The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-01-19
THE BLUFFToN NEWS, BLUFFToN, OHIO

the town from here-or coufd De-
fore they all went out IF you think
I'm going to take Marian into town
into a shooting scrape-forget 1t.
Unless Tular and Coffee get back
with nv car, SO that she can go on
back to the ranch-I stay here. And
so does the car stay here. :"
Don't you bother about me-"
Marian spoke. IN get along all
right"
It was after midnight. Their plans
for the crack-out of Horse Dunn
were indefinite. because their infor-
nation was indefinite. First was
necessary the seizure Of Walt Amos.
for it was known that he carried
the keys to the Inspiration lookup:
but the trouble was that they did
not know how many deputies were
camped with Amos, in his house be-
low the jail. IF more than one or
two were there, they thought that
it would be q good idea to create a
gunpowder diversion in some other
quarter Of the town, to draw away
a part of the sheriff's force. Tulare
had driven Old Man Coffee into In
spiration to make a reconnaissance.
and what they feared now was that
the hot temper of Tulare had got
both scouts in trouble
There amt much left of the
night" Steve complained.
There's other nights"
Leave one man here with Mar
ian." Steve suggested, land let's
the rest Of Us go take that town
apart! Or anyway, find out what's
up"
They finally agreed upon this: but
only after it was conceded to Billy
Wheeler that they wait a quarter of
an hour more.
That last quarter OF an hour
dragged out like a week; and still
no headlights appeared upon the
Inspiration road.
1T must be time by now," Steve
Hurley insisted.
Five minutes more.
A gleam of lights showed two
miles off in the outskirts of the
town: a car was coming out of In
spiration at last. So slowly it came
that for time they we're convinced
that this could not Be the driving of
Tulare. Even when Billy Wheeler's
roadster pulled up opposite them on
the road they stayed quiet for a mo-
ment. suspicious that the car was
no longer driven by their own men.
Then Old Man Coffee sung out. tBl-
ly Wheeler?"
''Here!"
"Billy, let me talk to you a min
ute-alone.
Val Douglas and Steve Hurley had
started piling out but now they
looked at each other and reluctantly
settled back. Billy Wheeler trotted
across to the other car.
Old Man Coffee dropped his voice
to a mi fled undertone. Its all
over, kiu.p
whats the"
"Horse Dunn has run his own Jail
break, pretty near four hours ago.
1t took us long time to get the full
dope. We got it now. He got clear
of the Jail, all right, with that same
derringer in the sheriff's back, and
using the sheriff as a shield. But
the deputies moved him down"
''You sure? You sure this isn'i
one of Bender's tricks"
4 saw him laid out" Coffee said
For a moment Wheeler was 81
lent. He was laboring under heavy
shock; but already he was wonder
ing what he was going to say tc
Horse Dunn's niece. did he get
anybody" he asked, half uncon
scious of what he said
''He couldn't get a man. He made
his break with an empty gun. And
they found his ammunition lying or
the floor inside"
They were silent again, for long
time. And to Billy Wheeler the
night turned suddenly empty, as il
great and living force had gone
out of it with Old Man Coffee
words. 81 suppose we may as well
be getting back to the ranch, y
Wheeler said at last.
'Who's going to tell Marian?"
''I'm going to tell Marian. III
take her back in my car"
Il