The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1941-04-24

want to know who actually owns
range rights on the Graham stand"
The hard-bitten little man across
the desk from Roper was still cadgy.
when it comes to ousting a man
from possession"
''You know who 'ousted' Bob Gra-
ham and his family from possession.
Cleve Tanner took over that outfit
by main horse-and-gun power, with
out decent cause or reason. Every
body knows that. I'm asking you
now"
Taylor and Graves are already
doing everything that can be done
to regain possession of Graham's
OUTFIT Maxim said, smiling.
1t was the smile that Roper liked.
Suppose ! hold the Bob Graham
lands, and Bob Graham's family
are living on it.
'sBob Graham hasn't got possess
sion," Maxim said.
Suppose he did have?"
'Never could happen. Ben
Thorpe"
''Shut up a minute" Roper said.
''I'm not asking you to put Graham
back in possession of his range. I'm
not asking you to save him from
being put off again in the way he
was before. What want to know is,
can you head off some cooked-up
legal interference with Graham, aft
er he's in possession again?"
Fred Maxim thought it over. 81
can only promise you that I can
cause considerable delay" he said.
months of delay?"
providing you can show posses
sion-Tn keep you clear until hell
freezes"
"That's all I want ;"
Still July, at Willow Creek
A barren range of hills, sand hills;
golden in the dawn, purple in the
twilight, barren always. Beneath
them, what had been the Willow
Creek camp of the old King-Gordon.
In the bunkhouse nearest the river,
five men lounging around a little
room.
''All right, you hard guys" Bill
Roper said; 'you know who told you
to come here. Dry Camp Pierce
told you to come here. Maybe he
told you what you could look for
here, huh?"
These four gunfighters who met
Roper here were none of them older
than Bill; yet each was famous as a
killer in his own right. Of them all
Bill Roper alone had no name, no
reputation. Yet, in respect for the
name of Dusty King, they had come
to hear him out.
Nate Liggett, a round-faced kid
with eyelashes that looked as if they
had been powdered with white dust,
said, well, what seems to be your
offer?"
II guess you already know Bob
Graham" Roper said. "You know
how a warrior gang of Cleve Tan
ner's jumped down on him, on some
thin excuse, and run him off his
range. They even took over his
house and his windmill and his COR
rails. Now, aim to hand back that
range to Bob Graham; he's waiting
in Bigspring for the word. Your part
of the job is simple enough-you
just 60 and take it away from the
Tanner bunch"
Simple, huh? Just how do you
figure this simple trick is to be
done?"
A lawyer in San Antonio kept
the Rangers off when Tanner
jumped Graham. Now we've got an
other better lawyer in San Antonio
to keep them off when Graham
jumps Tanner. The only question is,
who's got enough salt to grab that
range-and then hang onto it?"
And what do we get out of all
this?"
Graham takes over the outfit and
runs it. You hang around and help
him, and see that he doesn't get
run off again. For that you get a
half interest in the outfit. You split
1t among you any way you see fit.
I'll back Graham with cattle, and
what other stuff he needs