Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-04-05
CHAPTER x-Continued


or anybody else who knows that
horse. you will Why, it's a won
der he amt killed a dozen men. And
you handled him alone?"
Three miles west and half a mile
south over sleigh roads, and an
hour with DeForest; a long. bag
Cling hour that got him nowhere.
The horse trader, shrewd. truculent
was a hard nut to crack and his de
fiant story of an attempt at a sharp
sale of undesirable property seemed
to hold water.
AS John went slowly back to-
wards town he saw two people on
skis a quarter of a mile away. He
watched them for a time and made
up his mind that 1t was Gorbel with
Marie. They seemed to be watch
ing him, too. although because of
the glare of an early March sun on
the snow he could not be sure.
On Monday morning he stood for
the second time In Paul Gorbel's
Office. The man turned on him a
face that was lined now; hollows
showed beneath eyes that roved a
bit ; eyes that had been so well con.
trolled a fortnight before, so steady,
so bland. But they would not obey
the remnant of self-control that
tried to direct the light in them this
day. Uneasy eyes, they were, and
the mans voice was slightly husked.
"You sent word by Mac Saturday
night that you'd bought a new
team" John said.
"Yes. DeForest came In and
offered a bargain. | thought I'd let
you have 'em tried out"
"Well"-dryly-"he just came In
TO take 'em back"
$50 soon? You you tried
them?"
"One tried me. A horse was loose
in the barn when ] went In yester-
day. He'd never been properly tied
up.
He spoke dispassionately and
watched for change In the face be-
fore him; but Gorbel held steady
now.
"Well | don't don't
get you. Did you send the team
bach because the man was careless
on a detail?"
Don't stall, Gorbel |" John cried,
and the other Strengthened as color
whipped into his face. "Don't stall
another syllable. I'm here because
good luck was with mel"
Gorbel showed back his chair.
whats the idea?" he asked
thickly. rising. 81 don't like this,
Belknap, whatever 1t may bel"
mo, you don't like 1t !" Rage,
now. had young John had his eyes
and his voice and his gesture. You
tried to frame me with a man once,
and with a horse next. YOU"
Frame you'll" His voice was a
snarL.
have known for years, likely
about DeFOrest's outlaw black. Ii
you haven't it's the one thing you
haven't known about this country !
Shut up, now, and let me talk p
with a commanding gesture as Cor
bel swung around the corner of the
desk. Il found him loose In the
barn. He tried TO get me and didn't
My teamsters all knew about him 4;
every man-jack of them knew that
no sane man would buy the horse.
Il called on DeForest. You'd
schooled him well, Gorbel. You'd
probably schooled Baxter well, too,
but | didn't bother trying to break
him down"
"Man, you're crazy DeForest?
An outlaw horse? Baxter7 What
the devil are you driving att"
The rigldity went from John Belk-
maps posture and he laughed help
lessly.
you're goodl" he said. "You're
good, you toad Why don't you try
to fight like 8 man? You've CUTS
enough to try murder, why don't
you try 1t In the open? Why won't
you let"
"Look herel I'm id If I'll let
any added kid talk to me like this |
I'm Id Ii Murder7 Fight
Somebody trying to harm you and
you're trying to hand the blame on
me? That 1t? Now why In the
name of heaven should | want to
harm your"
A quick warning fiickered through
Johns anger. Reused as he was,
Gorbel's craft had not deserted him.
Frying, he was now. using the fer
tile field of high rage, when bars of
caution are down, to discover what
and how much John Belknap knew
and the boy drove back his temper
and his contempt, striving to match
cunning with cunning.
y haven't the slightest idea," be
said. "Not an idea to my back But
you don't want me here; you're try.
ing to drive me out"
He thought a shadow of relief
appeared in that face before him.
Gorbel let out a short breath OF
disgust.
"Driye you out" he muttered, Of
though such an idea were the depth
of absurdity. why, ! haven't ever
remembered you were around the