Evening star., 1936-04-02
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NM MPETER. R.B.KYNE
MPETER B. KYNE

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was within reasonable pistol range;
then the weight and the killing pace
began to tell and Joaquin drew away.
In desperation Bill emptied his pistol:
he saw Joaquin's horse flinch-and
then his own horse stumbled and
threw him. He landed on hands and
knees, unhurt, and was up in time to
see Joaquin slide of his horse. In
stantly the animal stopped and Joa-
quin staggered up to the noble animal
and slapped its foreleg. The horse.
perfectly trained, half knelt and Joa-
quin climbed wearily back and gal
loped away down the valley. Bill War
rem watched and presently he saw
Joaquin turn toward the western
fringe of hills and disappear up the
draw down which Love and his Rang
ers had come that morning into Joa-
quin's stronghold.
mo use chasing you, Joaquin" Bill
Warren soliloquized. But you won't
go far. You're hit two or three times
and I hit your horse once. Well trail
you by the blood and pick you up.
You'll not get far"
He remounted his horse and dashed
back into the fight that was raging
around the camp. 1t was almost over
when he got there. The desertion OF
Joaquin, the sudden surprise attack
and the stampeding of their horses,
threw the bandits into a panic. They
cast themselves on the ground behind
benches and rough tables, and tried to
form a ring of fire to meet that other
ring that was riding around them at a
gallop. Galloping horses are not hard
to hit, but their riders are-and as
Love and his Rangers rode they gave
evidence of their ability to shoot coolly
and accurately at any angle. Unlike
Joaquin'S men they did not fire until
they had their sights lined on the
target.
Suddenly it came to Three fingered
to sell his life as dearly as possible.
With a wild yell he rose and charged
the ring of horsemen, pistol in each
hand. Three horses went down before
him, rolling their riders in the dust
and through this gap the monster
dashed with amazing speed, when a
Ranger left the line to pursue him he
shot the Rangers horse from under
him and continued his mad race to-
ward the brush. Other bandits at
tempted to follow him, but the un-
horsed Rangers accounted for these.
Love, bidding his men to continue
the action, pursued Three-fingered
Jack. Four times he fired and four
times, in the mad race with death
over gullies, through brush and tim
ber, he hit his quarry. But the mon
ster's strength and tenacity was in
credible. He shot Loves horse from
under him and the Ranger continued
on foot. Presently he came upon
Three fingered Jack, his back against
a tree; like mortally wounded grizzly
bear he stood at bay, with one shot
left in his second pistol.
Love advanced upon him coolly, his
pistol at the ready; Three-fngered
Jack, snarling, watched him approach
to within 80 feet. Then Jacks gun
came up slowly; it wavered; seemingly
the action consumed the last of his
strength. Drop that gun, Jack" Love
commanded.
II will drop my gun for no gringo
dog" Jack snarled, and as his wav-
ering gun was fired and the pistol
struck the dirt feet in front of his
| intended victim, Love took deliberate
aim and sent a bullet crashing be-
tween Jacks blazing eyes. AS he slid
forward on his face, arms outspread,
one of Loves Rangers rode up.
We'll, we've cleaned 'em up. cap
tain," he announced. I'VE have few
Rangers hit but none fatally. Some Of
those women fought as well or better
than their men and couple of them
had to be killed, but the rest have sur
rendered. Three bandits got through
us to the arroyo, crossed and escaped
up the hillside through the brush.
where horse couldn't follow, but all
the others are dead"
Put your riata round this animal
and drag him back to camp. This is
Three-fngered Jack and I'll want his
head. It's valuable. Did Warren get
Joaquin?"
The Ranger explained Joaquin's es-
cape.
Serves me right" Love growled.
Warren isn't member of the Rang
ers, so thought it better to send him
after Joaquin when the fellow was un-
armed and already hit. Well, drag this
hombre out of this and we'll have
breakfast on the late enemy"
He was bitterly disappointed at
Joaquin's escape, but comforted by
the Knowledge that he and his Rangers
had destroyed Joaquin's gang and
given a wholesome lesson to others of
their ilk. He felt assured, even if Joa-
quin recovered from his wounds, he
could never again induce other des-
peradoes to follow him as in the days
agone.
Bill Warren and the other Rangers
were sitting by barbecue pit eating
roast beef and drinking coffee when
Love came walking in. He glanced
inquiringly at Bill Warren.
You'd have had him if you'd sent
a small man who was a good pistol
shot after Joaquin" Bill defended.
Which way did he go? Straight
down the arroyo?"
"He cut up that draw down which
we rode this morning. hit his horse
and I think I hit him: he must be
wounded two or three times, and he
and his horse are losing blood. I do
not think they'll 60 far-and blood
leaves trail"
HE wouldn't ride out into the San
Joaquin Valley, of course" Love
opined. "No Mexicans in the San
Joaquin-nobody but gringoes and
food and shelter is scarce. And he'd
avoid the heat. So he's taken to the
hills: he'll try to work back down over
the mountains to San Juan Bautista
| and get some Of his trends and admir-
ers there to hide him and heal him.
Well, there's no necessity to hurry
after him. He'll keep-and we're
hungry. Nice to have breakfast all
ready when we arrived"