The Coolidge examiner., 1935-08-23
CHAPTER XII

TUE long dusk OF the winter rim
Il bad given way 20 night. star
bright and freshly clear. before a
car vas heard upon the Waterman
road Kentucky Jones walked out
alone in shirt sleeves.
Where's Camuo2" sheriff Hop
per demanded. climbing out from
behind the wheel
Hes here. Come In
into the light Of the kitchen Sher.
IN Floyd Hopper nos herded the
four other men who were with him
They were Ted baylor. whose eyes
were alert and watchful. snd fer
haps slightly puzzled In a poker
face: Blll McCord. grizzly expires
slonless: lob Elliot. looking sar
donlc and scIfsuiiiclenl and
blond Norwegian faced young dep.
uty named Willie lielmar
-You'aii just have n cup of cofree
and make yourselves az home. Ken.
tucky said. sheriff. Campo aud /
would like to talk 10 you a minute
here In the other room"
All right" Hopper said.
"Yon fellers sure arr secretlys
bunch" Fob Elliot grumblsd. warm
ing bis hands over the stove.
Come on In. n you want 70. Bob p
Kentucky said. you Nigh, jus, as
well sil In on this e
Elliot accepted. following ~ Ken.
tucky led the way through the
main living room 20 a little room
az one side
Camp, sat Ia corner. His
heavy desk was pulled d.agonaily
across Ia front of him. as n be were
al hay there. fuillely barricaded.
From beneath the sweeping dotae
OF bis forehead his ewes regarded
them as redly as the eyes ~ n dog
ia frellght Suddenly Kentucky
wondered II Campo's evident sense
~ standing slubbornly az hay bad
beer caused more 10y himself AMI
sheriff Hopper than by the now
far.0f woman sho had m De him
| fear . showdown upon Mason s
ieHih-so fear II that he was held
In n paralysis of lnde~iSLon while
Jim Humphreys was killed. and
lee Bishop. and the Ss herds
poured over his range.
In the shadows Of a recessed win
dow-sest Jean Ragland sat
sheriff Hopper said. ~Howdy.
Campo: howdy. Miss Iiagland."
Campo iilcked him glance. then
dropped surly red eyes TO bis thick
freckle.hlotched hands.
Kentucky Jones began the max
Ing OF a cigarette. "Seems Ike We
been little bit dIsorganized nut
here. Hopper" he said. "The fact
Is Campo and haven't seen eye TO
eye on this. In all things"
sheriff Floyd Hopper waited t:
and Bob Elliot crossed his legs and
laced his fingers together.
~It seems" said Kentucky, that
Campo became convinced thar
did away with old IronsIdes my
self
There was a sharp silence here
during which Kentucky Jones nm.
ished and lighted his cigarette. Hon.
per turned a questioning glance on
Campo. "YesT
Ragland glanced az Kentucky
Jones. but did not speak.
"Everybody's known all along. .
Kentucky said. that | was out here
at the Bar Hook Just before snow
few on the day Mason was killed
and I've admitted it. Assuming for
A minute that could easily have
got hold OF the weapon that Killed
Mason. the next thing needed
against me was my reason fer this
act OF unseemly violence. Campo
found out where I did have a good
reasOn-and naturally figured that
/ he'd come to the end OF the trail. .
"You admit you had reason for
Killing MasonT" Hopper said:
I'm not denying that had" said
Kentucky. Come to find out. tina,
was one OF the reasons that Campo
Ragland wanted Ted Baylor
brought out here. Ted Is one of