Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-31
ROBBERS RoosT
~ ZANE GREY

Next he attempted to locate this dill
gent member of HeeSeman's outfit. This
man evidently shot from behind the
rim, low down. and net even the tip
of his rife could be seen. Jim had
grim feeling that this fighter would
not much longer be so comfortable.
Before this Smoky must have passed
the danger zone below.
What had become of Hays? Wait
ing alone amongst these DETECTING
bullets wore on Jim's mood. He de-
cided to peep out OF the hole again.
To this end he climbed to the shelf.
rife in hand and the glass slung round
his neck.
He could command every point with
the aid of the field glass, without ex-
posing his head.
The sharpshooters had eased up a
bit on wasting ammunition. Jim sought
for the cwl-shaped piece Of rim rock
/ and got it in the center of the circle.
An instant later far-off shot
Suddenly a dark form staggered up.
flinging arms aloft. silhouetted black
against the sky. That must be the
sharpshooter Smoky had reached
him. Headlong he pitched eff the cliff,
to plunge sheer into the wash below.
Smoky had at least carried out his
idea
Inc THLLIe Oh TlI1eS lClI vi. DuI
what WAS left was not the scattering,
desultory kind 1t meant lessenins
OF man power. One at least for every
two shots of Smoky Slocums! And
those on the cliff grew louder. closer.
Heesemans gang. what was left, were
backing from that fire out OF the west.
Suddenly Jim espied Hays boldly
mounting the slope. But it appeared
that he had not been discovered yet.
pTJ1. To- ta
peril to the west.
Jim maryeled at the purpose OF the
robber chief. Still another shot from
Smoky-the last But Hays had
reached high enough to see over. Lew
cling the rife. he took deliberate aim.
Then he fired.
"Heesenen" Missed Jim, as sure a.
If he himself had held that gun
HAYS. working the lever of his rife,
bounded back and aside Shots doomed.
One knocked him to his knees. but
he lunged up to fire again. Again ne
was hit. or the rife was. for it broke
from his hands. Drawing his two re-
volvers. he leveled them. and as ne
fired one. then the other. he backed
against the last broken section Of the
wall. Jim saw the red dust spatter
from the rock above.
The shots TANNED out ana ceased.
HAYS vas t"-r.ng to the left. his re-
manning gun lowered. He was aiming
down the slope cn the other side. He
fred again-then no more. Those VINO
were left of Heeseman's outflt had
taken flight. Eays watched them.
strobe to the side of the big rock. and
kept on watching them.
Soon he turned back and, sheathing
one gun. took to reioading the other.
/ It vas at It's r,c-rent that Jim re-
F linquis1ed t:.s fed glass to take up his
/ rife. With NAKED eyes through the
/ aperture in the tr3sh he could see
/ HAYS finish loa1ing his gun.
/ This moment, to J:m's avid mind.
was the one in witch to kill the rob-
Der. Ec drew bead on Hays breast.
| But he could not press the trigger.
Lowering tie hammer, Jim watched
| Hays stride among the rocks to disap-
! pear.
/ Jim lea ped up out Of the hole to have
! better look. Far beyond the red ridge
he discerred zen running along the
white wash. There were three of thom,
! scattered A fourth appeared from be-
/ hind bank, and he was crippled. He
waved fTant:csEy to the comrades who
had left him to fare for himself. They
were headed for the cove where the
horses still stood. And their precipitate
flight sttested to the end OF that battle
and as surely to the last of Heesemans
outfit.
ITO Be Continued)