Evening star., 1934-02-04

like the moves. say, Ol0nI KNOW VIC were
that near Hollywood"
Get back in the bus" the silky man or
dered, land keep me covered. I'll talk. We're
tourists, see? Lost in the sticks"
The newcomer a rangy man past mid
die age who rode his diSpirited horse with
something of an air as If the presence Of that
alien prompted a swagger. He was ahable
and empty headed, and needed only glimpse
of silver flask to lose his heart. As he leaned
far back in his saddle and pointed the flask
skyWard his adams apple bobbed quickly up
and down the long expanse of wrinkled throat.
TRANGER." he sighed, when It comes
> your chance to stand before ST. Peter.
tell him how v saved the life Of Buckeye
Evans"
I'VE don't expect" the man smiled. ito get
any further from home than this"
Then I'm plum greved. You're mighty near
the edge of Gehenna right now"
ANY chance of finding some one to put
up over night?'
"Oh sure: Mrs CluSterll accommodate you.
Hers is the yeller mansion down below the
cattle pens. Everybody gets fed there exceptin'
joey"
my pardner I keep the ranch houses firm
fallin' down. and he does likewise fr this me-
tropolis. He's plum good -natured hon1bre il
you don't rile him. But ever since his old girl
come back to town with a Uh, that fire.
water of yourn must be sure 'nuff whisky.
Limbers up feller's tongue at both ends"
Wait minute" the other urged. Have
another smell Not many invalids live around
here do they? We wouldn't like that"
Then you're out of luck. We got one at
Clusters right now, and we're sweatin some to
keep firm spankin him. He's what Martha
found out East and brought back home. That's
why joey don't eat at the boardn house no
more"
Suddenly Evans eyes narrowed He stared
intently at the ground to the left of his
questioner Wait a minute, pardner." he half
whispered. Don't bat an eye I'm goin' to
show you some shootin'. There's diamond
back"
THE burr of sound almost at the silky ones
! heel mean nothing to him; bug of some
sort perhaps. But the movement of Buckeyes
hand toward heavy six-shooter meant much.
The fellows own hand flashed toward
armpit.
Buckeyes revolver cracked q split second
before a roar of gunfire burst from the car,
where sawed-of shotguns and automatic pis-
tolls poured flame OF death upon the cow
puncher. Man and horse went down together.
rddled by buckshot and bullets. The
from the car jumped nimby back from the
kicks of the dying horse, stumbled over head
less rattesnake that whipped about through
the sage in a death agony.
There was a short, awed silence. Boss"
of the gangsters finally muttered "he wasn't
after you He shot the snake
The boss's handkerchief was out. He brushed
the sweat from the palms of his hands. Hard
luck for him. he agreed. 'Well, it wasn't our
fault When a man reaches for rod"
He shrugged
He said something about Skeet, didn't hep"
The boss nodded 1.-The double -crOSSer is
with his woman right enough, bumming three
squares off of her mother and playing in
valid Well not have any trouble. When
he comes out let him have everything you've
got; then keep the hicks off until I get my
fins on the coin
The burst OF noise at the mouth of Arroyo
Alcali had apparently meant nothing to the
little village of Alkali City. The hot, dusty
and treeeSs street, as wide as boulevard
and as empty the desert itself. lined
with a dozen dirty, weather beaten buildings.
A one-room clapboard shanty with high
false-front, upon which was painted in peeling
red letters the legend $50 Office, General
Manager" was one Of the few buildings still
habtable. It possessed but one door and
window, both opening upon the Uttered street.
In chair tilted against the building sat the
ranchs solitary representative, forlorn as
the office he Inhabited. battered StetSon was
pulled down his eyes.
CAY" the boss called from the car wake
- up there, you!"
You pushed his hat back from his forehead,
but made no further effort to greet the
strangers. The high heels of his boots were
caught in 8 chair rung. and his shoulders