The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-11-28

they think they are, Quantrell
shouted gieefully to his two compan-
ions. "I'll show this bully puss bunch
whether they can push me more'n so
fur
The hills that fenced in the park
grew closer. Not far ahead was the
cleft through which ran the creek.
Into this the horses galloped. They
passed to boulder-strewn field be-
yond which was a gulch.
At the upper end of this they found
the rest of their party. With them
were Joe and the horses he had
brought to the rendezvous.
Owen, his face drained Of blood,
looked like n man ready to collapse
and sustained only by a resolute will.
"Can you so on?" O'Hara asked him.
Both of his hands chung to the sad
| die horn. He nodded, not wasting the
energy to answer in words.
'We'll try to make the Circle S o."
| O'Hara said. "Its less than four
miles by the mesa"
He rode on one side Of Owen, his
| partner on the other. Quantrell and
Texas Jim brought up the rear, watch
ing alertly for the pursuers.
The deputy sheriff and Joe rode in
| the van of the procession. Joe was an
| old-timer and picked with sure eye
| the easiest way across the hills to
the ranch.
Owen succumbed within sight of the
ranch, slipping from the saddle into
| O'Hara's arms. One of the men rode
forward at gallop and brought back
blackboard into which he was lifted.
few minutes later he was carried
unconscious into the house.
O'Hara sent messenger for doc
| tor and another for Steelman. That
the attack upon the Hughes ranch
would be interpreted as challenge he
was quite sure. Coming as it did on
| the heels of the offer to compromise,
Ingram would be justified in consider
| ing it black treachery. He would re-
taliate swiftly, probably with deadly
| efficiency, unless it was possible to get
him to see the affair in its true light.
| Quantrell and the men who had rid
den with him on the raid must be dis
charged 1t must be made clear that
neither Steelman nor his partners of
| the Circle s o ranch countenanced
in any way what had been done.
He talked it over with Smith-Beres-
| ford The Englishman suggested Il
difficulty.
Its all very we'll talking about get
ting rid of Quantrell and the other
young devils who rode with him on
this raid, but let's not go too fast
about it, old chap" he said. "The
Assyrian may come down like the wolf
on the fold, and it would be deuced
convenient to have few of these wild
hellions around to repel boarders, you
know. We can't discharge Quantrell
until we know what Ingram means to
do, even if he did spill the apple cart
for us. Better wait till Steelman gets
| here"
"If we keep Quantrell we tell In
gram that we're standing hack of the
raid. No two ways about that.
Lyulph."
Il know. Confound the young ruff
fan! But If we don't keep him and
the others we're inviting the enemy
to come and wipe us out" Smith
Beresford laughed ruefully. "Queer,
by Jove. We thought We could keep
out of this feud, you and I. Scattered
the word broadcast that we weren't
in it and didn't intend to get in 1t.
and we're dashed center of the whole
show whether we want to be or not.
Every move we make turns out wrong.
or anyhow it's interpreted wrong. l
suppose We'll be blamed for going to
the Hughes place to try to stop the
row."
"Of course. It's unfortunate that
one of Ingram's men was shot after
we got there. What luck would l
have if rode to town to see Ingram
at once? Would there be any chance
of persuading him that the situation
got out of hand before we reached
homer"
mo go. You'd never get back alive.
Wen have to sit tight till Steelman
comes''
Steeman arrived the evening Of the
next day. He was accompanied b.
half a dozen armed men.
After he had talked with his part
ners the owner of the Hashknife sent
for Bob Quantrell. That young man
came in sheepishly, expecting to be
raked over the Goals.
you've certainly spilled the frijoles.
young man." Steelman said bluntly.
"What have you got to say for yore-
self? Who asked you to raid the
Hughes placer"
"Me! Oh, was kinda playin' a
lone hand. Would you call it raid
when we was sheriff's posse all
swore in regular an proper?'
"At the very hour you were pullin'
off this fool business my two partners
here were tryin' to arrange COM
promise with Ingram What do you
suppose he'll think about us?"
Hell probably Unload his private
can of cuss words" The boy put one