Evening star., 1933-08-20

had hinted was clOuding down. Rick said
nothing. He hunched over q cup Of coffee as
Though he were waiting for q deal in a stud
poker game. Head lowered. he fixed 4 corner
wise gaze the lunch counter mirror.
Patsy Martin was hungry. She was SO hun
CRY that she took extreme pains to hide the
fact from the queer fellow who had picked
her up at the trunstiles. She concentrated
on q delicate nibbling at the three decker ham
and-egg sandwich which Rick Powell had in
sisted on ordering for her. He pretended to be
fooled.
You'd never made seconds at a chuck
wagon, ma am" he remarked Maybe though
season on the open range would give you an
appetite
Life was sparkling in Patsy Martin again.
She was young. She laughed
You talk like Tom Mix. Why don't you
stick around Chicago long enough to learn
American"
" Rick shocked. He shifted his gaze from
the mirror his blue eyes wide.
why, you're the one who talks funny" he
=, protested. Every so often you lope out words
that are all Siwash to me-"
Right back at you. big fella. But you're
likeable"
The mirror caught Ricks attention again.
The two elegant gents were forking trails. The
big swarthy one strolled of toward the train
platform. The runt headed for the exit. He
hauled up there in a wall shadow.
Two gates cut of this corral" mused Rick
grimly. Both blocked BY who and for why
I just want to wonder, now"
Patsy Martin nibbled the last crumb of her
sandwich. She slipped coffee. Rick eyed the
clock. Twenty minutes to &C.
Another local was in. Somebody took the
stool chair at Ricks right fat man who
needed room. He showed a plat with sheet
Of fypaper out of his way, toward Rick
COME way the little incident made an ex-
- citing scene of Rick's boyhood flash up in
his memory It had been in a Chinese res
taurant IN Perdleton. Hank Vaughn. the bad
of Eastern Oregon. was at the counter.
The sheriff swung in to hook Vaughn fer
killing.
Hank went for his rght-hip holster. and in
the same click of a second the sheriff plas-
tered the bad mans gun hand with sheet Of
hypaper 1t had gummed Hanks draw, trapped
him.
Rick shrugged his big shoulders Funny he
should think of that now. He reckoned 1t
was the lonesomeness for home working up.
But right now his main chore was to figure
out how to help this kid from whatever trouble
she was in.
Rick wondered if it the law The two
trackers might be offcers-but they appeared
too heightened for that
Maybe he hadn't better let her know they
the Gary express was in. then stampede for
the tran-that was the checker
Pie" said Rick to the waitress. apple pie,
and two more cups Of coffee" The girl started
q protest
Jaw. come on, Miss Martin" he coaxed.
BE kind, ma am. I'm a homesick slickear.
I'm batty to CAB Oregon to somebody. and do
I like to CAB over apple pie!'
"Okay, Oregon" Patsy yielded She looked
around at the entrance. but evidently failed to
see the dapper little man lurking in the shad-
ows. Oregon she said. smiling. ''You got
a big lake there too haven't you-a big salt
lake?"
Rick explained, patiently, the difference be-
tween Oregon and Utah.
Rick Powell was man talking to girl
who charmed him. 50 in . minute he was let
ting Oregon slide and telling about himself.
BY trade, he said he was q bulldcgger who
followed the Western rodeos in Summer and
Fall. on season he was a plain cow-hand.
except when he'd saved enough to hole up
some in the Horse Heaven country.