Carbon County news., 1937-10-15
@ Alan LIE May
WNU Service

6uC especially / III S1au you came
YOU"
Listen" he said.
A horse as yet unseen was com
ing fast down the cut. It's unshoc
hoofs padded quietly in the sand a
the margin Of the water, so that it
thudding lope was sensed less BY
sound than by shock-the faint dis
tant tremor Of the ground.
what is it?" the girl asked.
Don't you hear? A horse is com
ing up"
II don't" She started to say
that she didn't hear anything; bu
just then the unseen rider GU
through the shadows with a sud
den sharp sound Of thrown water
and the ring Of hoofs on stone
"Who is it?"
"Quien sabe? Turn and ride bach
the way we've come" he told hel
without emphasis. ''I'll be along ir
a minute"
Without word Marian turned hel
horse; she was at the two hundred
yards as hard-run horse surged
up over the lip Of the cut. The rider
was Kid Bender.
The Kid half wheeled his pony
drove close to Billy Wheeler's
horse; his lean figure swayed back
wards as he brought his pony to
sliding stop, very close. Across the
back Of his right hand showed the
heavy purple welt that Wheeler's
quirt had laid there; and in his face
was the joyous anger Of a man
who takes payment for a past hui
initiation.
what you doing here?"
Wheeler ignored the question
you're a little off your range,
Kid" he said. "ThiS range comes
under the head Of the "a. Maybe
I'll be ordering you off it pretty
quick. I haven't decided yet"
NO." said Kid Bender. II don't
think you will. You're dealing with
a peace ofieer-patroling the scene
of a crime
peace officer?"
Kid Bender tipped over the tail
end Of his neckerchief to reveal a
nickel-plated shield. 1t was cheap
and it was new; but as it flashed in
the sun Wheeler felt his scalp stir
oddly, as if he had glimpsed fire
behind smoke. Horse. Dunn's view
of the situation was shaping UP fast
er than Horse himself had imag
ined. %%@
Yesterday" said the Kid, 'you
knocked gun out Of my hand"
Billy Wheeler said distinctly,
with a quirt. I whipped it out oil
your hand with quirt."
Kid Bender's face darkened for
an instant but the hard gleam Of a
joyous anticipation Immediately re.
turned to his eye. II have orders, -
he said, ito see that the hired men
of the 81 don't trample over the
scene of this crime any more. I'm
starting with you; I'll give you fel-
lers something to remember orders
by. I'm taking your horse and your
gun. Maybe your girl there will
give you a lift after you're afoot.
Or maybe I'll send her on home--I
haven't decided that yet"
NO." said Wheeler, you're not
taking either horse or gun."
you're against an officer Of the
law. You know what that means?"
II know" Billy Wheeler said,
what I hope it means"
For a moment Kid Bender hesi-
tated; they sat watching each other,
two men in situation from which
neither could withdraw. One Of
them had sought this meeting-the
other welcomed it. Both knew that
something peculiarly personal had
to be settled here, now, between the
two Of them alone.
II see your girl has stopped a
little way up here, the Kid said;
:.seems like she sets watching from
the hill" IA
/ Wheeler suppressed in time an
impulse to glance over his shoul-
der. Instead his eyes never left
Kid Bender as he jerked his chin
sharply toward his shoulder as if he
glanced away.
(TO BE CONTINUED)