The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-08-19
Chapter So
The Cards Are Stacked

1nc AaEu6 Arc S1dChCu
'"IxTAIT a minutel" Ted refined in
w by the stream where he had
so nearly breathed his last. Where
was Scrap johnson found?"
Exactly where you dropped
him. Amt that surprise, now!'
Sam Cutter winked at one Of his
men, who guffawed in apprecia-
ton of his chiefs sarcasm. Come
onl The state amt asking you to
do any investigating"
Biting his lips to cut off the re-
tort that sprang to them, Ted
obeyed the order. But there was
one more question he had to know.
He turned to the man following
him.
"How did you find me? And how
did it happen that both posses got
there at the came timer"
The other one grinned. Tipped
of by a girl" he answered with
relish. you're sure one hell Of a
fellow with the ladies!"
"A grill" Ted echoed, his grip on
himself shaken for moment with
the surprise and shock Of this
news. what grip"
Ted's mind reeled before the
thought that Marion might have
crept away while he was sleeping,
and have betrayed him. She GER
tainly was the only girl that knew
his whereabouts But the next in
slant he cursed himself for even
harboring such a thought.
Marion would have been utterly
incapable of such sneaking act!
She could no more have done a
thing like that than Kay could.
Search mel" II was evident that
the man he was questioning was
greatly enjoying Ted's stupefac-
ton. 1T was some Jane over in
the Red River section. You seem
to have girls all over the placed"
he ended with mock admiration.
Red Riverl" Ted had a gone
feeling at the pit of his stomach,
and for a moment he swayed dig
zily in the saddle. 'The Red River
section?" he repeated incredulous-
~. There lust be some mistake
therel No one al those parts had
any idea where | WASH
Pears she was prowling around
doing a bit of investigating or her
own. Hi, there, Sam!n he called
ahead to the sheriff. what was
the name of that girl that tipped
Zeke Farley off about this birds
whereabouts?"
"Crandon." the sheriff called
back. "Old Man Crandon's daugh-
ter. who's been running the Lazy
Nine since he kicked of. about a
year ago"
Ted gripped the saddle horn to
keep himself from topping over
as a rushing blackneSs closed in
on him. Fighting with all his
power against the faintness that
assaulted him, he gradually felt the
roaring in his ears give way, and
the Keeling landscape steadied it
self.
ct must all be a mistake he
kept telling himself, but a ter
rible conviction persisted that
Sam Cutter knew what he was
talking about. AS though in a
nightmare. Ted listened to the con-
versation Of he two men, who
were still talking back and forth,
over his head, TO each other.
Il didn't stop te ask Zeke any
more about il. Sam Cutter was
saying. "The Crandon girl was
staying at Josh Hastings ranch,
and she telephoned in from there.
Said she saw him up there, with
the black haired fly" He turned
around in his saddle and leered
at Ted. Take it from me. Il don't
pay to have too many of 'em on
the string az one tinel Get 'em
jealous and they raise helll"
Ted was too dazed even TO at
tempt a retort. kayl Kay Crandon
had betrayed himl He felt like
shouting aloud that IL was all a
wild lie. but the shout died in his
throat.
Pride To His Aid
THEY said that Kay had seen
Il him with Marion! How a
sudden groan escaped Ted. BE
remembered now that Marion had
thought she had heard something
the afternoon before. when they
had been talking. But II Kay had
happened on them. why hadn't she
made her presence known Why
-. suddenly, the significance Of
Sam Cutters ieering advice
flashed over him. Jealous! Could
il be possible that Kay had been
liealousl
Ted's heart Quickened az this
Thought and what Il implied. but
1.-THE next minute he was in the
depths again. Fool that he was, he
told himself ssvagely. to think for