White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-08-25


ing to do about it, Mixer"
"Well, I've wired Hank to come
home an I'm f1gurin' on swearing ii
some deputies to help me-"
A sardonic smile touched the face
of the Texan. ITO help you protect
Dave Stone, bad man an killer.
reckon you'll find the boys some re
luctant."
1t proved to be as the prisoner pre-
dicted Rand returned to him in the
middle of the afternoon. From the cot
where he was lying Stone looked up
and read failure in the deputy's honest
face.
"Well, you got the Jail full of law
abidin' citizens?" Stone asked with
gentle derision. Cali of 'em anxious
to go the limit for me?"
Rand's eyes confessed defeat.
Don't worry, Mike" the Texan
went on. Il knew it would be thata-
way. Question is, what do you aim
to do now? Do get chance for my
white alley, Mixer
"How d'you mean?'
do get my guns back, so I can
take Gitner an Stark with me on this
long journey?"
Il don't reckon that would hardly be
right, Dave. You're a prisoner"
You'll turn me over to be lynched,
then, by two murderers who want me
outa the way because they're afraid
I've got the goods on them"
Rand had an inspiration. mo, sir.
If it comes to showdown III swear
you in as a deputy" he promised.
"I'll promise not to throw down on
you, this time" Stone assured him
with mordant irony.
During the long afternoon the dep
uty was in and out Of the prisoners
cell dozen times to consult him. The
Texan showed no emotion or excite
ment He faced imperturbably the
shadows of darkness drawing closer
to him. Whatever Of despair he may
have felt in his heart did not reach
the chill mask of his face.
Through the window he looked down
at Mesa, and he knew that the men
hurrying to and fro on the streets were
thinking Of the fate in store for him.
The chances were that he would
never again see the glory Of a new
day, the sunlight streaming across the
silvery sage Of the desert. He had
lived hard, but on the whole clean.
They had called him the good bad
man because he never wasted, his force
in futile dissipation. Would thar
serve him where he was goingT He
smiled grimly, wondering.
Night fell. Stone walked to- the
barred window and looked out. The
| lights of the town were coming out one
by one. He could see. that the place
buzzed with excitement like q! hive OF
swarming bees.
''Soon now" he told himself quietly:
/ He thought Of many things almost
forgptten-of schooldays in the small
town where he had been born, Of boys
not recalled in years.. of the scrape
which had driven him to the Texas
i frontier. Scenes in his turbulent life;
some Of them detached and episode,
i jumped to mind wildly.
/ One Of these showed a. barroom, and
inside It staggering bully and bad
man 'deviling' boy Of seventeen.
IT. showed the flash Of guns, the sur
prised desperate sinking slowly to the
floor while the boy stared at him with
fear-fi1led eyes at thought Of what he
had done. From the hour he had
killed King Hill, in the eyes Of the
world David Stone had been marked
with a brand he could not escape.
The door Of the, cell opened and
Rand's head was thrust in. "Lady to
see you, Dave"
Stone turned swiftly. A, young
woman was moving across the thresh-
old of the room. He recognized instant
ly her slender erectness.
"You-Miss Ann! he, exclaimed!
amazed.
She moved forward, and when she
was close he saw that her face was
working with emotion.
~Why did you do it?''' she cried in
low voice.
~Do what?'
~You know. You know. Pretend
that you shot Tom McArdle.''
"Other folks were being suspected
I figured I'd better tell the truth"
''It's not the TRUTH. You know II
isn't. I killed him.