The Coolidge examiner., 1930-11-28
CHAPTER I-Continued

P
O'Hara headed down the long hall
toward the bedroom of which he
was to be part occupant. Upon one
of the cots he dropped the saddle
bags. after busting them with a
gunny sack which he found in one
corner of the room. Back of the
house he found well. tin wash
basin. and a dirty towel. He fin
ished washing just in time to an
Swer the supper bell.
Ii was characteristic of Garrett
O'Hara that he did not call at once
on Steve WOrrall at the Longhorn
corral. He wanted first to get his
own impressions of the town AS
much as he had seen of the place
fascinated him. 1t was raw and
crude. but the yeast of young and
eXuberant life worked in ii. If it
had not been wild and untamed he
would have been disappointed.
He wandered up the street and
his haphaZard footsteps took him
toward a sound of music. A Mexi-
can baile was in progress. He paid
the price of admission and stepped
inside. A 1.-THE. bright-eyed girl was
doing fandangO with a young fel-
low in Spanish costume. O'Hara
watched the scene eagerly. This
was the sort of thing he had come
west TO see. 1t had color, the
charm of the unusual.
There came a disturbance at the
door, diSputing voices, an irruption
of men, not Mexicans. There were
four of them, and at the head OF
the group one whom O'Hara at once
recognized. the fellow whom he had
met that afternoon, Shep Sander
son. They were intoxicated. primed
for trouble The Mexicans drew
back, scowling at them.
O'Hara took one quick look
around the room. There was no
way out except by the front door
unless he climbed through a win
dow. His revolver was at the ho-
tel in his saddle-bags. He grinned,
a foolish little smile. Probably he
was in for very unpleasant expe-
rience, TO put the case mildly.
AS yet SandersOn had not seen
him. The fellow had seized hold of
a girl and was dancing with her
much against her will. The natives
shouted protests and muttered
oaths of anger. but they were not
prepared for active resistance.
The music stopped when Sander
son was close to O'Hara. The big
man did not trouble to see that his
partner reached her seat. He
dropped ter at once from his mind.
Feed ne a cigarette. fellow" be
ordered. and then noticed to whom
he was talking. "By cripes. it's the
tenderfoot."
O'Hara felt his blood quicken.
Danger always had that effect upon
him.
"At your service" he replied.
"Who invited you to this tende-
JONI" the man demanded.
Are you the floormaster, Mr..
SanderSon?" Though he knew it
was not safe, O'Hara could not keep
q touch of jauntiness out of his re-
tort.
The bad mans shallow eyes, a
waShed-out blue in color, narrowed
10 points of savage cruelty. He
had found safe objecI upon which
to eXpend his venom.
"Sa-ay, pilgrim. don't get funny
with me. 1t amt supposed to be
safe. | aim TO fix yore clock right
now. After I've worked you over
for a spell you hive off for parts un-
known an don't never let me see
you again."
"Or you'll shoot straighter than
you did this afternoon" suggested
O'Hara.
You don't have to get on the
prod with me, fellow. I'm startin'
TO clean up on you right now"
A prize fighter had once given
Garrett O'Hara six rules for rough
and-tumble fighting. He forgot the
last five, but remembered the first.
1t was to carry the attack, rather
than wait for it. Now he reached
for his foes big outcropping ears.
gripped them tightly, and jerked the
unkempt head toward him. With all
the force of his well-muScled arms
O'Hara thrust back the head of the
helpless giant, then Ieaped on him.
twining his legs back of Sander
sons Stocky ones. His feet moved
up and down, swiftly and savagely.
The bully let out a yell of pain.
Take MIN off J Take him off! He's
KILN me-"
The dancers had pressed back
from the fighting area. They stared
at the entwined men, amazed at
Sanderson's cry for help. For the
strangers hands still clung to the
Tapping ears. 1t was certain that
he had not knitted the big man. Nor
had be shot him. Why, then, was
SanderSon believing like a fright
ened calf?
O'Hara felt a hand clutch his