The Coolidge examiner., 1931-01-23


sight. BY way of warning O'Hara
dropped a bullet in front of them.
The Ingram gunmen opened up
into loose formation. each man rid
ing wide of his neighbor. But they
kept coming. Shots sounded. A
bullet cut off the branch of a will
low five feet from O'Hara.
Another half mile, boys, an
we'll make it," Texas Jim said
anXiOuSly. "OnCt we reach the
boulder field there we can stand
'em off"
Bob Quantrell slid from his
horse. I'm gonna stop those
birds"
He rested his rifle across the
branch of a willow, took careful
aim, and fired. A man tumbIed
from a horse.
Quantrell let out "Hi-yi" of tri-
umph. Got that fellow good" he
called across to Texas Jim. Guess
they won't push on their reins to
get any closer"
He was right. The pursuers
made for such cover as was avail
able. One object lesson at a time
was enough.
The fugitives took advantage of
this to increase the distance be-
tween them and the Ingram men.
They amt such curly wolves as
they think they are" Quantrell
shouted gleefully TO his two COM
paniOns. "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 gal.
loped. They passed to a boulder
strewD field beyond 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 man ready TO collapse
and sustained only by a resOlute
will.
Can you go on?" O'Hara asked
him.
Both of his hands clung to the
saddle horn. He nodded, not vast
ing 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"
n ct
his partner on the other. Joe was
an old-timer and picked with a
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 a gallop and
brought back a blackboard into
which he was lifted. A few min
uteS later he was carried uncon-
scious into the house.
O'Hara sent a messenger for a
doctor and another for Steelman.
That the attack upon the Hughes
ranch would be interpreted as a
challenge he was quite sure Com
ing as ii did on the heels of the
offer to compromise, Ingram would
be justified in considering ii black
treachery. He would retaliale
swiftly, probably with deadly effici-
ency, unless it was possible to get
him to see the affair In it's true
light. Quantrell and the men who
had ridden with him on the raid
must be discharged. It 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 ii over with Smith
Beresford. The. Englishman sug-
gested difficulty.
It's all very well talking about
getting rid of Quantrel 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 il would
be denced convenient 70 have a few
OF these wild helliOns around to re-
pei 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 back of
the raid. No two ways about that.
Lyulph."
81 know. ConfOund the young
ruffian ut 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 l. Scattered the word broad
cast that we weren't in it and
didn't intend to get in it, ard we're
the dashed center of the whole show
whether we want to be or not.
Every move we make turns out
wrong. | suppose well be blamed
for going TO the Hughes place to
fry TO stop the row."
"Of course. It's unfortunate that
one of Ingram'S men was shot after
we got there. What luck would !
have if | rode to town to see In
gram at once? Would there be any
chance of persuading him that the
situation got out of hand before we
reached home?"
No go. You'd never get back
alive. Well have to sit tight till