The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-09-01

I'm hit!" he cried, and caught
at his right leg.
Jeff snatched the rifle from him.
Crawl back into the house," he Dr.
'dered.
Come on. boys. we've got him!"
a voice shouted.
The line of attackers moved for
ward. The marshal fired and missed
fired again and hit. A running
man cried u and stopped abrupt
ly The others faltered. Their guns
barked angrily.
Gray stepped back into the house
and slammed the door.
Get any of 'em?" his companion
asked.
One" The officer vas at the WIN
dow. For right now they've had
enough and are hunting cover. I've
sure got you in a fine jam. Hank.
You hurt bad?"
My leg is plugged. It's not bleed
ing 52d. reckon the bullet missed
an artery"
Look after you in a minute"
Jeff said. Got to fix the fort so
we can hold it."
He found an axe and knocked a
bunk to pieces. Ransom told him
where to find nails. The window he
boarded up. leaving an inch or two
for a loophole. Both doors he bar
ricaded as best he could. Mean
while. Ransom craWled across the
floor and with a Ratchet cut a spy
hole in the adobe wall. He made it
large enough for shooting purposes.
I'D like first-rate to get that bull
rattler Morg Norris" Ransom said.
i've a notion if we picked off that
slit-eyed cabron. and maybe one
or two more. the rest of the lads
would drag it,"
Gray was Of another opinion. BY
this time the whole village would
know what was going on. and the
attackers would be recruited if nec-
essary by others. Reinforcements
we're likely to come in from the
hills. Having gone so far. Sherm
Howard would feel that safety lay
in finishing the job. But the mar
shall did not say what he thought.
Il certainly picked me a top hand
for a partner this trip" he said
lightly. They're beginning to close
in on is. better discourage that"
He took aim at a lodging figure
and fired.
Get him." asked Ransom,
scraping the dirt out of the hole he
had dug.
mo. Some of them are moving
up the hill. Going to take us in the
rear. I reckon"
The rifle of the blacksmith
doomed. Hank gave a yell. 'One
of EN- won't take us in front or
rear. He's down"
A bullet tore through the window
and the plank with which Jeff had
shattered it. 1t broke a glass in
the cupboard. The defenders could
hear others showering dirt from the
adobe wall.
Ransom dragged his wounded leg
across the room to his lophole in
the rear.
Where did those fellows go?' he
asked after a time. mo sign of
them back here"
That's funny. They headed to-
ward the rimrock. Four Or five Of
them. Must be figuring to work
back Of us, don't you reckon"
Love Of Moses!" the old SOL
der cried. They're going to crash
boulders down on u.s."
The marshal knew at once that
Ransom was right. The cabin lay
in the path Of an old slide. At the
edge of the rimrock. a hundred feet
above them. lay hundreds of loose
boulders large and small. A half
ton of rock. hurting down that pre-.
cipitous slope. would crash through
the soft adobe wall as if it were
paper.
i've got to stop that. Hank" the
younger man said. THE firing down
here is a bluff to keep u minds
busy. They won't charge the cabin
till those above have smashed it.
I'm going up to stop their game if
you don't mind sticking it out here
alone"
They'll pick you off before
you've gone a dozen yards. boy"
the blacksmith told him.
Maybe not. The moon is under
a cloud now. For one thing they
won't be expecting me up there"
They must have someone watch.
ing the back door,"
mot near enough to see in this
darkness. See you later. old-timer."
ore down the planking with
which he had reinforced the back
door.
Ransomsaid Sure" and did not
believe that>ither of them would be
alive an houl.rom then.
bolt the do. after me. I NAV
come back on tn jurnp. Be ready
to let me in prontis.. Tho marsh.,
opened the door and ,inned ont,