The Coolidge examiner., 1932-11-04

They were up before daybreak.
The sun was just peeping over the
ridge when McCann threw the dia-
mond hitch with the lash rope. 1t
was possible, though not probable,
that at any time they might jump
up the rustlers driving stolen cattle.
Wherefore they rode warily, follow
ing ridges where they could so that
they could sweep with their eyes as
much territory as was feasible.
GuadalOup canyon opened before
them after an hour or two Of travel.
Precipitous walls shut them into a
detile, narrow and tortuous. up
which they moved in single file. The
soil was a red clay formation.
Loose rocks strewed the doorway
of the gorge, flung down ages ago
from the heights above.
The trailers dismOunted and stud
led the ground. Sure enough there
had been cattle here and recently.
Prints of horses hOofs showed that
they had been driven and had not
strayed there by chance. This they
already knew. by the testimony of
the cowpuncher Red.
They followed the gulch for sew
eral miles. The walls opened out,
so that the sun beat down upon the
riders and baked them. There was
uholn ffnrl
/ showing was the creosote cinging
to the rocks. Even this was scarce
| and stunted.
a bend in the canyon brought
them 10 clump of small pines. A
spring emerged from a fissure in
the red stone strata.
Wilson stopped the other rider.
Hold onl Let's have a look before
we mess up any tracks that may be
here"
They swung down and grounded
the reins of the horses. Through
the red SAND ran half a dozen tracks
of side-winders.
The mem moved forward slowly
TO the damp soil surrounding the
spring. What Wilson was looking
for he found. His finger pointed
OUT a heel mark. The boot was evil
IDENTIFY much run over on the outside
and the heel badly worn. The print
of the same foot was stamped also
in another moist spot below the
spring. II had been made by very
large boot.
"Some folks are right careless"
McCann said.
Sure are. Fellow who stomped
that track is a considerable sized
guy. He had ought 10 be careful
where he writes his signature"
IF he knows what's good for him
he'll write ii in Mexico muy pronto."
Looks like he's near the end of
his trail here. Now we're ON 10 him
he'll not last long, I'd say. They
must be holm up near here"
Not so far away" Wilson spoke
apparently without stress. "Gitner
knows these mountains pretty we'll
expect"
"YOu think it's Gitner." Phil was
startled, though the words voiced
fear that had been in his own
mind.
Looks thataway. You know
Gitner's big feet. an how his boots
are always run over at the heel"
The boy made no answer A dis
turhing thought had found lodg.
menr in his mind. one so full of III
omen thar the muscles beneath his
heart seemed 70 have given way. If
Gitner was one OF the rustlers-and
| he no longer doubted II for a mo-
ment. scant as was the evidence at
hand-was Jasper also one Of them?
| The thought of IL shook his courage.
| brother. nothing that as boy he
could look up 10 as an example. But
| IL was a long step from worthless
ness 70 cattle thieving. Almost the
worst crime on the docket in the
border land is rustling. 1t gave him
a shock to face the possibility that
his fathers son might he guilty of it,
II was precisely because of this
that Wilson had mentioned Gitner's
name. If the boy had to meet such
facer 1t was better that he should
have time to reflect upon it first.
This isn't yOre job, Phil" the
older man said presently. you
ride home an tell Jim Yerby an
Dave Stone to meet me at the
mouth of the canyon in two days.
I'll stick around an do some scout
in till they come"
Phil looked him straight in the
eye. "It's my job much as 1t is
yours. If you thought it was my
job yesterday, what makes you say
| today it's not? Nothing has
/ changed, far as | can see"
They were both thinking of the
/ same thing, that one of the men
whose trail they were following
might be Jasper Stark. But Wilson
could not refer to his fears any
more than the boy could. except in
| directly when they mentioned the