Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1941-08-14
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~ WMu X&19

Dusty King and Lew Gordon had built up
vast string Of ranches. King was killed by
his powerful and INSCRIPTIONS competitor.
Ben Thorpe. Bill Roper. Kings adopted son.
was determined to avenge his death In spite
Of the opposition of his sweetheart, Jody
CHAPTER N-COntinued
Bill glanced. at Shoshone to make
sure that the man was at his ell
bow; then, his gun out, he flung
wide the door. The slab door re-
sisted, wedged in the ice of the sill;
then shuddered open with. a noisy
violence.
Roper stepped in with a sidewise
step that at once made room for
Shoshone and brought Roper within
the wall, clear of a possible shot
from behind him in the dark.
Don't anybody novel"
The uncertain and Pickering light
of the little fire seemed to fill the
room with ample light, compared
to the heavy darkness without. A
man who sat upon key by the
fire sprang up, his clawed hand
reaching out to a gunbelt that lay
upon the crude table; but the reach
ing hand rose empty in continuous
motion as the man put up his hand.
Three crude hunks ranged along the
rear wall. From the first of these,
the one nearest the fire, man
came out with his hands up; one of
his arms was heavily bandaged, and
it's upward motion carried it's sling
with it.
Now Shoshone, whose heel had
kicked the door shut behind him as
he came in, made a headlong dive
into the second of the three hunks.
In that instant the thing happened
that Roper most dreaded, so that in
a single split fraction of second
their chances were irrevocably hurt.
AS Shoshone Wilce sprang, gun
smashed out from within the shad-
ewy bunk. The blast of it's explo-
sion was magnifed in the close quar-
tiers, leaving the ears ringing in the
instant of stunned silence that fol-
lowed.
The barrel of Shoshone's As had
crashed upon the skull of the man in
the bunk almost in the same in
slant that the shot was fired. A
lean hand, gripping a six-gun,
dropped cut over the side of the
bunk, relaxed slowly, and the six
gun slid to the floor from long, dam
Cling fingers. Shoshone Wilce held
absolutely motionless for moment,
half crouched, then Strengthened
slowly.
'Shoshone-you hit?"
cts only" Shoshone began. His
face was CHASTITY ar i'd his voice qua
vered; but when he had fully
Strengthened it steadied again into
the same dead fairness as before.
cts onay-a kind of scratch along
the ribs. I'm all right"
"Jody! Jody, is it your"
Jody Gordon had been curled up
in the corner of deepest shadows.
She stood up now, white-faced, her
movements uncertain. Then sud-
denly the freight caught the CLINT
of the instant tears which over
brimmed her eyes.
"Bill! I thought they'd kill you'll"
She flung her arms about his neck
and with the swift impulse of child,
kissed his mouth.
The man nearest the table made
sidelong movement toward the hol-
stored gun that lay there; Bill Roper
smashed shot into the wall beside
him, and the man jerked backward.
"Shoshone, can you rider"
There was curious strain in the
fatness of Shoshone's voice. "I'm
okay, I tell you"
Bill Roper caught up sheepskin
coat with his free hand, and flung
it over Jody's shoulders. Get
gone!" he snapped. 'Shoot free the
ponies tie-ropes, and ride like hell!
Here-take this!" He thrust the gun
belt from the table into Jody's I'M
ready hands. 'I'll see you-where
I said"
"Bill," said Shoshone, eff it's the
same to you, I'd rather hold them
here while you ride with her."
"Get gone, said! YOU"
"Bill, I tell you, L"
Bill Roper beloved at him, "You
want to die?"
''Okay," Shoshone said, in that
same strained, lifeless tone. He
seized Jody's wrist, tore open the
door with the hand that still held his
gun, and was gone into the dark.
When they were gone Bill Roper
stood listening. Outside two shots
rang, a moment apart, as Shoshone
shot the tied ponies free; then sound
ed a swift crackle of the ice crust
under their hoofs as two horses gal
loped down-valley, and Roper knew
that Shoshone and Jody Gordon were
on their way.
Bill Roper estimated that he had
a few seconds left. Unhurriedly, al
most leisurely, he picked up the
gun dropped by the man in the
bunk, and thrust it in his own belt.
After that he collected three or four
other weapons in brief search that
seemed perfunctory, yet was effec-
tive because of his own practiced
knowledge of where range rider is
apt to put his gun. These he kicked