White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-07-21
CHAPTER V-Ccntinued

NI1t1I LIN N-%S1ASIl1I4So
To the Flying Wy man Rafferty, put
a blunt question: what dyou want
here?"
II drapped in to see if we couldn't
fix things up an to get the correct
facts. I'm hopin' the story we've
heard amt true" Tapscott replied
amiably. We've heard stories and O.
course we're not lookin' for trouble, so
we figured I'd better come to head
quarters an
Rafferty, ripped out sudden savage
oath. "That lowdown NANCY coyote
wills Mccain waylaid an killed Matt
Stark this mo'ning, since you're here
for facts"
Mildly Tapscott protested. II don't
reckon Wills would waylay anyone,
Nick. Who says he waylaid him?
know for fact that Wills wasn't look
in for trouble"
Phil's voice broke shrill and high.
"Wasn't he? Well, he's found it. You
go back an tell them so that sent
you"
"Meanfn' he's been hurt?"
"Meanin' he's lying in the house
here shot through an through"
"Tha's bad"
"Bad for the McCanns," retorted
Rafferty,. II reckon you amt wor-
ryin' none about Matt"
"Tha's bad, too," Tapscott replied.
IT was hopin' we could patch up this
range war before it got too late"
''You can't" Phil interrupted, with
a touch Of hysteria in his boyish voice.
"Not till I've got two-three McCanns."
The foreman of the Flying Wy ig-
nored this. He had not come to make
or receive declaration Of war. what
does Doc Sanders say about Wils?" he
asked.
"Gives him a day-or maybe two,"
Gftner cut in triumphantly, with
rRucous laugh.
Tapscott looked through the Texan
without apparently seeing him. But
the blank hardness Of his gaze soft
ened as he turned to Julia. He had
an appeal to make and he hoped that
she would back it,
"How can go back an tell his old
dad that? It'll sure break his heart.
He sets the world an all by that boy.
What can we do? His old dad is out
there in the mesquite waitin' for me to
bring him news of his son. What am
to tell him, ma'am?"
Julia's eyes were on sudden little
wells of trimming tears. She thought
of her own father and Of how he would
have felt II she had been dying in the
house of an enemy. She hated the Nc
Canns, every last one of them. They
had struck at her a mortal blow from
which she would never recover. All
her life she would cherish revenge.
But even so she could not keep q
father from the son whose life was
ebbing. If she did that she would
always despise herself.
",Tell him he can see his boy"
"If he feels like he wants to take
the chance" Gitner added with an evil
sneer.
For the first time Stone spoke, In
the low drawl of the Southland. IF
Miss Julia says Pete Mccain can
come here, why I reckon it'll be all
right with you an me, Carl, won't it?'
Gitner's eyes met his reluctantly.
There was something compelling in the
cool steady gaze Of the little man,
something that was n menace If not a
threat in the even murmur Of the
voice. The big Texan said no more.
Julia drew her brother aside and
urged upon him impetuously her point
of view. He listened, half resentful,
half consenting. The youth in him,
the milk of his tenderness not yet
dried up, appreciated and shared her
feeling. But he had to remember his
loyalty to the dead father within
Would IT be construed as weakness for
him to let Peter Mccain into the
house? Did his honor not rather de-
mand that he shoot the man on sight,
The boy in him was for the moment
dominant. "All right. Have 1t yore
own way. / know you will anyhow
Phil said, little sullenly. TEL
Tapscott to have him come down."
"No, that won't do, Phil. don't
trust that Carl Gitner. We'd better
70 and meet him, you and |. Wei
ride one on each side Of him."
To this Phil assented. The three
rode up to the pass and Tapscot'
wvv,A his bandanna IS signal to the