Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-03-12
W.Mu. RELEASE

ne uloVeo away 1TOm MS vantage
point, and moment later the door
way framed him. He stopped there,
studying them.
II don't think I know you very
WE'LL" said Cody. "Do you happen
to be one of my guests?"
''We met just now," Rance re-
minded him, cool and insolent, as
was his fashion. He pinched his
chin, looking reflective. "Guests,
you said, didn't you? Whose guests.
I can't but ask. You mean I'm your
guest or you're my guest or-Just
what did you have in mind?"
Cole Cody, drained of his strength
as he was, felt strong urge to
batter all the SNUG insolence off the
mans handsome face. AS a mat
ter of fact he experienced an all but
overwhelming desire to spoil Mr..
Rance Waldron's manly profile for
all time.
cts like this" said Cole Cody,
very slow-spoken. When he spoke
that way he was generally saying
one thing and thinking far afield;
right now he was regarding Rance
| Waldron's empurpled nose and dal-
lying with the thought of taking even
more painstaking care of that nose
when opportunity afforded. "You
heard part of what was said; I
guess out there at the window, you
didn't miss word. So suppose we
60 on from there. I don't know
who you are
"Why not get Strengthened out at
the start?" said Rance Waldron rea-
sonably. "Me, I'm Rance Waldron
and just blew in here a few days
ago. AS far as I know, or anyone
else seems to know, I'm next of kin
to that rare old bird, Early Bill
Cole. l had me a bunch that he
kicked off without making any will
at all, and in. spite of the several
mentions of wills that I've heard
since, I'm still of that notion. If I
happen to be right-Well, then, this
outfit, lock, stock and barrel, be-
longs to me! Got all that, Mr..
Cody?"
THAT'S quite Speech" conceded
Cody, nodding approvingly. "Yep,
l got it. Only it's my bet you're out
on a limb. Here are the three of
us, you and Miss Lee and me, all
putting in our claims" He made a
wry face, then wiped it away with
the heel of his hand. Like so
many turkey buzzards sitting on a
fence! 1t makes me sort of sick at
my stomach. I got notion to high
tail out of here and let you folks fight
over dead mans boots!"
"Scat!" cried Ann Lee. you're
overdue some other place!"
mo. I'm sticking until I get things
straight. Why old Early Bill Cole
should make me his heir, I don't
know and can't guess. But he might
have had his reasons. never knew
him, l never even saw him. But
one thing sticks out like a sore
thumb: His name was Cole, and I'm
Cole Cody! How's that happen?
Must be that we're related, or some-
thing"
He reached into his pocket, CROPPED
a minute and dug up a small, fiat
key-and did little Ann Lees eyes
all but start from their sockets!
"There!" said young Cody.
There's the key to the mystery,
as the Teller says-Maybe! Who'll
bring me a lock for my key?"
Ann Lee had way, all her own,
of getting from the place where she
was to the place where she wished
to be, that was like nothing else on
earth.
And with her cherished carpet
bag clutched tight. She got it open,
she ran a hurrying hand down into
it, she plucked out an old, black
iron box. An iron box with two
locks, as anyone might see.
IF your key fits one of these
locks-This one! Try it,"
Cole Cody chose to drive her wild
He tossed his key ceilingward, caught
it and played with it. and he laughed
at her.
$50 that's it, is it?" he jeered at
her. "a strong box with two locks,
and you've got key for one, and
are going clean crazy like Pandora
and Blue Boards wife, trying to
burglarize it! And no can do-with-
out the other key! Mine! WE'LL"
and he never spoke more drawing
ly, there's no hurry, is there? How
about waiting until tomorrow? May
be it might be best to wait until
my wound heals over! That's an
ideal"
And he tossed his key again,
caught it and showed it back into his
pocket. And he could have sworn
that he heard Aunt Jenifer giggle!
Ann Lee opened her hand and
showed him a key very much like
his own. She tossed it up, just as
he had done, and caught it; she held
it between her thumb and finger
and sneered at him. And how little
Ann Lee, when she put her mind to
it, could sheer!
Ann set the box down hastily, and
shot her key into the proper lock.
When the mechanism gave its salts
fed responsive click, she looked up
| L..