Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-02-11
w.N.U.REIeASE

Iluer eutereO WIN no Slgnal-SOme-
one wholly familiar in the camp.
He twisted his head for a better
look, but could see no more than a
dim shape of man and animal blend
ed together. A voice growled,
"You're lateI"
The blended shape moved a lit
tie. The riders answer seemed
forced out of him in a desperate
way: you're lucky I came at ALI
I told you last night there'd be no
morel"
Something cold and hard tight
ened down the long length Of his
body. He'd recognize this voice any,
where. Clay Manning!
GIVE filed your bargain. I'm
through"
"You think sol" There was 4
shifting movement of the dim fig
ures standing on the ground. "We
don't. Quit now and you know
what happens.
THAT'S what I rode to tell you"
Clay Manning's voice and the
blurred whirling of his horse came
in the same instant. mot tonight"
One Of the group yelled, "Stop
him!" and a guns yellow flame
streaked across the dark. But the
crash of Clay Manning's horse
through the willows continued, and
then he was running free down the
valley floor.
The men made a quick shutting
movement among the trees; Lew
heard the slap of saddles and cinch
leather. Then someone came and
bent over him, jerked at the knots,
testing them, and without word
ran back. The horses were visible
now and the shapes of the riders
swinging up. He heard moments
mutter of talk, like a plan being
made and changed and suddenly
decided upon. Boiling from the
camp, they, too, aimed their head
long run toward the south.
Twisting, he made another savage
attempt to loosen the ropes until
the breath went out of him in a
gasp Of their cutting pain. And
when he dropped back again, face
up, man was standing over him
in the dark.
Thought sol" said old Willy
Nickle and came silently forward.
"Fixin' to get yourself rubbed out,
so you were. Don't you never take
an old coon's advice, no street"
The sharp blade of his scalping
knife parted the loops of rope.
Forcing his stiffened body up onto
legs that had gone numb, Lew said,
II had to know" He threw open
the camp bedrolls until he found one
where his gun had been hidden.
$50 you did," old Willy admitted.
He wiped the knife on his creased
sleeve. Seems like I was watch
ing from the rims. Saw you come
in here. Never saw you come out.
But didn't them five 60 south in a
hurry? And what for?"
"You don't know" Lew asked.
His horse was in the willows, the
pack mule near by. He was up in
his saddle when old Willy answered,
Couldn't say. Was fire off south
after shutdown, too far to tell what"
Lew nodded. The horse was NOV
ing. Behind him Willy Nickle
warned, They'll lift your hair yet,
boy. You better watch!"
Then the blacks strong lunge car
ried him beyond the spring and he
was out on the open valley floor,
running, with the mule trailing
somewhere in the dark. He was
soon at the Cross T.
His sense of everything wrong
here settled upon him with heavy
weight; the empty corrals, the 81
lence, the absence of Cross T men.
The faint slit of light widened lit.
tie.
who is it," The demand came
quick and sharp, hardly more than
a tight whisper.
He didn't move. "Joy!"
Levi" The door swung back. She
made a small dark figure rushing
toward him.
He caught her and her arms went
around him and chung with some
thing desperate and almost fierce in
their grip. Levi" she said again.
And then, II can't believe i'll"
Holding her, all the month-long
ache was swept from his body. His
tiredness was gone. 1t was like
hunger satisfied. She moved first,
drawing away. and he asked, Joy.
what's happened?"
II don't know!" The fear he. had
quoted broke into her quickened
voice again. "Our grass stacks were
burned late this afternoon, and a
little while ago Clay rode in and
said something to Dad. I didn't
hear. But all the men went with
him."
"Where?"
"Down the valley. Our trail herds
been gathered there on the flats"
He took her hands. care you
alone?"
mo. Owl-Head's here"
''Then I've got to go. can help"
She gripped him. "But haven't
even seen voIi Wait Lew Wait q