Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1948-03-05
CHAPTER XVI

place it was eight miles across Il
hills. jeff rode fast.
Before he had covered half IL
way to the hill ranch he heard tt
sound of firing far to his left. Fir!
a single shot, and perhaps a mil
ute later two more. Though he Ii.
tened for more, no popping reache
his ears.
To jeff there seemed somethin
sinister in these breaks disturbing
the silence His ina gination pic
tured man peacefully hoeing a pc
tato patch or mending a fence
From the direction of the report i
might have come from Wade Scott.
place. If so, Wade would probably
have been whistling, his mind on q
girl in Cheyenne who worked in the
railroad restaurant, one he was ex.
pecting to marry in a few months.
Instead Of taking the gulch he
followed the rim, keeping to cover
as he came close to the edge. Look
: ing down, his gaze swept the clear
ing and picked up details. He saw
two men crouched back of the barn.
Evidently there were others in it,
Tor as he stood there puff Of smoke
came from the window opening in
the hayloft. At least one man was
stationed in the bed Of the creek a
hundred and fifty yards from the
house. A shot from that point told
him so.
There was a small alfalfa field
to the left Of the house. It ran to
the draw leading up to the ravine.
He could see the ditch crossing it
in the direction of the house. Rank
grass covered the edges. A wild
idea jumped to his mind. Why not
get into that ditch, crawl along it
till he was close to the cabin, and
make dash to join the defenders?
Near the top of the ravine he pick
eted his horse, then moved down it
cautiously. AS he came round bend
in the gulch, he looked down into
the little basin which held the ranch.
Thirty yards below him a man
crouched behind large boulder, |
rifle in his hands. He was watching |
the log cabin, evidently hoping to
get glimpse of one of the defend
ers. Lower down in the draw and
fifty yards to his right another
marksman was also waiting behind
cover for a shot.
jeff tiptoed forward, revolver in
hand. He had not been big-game
hunter for nothing. No perceptible
runor OF his movements reached
the lank Texan toward whom he
was soft-footing. Unwittingly the
sniper helped at his own undoing.
Intensely preoccupied with the job
In hand, his mind was following a
single track which led straight from
him to the quarry in the cabin. When
Brand was about ten strides from
him he drew a bead and fired. AS
the rifle cracked Jeff flung aside eau
ton and took the last stretch on the
run.
The Texan whirled, too late. The
ong barrel of the As smashed down
IN his lifted forehead. His body
'wayed, and collapsed.
Nobody had noticed what had TAX
N place. jeff helped himself to the
mans rifle and cartridge belt. He S
moved to the left and stepped down {
nto the dry ditch he had seen from
he bluff above. Crouching low in +
t, he crept forward. The alfalfa r
id him pretty well.
Crossing the field was a slow bust
ess. He went on all tours, drag v
ing the rifle beside him. He was a
ear enough the cabin to see lead
ing splinters from the logs. Ii
He called softly, Hello the
ouse," and when no answer came Il
ack to him he called again, more r;
'udly. 1t was after his fourth at o
,mpt that somebody inside an e,
Uered. r,
"Who is it? What you want?" di
Jeff Brand. I'm gonna make
IN for the door. Fling it open for in
e when I give the word" OF
There was perceptible silence
sfore the man in the house replied. 81
How come you there-f you're di
randi" til
Don't talk, you fool. Do as
~" sa
jeff came out of the ditch running en-
From the edge of the valley he ri,
ard shout Somebody had dis
vered the Texan he had knocked Oh
t and was spreading the news. VIZ
lie guns roared. on
He bowled over, all the power of
ocked out of him in an instant. vo
at he had been hit he knew,
ough he felt no pain. Still clinging fri
the rifle, he tried to Chamber to fir!
feet. The ground tilted up at or;
n, and he went down again. Still
lscious, he crawled forward foot a
two. me
The cabin door was flung open ly
o men showed at the entrance. AID
e ran toward Jeff, in long, reach.
strides. The other covered the arr
cue, firing at the figures which ba,
come into the open to get riff
and. 1t was matter of seconds, ing
they stretched interminably. The to
n reached jeff, gathered him up, to
plunged back toward the house. He