The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-05-24
BY ALAN LIE MAY
Copyright by Alan LeMay
WNU Service.

Mason. You know how 1t looks to me?
Like he's not waiting for the day he'll
have to move. Like he's not even 60
Ing to wait the winter out before he
starts filtering into the Bar Hook
range"
I'm that CASE" said Kentucky, bob
Elliot Is sure man who enjoys to
grab bear by the tail and go round
and round. Campo Ragland will fight
like whangdoodle In defense of Its
first born"
"Sure, they'll fight. They'll fight to
standstill. I'll have q full fledged cat
tie war on my hands within a month
And what can do about 1t? Nothing
by Cd! Of in the hills somewhere
three or four cowboys meet three or four
others. and start trading private opin-
ions. Then-wham The guns come out,
and, one or two, or three go down. No
one bears witness, no one lodges COM
plaint-there's just those good boys
dead, and that's all. And two days
| later there's another killing somewhere
else!"
Il know" said Kentucky. Hell
| afloat and no blotters."
The sheriff grunted. Suddenly a
new grievance seemed to occur to him,
| and the explosiveness came back into
his voice again. "Pd give hundred
dollars to lay my hands on the son of
a gun who swiped that bullet out Of
the inquest. Right out from under
my d-n nose, by Cd"
"Well," said Kentucky, leads cheap !;
it wasn't worth much"
Sheriff Hopper savagely pulled off
his hat and slammed it on the edge
| of his desk; 1t fell unnoticed to the
floor. it'll do 'em no good" he de-
clared. 1T isn't as if we didn't have
the" He stopped.
1.-The other bullet?" Kentucky asked.
The sheriff seemed to go relaxed and
! cold, all of an instant. He studied
Kentucky with a questioning eye.
"Why did you say that?" he said at
last.
SWELL" Kentucky apologized, 'you
were just remarking you had some
thing on hand that would take the
missing bullets place."
The sheriff's steady stare did not
drift from Kentucky's face. 1--WE took
a mold" he said at last. "We took a
mold Of this bullet that's gone"
"That was a smart thing to do"
said Kentucky.
Il expect" said the sheriff. He
| dropped his eyes, and his hands fdget-
| ed with the miscellany on his desk.
"Just the same" he said, returning his
eyes to Kentucky's face In a cold and
smoky gaze, that was very strange
question, Mister, for you to ask. /
had hound dog once, that got In
| trouble that way"
| Trouble, sheriff."
'By sight running"
They looked at each other, two men
who had said more than rested upon
the surface Of their words-one of
them unwillingly. Kentucky Jones be-
gan rolling a leisurely cigarette; and
he grinned, the slow infectious grin
that could make a dog follow him, or a
woman remember him, or could make
man forget why he had meant to
| paste him couple.
Sheriff Hopper stirred restively, and
dropped his eyes. II was just think
ing Of something" the sheriff said.
"What was that?"
"You're sight runner" said the
sheriff again; but don't know but
what you're good one. Sometimes
there's use for a Teller like that
And that was what wanted to see
you for. That was good job Of
scouting you did for the Cattle associa-
ton last year; and +"
"Who told you / ever did any scout
ing as you call 1t, for the Cattlemen's
association"
'Old Man Coffee told me, up-country
in the Frying Pan"
Sometimes Old Man Coffee gets too
d-n eloquent" said Kentucky Jones,
exasperated.
swell. anyway" said the sheriff, II
was hoping I'd find you kind Of at loose
ends around here; like as If you might
be able to take and do something diff
ferent from what you'd figured to do"
"As for instance?"
The sheriff fdgeted. There's an end
hanging loose In this Mason case," he
admitted finally.
"Sof I thought 1t was all decided
that Mason committed suicide By mis-
taker
Hopper made an annoyed gesture.
''The case Is closed. John Mason died
Of the accidental discharge of his own
gun-that's established. But 1t just
happens that there's a man has come
in with perjury"
He paused. "YesT said Kentucky
Jones after a moment. ITO what effect?"
"Well-we questioned him about
Mason's death; and later found out
he wasn't where he said he was"
"You sure you want to tell me this?"
I'm not telling you anything that
ties you to anything-yet. Now, this
feller-maybe he was in sight when
Mason got killed. Or maybe in ear