gully, but
shots from Terence's revolver sent
them fleeing back.
Look out there, boys" cried Buck,
the leader. Hell get you there"
He signalled them together. The
four conferred.
We've got em holed up in trap"
said Buck. we'll keep 'em holed up
until they're ready to come out peace
able"
They grinned, dismounted, tied
their horses, rolled cigarettes, and
prepared for an easy siege.
After a short rest Buck got an idea.
The bandits put their heads together
and listened to him.
From behind their rock barricade,
Terence and Mary peered cautiously.
II think they're going to try and
rush u.s." said Terence, grimly, finger
ing the trigger of his gun. They re-
manned alert.
Suddenly three of the bandits be-
gan to advance steadily firing their
guns, the leader placing a hat on a
stick and showing it toward the gully
entrance to draw fire. Terence fired
back. For several minutes the bull
lets flew thick and fast.
Terence tried to conserve his am
munition. But he was forced to fire
by the bandits who kept stealing up
to the entrance, feigning an attempt
to rush in.
Then came desperate moment
when Terence looked grimly at Mary,
and whispered tensely:
1--WE got just one cartridge left"
AS she looked at him, grasping the
significance of his words, both their
eyes filling with love at this moment
of their extreme peril together, new
horror suddenly transfixed, her. From
a lariat, encircling Terence, and
quickly drawn back so that it caught
him under the armpits. Struggling to
free himself, he was lifted from his
feet and slowly drawn up the noun
tainside.
While the others had been drawing
Terence's gun-fire, the fourth bandit,
under Bucks Instructions, had made
detour around the side of the gully,
and climbed up to ledge overhang
ing the spot where Terence and Mary
had barricaded themselves. He was
a huge, strapping, muscular fellow,
this bandit, and once he had caught
Terence in his lariat, had no diff
Guilty in hauling him up.
| A hard bump, as he was being
dragged up, caused Terence to drop
his gun. 1t fell at Marys feet. Star
ing at 1t wild-eyed, she suddenly re-