Hungry Horse news and Columbian., 1947-04-04

IN other raids against innoeeh'
and settlers. But his companions VINO
had been with him in the raid on the
Valdez hacienda still lived!
And still Ell Cabalero Rojo did not
know exactly who those three men
were. Though these letters of Garvin s
gave no hint of their identities, they
proved the men still lived. Michaers
father had always been sure that Car
win was not the head of the trouble
that had become a scourge in so many
places, but was working under a big
boss" who always had managed some
how to keep strictly under cover. Gar
vim, as Valdez father figured the man,
had not possessed the mentality to be
the head of so sweeping scheme for
eventual empire.
1t was MichaePs task to find out who
that boss was, who Garvin's other COM
| panions had been in the raid on the
| Valdez hacienda, and to bring them to
| book-as he had brought Garvin to
book within hours after he had learned
where the man was.
To that end, he determined to take a
part, too, in the new raid that was
planned, according to Garvin's letters.
This time the evil crew were to descend
on Deep Water Valley, over in Arizona.
Dizzy thoughts ran through Michael
Valdez mind as he read and reread the
letters. Words tumbled to fit jigsaw
puzzle. Rustling, holdups, beef men,
Coronado, gambling, Deep Water VAL
ley, Don Attero's Cross. 1t seemed to
lack only one piece. Who was the big
boss behind it all?
One letter he separated from the
others, which he hid in the cave. He
could come back for them when the |
need arose. His face shone with triumph |
when he folded that one particular |
letter and put it in his pocket, little
used pocket from which he would not |
be likely to pull it out accidentally. For
in it was much that he had been trying
to discover in all these five years on
the outlaw trail
Deep Water Valley lay to the north
and east of the hideout in the badlands,
but when Ell Caballero Rojo set out
his trail led south and west toward Co.
ronado. Taking the short cut as he did,
there were times when the horse was
forced to thread tortuous ravines and
winding trails. But Ell Cielo negotiated
them in a way that would have done
credit to mountain goat.
Eight hours had passed before, far
off ahead, Michael Valdez saw a faint
glow paint the night. Then the lights
of Coronado seemed to twinkle an evil
invitation to him.
1t was almost midnight when Valdez
rode into the sprawling, roistering
town. 1t was such a scene, spread
before him, as he had become familiar
with during his wanderings. Lights
olazed from a dozen saloons Otherwise,
Main Street was practically deserted,
probably because everybody was in
Flash" Conroy's Palace, over which a
sign blazed, or in one of
he smaller saloons.
Valdez turned into the livery stable
n the rear of the towns hotel and left
El Cielo to the care of the straggly-
nustached liveryman who came for
ward, half asleep.
Leaving the livery barn, he sauntered
long the board sidewalk, finally halt
ng before the Palace Saloon. He pushed
pen the batwing doors and stepped
nto the brightly lighted interior.
Behind the mahogany the bartender
vho had caught one glimpse of the new
rivals black hair the charro clothing.
nd the devil-may-care Latin swagger,
7as suddenly busy with his cloth, as
e angled down nearer his heavy shot
un. Valdez missed none of these ac-
ions, although he appeared to be en-
rely Indifferent. He strobe deliberately
,ward the bar
"Howdy," he said shortly. as Flash
onroy around" =
"Yeah," said the bartender. "He's
yer at the poker table"
Michael Valdez knew whom he
anted, where he was headed. And so
: moved straight for Flash Conroy.
vner of the Palace. The pasty-faced
lmbler was already aware of the
ltrance of the black-haired stranger
ike the rest OF the men in the place
, had recognized the mans features
s jet-black hair and charro garb. He
lew him to be the wandering waddy
metimes known as Michael Valdez.
ho was branded outlaw, and whose
ce adorned the reward notices at the
cal post Office and the sheriff's Office
man on whose head was price to
axe his taking worth while to snv
alp hunter. He was, moreover. q man
10 was said to follow in the wake of
e notorious Caballero Rojo wherever
at legendary red-haired ayenger might
oose to set his path.