The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-07-04
CHAPTER vIH-Continued

the tough, VIGOROUSLY trouble-mak-
ing outfits under Cleve Tanner were
not holding together as they ALWAYS
had before. Here and there men
were beginning to desert the Tanner
outfits = sometimes fired because
they had failed, sometimes volun.
tarlly deserving to the ranks of the
raiders who were now almost OPEN
ly Furnishing the Thorpe-Tanner
holdings.
Mid-Augusf, in the season OF drieu
heat
Into the Potreros, by a little used
trail, black-sombrerocd horseman
rode. He was a tested gunman, a
proved man whose name was known
and feared half the length of the
Great Trail. Notwithstanding for
Nleve Tanner now, he was moving
into the PotreroS to find out what had
gone wrong with some of Tanners
choicest herds. He had come fast,
changing horses frequently, riding
far into the night.
Looping down the almost invisible
trail through the dark, his horse sud-
NAAAJ NAOPPSO 1IOL OIlhCl llllll, IlcdQ
long into nothingness. The pony
might have stepped into a prairie
dog hole-or it could have been the
loop of rope. But as the dazed
rider struggled up, his mouth full
of dirt, rifle was proddinr his bel
ly, and voice was saying, Don't
you think you might have took the
wrong way? :"
Fest Texas, far up The lonely Pccos-
One of Cleve Tanners outfit bosses
was talking TO the Ranger stationed
at Mustang Point.
Such a damn outbust Of laWless,
ness has cut loose here as l never
seen BEFORE" he said.
The ranger here was Val McDon-
aid. He had gone out nineteen times
in battle, sometimes against Mexi-
cans, sometimes against the Conan
ches, and he had hunted white rem
egadcs galore.
lawfully tough" he said in his
own sympathetic way.
The foreman Of the outfit that was
busted up was fit to be tied. 81
tell you, we're being stolen blind"
he raved. mot just calf here
and there, either-they take 'em in
swoops and punches. It's the bold
est thing I've ever seen. Even when
there's no chance of getting clear
with any cattle, they're game TO
stampede a cut herd that it's took
weeks to round up, and scatter it
from hell to"
''This is one Of Ben Thorpe's out
fits? No?"
DOCS that mean"
"Wcll? How many times has Clcve
Tanner passed out the word, The
Rangers be damned?' He's put more
Instructions in the way of things
we was trying to do than any other
one man. Who was it had the lcgis-
1ature cut down our pay until we
practically ride for nothing, and fur
nish all our own stuff"
"The question here is whether
we're going to have any law, or are
we going to have"
From what 1 heard" Mcdonald
said, "Cleve Tanner has left it be
known that he's the biggest end of
the law himself. Go talk TO Clcve
Tanner if you want law"
"My understanding is" the fore
man argued, chat the Rangers are
supposed to"
"IH move out and straiehtcn up
your little old range" Mcdonald
said. on be glad to. Just as soon
as 1 get orders from headquarters.
Im wa ~ for them right orders
now!"
Bu' U.s. rolled by, and head
quartz ..os curlogsiy still
End ~ summer; uc'comc end
Glove Tanner himself, the Clcvc
Tanner who represented Ben Thorpe
in the south, master OF breeding
grounds, the man who controlled the
roots OF all Ben Thorpe plans or
Ganlzation' was taxing TO NC OhIl-
ed States Marshal al Dan ANTONIO
srrTIrro Locv'f brcu such 4 wave of