Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-08-29
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
WRITTEN FOR AND RELEASED BY
CENTRAL PRESS ASSOCIATION


THE CONFERENCE on the
Brazee front porch began about 10
o'clock, when Rogers and his men,
with Jerry Dale and Lorena. came
wearily home.
Shot Rogers had not talked with
Lorena the whole way in. He might
have conversed with her, but when
Jerry had told them news of Esco-
bars raid at the Hump, miles
away, Shot knew he was thwarted
again This put him in a dark
mood. He had already been tre-
mendously upset by Lorena's COM
ing, and by the fact that he. had
impulsively fired three bullets at
her. Too, Jerry Dale clung to her.
Shot could not have ridden near
without appearing to force him.
self in.
Most of the men Wee tired, but
they thought nothing of it. Of one
accord they turned their horses
over to Midnight and another
wrangler, and gathered with the
Phantom cowboys, George and
Sally Brazee, Jasper Peters, Lo-
rena, even the Mexican servants, on
or near the front porch.
Jerry Dale was called on to re-
late what he saw at the Hump,
first. He told it in minute detail,
then answered many questions. He
spoke convincingly. George and
Sally Brazee sat in rocking chairs
the only sign of rank in this
gathering, and it an unconscious
one-and Sally famed herself, not
because she was warm, but from
sheer nerves.
"You were wise not to show
yourself, jerry" George Brazee
said, toward the end of his narra-
tion. I'm daytime that way you
would have faced grave danger if
they had seen you. They must know
we killed some of their men. They'd
want revenge. Escobar has a repu-
tation for vindictiveness and cruel
ty, anyway. Remember how he
raided the little towns in Chihua-
hua when he was campaigning two
years ago? Killing and numbering
and mutilating people wantonly 2?
Don't any of you men ever let him
eaten you! Or women, either!"
With that last he turned to look
significantly at his niece.
All the others, too, saw him. If
it had been daytime, they would
have seen Lorena blush. She felt
that she had to say something, but
any words choked in her throat.
Jerry Dale, however, had more
to say here.
Listen, 1 want to know some-
thing" Jerry clipped his words an
grily now. II want to know what
the hell Rogers means by carting
Lorena off on any such business as
this today? What does he mean bv
Turing her off with any bunch of
men any time? He"
"Why, Jerry, you can't-w Lo-
rena tried to interrupt.
Jerry kept on talking. Not to.
but about Shot Rogers, who was
present. The others there felt the
quick clash of tempers which they
knew was impending. Even George
Brazee was silent.
"What the hell does Rogers think
he's hired for? To run down Luis
Escobar, or 20 force himself on a
pretty girl guest just because she
happens to borrow his horse on her
first day in Arizona? He had no
business taking her over to the east
range this morning and he had
Yi0-.-n y =
EHkrry was talking fast. Mr.. Bra
ze&r1ade motion as if to silence
MntSlbut somehow managed no
words. For one thing, Shot Rogers
himself who had been to one side
ofsthe gathering there-had begun
to elbow forward. Jerry Dale Was
a broad, handsome young man OBJ
viously wrought up about today's'
turn of events. He was definitely
impressive in his speech there, as