Page 6 SOUTHERN OREGON MINER IAN It MAY INSTALLMENT 16 THE StORV SO FAR: Dustj' Kins and Lew Cordon had built Bp a vast string of ranches. King was killed by his powerful and unscrupulous competitor. Ben Thorpe. Bill Roper, King's adapted eon. was determined to avenge his death tn «pfte of the oppoai- • • tlon of his sweetheart. Jody Gordon, and her father After breaking Thorpe in Tex«». Roper conducted a great raid upon Thorpe's vast herds tn Montana Jody was captured by seven of Thorpe's men. Roper and Shoshone Wilca res- • e Lasham's southwest camp was bro­ ken, and seemed to have been little understood by the men who had brought it; but Roper, with his in­ side knowledge of the force he had turned loose against Lasham. could piece together its meaning well enough. Lasham's southwest out­ post, with its big herds of picked cattle wintering in this deepest and richest of the Montana grass, had been more powerfully manned than any other Lasham camp. But twice in the past week frantic calls for reinforcements from the outfits to the east had drained most of this man power away—first five picked gunfighters, then a dozen cowboys more, until only five men had been left The messengers who had killed their ponies to come for help had brought the camp a fragmentary story which gave Roper the deep­ est satisfaction. In their tales of incredible losses, of raiders who struck night after night at far separated points, driv­ ing cattle unheard-of distances to disappear weirdly in the northern wastes, Roper read the success of his Great Raid. Dry Camp Pierce was sweeping westward across Montana like a de­ stroying wind; by unexpected dar­ ing. by speed of movement, by wild cued her In a surprise etteck. shone and Jody rode to e prearranged spot, but Roper was captured while While fighting a rear guard acUon. waiting tor Roper Io mart th.tn. Jody saw Shoshone fall down. dead. a a WHO’S NEWS THIS WEEK *T guess it could be done." Red Kane said nastily. By LEMUEL F. PARTON We're making a big mistake, not Leathers ignored this, and Red (Consolidated Features WNU Service.) to hang him and be done with it," Kane disappeared, This time the Red Kane said. door shut after him. EW YORK.—There are muny • They were two days from Fork old-timers who won't like this Leathers said. "Get me a drink." Creek now This long and narrow Marquita unhurriedly set out a bot­ war. when and if it conies our way, room, which Jim Leathers paced so tle and a glass on the table beside There will be no Captain Thorne, of restlessly, was the kitchen of the the third act Jim Leathers' elbow. Hr Routed Hand main house at Walk Lasham's south­ of “Secret "A deck of cards.” Leathers said. west camp—a convenient stop-over Work in Army Service,” She produced this. too. on the way to Sundance, where Rop­ Marquita strolled over to Leath­ Communications getting er was to be turned over to Ben through the ers. the high heels of her slippers Thorpe. clicking lazily on the puncheon floor. critical Morse message and no Wil­ "The quicker we hang him. the “Why are you so cross with me?” liam Gillette about whom a drama better we'll be off," Red Kane said she asked reproachfully. She moved of communications may be built again. behind Jim Leathers, and slowly ran They scrapped the Morse, for good and all about two years ago. Wearily, doggedly, Jim Leathers her fingers through his hair. There's no more hand work in army rolled a cigarette. He took his time “Ain't going to get you a thing," communications. about replying. "Seems like you al­ Jim Leathers said sourly. These nostalgic thoughts wore ready said that once before.” “No?” said Marquita. For a mo­ prompted by the participation of "I’m liable to keep on saying it,” ment one hand was lost in the folds Maj. Gen. Joseph O. Mauborgne in Red Kane told him. “Things is dif­ of her skirt; then deftly, unhurried­ the big doings at Fort MoiimouUi. ferent now." ly. she planted the muzzle of a .38 N. J . recently, with a troop review In the doorway, behind the two against the back of Jim Leathers' by the general and an amateur play, men who watched Bill Roper, a girl neck. "The ~ "• Bottlenecks of 1941." and now appeared, a slim, full-breasted There was a moment of absolute many other spirited goings on in girl whose dark, slanting eyes had silence. absolute immobility. Jim sometimes troubled Bill Roper be­ Leathers' eyes were perfectly still which tlie general was prominently featured. fore now. upon Bill Roper's face, as still aa He had not been surprised to find his hands, in one of which a playing General Mauborgne, chief sig­ Marquita here in Walk Lasham's nal officer of the army, la the card hung suspended. But though southwest cow camp, to which his his face did not notably change. Thomas Alva Edison of aviation captors had brought him. He had Marquita. with her .38 pressed hard radio—In the army at any rate. guessed, when he had last talked to against the back of the gunman'» It was In October, 1912, that the her in Miles City, that she was Walk neck, had turned white; her mouth then Lieutenant Mauborgne in­ Lasham’s girl; and in spite of her worked as she tried to speak, and stalled the first radio act In an expressed eagerness to leave Lash­ her wide eyes were upon Bill Roper airplane, at Fort Riley, Kan. am and ride with Roper, he real­ in terrified appeal. Perhaps no more The army had 12 planca then, ized that Marquita still had to live than a second could have passed in and aviation meant signal corps, in some way. that way. but to them all it seemed w ith planes first conceived as Girls of her stamp could not af­ as if time had stopped, so that that primarily useful for observation ford to throw down such a man as little fraction of eternity held them and signalling. Lasham. ufitil more interesting op­ motionless forever. I.ieut. "Hap” Arnold, who portunities offered. Bill Roper, moving up and for­ later was to become head of ward. exploded into action smoothly, • Her face was impasslye now, but the army air corps. Hew one of like a cat. It was the length of the one of the slanting dark eyes nar­ the planes Io Fort Riley for the room between them that saved Jim rowed in a definite signal to Roper. installation. Thrre was much Leathers then. The combination of Spanish and In­ excitement, all over the coun­ Leathers twisted, lightning fast. dian blood in this girl from the Tex try, when Lieutenant M»u- Marquita’s gun blazed into the floor border gave her a lithe, lazy grace, borgne’r cumber omc quenched as her wrist swept down in the grip and a haunting depth of dark eyes; spark radio set managed to waft of Leathers' left hand; and Bill Rop­ and the same blood made her un­ a few signals earUiwnrd. There er checked a yard from the table as accountable—sometimes stoic and was still more excitement when. Leathers' gun flashed into sight, be­ smouldering, sometimes livened by In 1914, the lieulenanl achieved coming instantly steady. Marquita the lightning flashes of an inner fire. the first two-way communication sagged away from Leathers, and her Undoubtedly she was capable of a between an airplane and a gun clattered upon the puncheons; passionate devotion, and an equally ground station. but although Leathers' whole atten­ passionate cruelty. Anything could tion was concentrated upon Roper, He had started something there happen in a situation which included Marquita’s wrist remained locked in and came along with it. to today's Marquita—with Marquita in love. his grasp. miracles of aerial chatter. He at­ For a moment Bill Roper resented The gunfighter's voice was more tained his present rank September the fact that he couldn't be interest­ hard and cold than the steel of his 15. 1937, having been for the pre­ ed in any girl except Jody Gordon— gun; it was as hard and cold as his vious year director of the radio lab­ a girl who didn't want him or need oratory at Wright Field. For 2» eyes. him. All the worst aspects of his “Get back there where you was.” years his work has been an un­ own situation were apparent to him, Bill Roper shrugged and moved ceasing concentration on develop­ then. He was an outlaw wanted ment and experiment in aviation back. Dry Camp Pierce was sweepinc the length of the Trail; probably Leathers flung Marquita away radio. His career is one of many would be an outlaw all the rest of westward across Montana. his life, which gave every promise from him and with his left hand recent reminders of our possibly un­ of being a short one. That even riding relays which punished them­ picked up her gun as the door of suspected high degree of prepared­ Marquita wanted him, or had any selves no less than the cattle they the storeroom was torn open and ness in varied and highly specialized trained personnel. use for him, was a gift which he drove. Dry Camp was feeding an Red Kane bulged in. should have been glad to accept. increasing stream of Lasham beef “What the—” What he had to think of now. though, into the hands of Iron Dog's bands, “This thing come behind me and CO FAR. Victor Emanuel has been was that Marquita was extremely who spirited the beef forever from stuck a gun in my neck,” Leathers thwarted in his lifetime ambition __ very told him. likely to precipitate a lot of imme­ the face of Montana. By the to win the Kentucky Derby and the diate disturbance. I boldness of its conception and the Grapd National. However, he “The devil! You hurt?” Troubled, he wished to shake his wild savagery of its execution the "Hell, no! I took it away from Emanuel’i Planes scores in a speed com- head, or in some other way caution unbelievable Great Raid was meet­ her.” her that she must make no attempt ing with success. Gently, tentatively, his long fin­ To Hit Line First petit i o n And now Dry Camp had struck to interfere. Roper had no inten­ gers ran over his wounded leg. That If Ponies Do Fail which may Roper had chalk tion of ever coming into the hands even deeper than this bullet wound in his thigh must have of Ben Thorpe alive. Somewhere planned, lifting the best of Lash­ tortured him unspeakably through day up in the big history book. After all this wistful talk about the between this place and Sundance, am's beeves from almost within gun­ the two days in the saddle; and it where Thorpe waited, he would make shot of Lasham's strongest camp. must have been jerking at his nerves United States releasing a blizzard cf his play,' however slim the chance. So well had Dry Camp planned, and now with red-hot hooks, roused by airplanes if it ever could get into Yet he would rather take his so steadily did the luck hold, that a the swift action that had preserved mass production, Mr. Emanuel's company. Vultee Aircraft, Inc., an­ chances with some unforeseen op­ full day had passed before the loss his command. nounces that it is swinging into the portunity later, when they were inflicted by the raiders was discov­ His face had turned gray so that again on the trail, than to be plunged ered. The five remaining cowboys the black circles under his e/es straight-line, conveyor-belt output at the southwest camp were only which, in automobile production into some helpfully intended situa- made them seem to bum from tion whicb the girl might devise— tightening their cinches as Jim death's-head hollows, and his face, here, made all other countries just added starters. The system has with danger to herself and question­ Leathers rode in. which had changed so little in this Most of the Leathers party had moment of action was relaxed into been proven and the Vultee com­ able advantage to him. She had joined the Lasham men in pursuit an ugly contortion. Slowly the gray pany says it will quadruple its pro­ never brought him any luck. He was unable, however, with the of Dry Camp's raiders. Only Jim color was turning to the purple of | duction. Most war talk seems to boil down eyes of his two enemies upon him, Leathers himself and the unwilling a dark and terrible anger. to just about that possibility. Red Kane remained to convoy Rop­ to signal her in any way. “By God." said Red Kane, “I told “Ben wanted him alive, if I could er to Ben Thorpe at Sundance. you we should have hung him!” Mr. Emanuel has made a shift Because of the confusion involved get him," Jim Leathers said stub­ from finance to management, “You told me right,” Jim Leath­ bornly. “Well. I got him alive, and in the organization of the pursuit, ers said. The burn of his eyes partly under circumstances over I aim to keep him that way. You the night was now far gone; already never for a moment left Bill Ro­ which he had no control, and it was long past midnight. bums ain't going to talk me into per’s face. “You was right and I management would seem to be anything different just because you "There's still another reason,” was wrong. I should have hung the gainer. When In 1926, at the figure a dead man is easier to Red Kane said, "why it would be him at the start.” age of 26, he inherited the 695,- pack.” better to hang him now. Suppose 000,000 National Electric Power A pleasurable hope came into Red Bill Roper listened sardonically. that wild bunch of his knows he’s Kane's face. "Well — it ain't too company from his father, the In the two days spent in traveling here?” utilities field wasn’t safe for late!” from Fork Creek rendezvous, the "How the devil would they know amateurs. The company caught “No, it ain't too late. Tie his scalp wound which had brought him that?” Leathers said with disgust. hands.” the acquisitive eye of the late down had nearly healed; but when "Maybe they was scouting us with Samuel Insull. But Mr. Eman­ Keeping Roper between himself he laced his fingers behind his head spy glasses as we come over the and Leathers, so that his partner's uel started over again, building he winced and dropped his hands trail today." the United States Electric cor­ gun bore steadily upon Roper’s belt again. poration and thereafter protect­ "If they was, they would have buckle, Kane lashed Roper's hands It was typical of the quality of his landed on us right then, in place of behind him. The frost-stiff rope bit ed himself nicely in the clinches. captors that his hands were not tied waiting till we got into camp.” deep. He was born and grew up in or manacled. They told him where “Maybe the girl run to them—” "Tie up this girl, too,” Leathers Dayton, Ohio, fount of aviation to sit and they made him stay put, "The girl! You make me sick.” ordered when Kane had finished. “I genius, and was educated in the and they were careful that no op­ “Have it your own way.” want her to see this show.” portunity was given him to snatch a Marquita said, “I’m sorry, Bill.” 1 University of Dayton and Cornell. "You're darned right I’ll have it gun from an unwary holster; but my own way. I don’t want to hear His father was Albert Emanuel, util­ Her voice was broken by hard, jerk­ ity financier. these were merely the routine pre­ no more about it And I’ll tell you ing sobs, and tears were running cautions of sensible men. For these this: if your trigger finger gets itchy Vic Emanuel’s interests have down her face; yet somehow her riders were the picked gunfighters while you’re on watch tonight, you words sounded dull and dead. “I been divided. He expatriated him­ of Ben Thorpe’s scores of outfits. better soak it in a pan of water, and self in England for a few years, did the best I could.” They did not fear Roper, would not leave the gun be. Because if any­ "You did fine,” Roper said. “That J having a wonderful time as master have feared him had he been armed. thing comes up while you’re on was a game try.” Hobbling on his ■ of the Woodland Pytchley hounds. Bill Roper bad no doubt that Red watch such that you got to shoot stiff leg. Leathers moved to the out­ He bought the 800-ycar-old Rocking­ Kane and perhaps one or two of him, by God, next thing you got to er door, flung it open; coatless, he ham castle and rocked the country­ the others would kill a doomed pris­ shoot me—you understand?" stopped and signaled Red Kane side with a party of about 1,000 oner for no more reason than Jim guests—imported Americans and back with one hand. Leathers had suggested. “Red, get back! Get out of linel” British nobility—which made the The Lasham camp had been boil­ THIS IS A With the quick instinct of a man British generously admit they had ing with news as Jim Leathers’ men who has always been in trouble, Red never seen • real party before. Now had ridden in at dusk with their Kane jumped back into the room, he may show them something about prisoner. Much had happened on carrying Bill Roper with jiim. They making planes in a hurry, which the range while Leathers had waited all could hear now the sound of run­ probably interests them more than out Bill Roper at the Fork Creek parties at this moment. ning horses. camp. The news that had reached (TO BE CONTINUED) FINE FICTION CHAPTER XXI! I Friday, July 4, 1941 CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT Much Metter Furmer -Come on. I'll show yon how to milk n cow. Jasper Perhaps ! should start oo a calf. TRUCK PARTS llrnvy-duty Motors, ossia parto botti*». tlr.s, iKilsts Mini uniti truche. TRUCK UREI KING COMPANY Portland. Ora IDtliAS E. 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