The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1941-02-13


where the girl had walked once
around the pool. Then she had back
tracked. She had stopped, as if for
considerable time, her boots sinking
in deep. He went into his pockets
and brought out more matches, for
now the mud showed an imprint of
her hand.
Through minute more he stood
imagining moves she might have
made here, and then, fitting his own
boots into the holes hers had left,
squatted down and felt in the dark
water.
Only press of cold ooze touched
his fingers. The shelving bottom was
shallow. But cattle wading here had
churned a soft pit, and suddenly
Walt Candy knew that the girl had
used Willow Spring to hide secret;
could almost say what she had hid
den.
He rolled up his sleeves, stretched
both arms far out and thrust them
down. 1t took many minutes ex-
ploring in the slime until his hands
struck something hard, and straight
ening, he tugged upward, drawing
out at last mud-coated rife.
There was little need to clean
the gun. He hunched down again,
working with slow deliberation on
an unwanted job.
Candy laid the rifle down. Hol-
listers. Carried those years they
had been on border duty together.
Used up here to shoot a man in the
back. He sat staring into the black
night; felt all at once old with
knowing too much. But it was more
than the shooting that put this
weight in his feeling against Bill
Hollister. Hollister must have
known how desperately the girl was
trying to shield him. Did he even
know Helen had promised to marry
Stoddard?
1t was plain what she had done.
No deputy sheriff had taken this RI
fie from the c c ranch house. Helen
herself had, then pretended it had
been stolen. Walt knew now that
she was hiding it here the first day
they met, and had come back to-
night to make certain the law had
not discovered her secret. All to
shield Hollisterl Only a girl would
go to such scheming. The gun would
never have been found in this pool,
with cattle tramping it deeper until
| it rusted away. A man would have
| tossed it into some ravine-and sure
as the devil it would have come to
light later.
Candy sat unmoving for a long
time, trying to see what was ahead
for him; saw only that he would
stick and go through to the end.
Once he had sworn that if Hollister
had done the cold-blooded killing
here, he'd quit. Not now.
At last he got up, took the rifle
and thrust it back into the mud.
The green-tinted mountain dawn
was in his face by the time he
reached the C C. He swung into the
lane at running walk, and then, as
buildings of the layout came into
view, it was apparent that morning
life had begun here hours ago.
Ground mist was rising Through
it he saw vague movement of fig
ures. Three horses stood saddled at
the corral post. Horsethief Fisher
came hurriedly from the bunk
shack. At sight of him Candy lifted
his pony into lope.
Fisher was armed, and at the
sudden thudding of hoofs, he about
faced, hand on his gun, unusually
jumpy.
where the devil you been?" he
wanted to know, as Candy reined
his Sunspot in close.
Walt cast a quick look over the
lot, swinging off beside the bronc
rider. ''Never mind me-" he an
swered. whats up?"
Declaration of war, boy!" Horse
thief told him. I'm ridin' in to get
Bailey and the bunchl HOLSTERS
orders!" He clamped down on the
news with grim satisfaction.
HOLSTERS tall black was not
among the horses which stood sad
died, nor in the corral. where's
Bill now?" Candy asked.
Rode off before daybreak," said
Fisher, looking worried for the mo-
ment. TOLD me he was going to
try for a last talk with Stoddard to
see if his herd mightn't be turned
back without gunfght. But | just
now saw that Bills sixshooter amt
hangin' there at the head of his
bunk. Boy, I'll bet it's more than
talk he's gone afterl"
HE go alone:"
Fisher nodded.
Good Lord!" Candy burst out.
st know" Fisher agreed. But
Bill slammed out of here before any
one figured what he was doing. AS
| said, / only just now saw his gun
was missin'. Anyway I'm dustin for
town."
Young Champion appeared from
around the bunk house. Candy
tossed over the palomino's reins.
Feed him, Paul, will you? I'm rid
ing again." In the act of moving on
up-slope he turned and asked over
one shoulder, What orders did Hol-
lister give you for today?"
"I'm to stick right here" the boy
said, grave-faced. He was wearing
his big forty-fve. with Helen,"
he finished.
where's Lavic?"
Dunno. Haven't seen him."
Helen was not in sight when Gan
dy tramped into the kitchen to grab
fast breakfast. The gallon gran
ite-ware coffee pot was simmering