Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-06-19

talked briefly and went their way, and
the bleak, gashed rocks and rises of
the Little peaks closed about us. Villa
led the way into the higher reaches
and dismounted where the low cliffs
took the sun on brown, yellow and
white strata of rock.
Well have to walk from here" she
told us.
| Jonathan Case licked his lips.
They'll start shooting when they see
U.s."
"Steves badly wounded. The other
man is helpless" Villa said in low
voice. You offered the reward. I'll
go ahead"
He looked at me, uneasy in this SOL
itude where death was suddenly very
close and real. VILLAS slender figure
was moving away from us. climbing
at an angle up the rocky slope.
you're hungry to get them, dead
or alive" said. Lets CO."
He came unwillingly. putting be-
hind me as we angled along the cliffs.
Villa turned sharply left, behind a
high prov Of rock. We followed her
into narrow, water-scoured cash,
winding back and up through the rock.
Clean sand whispered underfoot.
The entrance had been all but in
visible from the narrow canyon below.
Sheer, secured walls of rock at our
shoulders thrust dizzily up to a blue
band of empty sky. We passed pockets
in the rock, side clefts to right and
left. Boot marks in the dry sand
showed that others had preceded us
since the last rain. closed to VILLAS
heels, watching for her sign that the
danger moments we're on us, and be-
hind us Jonathan Case Jagged fear
fully.
Villa stopped and turned. Under my
breath I asked: "Where?" and
caught the flicker of VILLAS dark eyes
looking past me. was turning when
heard the low bite of words where
she was looking I reached for my
gun and barely touched the vanishing
barrel as Villa snatched it from the
holster.
Stand still. Rusty!" My turn toward
her stopped against my own gun muz-
gle, hard and a bit unsteady in my
back. VILLAS voice, webbing, said:
please, Rusty!" And I stood there
cropping for some spark of understand
ing.
ooIIdlIldIA SdSe Ildl lOIlOWeu us past
a water-scoured shadowy little cave
in the rock, no different from others
we had passed But from this one
Steve Mayfield had come out behind
him.
Steve leaned there against the rock,
bareheaded, face drawn with pain and
fevered weakness. Dried blood from a
shoulder wound and leg wound was
dark and stiff on shirt and trousers.
But Steve's gun was steady, his voice
easy to Jonathan Case, who had half
turned. with hands breast high.
Il sort of thought you'd come" Steve
said, as he leaned against the rock
Five thousand for me, too, dead or
alive, Villa says.
"Only five thousand" said Steve |
gently. I'm surprised it isn't more. !
Only five thousand for Tom Kirkland
and all that money that was stolen"
'Keynes!" Jonathan Case called, and
it came out in a strange gobble Of
I'm cornered too! Steve, don't be
fool"
Steve's grin was a pallid ghost Of
all the reckless years. why not,
Rusty? I've already been a fool" Steve
shifted painfully against the rock and
grinned again. IT was fool enough to
come back to help little, and now
look"
Back to help?" I said.
why, yes" said Steve. II overheard
a little talk that some guntoters were
interested in the Palomas bank. so I
came back to cut their trail before it
happened. Then I got curious and
talked to Case about his business deals.
He was using a lot Of money for his
size But warned him, too. about
his bank He asked me to watch the
Tonic Kid and judged the Kid could
use another partner if he was han
died right. thought I was handling
him right and he fooled me and got
out Of town with the money"
Steve's mirthless grin was strangely
like Hoke Mayfield's grin that day :. {.
II followed them out Of town and
we had q little gun work and the