The Hermiston herald., October 15, 1936, Image 2

Thursday, October 15, 1936
THE HERMISTON HERALD, HERMISTON, OREGON.
GUNLOCK RANCH
•
TIRED EYES <
A tout prix. (F.) At any price;
whatever the cost.
Brutum fulmen. (L.) ineffec­
tual thunderbolt.
Deus vobiscum! (L.) God be
with you!
Chevalier d’industrie. (F.) A
swindler; sharper; an adventurer.
by Frank H. Spearman
"I didn't come out here to be grossly
Copyright Frank H. Spearman
insulted,” she retorted.
WNU Service
—12 —
“Where’s your pony?"
“Oh, Bill !" said Jane. “Don't think
"Heavens knows where It is, or
of me—do just as if 1 were not here.”
"It was,” she whispered. “I’ve given where Bill Denison's is. I hope they’re
She threw her own arms around his
not burned up.”
neck, and their lips met again In pas­ you my trust.”
“For all time, Jane?”
"Well, come along home. McCrossen
sionate appeal.
“For all time, Bill. Nothing shall will lend you his horse.”
“Then come, Jane. We must dash
ever part us, now."
“He needn’t. I will walk home just
through this pine before that fire you
as soon as I have cooked some bacon
hear roaring catches up to us.”
CHAPTER VIII
for Bill Denison.”
"Is that awful roar from a tire.
"Come along now."
Bill?”
“Did you hear me? I’ll come home"
Picking their way haltingly and cau­
“It is. It's our worst danger. Let’s
tiously down through smoking pines, —each word was defiantly emphasized
go, Jane.”
To cross the wide belt of pine their dodging burning limbs that snapped —“when I have made coffee and cooked
course lay obliquely downhill. If any­ and crackled menacingly overhead or bacon for Bill Denison. When you get
home, be kind enough to ask Bull Page
thing were needed to spur them on, crashed to the ground about them, the
the thunder of the fire sweeping down refugees emerged from the forest and to saddle a horse for me and bring ft
over.” With this, Jane walked swiftly
the forest behind served as a dread could see that Denison’s ranch build­
back to the cabin. Van Tambel, In a
warning that they had only minutes ings had escaped the flamas.
The Instant they reached the ranch muttering rage, followed by McCrossen,
left to escape disaster.
started home.
Halfway down the ridge, Denison house, Denison ran to the well, filled
A slender supper was at length got
paused to rest Jane in his arms. She the water bucket, and carried ft to
together. Then Jane made Denison He
Jane.
Sitting
on
the
ground,
bare-
was panting like an antelope.
back In a chair and submit to cold
“Brave girl!” he murmured. "Not a headed, they slaked their thirst out of
compresses on his eyes.
the dipper together.
sob—not a tear—”
Waiting for Bull Page proved no
Denison turned to the corral. Jane,
“But we must burry. Bill,” she
who had gone into the bouse, had got hardship, but when the bands of Deni­
panted.
the fire going and was slicing bacon son’s little alarm clock pointed to mid­
“Get a little breath for the next
when she heard the clatter of hoofs night it dawned on Jane that her re­
run.”
quest had been ignored and that her
outside, and angry voices.
“Can we make It, Bill, dear?”
“Where's my daughter, you damned father or McCrossen had meant she
“We’ve got to make It,” he muttered.
scoundrel?” were the first words she should walk home or compromise her­
“I'll save you, Jane, If It's the last
made out. The sound of the voice that self by staying all night at Denison's.
thing I do In life.”
She boiled a bit Inside when she real­
uttered them sent her running, the
“Don’t save me unless you save
knife still In her hand, to the door. ized the situation, but prepared to
yourself—remember that !"
Amazed to dumbness, she saw her fa­ walk. To this Denison would not lis­
"Cornel We must make the spring ther and McCrossen In the saddle, fac­ ten.
He got up two ponies—he had
—the spring!"
ing Denison, who stood at the gate of but one extra saddle—and, despite her
The timber was thinning, the ground his corral.
objections and protests, insisted on rid­
growing rougher. The frontiersman
"Van Tambel," Denison spoke care­ ing home with her.
and cowman who had gone through fully, "you're too old a man for me to
every adventure that befalls a man In quarrel with. Just remember you’re on
It needed no announcer In the morn­
a life of danger and escape made little my property and keep a civil tongue ing to tell Jane that her father had
of finding safe footing from rock to In your head. I’ve taken more of your come home. She lay, exhausted and
rock. But his charge had a harder abuse in years gone by than I ought with every bone in her body aching,
time trying to keep her feet and to to take. Now put your question civ- beyond her usual rising time. But
keep the pace. Denison offered to car­ illy.”
there was an unusual scurrying about
ry her. She would not hear of it.
"I don’t want no truck with you, outside her room. Quong, old and
He himself saw, before Jane realized Denison,” shouted Van Tambel, rag­ winkled, was the only man of the
household not In the least perturbed
It, that the end of her strength was ing. "Where's my girl?”
McCrossen had reined about and by the surprise return of Van Tambel.
at hand. Striving vainly to keep up,
she stumbled and with a little moan was starting for the house. "Swing
Jane came to the table as her father
fell forward on the ground. Denison back here, McCrossen,” Denison sang was leaving It. “I want to see you
picked her up In his arms. She could
after breakfast," was the gruff greeting
not speak; only panted. Her heart,
he vouchsafed Jane.
pressed against his breast, pounded
She found Van Tambel seated at his
like a hammer.
desk In his bedroom, looking over bills.
“Put me down. Bill I Put me down !”
Jane went tip to him.
she sobbed when she could breathe and
"I could hardly believe my eyes when
form the words. “You must save
I saw you yesterday, father," she said
yourself! Is the spring far, now?"
coldly. “Did the doctor give you per­
mission to come home?”
“Not far. Clasp your arms tight
around my neck," was all he said,
After a shuffling of papers came the
leaping along.
first shot at Jane: “What did you fire
McCrossen for?"
“You can’t save us both ; save your­
self. You are dearer to me than my
“Because he refused to obey orders,”
she retorted Instantly.
life, Bill.”
"Whose orders?"
"So are you to me. Hang on," he
“My orders."
panted. “I'll never put you down !”
“Who owns this ranch?”
After another run he paused. “Bill,
"You do. And,” she added, keen-
I can run a little now. Let me try It.
eyed, "you made me manager.”
Please, dear! Let me try!”
“I’ll take that job off your shoulders.
He shook his head and struggled on.
McCrossen Is foreman here now. And
The fire was only minutes behind him
I am boss. Now what about this skunk,
Its roar deafening.
Denison?”
A cry roused Jane In his arms.
"What about Mr. Denison, father?”
"The spring!"
“He's a crook. And as long as you
She cried to him In happy answer.
live, keep away from him."
There was not an Instant to spare.
"What has he ever done to you that's
He slid down the steep side of the hol­
wrong, father?”
low that enclosed the spring. Jane,
"He and his brother’s been trying for
still In his arms, lie rolled Into the
five years to beat me out of Gunlock
pool and lay panting beside her. The
Spring and all that ranch land back
shock of the Icy water revived her.
of It.
He soused her head Into the water.
"That's part of what he’s done to
The pool was wide enough to submerge
"A Lot of Good Timber Gone in
me. lie's stole my cattle besides. Mc­
Jane, hut not himself. He rolled In
That Blaze, Van,” Muttered Mc-
Crossen Is the only man that stayed
the shallower edge, wet hitself all
Crossen.
by me through thick and thin. Mc-
over and, holding her head just clear
of the surface as she spluttered and out sharply. “Stop right where you Crossen's the right man for you. You
coughed, gave her orders: "Keep your are. My cabin’s not open to public in­ can get married tomorrow if you want
to.
face down. Don't, don’t open your spection !”
“I haven't the slightest Idea of get­
eyes. You're safe If you do exactly
“I don’t give a damn for your cabin.
as I say.”
There's Jane,” the foreman shouted, ting married tomorrow, father. And If
Mr. McCrossen were the only man left,
Savage flames burst above their "standing In the doorway."
heads. The burning air showered sear­
Jane rnn across the yard to the I certainly should never marry. There’s
ing fragments of bark and branch on angry men. "Father!" she cried. "What not a straight hair In his head. He's
them as they lay huddled, comforting In the world are you doing here? What been robbing you for years."
each other with words. "Breathe care
"Sounds like that skunk Denison's
brought yon from the hospital?"
been filling your ears for you.”
fully, Jane,” he cried In her ear. "This
Her father's deep set, piggy eyes
air will sear your lungs. Fill your flashed his fury on her. “You brought
"Bill Denison's barely ever men­
nose and mouth with water, spit and me here," he snapped savagely. “You tioned McCrossen’s name to me.”
"Well, keep away from Denison for
splutter It out. My God, It Is upon wench! Living with this man, are you?"
us!"
"Father!”
Outraged
womanhood good, don’t forget that.”
Jane flinched Inwardly but spoke low
The heart of the fire was on them. never spoke the word more stingingly.
"Is It possible you insult me so vilely be­ and clearly "I can't promise that,
They could no longer hear or think
Flame bellied and danced. Tongues of fore you have heard a single word?" she father."
"Why not?"
lire licked at their hiding heads. Deni­ said. "What have I to do with your
“I don’t think it's right."
son mechanically dipped water into grudges and quarrels?"
Rigid and erect, storming within nnd
“Ain't 1 your father?"
Jane's hair. Consciousness was nearly
"Yes.”
gone. Only the effort to live and the striking with white-hot words nt her
"Ain’t a parent a-goln’ to be
tierce Instinct to protect the one he parent's base Intimation, Jane si­
lenced the men about her by her out­ obeyed ?"
loved animated him.
“If he is reasonable. I’m not a child,
With their trial of endurance almost raged dignity.
"What shameful words have you father."
at an end. a sudden explosion burst In
heard—nnd from whom"—she barely
He grew furious. “I don't give a
the air above them. Denison, forget­
Indicated her father's companion by a damn what you are, you're not a-goin'
ting his caution, opened his eyes In the
lightning flash of her eye—"that put to take up with any enemy of mine,
fear that a tree was falling. Ills eye­
such vile thoughts into your head?" She 'n' you might just as well know It now
balls were scorched In a fraction of a
waited for no answer. "I rode to the —and I’ll see that you don't."
second. He dashed his face back Into
peak of Gunlock Knob to see how the
Van Tambel, quitting the house, rode
the water; but mischief had been done
fire was heading—It has threatened with McCrassen, over the hills burned
At last the terrific outburst abated
Gunlock Ranch for two days. When
the day before, to determine what fur­
With the hope of life reanimated, the
I tried to ride down this afternoon, the ther measures should be taken to in­
two rose in the pool in their steaming
fire cut me off. I should have been
sure safety for the ranch buildings.
clothing. Darkness fell from the sky
burned to death where I stood on
The two men halted at the foot of Gun­
above, but the forest was lighted with
the peak. If Bill Denison hadn't ridden
smoking and burning tree torches, the up through another Are to save me. lock Knob.
"A lot of good timber gone In that
afterglow of Its destruction.
And now after fighting our way for
The two who had passed through hours through smoke and flame, he blaze. Van," muttered McCrossen.
Van Tambel was silent for a mo­
and escaped a hideous catastrophe brings me down by the only possible
stood clasped In each other’s arms way. to hear me foully Insulted by my ment. “The ranch ain't worth as much
as It was yesterday, that's sure," he
thanking God and delirous In a new- own father. This Is too much!”
found. Intimate happiness.
Van Tambel hnd not dreamed that a said at last. Then after another pause:
“Water!” exclaimed Denison. "I’m mere Insult—his usual weapon toward “1 wouldn't mind the timber If the
perishing. In spite of my cold bath. everybody—would arouse anyone, much damned fire had held on till It cleaned
Aren't you thirsty?"
less his daughter, to such a pitch. Her out Denison."
Both were looking down on the
“Yes, but not suffering. I didn’t buttoned blouse, torn rudely open at
have to carry you. you know."
the neck by a forest branch, and her neighbor's ranch.
“I wish I was rid of that fellow.”
Moving a few feet up to the basin of tie awry, revealed the girlish Ivory of
the spring itself, they pushed aside her throat and neck, while her hot Van Tambel'» words fairly grated out
debris from the water's surface, drank words silenced the domineering brute of his harsh throat. Why couldn't that
from their cupped hands, and dashed before whose Insolence few men could blamed fire have cleaned out his build­
water over their faces.
ings yesterday?"
stand at ease.
"Jane,” said Denison when he rose
"Look here, Jane!" bellowed her fa­
"It was a close scratch. If the wind
again, “It was almost worth It for the ther In retreat. "You conte out here had shifted—"
was it's brought you and me together.” for your health, didn't you?”
<TO BE CONTINI ED)
CHAPTER VII—Continued
"Old Oaken Bucket" Foreign Words
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Winter
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*
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Flat Puns
A pun that is "built up to”
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