The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-06-09
Howard told Mile High to open the

Howard told Mile High to open the
door.
When Brand walked in, he faced
two men with drawn revolvers. The
foreman said TRANQUILITY, PUT 'em
up boys. I didn't come a-smokin'."
Howard pushed the weapon back
into its holster. Mile High hesitat-
ed. He had been in a battle re-
Gently with Brand on the other side
Maybe So" the lank punche,
said. But I can listen just az
well with my gun out"
Brand said definitely: "1'll not
talk to a man with his gun out:
that is, not unless it's fightin' talk,
with mine out too"
PUT up your hogleg, Mile High"
Howard told his companion. Don't
you see that Dan is here on a peace
able mission?"
After the gun had disappeared,
Brand made a correction. Peace
able or not, Sherm, depending on
how you take it. III give it to you
short and sweet. What I'm here to
say is that Lee aims to hang yore
son Lou to a live oak unless you
get Miss Ruth back to the L c muy
pronto, without a hair of her head
injured"
The fat man stared blankly at the
foreman. Good God, man, what
d'you mean? If you are talkin' about
the Chiswick girl, l haven't seen
her since that day you-all were in
town together"
Il didn't suppose they had brought
her to town. The scoundrels who
took her are holed up in the hills
somewhere. We don't know where
they are roostin'. Maybe you do.
Anyhow. you better find out imme-
date if you want to see Lou again
alive"
What has Lou got to do with it,"
Howard asked.
Hes one of the gang that did
this. We caught him. He's
prisoner now. A hostage. you might
say. If anything happens to Miss
Ruth, it's all off with him."
What -d'you mean. he's one of
the gang that did this? Lou doesn't
go around carrying girls up into the
hills, if that's what happened,
though so far I can't make head or
tail of it." Howard looked reproach-
fully at the L c man. You hadn't
ought to talk that wild, lawless way,
Dan. About %stringing up Lou, and
crazy talk like that. Be reasonable.
First off, tell us the story. Begin
at the beginning. Let's hear what
happened Will you have a
drink" He pushed the bottle to-
ward Brand.
Il will not" Brand said CURLY.
mo need to begin at the first of it,
Sherm. You know that better than
I do. Through yore spies you found
out some Mexican smugglers were
going to run silver through Live
Oak canyon to Tough Nut. You sent
five of yore gang out to Waylay
them"
"Wa-ait a minute, Dan." Howard
raised a fat hand to stop him. mo
such a thing. Some of the boys
headed for Tough Nut to see the
elephant. They may have gone by
way of Live Oak canyon. 1 wouldn't
know about that"
1T isn't more than 40 miles off
the direct route to Tough Nut"
Brand said contemptuously. Don't
try to load me, Sherm. I know
what that outlaw bunch went to Live
Oak for. We found two Mexicans
they had rubbed out and the pack
mule with the silver. Yore crowd
vas still shootin' when we took a
hand"
The MeXicans must have at
tackled them" Howard protested.
That would be the way of t."
Sure. When a brush rabbit gets
nerve enough to spit in the eye Of a
rattlesnake. Like said. Lou is our
prisoner. That boy hasn't any sand
in his craw. He wilted right off
and blabbed all he knew. Don't
waste my time trying to lie. Here's
the nub of it. Two of yore men
slipped away from us up a side
canyon. They cut across to the L c
ranch-house and picked up Miss
Ruth. After she had rustled grub
for them, they took her with them
into the hills"
what two mem"
"N1org Norris and Kansas"
I'm not responsible fo- what that
killer Morg Norris does" the fat
man burst out. you know that,
Dan. He's a bad hombre. Long ago,
500 as I saw what he was. l washed
my hands of him."
Lee holds you responsible. So
do the rest of us. You can't get
away with that. Sherm. Every de.
cent man in this country will be
against you in this thing, If that
devil Norris hurts Miss Ruth. you'll
be in a jam. Don't think anything
else for a minute"
The big moon face Of Howard