The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-07-18
W. NU.' Release

L ~.
l.. All her bitter contempt Of the lone.
!!y-ridinB men Of violence came into
her voice. Isn't that what the gun.
men and the COW thieves always
dot"
| He was motionless a long time.
Then he drew the skinnine knife
that always swung at the back of
his belt in a worn sheath. Its blade
was lean and followed. worn al
most out Of existence by thousand
honings. He stood looking at the
knife; he tossed It in the air, and
caught 1t by the handle again.
II wouldn't go cutting marks on
the handle Of a gun," he said at
last. His voice was thick. Nobody
cares what anybody does to the han:
die Of gum
Roper stepped forward, and with
the keen blade cut a notch clean
and deep in the left arm OF Dusty's
CROSS.
When he looked at Jody she was
staring at him strangely, almost as
if SHE were afraid.
All through the afternoon Jody
Gordon had ridden the barren trails
above Ogallala, on pony that for
ever tried to turn home. Thaw was
on the prairie again, and the South
Platte was britnming with melted
snow; in the air was something Of
the damp, clean smell which had
marked another spring, in this same
place. But 1t was now more than
T. six months, since Jody had seen Bill
Roper; and She found 1t no help that
she was forever. hearing his name.
1t was with reluctance that she at
last rode up the rise upon which it
stood, unlighted, in the dusk.
She uisaddled her own pony, boot
ed it into the muddy CORRAL. and
threw the forty pound kak onto the
saddle-pole with the easy, one-hand-
ed swing of the western rider. AS
she. turned toward the house she was
I trying not to, cry.
Then, as she walked through the
stable, a figure rose up from the
shadows beside the door and barred
her way.
JOdy Gordon's breath caught in
her throat. She said, evenly, "Look-
ing for someone, Bud?"
The spare-framed visitor took off
his hat and held it uneasily in his
two hands. "Well, 1 tell you, Miss
Gordon-could speak to you for
just minute? I'll tell you the fact
OF the matter. I'm a Bill Roper
man."
Jody Gordon's heart jumped like
a struck pony BILLY sent you TO
me?"
II haven't seen Bill Roper. But
I've seen Ben Thorpe. Miss Cor
don, tell me one thing: Is your ia
ther backing Bill Roper? l mean,
is he backing this blowing into Ben
Thorpe?"
MY father" Jody Gordon said,
has quit Bill Roper in every way
{ he possibly could"
That's what l thought" Shoshone
Wilce said. "Only trouble is, peo-
pie that don't know the difference,
they don't none OF them believe that
any more"
Jody Gordon interrupted him
sharply. whats happened?"
Miss Gordon, your father is in a
terrible bad fix I'm afeard-Pm
afeard he's going to die before this
thing is through"
What do you mean?"
Most people think Lew Gordon is
backing Bill Roper - maybe you
know that? Well, now there's a Teller
rode to Ben Thorpe from Miles CITY
"a feller that was a foreman with
Thofpe's Montana outfits under
Walk Lasham. Maybe this Teller
had some Rind of fight with Lash
AMI don't know nothing about
that. But this teller sWears to
Thorpe that Basham is letting the
Montana herds drain away TO the
Indians, and to the construction
camps, and Ben Thorpe never see
ing penny of the morley from beef
or. hide"
us Bill Roper cutting the Thorpe
outfits in Montana?"
Don't know, myself. They saw
he's swarming all over Montana.
with a bunch of kid renegades be-
hind him, riding like crazy men.
and raidihg night after night. Some
say nobody knows how hard Lash
am is hurt, Lasham least of any !:
and some say Lasham has sold out
to Bill Roper, or your father-or
: both"
what does Thorpe himself
think"
Thorpe thinks your father has
bought Walk Lashan1. Just the same
as he thought your father bought
Cleve Tanner in Texas, until Bill
Roper gunned Clete down. And
Thorpe is fit to be tied. A man like
him = he's TERRIBLE dangerous al
ways, : Miss Gordon :; but now he's
ten times more dangerous than he
ever. was in his life"
You mean you think Ben Thorpe
will-will--"
Miss > Gordon, I know. Der
Thorpe Is going to kill Lew Gordon
just as sure as" .o~an.I,.
TO! BE CoNTLNUEDJ