The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-05-17

also the sheriff's brother. There was
Give Pierson, the banker who must
step into Mason's shoes; his face was
an unwholesome gray, and muscle in
the side of his face kept twitching, for
in the last three days he had hardly
slept. Near him was Bob Elliot, who
had gambled the future Of his COW out
fit upon the backing which Mason would
have given him, but which he could
no longer expect.
Lee Bishop, the blocky, almost burly
foreman of the Bar Hook, was In the
witness chair, very red in the face
from public speaking and the heat.
81 was going out to the pump house,
carrying a couple of pals of hot water
from the Kitchen" he was saying. u
aimed to thaw out the pump. Then l
seen this hump in the snow-thought
maybe a calf had drifted in and fell
down. l went over and looked; and 1t
was Old Ironsides-I mean, John Ma
son."
How long did you think he had been
dead"
HE wasn't lying there around one
o'clock, when we left the home ranch.
And there wasn't any snow under him.
1t begun showing around two o'clock,
out there"
"Then you figure Mason had this ac-
cident between one and two o'clock?
"That amt what | said only said
there wasn't no snow under him."
Sheriff Floyd Hopper exhibited an
noyance. Lets not bubble over words!
What we want is to get done, here"
"Well," Lee Bishop went on with an
unnecessary air of stubbornness, u
turned him over, and | saw that he'd
been shot. His gun was in his hand
that long-barreled As he always car
ried to take pop at coyote with, If
he should see coyote"
as this the gum" said the sheriff's
brother, turning toward a cluttered
window ledge at one side A deputy
handed the coroner the required wea-
pom. Bishop identified it. "Well," he
went on, 81 sent up long yell but no.
body answered; and l took out and
run for the house. :"
Kentucky Jones had been searching
all the room for a sight of Jean Rag
land, and now he was surprised to dis
cover her so near the focus of interest
that he had missed her by searching
too far away. She was sitting beside
her father, the big stoopshouldered
owner of the Bar Hook. The two sat
almost under the window ledge where
a deputy kept his eye upon muddled
collection of exhibits.
He noticed instantly how pale she
seemed, so that her hair looked dark
er than usual against her face. Had
she been a stranger his glance might
have passed her unnoticing, so little of
her usual vividness was apparent. Then
deputy shifted his position, blocking
her profile from Kentucky's view.
The sheriff was bombarding Lee
Bishop with questions of little point.
"Is that cut-o% trail between the SS
and the Bar Hook often usedw
almighty little!" 1t was the first
emphasis Bishop had used.
Kentucky's eyes sought Jean Rag
land again. Suddenly he perceived that
she had leaned back so that she could
peer between the standing deputies and
was looking directly at him. He smiled
at her but her face did not change
Then suddenly he was aware that
she had signaled to him, secretly beck
Oned him to draw nearer 1t had been
the faintest narrowing of an eye, the
slightest inclination of her head; yet
he knew absolutely, as she again avert
ed her face. that signal had been
conveyed.
Deeply puzzled, he began to work
his way along the side of the hall. The
sheriff, he noticed, was perspiringly
pushing ahead with his questions, evil
IDENTIFY very conscious of his far-gath-
cred audience. The sheriff's brother,
the coroner, was nudging him. but he
was barging ahead, as Kentucky Jones
presently reached point not more than
three yards from Jean Ragland. He
was still separated from her by the
thicker press of men which had been
forced back from around the coroner's
table; but here he stuck.
He was trying to catch Jean Rag
lands eye as a sound of scuffling and
contention broke forth In the back OF
the room. The sheriff glared. faltered
and stopped. A tall deputy left Jean
Ragland's side to go pushing back
through the crowd.
Watching the disturbance at the
back, Kentucky did not see that Jear
Ragland had left her chair until she
stumbled almost against him. Her
handkerchief was at her mouth, and
she seemed even pa!er than before, as
If turned suddenly faint by tn stifie
of the close air. Campo Ragland. hel
father. sprang up and was beside hel
in a stride. supporting her in his arms
For a moment the press of the crowd
was too much and they cou'' not gel
through. Her shoulder pressed hare
against Kentucky, but although ht
spoke to her by name she did not ap