Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-03


end of the street. Rodeo was 100 yards away
when he observed three step from tent
The men stopped in front of old Monty. The
gray-whiskered desert rat looked quickly around.
Then one of the men suddenly twisted his arm
around old Monty's neck, another struck him
with some weapon from behind and the three
picked him up and carried him into the tent.
Rodeo promptly stuck his heels into the black
horse. When he arrived in front of the tent,
the flap was down. From inside he heard a
groan. Vaulting from his saddle, his sixshooter
in his hand, Rodeo pushed into the tent.
Old Monty was on his back, rawhide twisted
around his wrists. One of the men was pouring
some gravel gold from sack on blanket
Hist your paws!" snapped Rodeo, the blue
muzzle of his sixgun travelling in slow little
circle that covered the three men. Although
Redeo wasn't aware of it, he facing three
big city gunner of the most dangerous type.
But they neither obeyed his order nor made
a move to resist.
,"Oh. hullo, sheriff. one greeted him. s all
right We're in Big Tins mcb y know"
''Yeh." said the man who emptyng the
sack. IS all jake. YerI git yer cut"
Cit them hands up damned FAST" grated
Rodeo
Say! Lay off, win va? OH see"
The man with the sack picked up gold mug
get and held it out to Rodeo.
''Takin no chances, huh? Here's yer split
then"
Rodeo leaped over the PROSTATE form of old
Monty.
Crack"
His bony left fist crashed under the of the
man who held the nugget. The gangster grunt-
ed and Topped over, his eyes glazed.
why, va blankety-blanked son-of-a---"
yelled one of the other men. Cant yer git
nothin through yer thick head?"
Rodeo snapped around The speaker in
stinctively threw his arms across his face, just
in time to clear space for RodeoS swinging
first to catch him below the middle button of
his vest.
dragged fiat black gun from his shirt. Ro-
deos sixShooter described a half arc and
smashed the gangster's wrist as the gun eX-
ploded, sending the bullet wild
With the two weapons on the gangsters he
got them to their feet and out of the tent
CURSING wildly and muttering threats CT
what would happen TO him when Big Tim
found this out, the three gangsters were forced
to take up their march through the thick sand
of the street.
Rodeo quickly became aware that his little
parade was in the nature of star attraction
Citizens of the new town began arriving from
all directions
Several of those who stood in with Big Tim
hurried away to impart the amazing news that
three of his stanchest adherents were being
taken for walk by his brand-new sheriff
When rocco drew up MS plack morse peIore
the yellow tent that Big Tim had designated as
the court, a score or more of men with ugly
cornered mouths were converging on the place
Big Tim doomed up, conveyed, as usual, by Tin
Ear and Soup.
"Lookit!" bawled one of Rodeo's prisoners
'Hel1uva mess yer new sheriff's gittin us into"
This is reg'ler court business-In handle it."
Taking a genial grin, Big Tim looked up at the
grimly set face of his new sheriff. Not by a
word or sign did he indicate that he considered
the arrest anything out of the ordinary.
Two of the automatic pistols Rodeo had taken
from the thieves had been slipped inside his
shirt.
PIG TIM sensed that a public hearing Nigh
be disastrous He glanced around. Across
the sandy street he saw the open door of the