Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-01-03

you ever hear of Kendall of the
K Lazy-Y rancho"
II know the ranch. all right, but Ken
dall's a new one to me-
Same here. Anyhow. his money looks
all right, II l agreed to have Harris and
the boys round up the cattle and drive
them across the border. You and me
will have the ranch to ourselves a couple
of days. But f~irst-off We'll bank that
money"
suits me-" said Jim. I'll bring the
ponies around directly"
AS he went to the corral he passed
Harris and the stranger. Kendall was
dressed like the ordinary cowboy, except
that his outfit was a little more costly
than most but not so flashy. He was
telling Harris where to meet the foreman
of the K-Lazy-Y ranch with the bunch
of steers. He described . location Just
this side OF the border. As Harris dis
puted some minor point with him Ken
dall's thin lips frightened to a white line,
and his green eyes glinted with sudden
fury.
One of the boys brought up Kendalls
powerful white horse at that momen
and, without a word of good-by, the
stranger sprang into the saddle and gall
Hoped away.
That varmint got the eye of q rattle
snake II the manners of a hog!" re-
marked Harris. Il only hope l meet up
with him some place where l can hand
him a few fightin' words" And he spat
on the ground where Kendall had stood.
lille the punchers under Harris or
ders were riding toward Big Spring ba-
sin to round up the steers, Jim and his
boss trotted along the trail toward Mast
adon. Jim found that Devine was in a
more genial mood han usual and told
him about the boastful old bun whom he
had kept out OF Jail.
"Jails the best place for UGH hobos,"
declared Devine. You done wrong to
keep him out of the c~alaboose.'
But he 'peared to be a harmless old
coot. Him with his brag that he learned
Buffalo Bill to handle a gun"
Maybe he was Just putin II over on
you, Jim. You don't know but what that
bum was lookout for a gang of yeggs or
cattle rustlers."
They were nearing the bend in the
trail where Jim had seen the tramp
asleep the night before. 1t was q mar
row canyon overgrown with brush and
stunted trees, and the shadows were
heavy there, even at midday.
Suddenly, without warning, the canyon
wall echoed to the rattle OF shots. With
a fierce yell, horsemen came squirting up
the trail, while from behind came the
noise Of a second gang. Across the can
yOu ~ pull Ol SillOhe SHOWED llldJ II lndThS-
man was lying in ambush there.
In a flash Jim grasped the situation.
Somebody had got wind of the big sale
and had staged a holdup to get Devine
and his money. This was a poor time to
stand and fight-two men against a
dozen or more.
Jim n Devine swung their mounts up
a b~reakneck incline, following q stream
bed that branched off from the canyon.
Tt troc nna nhnnnn in tnn that thn 1nrCnc
would keep their footing on the polished
stones, and one chance in fifty that they
could dodge the robbers bullets. But to
stay and shoot it out meant sure death.
A moment later Jim and Devine were
lost in the brush, the hoofs of the pur-
suers' horses gathering after them, but
not so close as before. AS they reached
a little clearing half way up the noun
tain side the noise Of the pursuers grew
fainter, as If they had been thrown off
the trail. For a moment the cowpuncher
and his boss drew rein to listen.
Then Devine said, Jim, we're in a
tight place, for that bunch Of outlaws
mean business
They're not out for fun, that's a
cinch."
We'll, I'm going to spoil their business
for them" With a quick movement De-
vine jerked the wallet from his pocket,
and Jim saw that 1t was fat and heavy
with currency. hi two men spurred
their horses a few rods into the brush,
then Devine stopped beside a tall juniper
with a huge hollow in its trunk, a land
mark for the whole section.
A few PAGES distant was an outstand-
rock stained green from the teaching of
copper. Devine leaped from his horse,
ran to the green rock, and, searching
for a fissure deep enough for his purpose,
| IA v1Icf thn urn1lnt or~o,y ,r ,,~+i a. ,-o-
completely hidden.
"Jim," he said. Il trust you. There's
more n twenty thousand dollars in that
pocketbook. II anything happens to me
| want you to swear that Rose will get
the money"
hen he sprang into the saddle as the
sound OF hoofs coming nearer told that
the pursuit was on again. and the two
fugitives spurred their ponies up q dim
trail through the brush.
Shove along like blaZes," said De
vine. If they don't know this country
we can give those holdups The slip up
yonder in the woods"
Jim's only answer was 10 dig the spurs
deeper, inc his hope rose as the -ound
of the pursuing hoofs grew fainter. Then,
at a turn of the trail, he was brought
up with a terrific Jolt. From an ambush
right ahead came a crackle Of rifle shots.
Bullets sang about his ears, and one steel
jacketed messenger Of death tore off his
sombrerO.
1t was a trap! No doubt the gang in
the rear had slowed up Intentionally to al
low their victims to ride into this pitfall
Jim slid from his saddle to take shelter
behind his horse, and as his feet touched
the ground his lands reached for his
brace of Ass.
From the corner of his I'VE he caught
a glimpse of Devine swaying in his sad
die like a drunken man, then slowly sag
ging and falling to the ground. Jim's
guns barked a defiant answer at the
sharpshooter ambushed up the trail, but
he knew that it was q hopeless fight. AL
ready the gang from behind was at his
heals and a bullet from one Of their guns
tipped viciously against his saddle horn.
Blast them, I'll shoot it out and die
fighting" thought Jim, and turned loose
his oats in their direction, but, even as
he fired. the second thought came on the
heels of the first. IF we are both killed
that money is lost forever. Rose will
never get a cent Of that twenty thou
sand"
Instead of emptying his guns, Jim
threw up both hands as a token Of sur
render, and stood beside his horse, glow
ering f%uriously at the bandit chief, who
now rode up, covering his victim with a
leveled gun,
1t was Lee Kendalll
linn cuynra a prpot nofh ,rndnr hfc