The Coolidge examiner., 1935-06-28


had sct Ferris searching iaroost
his records FOR the serial nun BE-,
% the questioned gun. IN the hops
that the old gunsmlth could re-aI
10 whom the gun had been sold
Presently Mark Ferris voice came
over the wire. querulous and fslut
II can't dnd any record OF thai
gun" be sald. Il don't believe
ever sold that gun. Kentuck."
NYou mus have sold H." Ken
tucky insisted Look here. Fe II,
this is no Jokel Look egaln. wll
your
"AIl right"
Kentucky hung up and went q
Hi opposite Jean az the table where
she was at work.
= suppose by this time. she -
gan. "you have no end of theorc.
about what happened here"
7 Used % know an old lion hunt
er. name ~ old Man Coffee" Ken
iucky told her Whenever XIII
Ing ar something had everybody els,
halled up they used 10 send for Old
Man Coffee lie didn't always un
ravel The trail: bur he seemed %
see through a lot of things that
fooled other folks And once
asked him how be did H.
lie said be made things easy for
himself by never having a theory
be Just kept hunting up facts. and
when he had enough 70 give him the
answer. there wasn't ans theory
about it--he knew Me think Old
Man CofIee's way was q good way.
She stopped work and studied
him. y can't make you out she
said az last. You mean-you have
no idea OF your own who killed Ma
son--or Zack Sanders--or whyT'
"Chlld." be said. how long Il II
going to be before you tell some
body--anybody-whai you knowT''
She looked at him suddenly a-
she answered. and he knew that
she lied 10 him. bravely. and with
opcn eyes. Il haven't the least Idea
what you mean" she said
"All right But ought TO tell
you this-if stay here much long
er. III know who killed Mason
and why"
'You-yon're sure OF thatT'
The facts have are very few.
he said. Il don't know where they
lead. But already ! know they lead
a clear straight trail The facts
are too distinct and clear 10 be
pointing more than one way. Those
two men killed nj the same time.
but by two different callbers OF
guns: this house being searched
the fact that the two were killed
at almost the same time. but we're
found lying nearly sixty yards apart
each thing stands out sharp as
the slot Of deer In the snow. when
those facts are flnaiiy ntted togeth.
or nobody will ever be able 10 blur
them 50 thar there's any doubt"
IF you're going TO turn yourself
into spy" Jean began hotly. She
stopped. checked by the s,eadiness
OF his regard.
Kentucky Jones said gently.
who are you shielding. Jean7"
She stralghtened and stood look
Ing out through the clear space In
the middle of the frosted pane. Her
face was passive. but her head wns
up with a nne proud carriage. and
her hair was smoky fame. I'm
glad TIA over WITH she said az
last Sooner or later you were
bound 10 ask that. OF course"
"Of course" be repeated. He
could not see that there was any
sign OF faliering in this girl I,
was as n she could expect her
wnole world TO come down around
her In a ratfllng avalanche II ever
she lost her grip
She drew a deep unsteady breath.
II was trying TO talk TO you
about something else"
I'm sorry. Jean"
She looked az him hard. 'Its
nearly noon" she said. "in a few
minutes the riders viii be coming
In. Tell me this. Kentucky: II you
were boss OF the Bar Hook. could
you save the brandT'
Il only know one way. It's q
way that most men would hesitate
10 take"
And what is that7"
ITO feed Elliot his own medicine.
II would mean more rders: all OF
them tough. trouble-huntlng men. II
would be their job 10 run those SO
brand cattle back where they came
from: and run them again next
week, and the week after. and every
time they come-run them till their
bones rattle, and half OF them are
muzZle-down In the snow. But II
a man thinks he might be squeam-
ish about seeing empty saddles
come in-then he might better hesl-
tate some. before he takes that
way"
would you?" she asked him.
Would you hesitate?"
IF II was my brand-no."
Listen" She leaned toward him.
her hands on the table. My IA
ther isn't going To fight"