Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1936-08-14

his shoulders against the wall.
"I'm Alright" he muttered
hoarsely. "A'right-jest a little
dizzy. A little dizzy"
He ended up finally, half lying,
half sitting against the wall. Ron
ny crouched beside him, her arms
about his fiercely. She was sob
bling and praying at the same time.
Abruptly he stiffened.
'Listen!'' he gasped. Listen
hear 'em-I hear 'em. Texas guns
Texas guns! Hear 'em oar will
yuh? It's Texts Tex. The ole
gray VOLTS come to look after his
cub. Now Spelle-damn yuh-
here's where yuh-get-yore-
needin's."
So saying, Johnny slumped for
ward, silent-inert.
Late on the following Afternoon.
Johnny opened a pair of lacklustre
eyes and stared about him. Inn
mediately a slow grin wreathed his
pale face. STOPPING above him was
the care lined visage of his old
partner.
TEX" murmured Johnny, EEK,
-yuh came in time. l knew it was
you. l heard 'em roar-those Texas
guns"
"Yuh DANCED young hellion,"
murmured Tex. "Yuh didn't leave
much fer Utah an AL an me to
finish"
"But yuh got Spelle " protested
Johnny.
"Nope-not us. You got him.
FL did, I don't get'cha."
"Son, yuh shore did. He was
layin' jest outside that front win
dow o nthe porch with a As be-
tween his eyes, An that thievin'
four-fingered, half breed son o his
was the two gun man yuh downed
in the room. Ole Jim told me all
about it."
"How about you-did yuh get
them cattle?" asked Johnny.
'Yore DANCED right, we did. We
had a little ltuouble findin'' EN-
but we finally located 'em in a lit
tie valley about fifty miles north O
the railroad. The Box D iron was
blotted on every critter, turned
into a Gridiron P. A. lot o it was
mighty sketchy work. We corner
ed the jasper who claimed to own.
'em an a leetle questionin' got him
so tangled up he didn't know what
his own name was. Utah an Al
an me declared a showdown an
the ~rustler boss an his gang elect
ed to shoot it out. 1t was their
mistake. We got the whole stop
from one O. them what was due to
cash. He came clean. Like we fig
gered, Spelle was behind the whole
deal. Takin' it by an all it's been
/ quite some storm. But the airs
cleaned up an we a settle down
to honest cattle raisin' now"
"That shore listens fine muir
INJURED Johnny. ''Im dead sick O.
fightin'. l done had enough roam
in around. l want to settle down
an grow fat an sprout a beard"
"Yeah?" Tex's eyes were twink
ling. II reckon somebody else will
have somethin' to say about that
the beard an the bay window l
mean. Women are touchy about
sech things.
Huh" gruntedd Johnny. think
yuh're smart don't yuh?'
"Nope-jest a prophet, that's
all. An I'll betcha a new hat I'm
right"
Johnny smiled up at him.
"Yuh'd win the bet, ole timer.
Where is she?"
"Out on the porch with her
dad. I'll send her in"
Tex staggered the length Of the
bullet Scared porch with mischief
glowing in his eyes. Ronny Delevan
watched his approach curiously and
was rewarded by having Tex catch
her by both shoulders and plant a
resounding, shameless kiss on one
velvety cheek.
"Why-what-" stammered the
bewildered girl.
"Now don't get excited, young
'un," chuckled Tex. ''Pm jest sal
utin' the bride to be. Amt mad
are yuh?"
Ronny blushed furiously. 'Who
told you that?" she demanded.
"Nobody. Shucks I got eyes amt
I? By the way, that young cub O.