Evening star., 1940-05-18


Who Is hep"
\ Jim Writes Note.
Homer Caldwell. An old cowboy
who has saddle shop on the plaza.
Russell Mosely dictated the note,
but Jim shook his head at the
wording. Better let me do it. I
stuck the package in a pair of
saddlebags. I'll mention that, so
that he will be sure the message is
from me-"
He had better be sure" the big
cattleman said ominously. For
your sake. And I'll say this, Silcott.
II you are pulling any shenanigan
on me you'll wish you had never
been born"
Roam Judson was chosen to ride
to town with Lamprey. The in
structions given him in the presence
OF Jess were explicit.
You'll stay with him until you
get close to where you find Cald-
well, Roam. Then you'll let him go
on alone. If he acts as If he is
double-crossing us, pump him full
OF lead. Stay outside and wait for
him" The Hat T boss turned an
ice-cold, cruel stare on Lamprey.
Don't think you can throw us down
and get away with it, fellow. Play
us false and you'll be buried inside
of "a hours. I'll see to that per-
sonally."
The two messengers walked out
into the night. Jim eased himself
gingerly down to the floor again.
He had reprieve of an hour or
perhaps two. After that somebody
would take him out to the nearest
gulch and murder him. That would
probably be Prentiss.
**
Rufe Jelks looked at his watch for
the 18th time in half an hour.
Holy cats!" he cried. whats
keeping Red? He said 10 o'clock
and it's way past that. Twenty to
H."
What's eatin' you. fellow" Pesky
Kennedy drawled. When a guy is
with a lady like Miss Eliot he don't
keep checking up on the minutes" :"
Learn of HoIdup.
Il know. But Red is one of these
punctual guys. I'm worried. We
had ought to have gone and made
sure he got back safe"
Yeah! He'd let you do that,
wouldn't he? Like he was kid who
couldn't take care of himself"
Rufe paced the floor. Il wouldn't
ride herd on the son-of-a-gun for
a million plunks a year. Right soon
he Is gonna have me gray-headed."
A man walked into the hotel
lobby and sauntered up to the desk.
Hear about that shootin' awhile
ago. Hob?" he said to the clerk.
Some guys tried to rob the post
office"
Rufe sat up and took notice.
What guys?" he asked.
The man grinned. They left in
a hurry and didn't have time to give
their names. All but one of them.
He stayed"
Rubbed out?" Pesky wanted to
know.
Shot up considerable. It seems
there were some soldiers roosting
in the post Office. Somebody must
have spilled the beans, looks like.
Did you hear who it was got
shot?"
Some Mexican. They took him
to the hospital"
Jelks and Kennedy went into a
huddle. If Mosely had engineered
the attempted robbery to get the
Gandara letters, this must be one
OF his men. Perhaps he might be
induced to talk.
Rufe left instructions with the
clerk. When Mr.. Silcott comes in
tell him he'll be back right soon"
Find Hat T Horse.
They went to the corral where
they had left their mounts and rode
out to the fort.
Il reckon we better snoop
around" Pesky suggested. "If we
go asking too many questions they
are liable to arrest us for investi-
CATION"
That's right. Say. there's some
one on the road ahead of U.S."
He turned out to be a drunken
soldier. Apparently he knew moth
ing Of what had occurred at the
postofice, but he told them how to
find their way to the hospital.
Their approach to it was from the
rear. 1t seemed a good idea to tie
the horses in thicket of cedars.
The hospital lights We're perhaps a
hundred yards ahead of them.
Kennedy was leading and pulled
up abruptly. He had almost run
into another horse tethered to a
scrub cedar. They dismounted and
Rufe examined the horse, a big
round-bellied roam. His fingers
found the brand on the shoulder
and traced it.
Run your hand over this brand,
Pesky," he said.
Kennedy did so. The brand was
a Hat T.
Some other gent inspecting the
hospital" Rufe said dryly.
ITO get message to the wound
ed Mex" his companion hazarded.
Sounds reasonable. We might
drift along and take a hand"
They spoke in whispers, for they
did not know how near the owner
of the roam might be.
Lay Trap for Rider.
The crook -nosed man with rusty
hair shook his head. "And maybe
lose him in the darkness when he
comes back for his horse, Rufe.
I've got another notion. I'll take
his horse and tie it up back there
with ours. Then I'll stick around
here till the fellow comes back.
If you like, you can go dig up some
info at the hospital. But don't
stay too long"
That's not such a bad idea,"
Jelks agreed. zone of us ought to
run into him and maybe find out
what he's up to-"