Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-09-01

yours. Damn it, they must have!
The other men just looked at him
or shrugged. There was nothing
further they could say. They had
ridden up the middle fork Of the
Ghost, watching every inch of both
banks. They had gone several
miles. They had come to a jungle
of rocks over which the thin waters
slid and sloshed and splashed in
spectacular fashion, rocks jammed
with trash and logs and silt and
debris such as only a stream can
gather. No cows or other animals
had passed there, nor could ever
pass such an obstruction They had
therefore done as ordered-come
back to the forks to join the other
five men up the right branch Of
the stream. But they had met Shot
and his four companions riding to-
ward them.
"I'll just go see, by myself, If I
have to-" Shot declared, sullenly.
Of course they all rode back with
him, despite the salient fact that
the horses now were tired. Shot
hardly spoke during the tedious
journey up this middle branch. He
scrutinized one bank on the way
up, the other on the way bac11..
down.
When they had come a third time
to the forks, he even eyed the dry
left fork curiously, but Of course
saw nothing in the soft sand there
and knew the cattle could not pos
sibly have gone that way.
II don't aim to be mean, Mr..
Roguhs, suh," one Of his friends
began, loftily. "But have you-all
found what we overlooked. may.
be?"
Shot grinned then.
"All right. All right, Dewey, and
the rest Of you. TIL set UP drinks as
soon as we git to place. I didn't
mean--well, shucks, men, this
thing has got me feeling all
screwy! There was cows taken out
Of the valleys. They were driven
into the stream. You all saw that.
And yet they never came out Of
the stream. Now where in the devil
did those cows go?"
His friends only shook their
heads, leaning wearily on saddle
horns.
1--WE amt talkin'," said one rider.
"We're listenin'. You tell u.s."
(To Be Continued)
thinking. That's the way see it
noW."
"Oh. Shot, / wish 1 could help!
Honestly do. want to. Look
you let me discuss it with you once
before. Our detective plan, I mean.
Don't you think-do you imagine
maybe we could still"
He reached to pat her hand af-
fectionately, gratefully.
"LOrena, you are swell some.
body" he spoke with conviction.
It'll sure listen to you."
"You-you won't think I'm a-an
old setting hen. butting in on mems
affairs"
Lo-re-na!"
II think you have too many
armed men, Shot. Escobar has Sc
cret spies here on the ranch; some
how they are telling Escobar
everything you try to do. I can't
name anybody for sure, but"
How'll we combat spies, then?"
by counter-spying. Spying on
Escobar."
"An right. I'll do any way you
say, Lorena. 7 feel licked tonight"
Anything? Anything I suggest!
Promise 2"
eyes, promise. All right"
"Phen go quietly and get some
dry clothes, Shot, and let's slip of
to see what we can learn"
"What ? How's that ?" He sal up
straight to look intently at her.
"You heard mel" she was whis-
pering excitedly. "You pretend to
go to bed. So will I. Then meet me
at one o'clock on top Of the big
cliff, back Of the house. There's an
easy trail up this side, even though
it's steep. And long sloping one
down the back side which leads off
to the southwark. / went up today
and looked all around"
"But listen, Lorena-"
mo, you listen! You leave a note
saying you have gone in to Blanco
to get two or three more men. and
that your scouts are to ride around
on the east range again trying to
pick up any clews to Escobar. That
will mislead any spies here, won't
it? I'll say I went to Blanco with
you, to do some shopping and see
a dentist for a toothache. But actu-:
ally, you and I'll go to the upper
reaches Of the Ghost river forks.
and see what we can learn"
THAT'S a long ride. Lorena! And
dangerous. And" "a
1--WE won't ride, wen walk. Get
shoulder packs. Food and canteens!
You promised! There'll be far less
danger than IL we go on horses
Shot. Don't you see? I'm used to-
hiking. I have strong shoes. It's
only eight or ten miles, isn't 1t?
can walk much farther than that!!
"My lordy" breathed Shot Rog-
ers, astounded. but tempted TO try'
her daring plan even so.
ITO Be Continued