White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-08-11
CHAPTER TX
Ann Rides to Mesa

Ann Rides to Mesa
In town with pack horse for sup
plies, Jim VERIFY stopped at the Gilt
Edge saloon to get a bottle of snake
bite medicine. The old-timer adj
mitted that he never had been struck
by RATHER but you never could tell
when your luck would turn bad. He
took the cure in advance to forestall
the evil day.
While VERIFY talked to the bar
tender his quick beady eyes darted
round the room On voyages Of discov-
cry. Something was in the air, some
thing that caused unwonted excite
ment. The patrons of the place were
gathered together in knots, and at the
heart Of each group a man was talk
ing in low urgent voice. Jasper
Stark was one Of the murmuring ora
tors. Another was Carl Gitner.
The bartender took Yerby's money
for the bottle Of liquor he bought but
pushed back the quarter proffered for
the drink.
"It's on some of the boys today he
explained.
IA lii celebrating" asked the hester
with lifted eyebrows.
Il reckon the celebratin' will be
LATER" the man in the apron said sig
nifcantly.
Yerby sauntered to the outskirts Of
the nearest group. 1t was the one in
the center Of which Jasper Stark
sawed the air.
you say he was our friend when
he did it," Jasper was repeating, in
voice dry as whisper. 'Leave it lay
at that. Say he was. So was Tom.
But that amt the point. wouldn't
make no boiler if he'd plugged Tom
fair an square in the open. No. gents.
I'd go through from hi to breakfast
for him. You're On whistling
would. If it had a-been thataway.
Which it wasn't. Like | been tellfn'
you, this Texas killer an Tom had
quarreled. Stone told Car an he told
me that he would sure get Tom. When
we saw the Clifford woman lighting
out so sudden we figured naturally
that she'd done it. All the same, both
Carl an thought Stone acted mighty
funny when he came outa the brush
an found us beside Toms body. He
played like he was surprised, an it
didn't get acrost to u.s. We suspfcioned
somehow he knew mOre'n he said.
Maybe he was in cahoots with Ann
Clifford"
VERIFY spoke up promptly. mot on
yore tintype. Miss Ann hadn't thing
to do with this. She's a right nice
young lady"
Bleaky Jasper looked at him. "Sorry
if hurt yore feelings by naming yore
strengthening friends, Yerby," he
sneered. but leave that 60. Say
| Stone played lone hand. Question
| is: Can Texas killer come in here
an shoot down our boys from the
brush an get away with it? III gam
| BILE on it he can't"
Meaning" asked VERIFY.
"Meanin' that the boys aim to take
hand pronto."
The hester knew the crowd had been
drinking. He had met before the lust
to kill that makes mob cruel and in
human For some reason, he saw at
once, young Stark was working up the
men of Mesa to an act Of summary
vengeance.
Hold yore hawsses, Jas. I'd like
| right we'll to hear Stones story before
| you get rampageous. He's a killer, !
reckon ieastways he's got that rep.
| But he don't look to me like one of
the kind that shoots you whilst he's
shakin' hands with you. No sense in
going off half cooked"
whats eatin' you, Yerby? This
Stone has confessed he did it," Jasper
interrupted rudely.
HAS he confessed he shot Tom from
| the brush?"
The sly and shifty eyes of the
younger man met those of the old
timer and slid away. mot necessary.
The facts show it. Carl an | were
the first folks on the ground Tom
hadn't fred shot The coward thai
shot him never gave him a chance"
"When you tell that to a jury
ITO BE CONTINUED.l