Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-01-28
Chapter 81
KNIFE TLRIfCT


Almost Rock ceased to breathe. The
pounding of his heart sounded like
a muffled drum.
What the hell's got into your" de-
What the heels got n you
net you hang on in town. lookin' for
trouble, maxim more fer me?" conn
tered the father. sternly.
Some greaser punched me, an
stayed to find him"
Punched you! Aw, why don't YOU
be game? He beat you till you were
sepseless."
'Ahuh. Wal. if you knowed it why'n
hell bother me? 1t don't make me
But l needed you hyar," replied
Preston. trying to stifle rage that
would not &C down. There's work no
one else can do"
But, Pa, I wanted to kill tibet Sem
or del Toro," protested Ash, almost
plaintlvely.
BAIL Senior del Toro? why, you
lunkhead, tibet m~ake-belleve Spaniard
was Trueman Rock"
Hell, MOI snapped Ash, hotly. 81
mad tibet bunch. But / was wrong.
Next mornin' / went to Thirty. | told
ner tibet black-masked pardner of
hers was Rock an | was again to
XIII him.. She fell on her knees. An
sne wrapped her arms around me.
AN she swore to God ii wasn't Rock
(. ia, | had to believe her. Thirty
never lied In her life"
"Mebbe I'm wrong,' choked Pres
ton, as If a will not his own wrench
ed that admission from him. But
whoever he was he gave you plumb
what Ia have given you. Everybody
says so. You can't be relied upon,
as you used to be. Now listen, some
INNS up out there on the range. I've
done some scoutin' around lately. I've
talked with the Mexican shepherd
ers. TOO many riders snoopin' around
sunset Pass! Today l seen some OF
Hesbitt's outfit. An Slagle asked me
sarcastic like why Clink Peoples was
over hyar so much. Ash, there's
a Niger in the woodpile. / shore DOM
like the smell. What'd you do with
them last Half Moon hides?"
II hid them"
"Where?"
TN a good place, all right
D you'll Didn't you take them
your"
II packed some there. 1t was too
far, an / was tuckered out. / hid the
rest under the c~ulvert."
But | told you not to hide any
some out. wen lay &c off but csgp
fer a SPELL"
Lay off nothin'. with all them or
ders fer beef? | guess not. Pa, there's
room fer q thousand hides down in
the old we'll"
Ash, I tell you Wen lay off KILN |
till this suspicion dies down." said
PRESTON, In hoarse earnestness, fight
ing for patience.
oval. l won't lay off, an I reckon
| can boss the boys" replied Ash,
implacably.
Then Preston cursed him until he
was spent from passion.
This hyar rider, Rock" spoke up
Ash, as If he had never heard the
storm o. profanity, when you goin'
"Rock?" Not at ALL" replied Pres
ton, YEARLY. He was beaten.
wal, then, / will. He's been around
us, too"
Ash, haven't you sense enough to
see tibet Rocks bein' hyar Is good
Ier u.s." asked Preston, girding him
trusted as Rock. Tibet diverts sus-
But he might find us out"
1T Amt likely"
He might stumble on to 1t by ac- !
cident. Or get around Thirty an scare
It out of her."
wal. If he did, tibet wouldn't be
bad. He loves her well enough to
In with us. Only I'd hate like
hell to ask her to do II. I'm tellin'
you, Ash, Thirty would like Rock II
she hod half a chance"
A knife plunged into Ash's vitals
could scarcely have made him bend
fouble and rock to and no, like that
OF Preston's.
Shed like him, huhf so thet's why
she made me promise not TO pick a
light with him. Hells fire."
wal. Ash, II circumstances come
lp we can't help or beat, what'n hell
al we dor / told you Res * tibet