Thursday. September 24, 1942
SOUTHERN OREGON MINER
& BLACK DAWN
CHAPTER XII
I
SYNOPSIS
Dave Bruce, out of a job. arrive* at
Wilbur Ferri»' Cross-Bar ranch. Curran,
the foreman. promises him s job If he
can break a hone called Black Dawn.
When he succeeds, he discovers Curran
expected the hone to kill him. A sirl
named lx>is rides up. angry with Dave
foi breaking "her” hone She refuses
to speak to him even when he use* his
savings to pay off the mortgage on the
small ranch she shares with her foster
father, a man named Hooker But when
Hooker Is shot and Dave is charged
with murder. Ixils saves him from being
lynched. Wounded, she guides him to a
mountain cave where she thinks they
will be safe from Curran and the sher­
iff's posse. A quarrel between Ferris
and Judge Lonergan reveals that Ferris
had killed his partner. Blane Rowland,
many yean before. Thoroughly scared.
Ferris takes Curran into his confidence.
When Dave is away from the cave. Cur­
ran kidnaps Lois. Meanwhile Dave die
coven a human skeleton with a butio*
h< • through the skull. When he lata*
finds Lois gone, he heads straight for
Hooker's ranch and there finds Sheriff
Coggswell. He convinces Coggsweli ot
his innocence and together they start
for the cabin when they have learned
Lois is being held prisoner and where,
unknown to them. Ferris and Curran
are planning to kill Judge Lonergan.
Lonergan sat down with a scowl.
‘‘I’ve got no time to waste, Ferris.”
he said in his most judicial man­
ner. “I consented to come here
and talk with you, because Curran
told me you had something here
to show me. Well, where is it, and
what's the point of it all?”
Curran winked at Ferris as he
stood behind Lonergan's baejt
Lonergan went on:
"I understand you’re willing to
accept my offer. But what is it
that you’ve got to show me here?”
"Here’s what I got to show yuh.
Lonergan!” shouted the ranchman,
suddenly drawing a revolver from
his armpit. “Desperate? Yeah, and
you miscalculated, because you
trusted the wrong party when you
let Curran bnng you here. You've
hounded me too long, Lonergan. I
warned you the other day in Mes­
cal. Now you’re going to sign an
agreement making over to me all
yore claims on the Cross-Bar, or
I'll kill you!”
Lonergan had sprung to his feet.
But Curran was at his side, cover­
ing him too. The foreman stepped
forward and drew a revolver trom
Lonergan's pocket.
"That s nght, Lonergan,” grin­
ned Cui ran. "You slipped up some I
when you come here. Now sit down
and sign the paper on this table.
Yuh don't need to read it. All yuh
got to do is to affix yore sígna­
ture. Mr. Ferris and me win de
the rest.”
" axiu suppose 1 uo sign, ’ said
Loueigan, »¿spai enliy wcaaenmg,
"uu* uo x mmw you re not plan­
ning to Kin me aiierwarci;
■ xviu yuu, jur. Luueigun : Jeer­
ed Lui i an. "wuy, we am t muiucr-
eis, and you ano rerns nas got
tou muen un eacn otaei u> maKe it
seeuuy tor to Kin yun. ne s just
annui to gii ouck wnat yun look
nom mm uy tne processes ox iraud.
ixooouy wun t mienere wnn yuu
axier we got yore name signed,
x un can nue straight nome.
witn a snrug oi ms snoulders
Loneigau gave in. 'my pens in
my s«iuuie-»iap wiul some papers,
ue announced.
"mais an nght, Mr. Lonergan,'*
said Lurran. mr. rerns aim me
win just accompany yun outside
and ueip yun nna it. rteep mm
covereu, r erns. 1 guess ne s tun
ox tricks.’*
Lonergan moved slowiy out ot
tne cauui to wneie ms nurse was
standing, a uttie Deyomi tne others,
tne reins tnrown over the stump oi
a tree. He lutea tne nap ot bis
sauuie and anected to be louKing
lor tne pen. Curran, who wad
standing ueside rerns, in lei posed.
" x ou was speaKin ot ainin,
judge, " he said, "and tnat sure
nun. my ieenngs and Mr. r^gns’.
resides wmen, there was a utile
nusunderstanuin . We got tne lun-
eiai staged an ngnt, uut we am t
got tne nght coipse.”
Lonergan turned around. Just
wnat do you mean by that?” be
demanded.
“You;" shouted Curran—not at
Lonbrgan but at the ranchman.
wun a bound he was upon Fer­
ris and had twisted the revolver
out ot his hand. At tne same in­
stant Lonergan s hand appeared
from tne tiap of the saddle, nold-
uig anotner gun in it.
in the brief interval before the
shots that followed, F erris saw the
trap, and understood that he had
foreseen Curran’s treachery quite
wed, in the deptns of his subcon­
sciousness. He screamed twice as
the two heavy slugs from the guns
of Lonergan and Curran ploughed
their way through the upper part
of his body, reeled, and dropped
like a log down the slope into the
ravine.
Curran fired a second shot as
Ferris’ body wa sin the act of
Ferris’ body was in the act of
ion with a grin.
“Well, there'« one hombre won’t
make no more trouble,” he «aid.
‘‘I’ll spade him under in the mom-
in'.”
But Lonergan was shaking. "Get
me that drink, Curran,” he «aid.
Why did you make that play?
Tnere were moments when I was­
n't sure you were not double­
crossing me.”
III* voice went out iu a
the audible click of the hammer
upon an empty cartridge. Dave
was on his feet again Hiid rushing
forward. With a vile curse Cuiru.i
wheeled his home and raced thru
the scrub toward the Hookei
cabin.
Dave was no mo ix« than twenl;
yards behind him when Curia«
reached the open, and he had al-
ready jammed flesh carUiugva m-
to his cylinder. He saw Curran
working frantically with hl» gun,
while hLx horse, frightened by the
sound of the discharges, reared
wildly, almost unseating him.
Yelling obscenely, Curran spur­
red his horse and dashed across
the mesa and a moment later Dave
could hour him forcing his mount
down the steep side.
He sent a last shot after him
and ran back to I-ois. She was
standing beside Black Dawn, who
was on his feet again.
"Lois, yuh ain't hit ?” Dave
shouted.
"No. no! Did he hit you. Dave?"
"Nary nick. But he hit Black
Dawn!” Dave cried.
He had heard the bullet thud in­
to the stallion's body. Dave run
his hand along the flank and felt
the blood dripping from the shoul­
der. With his fingers he traced the
course of the wound, it ranged up­
ward. Suddenly he felt the bullet
Just beneath the skin. It had best)
def lected by the shoulder bone, and
seemed to have Inflicted only a
alight, glancing wound.
Dave leaped into the saddle and
gripped the horse with his knees
Black Dawn responded with his
usual gait, though he was quiver­
ing from head to foot. It was clear
that neither bone nor sinew had
been seriously injured.
SUCCESSFUL
PA RENTHOOr
»<
A FAMILIAR PROBLEM
One of the tasks children com­
plain about most frequently is look­
ing after younger brothers and sis­
ters, particularly when the latter
have to be taken along on excur­
sions with their own friends.
There are three sides to this prob­
lem: that of the mother who la en­
titled to some time to herself, since
spending a whole day with a small
child is often considerably wearing;
that of the older child who after be­
ing In school most of the day needs
a few hours for unhampered play,
reading or other amusement; and
that of the young child who often
finds herself the unwelcome mem­
ber of a group of older girls or
boys. How would you like to be
four years nld and be greeted with,
"Didja have to bring her "' when­
ever you joined your elater's
friends?
Now whenever a problem in­
volves the rights of two or more
persons there is only one solution­
compromise. The mother, being
the adult, should make the major
concessions. First, she should rid
herself of the Idea that there la
anything unnatural about not want­
ing a younger child to tag along.
Between the ages of seven and
twelve the child is making her first
friendships with those her own age,
taking her first steps to establish
herself outside the family and the
little sister or brother (who may be
her very best friend five years from
I now) Is definitely not an asset to
popularity with her schoolmates.
Another thing, when families
were as a rule quite large, with
children of many ages, the older
girls could take turns being nurse­
maid. Besides, children had more
interests in common then—there
weren't such gaps in age—and
moreover these interests centered
I the home. But nowadays
ti ( .>«■<• SO many activities which
to «• children away from home—
kips to museums, the moving pic-
tures, scouting ant! camp Are meet­
ings — all perfectly legitimate
amusement», but they often make
It ■ real hardship to have to look
lifter a younger brother or slater.
So here’« my *uggc»tion--whv
not limit the after-school nursemu d
jobs you give your older daughter
to two, or at the most, three after­
noons a week. 'Die other days let
her be free for her own activities.
Then, as her share of the compro­
mise. make those free days the
ones on which sha Is to come in
early to help with preparations for
the evening meal. It is a common
mistake of mothers to insist that
children perform the same tasks
every day.
Of course, back of all this there
must be a co-operative spirit In
the femily and you don't get tills
from your children all of a sudden.
That Is, you can't wait on children
until they are seven or eight and
then expect them to blossom into
mother's helpers overnight. Begin
when they are two or even younger
by giving them a share In keeping
their toy shelves straight. Stress
this not so much as a duty but as
their share In making the house a
pleasant place for the whole family.
As the child grows his share in
family tasks Increases. Of course
he'll grumble at times—we all do.
even when we are older—so don't
get your feelings hurt. 1 some­
times think half the difficulty In
persuading children to take an In­
terest In helping about the house Is
because mothers consider It a per­
sona] affront when they don't and
give children such feelings of guilt
about housework that it becomes
charged with unpleasant emotions.
To get back to the care of small­
er members of the family, this can
be made a much more welcome
duty If the youngest are brought up
to realize that big aiater Is being
kind in taking them along and that
agreeable behavior is expected.
"Double-crossin' yuh, Mr. Lon­ heard the shot. They trapped him
ergan? Why, 1 thought yuh had here.”
‘ Ferris?" Dave cried. He pulled
more commence m me man that,
replied the foreman. "1 made mat Black Dawn around and rode up
play so as that girl inside wouldn't to the cabin door. "Sheriff, Lois
Know Just what was nappenm. says it was Ferris that they shot
Ferris had to go. He was gittm just now."
"Yeah.” came the sheriff's grim
too wise. It sure was hard to keep
from laughin’, him thinkin' it was voice, "Mr. Lonergan's just told
you who was goin' to be bumped me that. I'll be serin’ yuh later at
off instead oi himself. What's the Hooker cabin, Bruce Keep
(To Be Continued)
yore eyes peeled for Pedro."
that?”
Dave turned the black and rode
There sounded the creak of sad­
dles. the scamper of horses hoofs. off along the gully again. They
Then came Uoggsweli's sudden rode through the canyons and
were approaching the thick under­
challenge out ot the dark;
"Sky high, the pan of you; , growth at the back of Hooker's
cabin. Dave leaned forward.
You're covered!”
"We're home, Lois, darling," he
Panic-stricken, Lonergan twist­
ed this way and that, as he t ecog­ whispered. "And it looks as if all
nized the sheriff's voice. Now. in our troubles was just about over."
And as the words left his mouth,
the faint starlight, he couid see
Good luck to Mr. and
two mounted figures looming up there came the crack-crack-crack
of six-guns from a clump of scrub
out of the scrub close at hand.
Mrs.
O. G. Crawford
"Beat it!" hissed Curran in his to the left.
Black Dawn leaped convulsively.
from the
ear. "They’re on the wrong side
A bullet whipped Dave's hat
of the gully!"
Dave and Coggswell had come around on his head. Another pass­
up on the other side of the ravine . ed between the reins, searing his
wnich, at this point near its blind knuckles. Black Dawn's lefts bent
end, was little more than a coulee. | under him. The horse was going
It was, however, too wide to set a down.
CHEAP printing la r*|>malve.
"We got the coyote!" yelled
horse to jump it. Next instant
• Subscribe for The Miner today Have your work done KIGHT at
Curran ivas on his knees and fir-1 Curran exultantly out of the
the llotnr of llcttrr Printing------
scrub ,
ing at the two mounted iigures.
Miner office.
A
second
man
ran
forward
and
Dave felt a slug thump into his
On the Plaza
saddiehom. i^e emptied his gun at Dave recognized the Mexican, Pe-
the flashes and heard a yeip of dro. But Dave was already on his
pain. He saw the other figure rac­ feet and had pulled Lois to the
ing away, dimly outlineu against ground. His gun belched answer.
Art Hodgen
the sky. 1 hen Curran was follow-1 Pedro howled as the bullets caught
ing, bending almost double, weav-1 him in the chest and abdomen.
ing in and out of the scrub, with I Then he flattened out. his scream
of death cut short, and dropped
his band clapped to his ear.
"Git Miss Lois, Bruce. I'll han­ almost beneath the staggering
dle this pair!" the sheriff shouted, stallion.
and he raced his horse around the
As he fell, Dave leaped to one
blind end of the gully.
side and emptied
_
his _
gun into the
Dave, cramming tresh cartridg­ thicket from which the flashes
es into his gun, saw the two weav­ had come. Two wild shots from --------------- _-----------------------------
Thia w 111 protect agislnat
ing figures attempting to mount Curran answered him, then came • The Miner for Quality Printing.
two ot the group of horses that.j
direct loan or damage to
I
«I
were clustered together near the
pro|M*rty (fire and botnlmrd-
cabin entrance. Coggswell was al-,
ment) due to enemy attack,
most upon them, his gun blazing.
It supplement» your regular
There came a single snot in retuni,
then the thump and clatter ot
liiaunuur.
hoofs, and one of the pair racing
If bite rea ted In thia proter*
along the trail, leaning nat upon .
A L W A Y 8
his norse's side.
lion, apply now a» the for­
You can de, «end
This was Curran, making his
mer coverage expired June
anrvtre. The I h - m material»,
get-away at top speed, whiie I
30.
pro|>erly prepared. »rrvrd in
coggswell was struggling with
a courtroti« manner — at
Lonergan. Dave raced ms stallion
price« always within your
to me sheriff's side.
means. That's what you get
‘‘We’ll git the other, Bruce,”
at
said Coggsweli. "See if Miss Lois
is in the cabin "
Dave required no third invita- .
REAL ESTATE and
tion. He dashed into the shack.
REAL INS!'RANCE
Tne candles were guttering on tne
Phone 6761
41 East Main
your meeting piiur
table in the outer room, but the
X
K
room was empty. But in the small­
«
er room Dave saw a iittie figure
gagged and bound.
"Lois!” His voice went out in a
Think of us once in awhile, Crawfords
cry of fury. He ran to her side,
f
slit the gag from her mouth, cut
the ropes with his Jackkmte.
"Lois! Lois!” he whispered.
“They ain’t harmed yuh, noney
girl?”
She tried to speak, but could
only reach up for Dave's neck. He
bent and covered her face with
kisses.
Phone 3751
Medford Center Building
"They ain’t harmed yuh?”
240 East Main, Ashland
Phone 2261
"No,” said Lois in the faintest
whisper. ‘‘I’m all right, Dave.”
Dave swung about as the sheriff
entered the cabin with his prison­
er. "I got her, sheriff,” he called.
The Ashland Choral Club will greatly
"They ain't harmed her. Who was
the other coyote, Lois?”
miss Mrs. Crawford, but our loss will
"Curran!” Lois’ voice was just
audible.
be some other musical organization’s
"Yeah, Curran," said the sher­
iff grimly. "1 reckemized him.
Dunno yet who was shot, but I’ll
gain.
know soon. Yuh best come through
Lonergan,” he continued. "No use
WITH MODERN
Goodluck, Vi!
splutterin’ like a trapped cat.
EQUIPMENT
1 here's too much evidence against
yuh. And I'm stayin’ here Ril yuh
talk.”
Permanent PRICES!
Lonergan glared at his captor,
then seemed to wilt. "Coggswell,
I’ll talk I’ll tak to you,” he said,
•ai*
I’ll talk—I’ll talk to you,” he said.
PLAIN DRESSES ¿Il
me?”
"No difficulty about that,” said
Coggsweli. "Bruce, s'pos« yuh take
Miss Lois back to her cabin on
mrr 25c U. S. SAVINGS STAMP WITH EVERY
yore horse. She’ll be feelin’ bet­
|*|f|ak $1.50 Cleunlng Order. Plain garments—50 cents
ter there, and I’ll see yuh there
I IlLBa cash and carry.
before the night’s through.”
Dave picked the girl up in his
PICKUP AND DELIVERY 65c .
arms and carried her to where
Black Dawn was standing. He
raised her into the saddle and
swung up behind her.
323 Siskiyou Blvd
Phone 6336
"Dave, they shot Mr. Ferris,”
Whispered Lois, shuddering,
"I
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