The Coolidge examiner., 1935-05-31
CHAPTER tIt

$
CAMPO RAGLAND struck q
~ match. and as the light of three
or four lamps nlled the room the
faces % the riders likewise light
encd. From Waterman. Kentucky
Jones had pushed his horse stead.
ily. and a. darkness closed down
he had overtaken the bar Hook peo.
pie.
The kitchen wing In which they
DOW gathered was suIlt % big
squarc-hewn logs: but the interior
was neat
Jean RaEland said. There's no
Ere made" And Kentucky noticed
the odd way IN w@4ch they fell ~.
lent FOR a moment. as 10 ~ was 3
strange and uncommon thing that a
IRE should not spring into being and
set coffee on ITSELF. az a deserted
ranch.
You see" Campo Rasland said
10 Kentucky. eve generally have a
cook around here: lately it's been
n lame boy named Zack Sanders,
Used "a be- a rider. but hls horse
fell on him and turned him Into
a cook. but this boy IL kind of
gone missing on Us. Il seems"
Been missing longf"
Last week be was supposed TO
take two days cff. aud be rode over
10 see a girl be has over here
thirty. forty mile" Ragland said.
4 didn't notice Il 40 much Satur.
day. when he didn't come In. that
being the day that this-thls acci-
dent happened 70 Mason. But in
Waterman today his girl said he
LEFT there Saturday sun-up That's
four days gone"
Hell probably show up" Lee
Bishop grunied
~oh. suppose so.- Campo Rag
land jerked himself into activity
again. and BEGAN throwing wood
into the great stove.
In n little while the big stove be-
gan 90 al the room with a lazy
warmth. and the hot smoky smell
of frying beef and potatoes began
20 thaw the riders out With the
heartenlng warmth the mood OF
the Bar Hook changed. SO that for
a little while Il could have been any
ranch house anywbere-cxcept that
the presence of Jean Ragland made
a difference here. That girl could
subtly change the time and place.
making II different from any other
ranch house and any other night.
Perhaps no cowboy ever rode for
the Bar Hook without feeling that
be was in some part riding for this
girl.
Looking az her now. Kentucky
Jones would not have guessed that
she he'd today testified concerning
a death that had occurred within
hfty yards OF this door: and that
In the midst OF those proceedings
she had felt lmpelled 10 thleve the
heart out OF the evidence OF that
death.
lie had come here 20 find out
the exact nature OF the shadow
which had fastened itself on the
Bar Hook. and upon Jean Ragland
as a part OF the Bar Hook; and.
accordingly. he turned now TO study
Ing the others as they ate. Lee
Bishop. the stolid. square-set fore
man. undoubtedly would stand
steady as a rock In a pinch. The
other two cowboys Kentucky Jones
classified as a couple OF kids. Jim
Humphreys. though only five years
younger than Bishop. would perhaps
always be a kid. And Billy Peter
sen was the youngster, essential TO
every outfit. who would be given the
undesirable Jobs OF horse-wrangllng
and night herd. and errands which
were a nuisance.
Campo Ragland remained silent
throughout the meal; and for the
moment Kentucky could make out
no more about him than he already
knew-whlch was little enough.
Sure miss Zack Sanders around
here" Campo said at last. getting
up. Nights well set out what
Ee'n need, handy to breakfast.
guess"
Dad" said Jean. -rn take care
OF all that"
you get along TO bed" her IA
ther told her gruffly. 81 want you
10 get some sleep"
Jean obediently picked up a
lamp.