Thursday, June 13, 1935
TIMES. WILLAMINA. OBEGON
WINTER RANGE
By ALAN LE MAY
W N V Svrvlcs.
C c p j T l f t i t b y A ’. * a VuAf x r
CHAPTER V—Continued
“That could hardly be." Kentucky
answered.
“Why?”
“Because he iay on the down trail
aide."
“Which way—" The sheriff broke off
abruptly as Lee Bishop returned to the
room with Zack Sanders’ sis gun. He
took a quick stride forward and took
the gun In his band.
“What’s the matter?" Campo Bag-
land demanded Instantly.
The sheriff drew a deep breath and
blew It out through puffed
cheeks.
The eager Intensity of inquiry had
gone out of him. "1 never have any
luck." be grunted. “This d— n thing
has sure worked out to make a fool of
everybody!"
“What's wrong with that gun?" said
Ragland again.
“Nothing, except the caliber.” said
the sheriff. “It's a forty-five, that's
what’s the matter with IL How much
snow was there under Zack Sanders?”
“None." said Bishop.
“Lee." said the sheriff, "you found
Mason too: could you Judge which
was killed first? Sanders or Mason?"
“I wouldn’t be able to draw any
difference.”
“Uh, huh." said Sheriff Hopper.
“This here is the deviL WheD I first
heard of this, 1 was hopeful we were
out of the woods. Naturally the first
thing that came to mind was that
Mason and Sanders shot it o u t and
both dropped.
But the caliber of
Zack’s gun— it throws that theory out."
“ Shucks— right back on the double
suicide theory,” said Kentucky. “But
wait a minute!"
“What's the matter?”
“The gun Mason carried was the
same caliber as this gun of Sanders'
here,” Kentucky pointed o u t
“It
passed at the Inquest that Mason was
killed by the accidental discharge of
his own gun. How is it we're so cer
tain now that Mason was not killed by
that caliber?”
The sheriff pulled a pipe from his
pocket and rammed tobacco into it with
a disgusted thumb. “Because." be said.
“Mason was not killed by the discharge
of his own gun. John Mason was mur
dered."
They stared at him, and Kentucky
Jones beard the breath catch in Jean
Ragland’s th ro a t
“How long have you known th is !
Campo Ragland demanded at last
“I ’ve known IL" said the sheriff,
“since the day of Mason's death."
“Then you knew at the Inquest—"
Sheriff Floyd Hopper did not avoid
the challenging stare of the cattleman
“Yes,” he said, “I knew it at the In
quest”
“I ’m d— d if I see your idea, Floyd!”
said Campo. “ What I want to know Is
how much more you didn't tell the
Jury!”
“Not much, Campo. John Mason was
killed by two shots— not one from a
gun of lighter caliber than forty five
Tomorrow the whole country will know
that—and our chances of getting the
killer are cut in two." He extended
his hands over the stove, but promptly
withdrew them again, and Instead
peeled off his coat
“Naturally,” Kentucky put in equa
bly, “it’s easier to catch a criminal who
thinks he’s safe.”
“And easier yeL" said Campo ir
ritably, “to explain away a killing as
an accidentI”
“Yes," said the sheriff without heat.
He returned Ragland’s stare througn
the smoke cloud from his pipe. “But
I also bad one or two other reasons
For one thing, this is some worse than
Just a one man killing. Campo.
It ’s
kicked the whole of Wolf Bench onto
the edge of a general smash."
“We all have reason to know th a t.'
Ragland growled.
“All right. Suppose now somebody
that don't know much about it picks
himself out a first-class suspect Sup
pose, for instance, somebody Just
goes around Wolf Bench poiniing oui
that Lee Bishop Just happens to be the
man that found both Mason and San
ders— both deep hidden under the snow
There’s been many a blow-up on less
evidence than that—and with less
feeling back of it than this is going
to raise up here!”
Lee Bishop sa.u nothing.
Campo
was eyeing Sheriff Hopper narrowly
“Somehow, Floyd," he said, “it seems
like to me you haven’t come to your
real reason yet.”
“No?” said Sheriff Hopper. He took
a deep drag on his pipe. “Then I ’ll
give you Just cue reason more. Maybe
you’ve forgot Campo, that John Ma
son was shot down within a dozen
SYNOPSIS
horse-jumps of your own house here;
and — by singular coincidence — that
v e te ra n c o w m a n , a t
neither you. nor your daughter, nor a ten K d e s n tu th c a k y In Jones,
q u e s t In to the d ea th o f
single one of your bands, was even Joh n M ason, b a n k e r. Jean, d a u g h te r o t
C am p o
R a g la n d , o w n e r o t the
B ar
within earshot of the guns."
After a moment Campo said In a low H o ok ra n c h , w h ere Maaon m et d e a th ,
s u r re p tttlo u a ly passes to Jones the b u l
voice, “Floyd, what do you mean by le t w h ic h had k ille d Mason K e n tu c k y
that?"
goes to w o rk on the B ar H o o k ranch.
“Campo. 1 know that John Mason T h e Mason v e rd ic t Is a c c id e n ta l d eath.
was your close friend. I know that Bob E llio t, o w n e r o t the a d jo in in g
ra n g e , d riv e s bis c a ttle oo the B ar
you and your brand are as bad hurt H o o k ra n g e .
t e e Bishop. B a g la n d *
as anybody, is. almost And with my ran en boss, e x p o s tu la te s , and BUI M c
C
o
rd
E
llio
t'»
fo
rem a n . In s u lts h im
experience. 1 can reason that the thing
B ishop and Jones a re asto un ded at
couldn't have happened If any of you R a g la n d a In d lfle re n c e to E llio t's a c
had been here. But most people bate tio n Bishop u rg es K e n tu c k y to try to
In flu e n c e Jean to arouse h e r fa th e r
coincidences, t'am p a”
Ragland stood up. his face blank Jones te lls h er E llio t k n o w s she p u r
loin ed th e b u lle t at the In q u est, w hich
“Floyd. If you're saying you smothered he baa g ot rid o f H e r re a c tio n m y s tt-
that inquest as a favor to me— “
flea him . Z a c k Sanders. B ar H o o k cook,
“Maybe." said the sheriff. “I should is fo u n d dead, m u rdered.
Just have let you explain all that to the
rimroek in your own way."
have you given your horse?”
Campo Ragland sat down, his com
“Nothing y e t Mr. Ragland, air
bativeness abruptly deflated. “Floyd." I — ”
“ How many times do I have to tell
he said, “you shouldn't have done It."
“Of course to h,—I I shouldn’t have you feller»— “ Ragland begun. “W elt
let It pass. Go feed your horse."
done I t !" said the sheriff, his Irrita
"Now?"
blllty coming to the surface again “ A
“Now •"
fine box I'm In. now that Zack San
Joe S t Marie moved reluctantly at
ders Is found!"
Ragland's command, ami at ihe door
“ Well, anyway. Flrtyd.”' Campo mum
he slopped, hesitating
Though he
bled. "I appreciate what you tried
seemed unable to s|>eak II was as plain
to do."
aa If he bud <|s>ken that there was In
“All right." the sheriff accepted
his mind a proles! which be could nor
“see that you do! Seems to me. Cam
po, that after this you'd be Justified —or did not dare—pul into words
Kentucky Jones thought he had
If you'd stop holding Information back
never seen the Indian blood ot the
“What do you mean by that?”
The
“Tonight over the phone I asked man stand out so strongly
you If anything else peculiar had hap breadth of face ai Ihe cheek (Mines and
the surface lights In SL Marie’s eyes
pened. Von told me ’No.’ But I hap
pen to know that you got home here suggested the Indian always; hut the
Tuesday to find that this house had blunt strength of bis features ordi
narlly offset this Impression
Just
been searched."
Kentucky Jones had never seen now. though, a great part of that
Sheriff Floyd Hopper show to as good | strength had been no better than a
advantage as he did tonight. He was mask.
“Well?" said Campo softly.
the man tn the saddle here. He sat
SL Marie opened the door and wen’
now sprawled behind his smoke, his
eyes surly and red. like the eyes of o u t shoulders httnened as If against
the great unseen pressure ot a non
a bear.
“What bouse?" said Campo Ragland existent wind.
When he had left the room there
at last
"This house.” said the sheriff “What was a moment or two of silence. Then
are you trying io do. Om po? It the sheriff asked. "What's lie afraid of.
doesn't get you anything to stail with Campo?”
“Floyd. I haven't got the slightest
me. This house was searched and some
idee. It might he the man Is sick ”
thing was taken from I t ”
“That man ain't sick." said Hopper
“I f you know that something was
“The
blood was already coming hack
taken from this house." Campo Itag
land said. “It’s because you had It to bis face. Campo, something has
happened to that man. Just a few min
taken yourself.”
Hopper shook bis head. “All I utes before he come into this nmra"
“Do you sup|Mise— " Campo began.
know is that something is gone from
Somewhere outside the nouse a gun
here— and never mind how I know that
It ’ll have to satisfy you that I do crashed; and though they could not
Judge either its exact direction or dis
know I t ”
tance, they knew that it had been fire.l
“It seems," said Campo Ragland,
within
a hundred yards. For <t mo
“that you know a lot of things that
ruent they listened. Then l-ee Bishop
nobody thought you knew. I'm think
jumped for the door, and they all seemed
ing that maybe you know a lot of
to move at once.
things m ore”
Campo
Raglano
“W a lt
I-«»,
“What you'd better be finding out
snapped.
“Blow out those lights
is this. Campo," said Sheriff Hopper.
Floyd. Kentucky! Jean, you stay In
“I'm no fool, even if I am the duly
here, you hear me?"
elected sheriff of Waterman county.
Campo Ragland, unarmed led the
You could do a whole lot worse than
way to the corral where Joe St. Marie
piay a straight game with me."
was most likely tn have left his horse
Campo’s retort was mildly explosive. The horse was there, head to the bars,
"Straight game? Of course I’m play
waiting for the feed that had noi yet
ing a straight game! I'm willing to come; but J<<e S t Marie was not In
turn face up what cards I hold— sight
they’re always face up. It's not my
Campo’s voice raised In a hoarse
fault when I hold very d — n few shout, an abrupt strange sound In all
cards.”
that silence of snow at;d rock and stars
“What I ’m saying is— ”
“You, Joe! St. Marie! Where you at?
The sheriff was Interrupted by the Sing out. man I”
opening of the outer door. In the
The silence field for a moment more,
doorway appeared Joe S t Marie. For and Campo had whirled upon the
a moment 'je hesitated, hand on the sheriff, when Joe St Marie spoke in
latch, obviously startled by the pres an odd muffled voice. unex|iectedly
nearby. “Yes. sir—here I am.”
ence of the sheriff.
“Shut that door,” said Campo; and
He caine toward them now slowly,
Joe St. Marie came In and closed the from around the corner of the stable
door slowly behind him.
and Lee Bishop let drop the ritie be
“Wbat are you doing here?”
had snaiched up.
,
Joe St. Marie swung off bis hat and
“ Who fired?”
stood staring blankly from Ragland
“ Why —I did.’ The accent of Joe St
to Hopper and back again. “1 lamed Marie's speech was no different from
my horse.” he said. "I had to leave that of any other cowboy except for a
the other boys to take the beef on to certain deep thickness of the tone
Waterman. It would have spoiled the itself. Now his voice was still deep,
cayuse to go on.”
but It had taken on a fiat quality; and
Now Campo Ragland seemed to no though the voice Itself did not shake,
lice what Kentucky Jones had per it somehow conveyed the Impression
celved at once; that Joe S t M arie’« that the man behind It was more than
face was the color of half-cured hay; shaken. “I — I thought I seen a wolf.’
“ W o lfI A wolf up here by the
and the bronco rider’s explanation of
his presence, if not altogether satisfac house?"
“Go on In,” Lee Bishop said dis
tory In itself, had served to draw at
gustedly.
“I'll see your horse gets
tention to the quickness of his breath
Campo said sharply. “You hurt. Joe?' fed." This offer St. Marie did not
“No sir. I'm all right. Well— I don’t accept; but I.ee Bishop stayed behind
while the others went in
feel so good, at th a t”
“I thought I told you to stay tn
“You never feel so good,” Lee Bishop
here,'’ Campo said to his daughter
grunted.
Campo Ragland hesitated, puzzled. lighting a lamp.
The sheriff's temper seemed to have
“You want to speak to r e, Joe?” he
come to the end of its string, and there
asked at last
busted Itself like a ro;>ed steer. “I ’m
‘Who? Me? No, sir.”
“Well, see what you can find your sick and tired of this." he told them.
self to e a t Walt a minute— wbat “There’s something almighty funny
going on here, and I mean to know
what It Is!”
Campo Ragland planted himself on
wide-spread legs, back to the stove.
“When you find out,” he said aourly.
“let me know."
“I've warned you about holding out
on me.” the sheriff said to Ragland.
“But now I warn you again. I mean
to get the man that killed Mason. I
mean to get him. you hear me?”
Campo Ragland said with sudden
passion, “God knows I'll help you ever,
way I can. I'd tell you. tf I knew any
thing—”
“lr you knew anything!” said Hop
per bitterly. “There Isn't a man cn
your place tonight who doesn’t know
more about thia business than he
means to tell!”
“That's all foolishness," said Campo
Ragland "You've gone up In the air
because a quarter blood cowboy looks
like he might tie coming down with a
fever. As for holding stuff back from
you—take us one by one If you wan».
Start with me. Or start wlih Kentucky
tones, who didn't even work for the
Bur Hook at the time this bapfiened.
o r take—"
“You want me to start with Ken
tucky Jones?” said tt|e sheriff. “May
be you’d like to near me ask a ques
Hon or two of mis Kentucky Jones?*
“Ask who and what you like,” suld
Itaglaud
Hop|>er swung his red eyed stare to
Kentucky • “Be careful how you an
swer me. Jones; try to remember what
your boss sometimes lorgets— that
maytie I know the answer before you
s|ieak Where were , oii nt one o'clock
last Saturday — the day (hat Maaon and
Zack San.lers died?”
Kcntm ky -'ones took hla time nhoqt
answering. “At noon last Saturday,
he snld at last, “I was here ot the
Bar llook.”
Sheriff Hop|>er grinned. but not
pleasantly, nt Campo Ragland. “There
you are,” he said.
Canq*» said slowly. "You never told
me th a t Kentucky."
“No? I drove out to say Adloa; I
was going away."
Hopper spoke to Ragland. “There's
your man that couldn't possibly know
anything shout this,” he said Ironically.
“But If you think that's all I know
about Kentucky Jones, you're a fool
I ran go to court with my case agalnsi
him tomorrow. If need be.” His tone
was that of contemptuous statement
rather than tlireat "And I ran put
him where he'll have to fight h—I for
leather, as he never fought In hla life
liefore he ever gets clear.”
Itaglaud said, “If you think being
nere around that time Is a case, you
don't know much about—"
“Opportunity.” said the sheriff. “Op
portunity— and motive. Just those two
tilings can Make It tough for any man.
Yet I'm not right sure that that » all
I can bring against him. from what
I know right now.”
“Motive?’ echoed Ragland, startled.
Here l.ee Bishop and Joe St. Marie
returned to the room.
They saw now that the normal dark
color of St. Marie’s face had returned,
and with it had come back his look of
solid strength. Sheriff Floyd Hopper
looked at Ragland and Indicated SL
Marie with a Jerk of his heart. “Chills
and fever seem to have passed off," he
said.
Campo Ragland grunted
“Campo,” said the sheriff, “there’s a
head going to ta ll—maytie more thnn
one head. Don't ever think that this
is going to blow over and he lost sight
of in a general dust. There's a man
going to he hooked hard and per
mauent before I'm through.”
“ Floyd, what are you going to do?
You mean you’re taking Kentucky
Jones?”
"No. I'll know how to get him when
. want him I think. Now make your
choice. Campo! If you don't want to
string with me. I can go on without
you. Rut you may nut like your choice
before this thing is through.”
“I don't know wtiat you mean,” said
Ragland.
“Suit yourself,” said Hopper; “only,
don't he too sure that this case is
«baiting lip against Kentucky Jones."
Ragland utigered again. “ Look here.
Floyd— I'm plenty tired of this. Yon
can't come In here and talk that way
to me! I'm not going to stand for IL
you hear me?"
“Have It your own way, Campo.'
The sheriff picked up his coat and
gloves.
Nobody urged him to stay
C«mpo
Ragland asked what Hopper wanted
them tn do about Zack Sanders, and
received Instructions for reporting In
Waterman for an InquesL No great
warmth of understanding marked Hop-
per'a departure.
“ If you change your mind. Campo,”
the sheriff said, “let me ktiow."
“I tell ,ou I don’t know what you’re
talking atiout!” Campo said stubborn-
ly ; and the sheriff took Ihe long trail
hack to town.
Stamping hack Into the house. Campo
Ragland turned Immediately upon Joe
St. Marie.
“Ixiok here. St. Marie—If something
funny tins nap|tened around here I
want to know what It Is."
“ 1 don't feel so good."
"Who did you throw down on when
you went out to feed your horse?"
"Wh«i? Me?"
Campo Ragland exploded a! him.
“Yea. you! Who did you lire at? Come
out with It, now!"
“I thought I saw a coyote." said SL
Marie.
"Don't you lie to me! You can't get
uway with thut stuff here!"
“I don't feel so good."
Cani|M> Raglnml gave It up In die
gust. and St. Marte hurriedly took him
self out of range, retiring to the bunk
house.
CatM|io seemed bewildered. To Ken
tucky Jones It seemed that the cross
purpose» which held the boss of the
Bar llook In a state of |iaralysis were
now almost phjalcally visible, aa wind
la risible In prairie hay by Its effecL
Here waa an owner wlmae range was
lielng iwauqied. overwhelmed by the
herds of his enemy; he faced a ruin
which could only be averted by an
Immediate and determined conteat for
the ground. Yet something had thrown
.ind bogtled this man—aome obscure
and hidden circumstance which he
M-euicd al a loss to combat. Kentucky
no longer could doubt that the circum
stance which bogtled Itagiand bad to
do with Jean.
“I'll hire a cook when w-e go tn for
the Inquest** Ragland spoke tunelessly,
like a man seeking to escape from oth
er tilings. "Jean wants to do the cook
ing. and I’ll let her, I guess; but yon
'ellera will have to get the fires started
In the morning.”
“I'll take first crack at It," said I-ce
Rlshop.
Kentucky Jones saw his chance and
liimiied IL The ultimate answer might
he deep tn twisted trails, but bla next
step was obvious and Immediate: be
had to force the truth out ot St. Marie.
I.ee Bishops removal would make op
portunity for this, since the other
hands would not be back from W ater
man until the cars had been loaded In
tiie morning. “Then take ttie bunk off
the kitchen. I-ee,” he saliL “I ’ll run
down and get you your bed.”
Down tn tiie bunk house, to which
Joe St. Marie had retired, no light
showed; but from within came the com
plicated rhythms of a mouth organ
played by a master, telling Kentucky
that his man was still there, and
awake. The mouth organ fell allenL
however, as he approached; and, Ken
tucky stepping Into the full light of
no less thun tiiree lamps, saw that
blankets screened the windows; und
a six-gun had replaced the mouth or
gan In Joe SL Marie’s hands.
“Oh, It’s you,” said St. Marie sheep
ishly. and dropped the six-gun on the
iiunk beside him.
Kentucky cast a glance at the blan
kets which jereened the windows.
“Look tiere. If I’m going to sleep In
this hunk house I want to know who
you thought was going to fire through
the window.”
“I hung those up to keep the cold
wind out,” snld St. Marie.
“ You.don't figure to tell me. huh?”
“Nothing to tell."
“You look here, Joe! It ever n man
was scared, you were when you camo
Into that kitchen tnnlghL Now t want
to know what lifted you cut of your
boots.”
SL Marie considered briefly, then
shrugged. “It wasn't anything; you’d
laugh.”
“Try It out, anyway. Wha* was It
drew your fire, out there by the cor
ral?"
(TO BE CONTINUED)
River Named for Stone Dog
The Dog river Is a short distance
from Beirut, Syria
The name la de
rived from the great stone dog. or per
haps Assyrian bull, that once stood
on the height overlooking the mouth of
the river and the sea The dogs hend
was hollow and when the wind blew
from a certuln direction the dog used
to emit howls, to the terror of the sur
rounding population Ihe moat valiant
of these at length summoned up enough
courage to push the gigantic dog over
the edge ot Ihe cliff Inlo the sea. where
It la visible at low tide.