Carbon County news., 1937-11-19

proach, but Old Man Coffee, whose
packing UP was easily done, waS
ready to move out before Wheeler
had thought Of way.
Old Man Coffee extended his hand.
"Well, so long, son."
"rm almighty sorry" Wheeler
said, ITO see you leave this case
You're needed here, il ever a man
was"
Tough" said Old Man Coffee. He
swung aboard the black mule and
sat looking down at Billy Wheeler
from the saddle. II kind Of like
you, son. You seem to have a Lit
tie more savvy than the others. Sc
here's something for you to keep
under your hat. I'm not out Of this
case yet. I'm going to do one more
job before I 60. I'm going to find
the murdered man."
'You think you cant"
Looks like I might. Horse Dunn
he amt in on this. He made q
fool Of me, and himself too, when he
got bullheaded and held onto Ma
goon's saddle. I told him to turn
it in to the sheriff-but no, he had
to have his own way. This time I'm
running no chances. II find the
dead man, my next move will be to
take word to the sheriff"
"And then"
"And then I'm going OFF in the
brush and sleep for a week."
"But look here! Do you realize,
if you do that the Inspiration crowd
will be holding every card in the
deck? Where does the 94 come in?"
That's your worry. But I'll help
you this much: you be up on Lost
Whiskey Butte tomorrow about an
hour after sun up. Tomorrow's 60
ing to be my last days work on this
case-I hope. And wen see what
wen see."
''I'u be there" Wheeler said.
"And don't you bring Horse Dunn
or any Of his hired men either.
Or by golly. I'll"
"Okay:"
When he was gone Billy Wheeler
climbed to the top rail Of the cor
raj where he sat despondently eye
ing the horizon stars. For the first
time he felt an overwhelming sense
Of the 94's helplessness against odds.
Everything had gone against Horse
Dunn; the outfit was confused, dis.
organized, at loss.
One question stood out largely in
his mind. Where was Bob Flagg?
To Billy Wheeler it seemed that
the appearance Of Bob Flagg, and
this alone, could give them any
chance to extricate the "a from the
trap it was in.
Marian Dunn, he noticed, still
stood talking to Val Douglas, inger-
ing outside the door Of the ranch
house. In the stiffness of the night
he could hear the low continuous
murmur Of Val's voice, talking
steadily-doubtless in his own be-
half. And he could see Marian's
lowered profile against the yellow
light Of a window pane. It was
curious how every suggested line Of
that girl, every least bend Of her
head could move Billy Wheeler,
twist him inside.
Then a strange thing happened
strange in that Billy Wheeler had al
most a forenotice Of it. AS he sat
there alone in the dark he now found
himself keenly aware Of the peopled
layout about him-aware Of the ex-
act location Of the men in the bunk
house, Of the ponies in the corrals.
It was a peculiar sensation, as If
he were suddenly more awake than
before, as awake as a man In a
ring battle. or a man in danger.
And especially he was aware Of
the dark. silent brush country at
his back, where buckbrush and des-
ert juniper stood thick behind the
corrals. Somewhere out there a
twig cracked, and his nerves jerked.
Something in that black mile Of
brush was as awake as he.
Then abruptly the silence broke,
definitely, once-and-for-an, as if the
nights shell Of stiffness h d
cracked.
(TO BE CONTINUED)