Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-09-12
THE STORY

price on the heads of fifteen Of the best
known rustlers creates uneasiness
hood Sheriff Alden begins to enroll
deputies. A year has passed since Har
ris' arrival at the Three Bar, and the
place has become a beehive Of activity
The sheriff. with Harris and WaddIes
endeavo"s to arrest Slade and Morrow.
They resist and in the fight Morrow is
killed and Slade made a prisoner II
seems to be the beginning of the end
of the reign of lawlessness
Continued from last weekly
he pointed down the valley to the
south and she turned mechanically
and crossed to that window. A few
riders showed on the ridges on either
flank of the valley.
'They were cached up there to pick
us off if we rode down to try and
turn the rum" he said.
She nodded without apparent inter
est. What might transpire now
seemed matter to be viewed with
Indifference
ITS time for me to co." Harris said.
''Tll hold the bunk house. Good luck.
Billie-we'll hold 'em Off"
He turned to WaddleS who still
worked to make a lOOphOle through
the blank wall.
"If it gets too hot put her outside
and tell her to give herself up. Even
Lang would know that the whole
country would be hunting them tomOr-
row if they touched her. They won't
if they can help it. But this is their
last hope-tO trust in one final raid
They'll 60 through with it. Make her
go outside if it comes to that"
He opened the door and leaped
across the twenty yards of open space
which separated the main building
from the bunk house. barred the door
and looked from the south window.
The riders along the valley rims had
descended to the bottoms. Smoke was
already rising from one honest cad
cabin and they We're riding toward
the res+ Two men had dismOunted
by the head gate.
Harris cursed himself for not hav-
ing anticipated this very thing. The
whole plan was clear to him. Slade
would have known that when the cow
hands came in from the roundup there
would follow the inevitable night at
Brill's. Morrow had mapped out the
raid long in advance, engaging Lang
to gather the cows throughout the
first night the roundup crew was in
from the range and hold them few
miles from the ranch. Lang could not
know that Slade was locked up and
that Morrow was dead so the raid had
gone through as planned.
Smoke was rising from two more
cabins in the flats and Harris re-
proache himself for another over
sight in allowing the wagons to pull
out before the others arrived. The
crop would have been ruined in any
event but with the hands at home they
could have prevented the destruction
of the cabins.
He transferred his attention to the
long line of log buildings a hundred
yards to the east. The row afforded
perfect cover for any who chose that
route of approach. They could walk
up to them in absolute safety, screened
both from himself and those in the
main house.
AS he watched the doors and win.
dows for sign of movement within a
voice hailed the from the shop.
"You might as well come out" 1t
called. "We're going to fire the plant"
Harris stretched prone on the floor
and rested the muZZle of his life on
crack between the logs. 1t was hard
shooting. He was forced to shift the
butt end of the gun, moving with it
swinging the free end of the barrel.
He trained it on a crack some two
feet from the door of the shop. Be-
hind the aperture the light of win
dow on the far side showed family.
"Come out !" the voice ordered. "Or
Well cook you inside. We've no time
to lose. Rush it,"
The light disappeared from the
crack Ind Harris pressed the trigger.
With the roar of his gun shape
pitched down across the door of the
shop. Some unseen hands caught the
man by the feet and as he was
dragged back from sight Harris saw
Tie Itu HduuhClSlllCl "hiSh hau
served as a mask.
From all along the row of buildings
a fire was opened on the bunk house.
Harris threw himself fiat against the
lower log which barely shielded him.
Shreds of 'dobe thinking Uttered the
room. The balls which found an en-
trance splintered through the hunks
and buried themselves in the logs of
the far wall. One marksman worked
on the lower crack. Puffs of 'dobe pull
verified before Harris eyes as the sys-
tematic fire crept toward him down
the crack I'm six-inch steps.
The shooting suddenly ceased. Bill
lie Warren, dazedly Indifferent as to
what should happen to the Three Bar
since the wreck Of the lower field, had
reused to action the instant she saw