The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-07-11


began to move toward the gather
ing grounds on the Red. The in
come from these sales helped lit
tie; but the proceeds were principal
ly absorbed by debts incurred in
behalf OF the individual ranches. The
Improvement in his situation which
Roper had hoped for did not come.
1t was deep into March when Tex
Long quit.
Look" Tex Long said, look"
He did not talk easily; whatever
he said was matter-of-fact, even
now. Il got to pull out of this
| game"
Bill Roper looked at him, without
expression. "All right. How much
you figure owe your"
Tex smiled. Nothing"
A very rare flush of anger came
into Bill Roper's face. "Tex, what's
the matter with your"
Tex Long made a quick, futile
gesture with his hands. 1--WE used
to be able to jump down on them.
We can't do that now. The Bert
Johnson place is studded with III
files until a man can't take a step.
Every place you'll find out it's the
same. There isn't going to be any
thing more we can do. We went
good for while. But they got or
ganized, now. We're through"
Tex Long was only one of Bill
Roper's picked gunfighters, but he
was one of the best. AS March
drew on, Roper lost four more.
Into the Big Bend, into the valley
OF the Nueces, Cleve Tanner had
flooded such power Of gunfighters
as Bill Roper would not have be-
lieved. He had supposed that he
could outplace and outsmart Tan
ner'S warrior outfits. But now his
raiding forces met everywhere a
stubborn resistance.
Roper had discounted the quit of
Tex Long; but now other news was
coming in. The Graham outfit-the
first of all those that the Roper men
had taken-was again in the hands
of Cleve Tanner; and Nate Liggett,
assigned to protect Graham, had
headed for the tall without even a
| report. Hat Crick Tommy was three
weeks missing. The Davis outfit,
left under his protection, had gone
the way of all loose outfits, and Tan
ner's cowboys rode the range.
Dry Camp Pierce was almost the
last to come in-of those who came
in at all.
Pierce rode into the Pot Hook
Camp early in April. He was the
same, small wiry man he always
had been-his eyes watery, his jaws
poorly shaver.
Bill, I can't carry these camps
no more. God knows we strung
with you while we could. We've ct
beef, beef, beef without salt or flour,
we've ct bobcat meat But Bill,
there's no lead in our guns, and
there's no patches in our pants,
and it's time I got 10 let the boys
go. to make out any way they can"
Bill Roper looked older than Dusty
King had ever looked; his face was
like granite, with hard lines cut into
it by the weather.
"Okay," he said. Il understand
how you feel, Dry Camp"
Dry Camps anger was gone as
quickly as it had come. Bill" he
said pleadingly, cts only-it's on
ly-"
cts only that you've had lot of
men out working for u.s." Bill Roper
said more reasonably.
Near fifty men," Dry Camp said.
"How many you got working
now?"
Dry Camp Pierce hesitatcd.
mot a damned man." Bill Roper
said bitterly. "And now you quit
Dusty King"
Look you here" Dry Camp said.
i've strung with you when
wouldn't have strung with any other
man, let alone an upstart kid. I'll
say this for you-you've made a
game fight. But kid, take my word
for it-they're too big, and they're
too strong"
"You think so?" Bill Roper said.
II know so. l don't know what
you had, made men like Lee Har-
nish and Dave Shannon and Nate
Liggett throw in with you, but they
did-the damnedest wild bunch Tex
as ever seen. Half the renegades of
the Long Trail, and your part of
Kng-Gordon, has gone into beating
Cleve Tanner. And where are we
now?"
"Well?"
eve aren't any placel Kid, 1 tell
you we're beat, and we're long
, beat!"
April melted into May, and Roper
had nothing to fight with any more.
Those units of his wild bunch that
had not quit had not been heard
from at all; he knew already that
the ones who had completely failed
Cleve Tanner prospered, seemingly;
and all was well with Ben Thorpe.
Bill Roper waited at the Pot Hook
now, trying to think of some way
that he had missed. 20 King-Gor.
don denied him, and Lew Corridor