The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-08-17
Chapter q
Challenge

AHaileH2e
4 s AnkTon spurred his buckskin
I toward the southwest line
camp. ne decided that Ratchford
would waste no time before at
tempting TO even up the score.
Well, let him try. Action was
what Trone needed now to shake
him from his frightening lethargy.
Ankrom thought il likely that his
blow 10 the sherlff's chin would
produce all the action they could
hsnole-nOt 10 mention the man
ner ID which RatchfCrd's pistol
had left MS hand.
His mind turned to the line Of
CAB the sheriff had handed out
A smoke screen. he thought skep-
tlcally The thing was too glib
ard pat; It hung together much too
nicely - be the truth. Yet AnkrOm
was not sure enough u discount
the story entirely -tnat yarn about
Claydell had not been woven from
whole cloth.
Some railroad. Ankron believed,
must actually be planning to build
q road from Amarillo to FL Puso;
trls was a thing too readily Vcri-
fed or disproved for the sheriff
70 find worthwhile the risk Of a lie.
i was even possible, he reflected,
that someone was planning to
bseIld a town a short distance from
IIones valley. His engineering
years at college had shown him
that the damming Of the valley
could easily prove a blessing were
the project controlled by scrupu-
l0us men. In the hands of a man
like ClaydelI, it would undoubted-
~ prove a curse. But ne did not be-
l5eVe there could be sufficient ma
terial profit in the venture, or even
- the combined ventures, to at
tract or tempt the owner Of the
Swinging J.
Claydell might be a rascal, yet
ne could not see the man in the
character painted by the sheriff.
Claydell was. in Ankrom's opinion,
much too big man 10 fit that guise,
Ankrom's thoughts turned back
70 Lee Trone He could not get her
out Of mind lie kept seeing her as
she had stood i'm the open bunk
house door when Betty's arms
we're round his neck, with that
look Of reproach in her eyes.
Ankrom grOaned aloud, though
the afternoon was hot, cold sweat
came out upon his forehead. He
should. he reminded himself bit
terry. be glad she felt toward him
as she did. There was no place IN
gun mans life for a woman like
Ter But he wanted Lee, he realized
n0w-Wanted her as he had never
before wanted anything!
The buckskin topped the crest
# Eagle Point. Below him the
RafteT rs southwest line camp,
presented a scene of great activity.
A man stood in the cabin doorway
watching five or SIX others buslly
sir.nging wire 10 a long row Of
heavy posts that completely cir
CIed the great water tank and
cabin.
Whether this land belonged TO
TroBe or not. one fact stood clear
Shove all doubt ln Ankr0m'S mind.
Ir0ue's long rule upon this range
was being challenged; unless the
cnallengers were met and battered
down. TTone's hold would be
broken
Ankrom sank his spurs and the
backskin lunged down the trcach-
frous slide One Of the wire-strlng-
RS glanced up. Ankrom saw the
man drop his pliers on the instant,
saw his lips spread widely ID a
slout he could not hear. and dasa
for the cabin as the man IN the
doorway duckcd within. 10 reap
pear a moment later with a border
rife % the crook of an arm.
0utnumbered
A6ROM urged the buckSkin
1 90. further effort, lest the men
shSuld ere before he's could close
tae distance separating himself
from the disputed cabin and water.
lie vas outnumbered by at least
AVe men. and knew X. But his
mood would not permit him 10
AXE cogniZance Of odds. Passion
flung lis glow across his cheeks as
he saw the last u the fence-Strlng-
ers spTInting frantically toward
ghat they Judged TO be the scene
- coming action-the old cabin
built years ago BY Rafter T. And
the eyes staring out above those
tautened cheeks held a CLINT that
u - bleak as sun on wind-swept
Ice
Re swept straight Up 10 the
cabin. flung the reins across the
blckSkins head ard slid from the
saddle.
The men Banking the cabin stood
tense and wary. They were neither
cowboys nor sheepmen. Ankrom
recognized this az once. They were
tall lean and sinewy with a look
Il cold efficiency. Within swift
reach behind them a row 81 niles
stood against the cabin wall.
Flashing across this group An
krou Earc rested womeota-ily