Evening star., 1930-06-15
The Loan of a Gun
ByAzzm LeINay:
KerriGau Mas ON the Trail of Killer and
Bad Luck Follo7Ved Him-But He Mas
Determined to Stick to His Task-Y0u
Mn Want to Knozv HozU It Turned Ont

the Circle Hook. It was an outfit that had
bitterly opposed the election of Pop Waterman
now dead by joey Greaves gun And the
Circle Hook had been Greaves' home outfit
kerriGan was speculating now as to how far
these birds Of feather would go in behalf of
their man. That they would aid his escape
In any convenient way, he knew He did not
think, however, that they would openly buck
the law
For two days Kerrgan had lain on the edge
of Mesa 0allina, Is miles away watching the
crevices Of the uprearing Cmarrons. He knew
every groove Of that range. Given q wisp Of
smoke he could at 80 miles, almost name the
man who cooked there or, failing the name
tell where he had come from what was his
business and where he was going next
K ERRIGAN had not shared the general be-
lief that the killer of Pop Waterman had
made run for Old Mexico. Just as a truth
was a better concealment than a lie so some-
times 1t was darkest under the light even in
that sparsely settled day-if man had friends
kerrigan was first deputy-acting sheriff, now
that Waterman dead-but he had let the
silent fury Of the volunteer posses 90 boiling
down the Chihuahua trail without him
Greaves' logical hide-out, he reasoned, would
be somewhere on the near watershed Of the
Cimarrons
Patiently he had combed the slopes with his
eyes, testing and retesting his knowledge of
the terrain. Across the miles the parched clear
air showed him every outline Of the individual
trees tiny as moss fragments but incredibly
distinct. And at last far gray ghost in the
branches of the pines had told him that man
was camped where no man-but one-had any
reason to be.
Across the blaze Of the plain and into the
foothills rode Kerrigan, and then that half-wit
accident had deprived him Of his gun It was
Kerrigan's second misfortune, though he
blamed himself now, that he should stumble on
these particular men. He had seen them from
far away on the mesa. early in the day. Work
ing stock, apparently, or getting ready to
near the foot Of the Arroyo Hondo up which
he must strike in pursuit Of Greaves He had
taken them for men Of the Bar K, since this
was Bar K range more than any other.
1t was certain now that If he borrowed a
gun from these men they would make every
EFFORT to warn Greaves, and it was unlikely
that they could fail. His mistake in display
ing himself to men of the Circle Hook ap-
parently camped for the purpose of covering
the fugitive, made further pursuit useless, un-
less
gruder. You know how it is in workin' stock.
I dunno we"
Won't need any" said Kerrigan.
He mspectedsthe cinch OF his pony and pre-
pared to mount.
"Pushin' back to Wolf Springs, I suppose?"
Magruder couldn't keep his questions of of
other peoples business. 1t would be the death
Of him some day
Nope" said Kerrigan. He returned old
Magruder's questioning gaze until the other
dropped his eyes. I'm goin out and round
in Greaves, with my bare hands Want to
Gomez"
Truth, nothing but the truth, that was the
stuff to offtrail old Magruder
Take drink for me-" said Magruder, when
you get to Wolf Springs"
-Four cards to the boss of the Circle Hook
Two cards more to the Chinese cook,
Whole new hand for Charlie McGraw-
Gambler guesses that he won't draw
The cowboy he was topped again,
And they all went seven hands round"
Kerrigan sang softly to himself as the bay
horse picked his way up what passed for q
trail beside the steep Arroyo Hondo:
Three to the man with burrs in his beard.
Two to the man whose hand is feared
Three TO the man whose nose Is blue
Gambler guesses one card win do
The cowboy he was topped again.
And they all went seven hands round"
Up and up, until at last a round topped
pillar Of rock showed family blue in the
starlight above the spruce and Kerrigan turned
of.
Half an hour later a distinct smell of frying
grease came into the down-canyon breeze
Kerrigan dismounted and picketed the horse
Ten minutes walk brought him into sight Of a
gleam Of freight. A short stalk completed his
reconnaissance. Kerrigan's reasoning had been
right. Unexpectedly, Greaves cooking It
was late to be cooking supper, but the smell Of
venison suggested that the murderer of Pop
Waterman had been hunting at some distance
inst Nuith hic fraeO