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About The Springfield news. (Springfield, Lane County, Or.) 1916-2006 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1920)
THURSDAY, 0CT0I1EU 7. 1920 THE SPRINGFIELD NEWS jj Crooked ii 1 rails and 4 I Straight By William MacLeod Raine t SYNOPSIS. Part I. CHAPTKR I Adxanturous and rye- laa, rather Itian criminal, and cllt by liquor. Curly Flandrau and Ma chum. Uac, both aracllcalljr mare boy, boooma Involved In a horaa-ateallna adventura. Dlsposiac of tha atoien Block la tha town of iMutcht, Aria., tha band separataa. Curly and hla partner Maying- In town. They ana awakened and told a poaaa la In town In pursuit of them. They aluda thear eurauera. Overtaken next day, MM la killed by tha poaaa and Curly made captive, after he ha shot one and hlm aelf been wounded. The man abot U Luck Cullison. CHAPTER Il.-Culllson's friends, all cattlemen, determine to lynch Curly aa aa example, to cattle thievee. With the rope around hla neck be la eaved by tha Intervention of kata CuUleon. Luck's daughter. CHAPTER III. Hla wound drened. and further violence not apprehended. Curly la aent for by CuUleon. He quee tlona the boy concerning a notorious out law. Soapy Stone, real leader of tha rua tlera who had been Curly'a undoing. Flandrau Jearna that Soapy Stone la Cul. llaon'a bitter enemy and exercleee a bale ful Influence over the ei-eherUTa eon Sam. who haa quarreled with hla father. CulUaon goei bail for Curly. CHAPTER IV.Curly reacuea Soapy Stone from a bear trap Into which ha haa atumbled. and dlecovere that the outlaw la young Sara's rival for the hand of Lau ra London. She givea Curly a note to deliver to Sam, and Flandrau and Stone aat out for the lattar'a ranch. CHAPTER V. There Curly meeta hie companion! of tha rustling expedition and dellvera Laura a note to fun. Young Culllaon believes Stone la his friend and aaya he will stick by him. Flandrau aeea some move Is being planned and becomea convinced It la train robbery. Sum leaves the ranch to ko to Saguache. Curly ac companies him. CHAPTER ITI.-Kate g"-s to Saguache for a consultation with Mackenzie. Ale Flandrau and Curly. All are convinced of Luck's Innocence. The sheriff reveals that besides the finding of Cullison'a hat. and his payment of his debts. Cass Fen drlck had seen the robber and Is almost certain It was Luck. Cillison is about to enter a homestead claim which will prac tically put Fendrick out of business. CHAPTER VI. - Eavesdropping at a meeting place. Curly hears Stone and his lieutenant. Lute Blackwell. arrange to hold up the train at a crossing known as Tin Cup. and after the rol.-bery shoot young Culllaon and leave his tJy on the scene. Ftone thus er'nC.irg his rvenire on the ex-sheriff through his son's d-ithand oisjrrace Curly is acci!S!l by Stone. of being a spy of Luck Cullison'a. T! ev are separated, but part wfth t) un-lerstand-lni that their next meetlnjf will n.ean a fifht to the death. Curiy makes a con fidant of Dick Shlnnty, cattleman, and they Inform Lucie Cullison of Stone s plot against his son. Part II. CHAPTER I. After an a!l-n!elit ses slon at tile Rojn-Jup club. In which Culll son has lost ! .cv ily ti.-re is an exrhaiiKS of sharp wrds between Luc: and a shopman. Cass Fendrick. with whom Cu'.lison has afeud CHAPTER fl. S:ig:;ahe Is electrified bv tie news of the holdup of exnress nisr-irrsers. the b.rditj securing t.'lviO. j C'eliis'm puvs his nol er debts, and shortly afttrwaul Mac'-t-iizie and A!ex Flandrau. i his closest friend3, learn he is ausrected j of the txprtus rubbery, his r;at having been found on the scene and ha being missing. CHAPTER IV Kate's hrewdness re veals how Cullison had taken Fendrlck's hat when he left the Roundup club, and suspicion points strongly to a frame. ip on Fendrlck's part and to his buini; rcsj.on- for Lu k'i "s-.pr'C-8r;ince. The ei.er Irf receives a pe.-i-i, of notes turning on the "Jck of I!arts" Curly flvds a cl jrtr store by that name and . ure" exl oer.ee t!ist the proprietress. Mrs VYyiia, knows .what happened to Luck. CHAPTER V In the cellar of the ci gar store Flandrau finds a cipher mn sage left by CulHson. and follows the S'.ent. Luck Is hu.d prisoner by Fendrick and Blackwell in a sheep herder's cabin in the mountains Fendrlclt wants him to iCT a re '.n"'!'"'ment of I'1" i-cmestead rights, conditional to his release. CHAPTER VI. Cneasv over tre oos- sible res!'.s of his kidnaping of tiie rat- j tman. Fendrick tells Kate Cull son ! tough of the story to Induce her to ac company hirn to her fSliier Cullison. ! fearing for his daughter's safety ai.bi.id . see be left at the mercy of Blackwell. ! mirrs the relinquishment and accompanies i Kate home. CHAPTER VH.-Rur-ky O'Connor, of ' tl;a Texas Rangers, lifelong friend of Cul- I lison. take' a hand in the game, he and I Curly making a search for the mlsftlng man O'Connor arresis Fendrick. cl.jrg ln? him with the abduction. Cullison seeks Fendrick with the object of punish ing the e-heepman personally, but O'Con nor forbids, holding Fendrick under ar rest. CHAPTER VIII. O'Connor apprehends Dluckwell on his way to fcoapy B'onea ranch and brings him to Saguache. Klaak "aell admits the e.pre.-.s robbery, claiming Fendrick took the money from him. He -Also explains the ciicumaUinces of Culli son'a abduction. CHAPTER IX. Blackwell escapes from prison and Joins Boapy Stone. 8am Cnl Jlson receive notice from Stone of the approaching train holdup. Curly and Mackenzie drug the boy'a coffee, r,j Curly In Sam's clothes, takes his place 'On thi train. Tha robbery takes place ac cording to schedule, and Stone believes alum to have been killed. Curly over comes fctona's'man. left with tha horses, und nets away with them. He meeta Luck Cullison and tha posse. They Intercept Bni Blackwell and "Bad Bill" Cran si on Black well surrenders, but escape, btone and Cranston ar killed The sight of the mask hal Curly W. " w" b0ttt tb build a 8am. Why not go Id 5!Sl would be worth do.ur to catch f:ht of Soapy'a fare when tie took the mask oft after the robber had bft'o captured. "Whafa the ueTM Datla proteated. It's au uniipwasary risk. They might ahoot you Id place of. Stun." Til loo out for myself. Dont wor ry nboul that. Uefore the time for get his rid of Sam comes Mr. Soapy and ht tmnrh will be prisoners." They nrtued It out. but Curly wna et and could not be moved, lie, dressed In young Cullison' clothe and wlih Maloney took the express at 0:07 lavl remnltied to gunrtl Sam. " Curly watch showed 10:17 when the wheel began vo grind from the set turn of the air brakes, lie wa In the hist sleeper. Dick lu the day coach near the front. They had agreed thnt Dick was to drop off a soon as the trnlo slowed down enough to make It safe, whereas Curly would go oo nod play Snm'a part until the proper time. The train almost slid to halt from the pressure of the hard-Jamiued brakes. A volley of shot rang ouL Curly slipped the mask over hla faee and rose with revolver In each hand, lie had heen sitting at the eud ot the car, so that nobody noticed ulm until hi voire rang out with i crisp order. "Hands up I Don't anybody move!" An earthquake shock could not have alarmed the passenger more. The color was washed completely from the faces of most of them. "Reach for the roof. Come, punch a hole In the sky t" To do It thorough ly. Curly" flung a couple of shots through the celling. That wa enough Hands went up without any arguiueui. most of them quivering as from an Arkansas chill. Presently Crnosfon herded the pas sengers In from the forward coaches. With thetn were most of the train crew. "We're cutting off the express car and going forward to THbe Well with It Thece we can blow open the afe uninterrupted," Bad BUI explained "You nerd on the passenger here from the outside till you hear two shots, then hump yourself forward and hop on the express ear." Fine! Curly was to stand out there in the moonlight and let anybody in the car that had the nerve pepper away at him. If they d:d not attend to the Job of riddling him. his false friends would do II while he was run n!ng forward to ft a board. NothiiiS could have been simpler If he had not happened to have had inside Informa tion of their Intent. lie had to think quickly, for the plans of him and his friend.- h:id been deranged. They hnd reckoned on the ex press car being r!lb d on the spot. This would have given Cullison time to reach the scene of action. Now they would be too late. Cn'ess Curly could stop It. the holdup would go through according to the program of Soapy and not of his enemies. The derision of Flandrau was In stantaneous. He slid down beside the track Into the Ioiit crass. Whipping up one of his guns. I: fired. As If in anwer to the first shot his revolver cracked twice. Simultaneously, he lei out a cry of ptiln. vvrlgtrled back for a dozi'n yards through the grass, ami crossed the trncl; In the dnr':nes. Ai he crouched down close to the v. heels of the sleeper some one came running haek on the other side. "What's tip. Sum? You hit?" he could hear Blackwell v.hNoer. No answer cmne. The paroled con vict wris standing close to the cur for fear of being hit himself und he dared not move "Siitn." he called again; then, "lie's sure sol his." That was nil Curly wanted to know Softly he padded forward, heeplng as low as he could till he reached the empty rb-epers. A braketiiiin was lusi uneoiipllng the express car when Cnrlv dived underneath and nestled close to the tnu-l:s. From where he lay he could almost have readied out and touched Soap. standing by the cnr. "What about the kid?" Stone asked Blrekv.ell as the latter came tip. "They got him. Didn't you hear him yelp?" "Yes. but did they put hirn out of business? See his body?" Blaekwcll had no Intention of going back Into the tire zone and making sure. For hU part he was satisfied. So he lied. "Yep. Blew the top of his head on.' "Ootid," Soapy nodded. "That's a receipt la full for Mr, Luck Cullison." PEARL OIL (KEROSENE) o7T HEAT lASUAMD Otl GOsmtNT itireaaiAi mi p Pefore many minute the engine be gan to alow down. The wheel had hardly stopped moving when Curly crept our. plowed through the nd. up the nibble of a little hill, and Into a draw where a bunch of scrub onka of fered cover, A voice from In front called to hlin. Just then the moon appeared from be hind drifting clouds, "Oh. If you, Sam. Everything all right?" "Ulght as the wheat. We're blow ing open the safe now," Flandrau au .swered. Moving closer, he saw thnt his ques tioner was the man In charge of the horses. Though he knew the voice, he could not put a name, to Its owner. But this was not the point that flrst occupied his mind. There were only four horse for five riders. Curly knew now that he had not been mistaken. Soapy had expected one of his allies to stay on the Meld of battle, had pre pared for It from the beginning. The knowledge of this froze any remorse the young vaquero might li'ive felL lie pushed his revolver against the teeth of the horse wrangler. "Don't move, yon bandy-legged maverick, or I'll nil yonr hide full of holes. And If you want to keep on living padlock that mouth of yours," In spite of his surprise the .man caught the point at once, lie fumed over his weapons without word. Curly unwound a rope from one of the saddles and dropped a loop round the neck of his prisoner. The two men mounted and rode out of the draw, the outlaw lea d I ii i! the other two horse As soon as they reached the bluff above Flandrau outlined the next step In the program. "We'll stsy here In the tornllla and see what happens, my friend. I'nless "you've a fancy to get lead poisoning keep still." "Who In Mexico are you?" the cap tured man asked. "It's your showdown. Skin off that mask." The man hesitated. Ills own re volver moved a few Inches toward bis head, nastily he took off the mak. The moon shone on 'the faee of the mnn called Dutch. Flandrau laughed. Iisf.tlme hey had tuel Curly had a roe around his neck. Now the sll na tion a revet seil. An explosion hrlow fold them tt.nl the robbers h id blown open the :ife Presently Soupy' vol.-e cutne falntlv to. them "Bring up the horses." He cuMed a.'ii'n nod a third time The dwnrfeii tignies of the ei:'i stm.d out clear lei the mooiiHg-hf One tit Ihelii ran up the truck toutird lb ttrnw. lie !:ippeniei In'o the sent I cuks. from whence his alarmed voice came in a ml'iule. "Dutch: Oh Dutch!" The revolver rim pres-ovt s little harder against the brid-e of the imr" wrangler's nose. "He ain't here" Blackwell culled la k to Ills neeoliililiei's. That brought Stone on the run "You condemned Idiot, be must hi there. Ain'l h had two hours to get here since he left Ttn Cup?" They shout'-d !"mii'.os iMtir-e j They wandered up nnd down In a vnln I search. All the time Curly and his j prisoner sat In the brush and scarcely batted an eye. ! At last Soupy cave up the hunt. The engine and the express car were sen' hack 10 Join the rest of the train nh! i'ii I I: Thre Shadowy Figure Slipped Around in Edga of th Corral. a soon a they were out of alght the robber set out acrosa country toward the Flatlron ranch. Curly guessed their Intentions. They would rustle horse there and bead for the border. It wa the only chance still left them. After they had gone Curly and hi prisoner returned to the road and set out toward Tin Cup. About mile and a ha'f up the line they met Culli son and hi riders on the. way down. Ml ill in lift Maloney wa with them, lie had been picked up at the station. Dick gave a shout of Joy when he heard FlsndrW vole. "Oh. you Curly I I've been cared stiff for fear they'd rot you." Buck caught th boy'a hand and wrung It hard. They held a conference while the Circle O rider handcuffed Dutch and tied him to a horso. Soon the posse was off again, having left the prisoner la charge of one of the men. They swung round In a wide half circle, not wishing to stnrtte their game until the proper time. When they reached the edge of the mess that looked down on the Flatlron the moon was out and the valley wss swimming In light They followed the dip of, a mad that led down to the corral. Bussing the fenced lane lead ing to the stable, they tied their ponies Inside and took the places assigned to them by Cullison. They had not long to wait. In less than half an hour three shadowy fig ures slipped round the edge of the cor ral nnd up the lane. F.arh of Ihein carried a rifle In addition to hla hip guns. They slid Into the open end of the table. Cullison'a voice rang out coldly. "Drop your guns I" A startled oath, a shot, and before one could have lifted a hand that silent moonlit valley of peace hud become a hattlcnebl. The outlaws fell back from the statde. wen pons smoking furiously. Blnekwcll broke Into a run. never look ing behind hi in." but Soapy nnd Bad Bill gave buck foot by foot lighting every step of the way. Dlek and Curly rose from behind the rocks where they had been pi need nnd rinsed the trap on Blnekwcll. The paroled convict let nut one yell, "I give up. aoddlciulghty. don't shoot I" Half way down the lane Cranston wa hit In the darkness his voice could be heard, for the tiring had mo mentarily censed. "They've pot me. Soapy. Hun for It. I'll hold em back." "lilt bad. BUI?" "I'm all In. Vntnos!" Stone turned to run. nnd for the first time saw that his retreat was cut tiff. As fast ns he could pump the lerr Ids rllle began working agnltt. The tiring this time did not last more I ban tHe sc-onils. When the smoke eleiiri'd tl was nil oxer Sonp lay oy h! I'tielt. hot thtough nnd throuv'h. Blac'iwell hud taken ad van luge of the diversion to crawl ibroiirh the strand of luirlicd wire and to dls. appcu'i hi i In- eh.. I -in ..I BUI had lulled over on Ills faee. luck was beiiilini: oxer Stene. I!e looked n' at 'he epproneh .if i:s'7 ind siii i)sf one uoni "D; ad " ("idliKiiti hud turn open Cranston's hitt and wis examining hi" wounds. "No Use l.i:ck I've g"l a plenty Yon ure fiin'c't lis though Wild II .i'ii nix e lis u a ?" "Vo. I'.fll Ctiri.v overheard Soapy nd Blackwell nl 'Iralliex e place 'f:t d pat. tin tigh yon wer- plan utnu M murder "I wasn t In on i hut . Buck didn't Snow's thing ab'uil It till after the boy was shot. I wouldn't a-siood fm It." "lie xxa-n't shot. Cnrlv saved Mm Me bad to :lve you Bva.v to do II." "tiood eMHi;-h Servos Soapy rlt'b for double-crossing Sam. Take can of that kbl. Buck. He's all r:iii yet." His eye fell on Flandrau "You're n game sport, son. You be.it us all. N' hard feelings." "Sorry II hud to be ibis way. BUI." The dying tniin was already Cray to the lips, but his nerve did not falter "It bad to come some time. Ami I' was Buck ought to have done It. too." .le waved aside Sweeney, who wits holding a flask to his lips. "What". the use? I've got mine. Say. there'- something else, boys Curly has been accused of thnt Bar Double M horse tUHlling back In the early summer I did tlfat Job. He was not one of us You hear. boys. Curly was not In It." A quarter of an hour later he died He had lied to save from the penlten tlary the lad who had brought about his death. Curly knew why he had done It because he felt himself to blame for the affair. Maybe Bad Bill had been a desperado, a miscreant ac cording to the usuuP standard, but when It came to dying he knew how to go better than many a respectable citi zen. Curly stole off Into the darkness so thnt the boy would not see him play the baby, CHAPTER X. Th Prodigal Son. They found the prodigal on with hi sister and Laura London at the Del Mar. Repentance wa writ large all over hi face and manner. From Da vis and from the girl h hod heard th ttory of how Soapy Stone, had In tended to destroy him. ilia scheme of life had been broken Into piece and he wa a badly shaken young scamp. When Luck and Curly came Into the room he jumped op, very whit about the Jip. ''Father I" "My boy r Culllaon had him by the hand, on arm around the shaking shoulder. "What what 7" Sam's question broke down, but hi fattier guessed It. "Soapy and Bad BUI were killed. Dutch Is a prisoner, ami Blackwell es caped. All Spring Valley I out after him." The hoy shuddered and drew a long sobbing breath, "I've been a fool, fa ther ami worse." I "Forget It. sou. We'll wipe the lt clean. I've been to blame, too." It was no plate for outsiders. Curly beat a retreat Into the next room. The young women followed him. Both of them were frankly weeping. Arms twined about each other wslsls, they Olrappcured Into an adjoining bed rooiu. . "Don't go." Kate called to him overf h. r shoulder. Curly sat down and waited. Pre etily Kuto came hack alouo. Her shin. Ing eye met his, "1 never was so happy In all my Itf before. Tell me what happened everything, please." A much as was good for her to knoxv Curly told. Without saying a word she listened till he ws through. At last she spoke In a low. wect voice. "What can we do for you? First you save fm her and then Sam. Ytiu risked ex er thing for my brother to win him buck to us, to sav hi life and now his repi iatb n If you had been killed ieople would always hove be lieved yon were one of I he gong." "Shol Tb.H's noiisepae, Ml Kate." He twisted his hat In his hnnd uneas ily, "lloiiesi. I enjoyed every bit of It. Ami fellow has (o pay his debts." "Was lhai'why you did It?" she asked softly. "Yes. I had to make good. I had to show your father and yon thnt I had not thrcixxn away all your kindness. So I quit traveling that downhill road n which I had goi started." "I'm glad I m glad." She whis pered It so low he could hardly hear. 'There was one ay to prove my self. Thai was to stutid between Sam .ind trouble. So I butted lu and spoiled Soupy' game." "I wish I could tell you hoxv fine fa ther thinks It was of you. He doesn't speak of H much, but j knoxv." "Nothing to what I did nothing at all." A wave of embarrassment bad crept to the roots of his curly hair. "Jii-t because a fellow oh. shucks!" "Thai all very well for you to say. but you caul help us thinking what xxe please." "Bui that ain't right. I don't want you ilii.il.mg iliit'K thut ain't so, bo- Ciinse " 1 VM V ' i :! .! IH? ( I i !?' !.. -(.' ; ap7 r: !: Mil V.;i SU - i ,- ... i i i i ii ' it ' 'id ... j. ii. ' ,. ,i, ... i.iiSvJIW.M I II s w .. a . 1 i a i' i The Klfses He Had Dreamed About. "Y'es? Because ?" She lifted her eyes and met his. Then Hie knew II had to come out. that the feeling banked lu him would overflow In word. "Because you're the girl I love." He had not Intended to say It now, lest he might seem to he urging hi nervlce as a claim upon her. But the words had slipped out In spile of him. She held out her two hands to htm with a llttla gesture of surrender. The light of love wa In her starry eyes. And then She wa In hi arm, and the kisses he had dreamed about were oa bis lip. CHAPTER XK Cutting Trail. Rate Cullison bad disappeared, bad gone out rlillng one morning and at nightfall had not returned. A the hour passed anxiety at the Circle U became greater. "Mebbe she got lost." Dob suggested. Her father scouted this a absurd. "You don't reckon a cougar" be gan Sweeney, and stopped. (To be continued.) New, 1.76 per year In advance. H. Zn tM if,, r )i 'i J
