The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-11-21
CHAPTER VIII
Quantrell's Posse Rides

Bob Quantrell roped and saddled at
the corral in cloud of dust raised
by milling horses. Others were rop-
ing at the same time. The young man
swung astride of his horse and looked
around.
"All caught?" he asked, and counted
heads.
Five men were mounted in addition
to himself.
"All caught" Texas Jim answered.
The riders cut across to the upper
rim Of the park and headed into the
rough country beyond.
"Where at will Jake meet us?"
asked Texas Jim.
"At Salt Springs. He camped there
last night. Leastways that was the
arrangement"
Another man spoke up, squat cow
boy His name was Owen, and he
went by the sobriquet of Amen for
some long-forgotten reason.
''The Old Man won't get sore, do
you reckon?"
Quantrell looked at him. "Why
should he? Didn't Judge Warner
make him administrator? An hasn't
Ingram kept a bunch of gunner on
the place ever since? Yves has been
leanin' backward so as not to get in
bad with the territory authorities,
seem as he has them on his side now.
Bet you my new saddle against
dollar Mex he'll be plumb tickled to
have us jump the ranch without his
KNOWN a thing about it. Jake is a
deputy sheriff, amt he? Well all be
sworn in as special deputies. Every
thing legal an abOveboard. The Old
Man won't have thing to kick about.
With no trouble a-tall to him the
sheriff executes the order of the court.
to find himself sittin' in the saddle
high, wide, an pretty"
They were crossing difficult coun-
try, filled with ravines, gulches, and
steep ascents.
"Salt Springs" Texas Jim called
back from the forefront of the line.
"An' some lone bird is sure enough
roostin' down there before a fire Of
niggerheads."
The lone bird turned out to be Jake
Sommers. His horse picked and slid
it's way down the face of a bluff.
~ been waitin' here quite some
time" he complained. "You told me
you'd be along either last night or be-
fore daybreak."
Sommers was a hard-eyed, frozen
faced specimen. He had been pro.
fessional gambler until recently.
"I said, barrin' accidents" Guam
trell corrected. I'VE were held up at
the ranch The belted earl an his
friend O'Hara were over there to stick
around till the Old Man had got off
for the lower ranch: We didn't get
started till ten o'clock"
AS they drew closer to the timber
above the Hughes place the men rode
warily. They might by chance come
at any moment on some of the enemy.
In the timber, near the upper edge
of II. the men dismounted. Boy
though he was, Quantrell by common
consent took command.
They stole forward through the
grove, Quantrell and the deputy in the
lead. From a bluff well sheltered by
brush they could look down on the
Hughes ranch house, not more than
two hundred yards away.
A couple of men were at the stable,
sitting in the shade cast by the build
ing. One of them was whiting, the
other oiling a revolver. A third man
was at the brook which ran back OF
the house. He was washing some
socks and hanging them on the
branches of some willows that fringed
the stream.
"Looks like we'll have to disturb
a right happy home" Quantrell muir
INJURED ironically to the deputy. Get
yore artillery ready, boys, an We'll
send some lead plums down there.
I'll take the fellow by the creek, The
two sociable guys will be yore meat"
The young killer glanced around at his
,,.on aA 20 Won all rqadV9"