PAGE ETflHT
MTTlFOTCD MATL TTITRUNT:, MEDFORI), OREGON. TUESDAY, AUGUST 0. 1938.
LOVE ON THE RANGE
BY NEUON C. MYE.
. iiu Story So Far
Under the turn of Abe Street
er, quick-fire Ankrom :aket a job
. on the troubled Ratter T ranch to
help lovely Lee Trone. Colonel
Struthen and nil daughter Betty
come to oliit, and Anfcrom recog
nizee Strutheri at an Impoiter,
Kelton Drean. Drean ihot and
Bettv ellpi Ankrom her gun, lav
ing 'he did It. Batchford, the
burl iherlfl, holde them all of
questioning, including CUydell, a
. neighboring rancher. Accidental
ly, Ankrom dropi Bettu'e gun on
the floor.
Chapter 14
Question!
IN PLAIN sight, blue and cold
and grim It lay. The surprise had
frozen tnem an 10 a rigia ieno
ni Antrum thought the DOUnd
ing of his heart must surely shake
mm.
"Weill" the sheriff drawled at
last. "Well! What parlor trick Is
this. Streeter?
Ankrom erinned with a mirth.
lessness that showed the whiteness
of his teeth. "Shucks." he said. "I
feel downright ashamed to call
that weaklin mine.
"I ehouldn't wonder." With
heavy irony Ratchford stooped to
pick the weapon up. Yet even as
his fingers spread to grip it, An
krom covered the pistol with his
foot.
Grimlv Ratchford straightened,
The head on his thick neck came
forward until his heavy features
' uiArn within ten inches of An
krom's. Unblinking, the smoking
eyes stared balefully.
His words were low. spaced wide
apart: "wrier did you gel mat
run;
Across Ankrom's mind came the
vision of the girl from Peso Pinto
rising from the crumpled form of
Kelton Drean wltn one nana noia
Ing papers, a pistol in the other
This pistol I
H overt It warllv. Had the spu
rious Struthers' life been snuffed
with this?
He let his glance rest upon the
sheriff s. By your tone, he tola
him, "a mar would figure it was
a crime to own more'n one gun In
Texas?"
"Never mind airin' your opin.
Ions. I want to know where you got
this gun.
"I don't know that It's any of
your business. Ratchford.
"I'm making' It my business."
"Boot Hill is filled with fellas
that had that habit"
"Damn you!" Ratchford swore.
"You answer my Question an' an
swer it quick or I'll slap the brace
lets on you an' take vou in for this
killin'r
"What evidence you got that 1
downed Struthers? Law says you
got to have evidence before you
can arrest a man for i thing like
this."
"Yeah? Well, that law don't
cover you. The laws ain't made
for driftin' snddle tramps that go
round stirrin' up trouble. Talk
fella talk, or I'll take vou inl"
Ankrom stood there, his eyes
like tempered steel, the lean
cheeks drawn taut. Troublt, he
told himself, was like his shadow.
He could not escape it wherever
he turned his eyes, there lay
trouble waiting. To move amid
scenes of turmoil seemed to be
his portion. There was no escape
. , . save death.
Very well, then: he was through
trying. He would serve these
trouble-bringers what they asked
for. He would give them all they
wanted from here on out: he
would hurl it In their teeth.
As the sheriff's voice stopped
Ankrom's right hand shrank into
a hard fist. He took a forward
stride as the sheriff stepped back
a pace and stood. His eves held
Ratchford like a grip: thev were
palely blue like ice. thev were baf
fling, mocking, hateful. "What was
it you wanted. Ratchford?"
Who Hired You?'
CAUTION clouded the sheriff's
glance. "I wont to know where
that gun came from."
"From the waistband of my
trousers."
"Where'd you get It?"
As Ankrom was about to make
answer, from the tail of his eye
he caught a warning gesture. Just
a tiny movement of a hand it was:
a girl's hand Lee'sl Then she was
not completely indifferent to htm:
the thought crossed his mind like
light Evidently she 'ealized as did
he himself, that Ratchford was out
to find a goat and meant to find
one before he left this room.
But Lee's cautioning gesture no
longer held the force it might have
held this morning. Stooping swift
ly he came up with the gun his
foot had covered; cairn- up so sud
denly the sheriff had no time to
guess his purpose before the pis
tol's muzzle held him in grim focus
as Ankrom backed to the wall be
side the outer door.
"It didn't come from no dead
man's hand, if that's what you're
insinuatin',' Ankrom drawled. "If
you're aimin' to find a goat for this
night's work, Ratchford, you bet
ter pick on someone else."
"Any man can talk behind a
gun," the sheriff sneered.
With a blur the pistol left An
krom's hand and no one saw
where he had sheathed it. White
teeth gleamed coldly behind his
parted lips. His attitude was a
challenge to big Tom Ratchford.
yet Ratchford did not move.
Ankrom sai. . "What caliber gun
did the colonel use. Miss Struth
ers?" "Why ... a thirty-two, I be
lieve." "The pistol I Just picked up was
a thirty-two. It came off the
shell has been exploded. Do vou
know, Ratchford what caliber slug
it was that killed the colonel?"
"A fortv-flve." the sheriff's
voice came back. "I cut it out."
A moment's pause, and then:
"Like the gun I took out of your
hand a while ago."
"Did you?" Ankrom said.
The sheriff shrugged. His lids
AnnnnUfl lUa Bvnraitinn v htu
bUIIVCCICU WIS SAr" .nae vi
eyes. "All right then," he said.
"like the tony-nve you gave up
at my request a while ago- -ii it
make vnll fpl nnv hotter to have
put it that way."
"It does. No man ever took a gun
away from me vet. Ratchford"
"Hard hombre, eh? I've seen
your type of drifter before the
kind that hires out Its guns to the
rii0hft hiHHer. Who hired vou to
gun the colonel?"
"I didn't gun him. I told you tnai
before. Now let me ask you one:
..... ).... U 1..m tUa
i iu w u yuu nnuw oiuk h.o,
downed him was a forty-five?
iwignin i 11 nave oeen a turiy-four?"
Where Were Your
"T ISTEN," Ratchford said testily.
1 "I've fooled around guns long
enough to recognize whether a
chunk of lead was thrown from a
fortv-four or forty-five, no mat
ter how badly it happens to be bat
tered. Thercs a dilrrence in tne
weight. Besides, this slug was
pretty smooth. It was like the ones
your gun the one you give me
shoots."
"That doesn't mean anything,"
Ankrom said. "You've got a forty-
five yourself. It's slung in that
shoulder holster under your coat
Mr. Trone may be packin one too,
for all I know. Claydell. here, pro
duced a thirty-eight at your in
sistence, but he may likewise have
a forty-five cached about him some
place. I don t see any guns on tnese
two cowboys, but if I was to tudge
them by the rest of you I'd say
they was each packin' a forty-five,
at least. For a country thats
shucked its irons "
"Never mind the sarcasm.
Ratchford broke In roughly He
turned toward the two girls: "Miss
Struthers.uihere were you when
your ol' man was shot?"
The unexpectedness of the ques-.
tion brought a startled breath from
Lee Trone. Her eyes flicked wide
and darkened. Instinctively they
sought Ankrom's. Me gave ner a
reassuring quirk of the lips and
turned his glance on Betty.
The sheriff's procedure elicited
no sign of dismay from her. She
had her wits about her every min
ute of the time. Ankrom reflected
sardonically. "A girl that has all
the answers," he summed her up.
When she sooke her voice held
that amount of huskiness genuine
grief for her father's death might
have caused.
I I let me see. a white
hand went to her forehead, rumpl
ing the golden curls: j tiny pucker
grew between her thoughtful eyes.
there. Father had asked me to
meet him out beneath that pepper
tree; he said he had something
private which he wished to talk
to me about . . ." She bit her lip:
her thoughts seemed far away.
I m trying to recollect it seems
to me I had lust stepped out the
door and crossed the veranda. I
was leaning against one of those
funny posts '
uome. come Miss btrutners,
the sheriff exclaimed impatiently.
1 asked you where you were when
you heard the shots. I'm not inter
ested in the history of your rrove
ments from the time you fin
ished supper.
upon the big sherm the tin from
Peso Pinto turned wide blue eyes
in which there shone the hurt ex
pression of a child who has been
unjustly reproved. VBut Mr.
Ratchford, that is what I am try-
ng to teH vou. I had stepped out
on the veranda when I heard two
sharp reports"
1 hen vou did not see the cun-
flashes?" the sheriff growled. "You
couidn t say from which direction
the reports came?"
The airl shook her head. Tin
afraid not. I was looking"
Yeah. Ratchford cut her off.
He swung round upon Lee Trone:
"Lee," his eyes were on hers prob
Ingly. "what were you doing under
the pepper tree when Colonel
Struthers got shot?"
IfWml 10.U. Kttim C. )
More bad aewt for the Raiter T,
Monday.
W.C.T.U. LEADER
BAN ITRANCISCO, Aug. P. rTr
Motion pictures wrre declared by
MlAfl Mauds M. Aldrtrh tn report to
the Womon't Christian lmpranc
Union convention today "probably
the most powerful medium in puttlnn
the clgaret between the Hp" ol
American women.
MlM Aldrlch ol Oresham. Ore., na
tional motion picture department di
rector (or the W. C. T. U.. tlto
blamed the film for "dulling
the precept! n of many a to th
unwomanllnejs and menor In the
use of alcohol; In creating standardi
of dress and conduct which complete
ly Ignore the acrrdnes of person,
and In spreading tt:e cheap com pro
mlslng Ideas of Isve. marriage and
home life so prevalent t.-xlay.'
The report urped the convention to
support "proper regulation" of mo
tion picture.
SHELL EMPLOYES
TO GET PENSIONS
ST. LOtU. Aug. 9. The flhell
Shell Petroleum and Pipe Line cor
porattone announced today ti:e adop
tion of the retirement pe union plan
for Its 37.800 employes in the United
States and Canada.
Upsn retirement, an employe will
receive a pension equal to 40 per cent
of his annua wage, during the pre
vious five years Normal retirement
will he 00 for men, and 65 for wo
men, although retirement at these
ages will not be compulsory, the
companies painted out.
Disability pensions for employes
under 00 will be 62 4 per cent of the
full pensions, it waa announced.
Alexander Fraser. president. naJd
M e plan, which will date back to
Jan. 1, la "deainate'd to round out a
board program of social benefit al
ready in frce."
The pensions will be provided by
the companies without contribution
by employes
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
For farther proof address the author, loeloilnf stamped envelope for reply. Res;. TJ. 8. Pat. OS.
LIVSPlNft
GASMASK FoR
mil nkxjj' I
A PACK Of W0W4,
fRA)VELlN6THRoUQrtTre
-6M0W. limi ONW OHSItoML J ..
1 ?s )$M
4 N&lL M I
iff ylwss
IP. ' .JiT II
7U
is
Mi J
low toit&fts, I J-
Wwa If li$hhjei$f&
Ch3mpiort,
WAS KNOCK ZD OUT.
PYA PUNCHING
rte rWlTSortbRD
fen- om him
Casey Junes
A nagro engine wiper in a Vaughan.
Mississippi, roundhouse one spring
day In 1900 crooned this little ditty
as be worked:
"O Casey Jones, he was all right,
He stuck to His duty both day and
night,
They loved to hear his whistle and
the ring of Number Three.
As he came Into Memphis on the
old X. C."
A tow days before, the wiper, Wal
lace Saunders, hod bren shocked by
newa of t'.e death of his idol, John
Luther "Casey" Jones, engineer on
the crack "Cannonball Express" of
.0M Ml YOU PtoUHDfTGS IP Voil WfcNTTn
1HS SlbRY" Of h BRAVE ENGINEER; N
Cteey Jones was Trie rounder's name, .
ON A31X-EI6HT Wrtt6lftoS,rl6W0N HSfAM
CASEY J0N$ REAUYUVSd
AM EM6INEER ON THE ILUNOlS CENTRALS '
"ChNNONBhLL eXPRESS," Hl5 f AMoU5
FARBINEtt TRIPTo THE PROMISED LhND"
IWIQ ScuTM op MEMPHIS, 7emt
WHEN HrS UJCOMoTlVt CRASHED ft
FREIGHT IRftlN.
SUBURBAN HEIGHTS
ltVVtut eB4feat&
the Illinois Central Chlca-New Or
leans run. .
Jones' method of "wulppoorwlll
Ing" his engine's whistle had oaptl
vated Saunders, and the song young
Saunders created1 was a fitting me
morial to his friend. The same ssng,
rewritten and set to music by Song
writer Ed Newton, became a national
hit.
Nicknamed "Casey" because he
hailed from the town of Cayce, Ky.(
Jones worked for the B. As O. and
for the Mablle and Ohio reads before
Joining the Illinois Central.
Casey's "farewell trip Into thi
promised land" took ptace on" the
night of April 29, 1900. with his fire
man, C. M. Webb, r-.e pulled Into
Memphis on the 638, hauling thn
"Cannonball." Learning that the
southbound engineer was sick, Jones
and Webb volunteered to double back
and take over the run.
The train rounded & long curve
Just above Vaughan and roared down
hill about fifty-five miles an hour.
It was 30 minutes behind schedule
Suddenly a freight train loomed
ahead, pulling onto a siding.
With a craj. the train plowed
through the boxcars. The engineer
had Jumped clear, but Casey stuck to
his post and was killed.
Tomorrow: IV hat famous sate ha
been unopened for nearly 500 years?
MORE SUMMER PUPILS
IN OREGON SCHOOLS
EUGENE. Aug. 9. (JP) Summer
study has Increased at Oregon Insti
tutions markedly over last year ac
cording to peroentages submitted by
Chancellor Frederick M. Hunter for
the Oregon board of higher educa
tion.
The percentage Increase over lost
year for summer school post session:
Eastern Oregon normal, 72,3; South
ern Oregon normal, 39.2; Oregon nor
mal, 25.7; University of Oregon, 14.3;
Oregon State, 120.
OREGON JOB INSURED
GET HIGHEST BENEFITS
SALEM. Aug. 9- P) Oregon's Job
less Insured are receiving larger week
ly benefit checks man those of any
other state, according to a compara
tive report received from the social
security board by the state unem
ployment compensation commission.
It placed the Oregon average for
total unemployment checks during
June at a 11.84. New York was second
with 911.80.
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
The paper-bdv added fuel To The teud beiweew
FRED PEPIEV AND THE MAN NEyT T?00R WHEW HE ABSEtff
M1NDEDW SKIPPED HIM SUNDAV M0RKIN6 j BECAUSE FRED,
KNOWING THrVT HIS NEIGHBOR WAS AWAV, iHOUfiHrf lUKf
HIS PAPER HAD BEEN LEF-f ON HIS STEP BV MISTAKE
AND WEWf OVER FOR T, UNAWARE THAT THE .
NElSHIJOR HAD RETURNED THE N(5HT BEFORE .Swfe
(Copyright, 1938, by Th BtU gyaiicVte, Inc.) W)LLIt)l7$
S MATTER POP
Bv 0 M PAYNE
The official languages of the
League of Nations are French and
English. Any representative wishing
to speak In another language must
provide a translation of his speech
In French or English.
Y lt"sryuti. Comsat j ' I in
CNoW, S v Cfm Cawwitjal s ,
(OopTrigbt, 1938, by Th SeuBjnSk&rG- lr A
TAILSPIN TOMMY More Dirty Work I
By HAL FORREST
kl 111
A3 TOMMY, BEAOINO AN
"OFFICIAL OKAY FROM
THE REGISTRAR, ARRIVED
AT THE WEIGH-IN HANGAR
TO QUALIFY FOP HIS
3TAQTIMG NUMBER, SNOOT
LOUDLY PROTESTED AGAINST
THE ENTRY OF TOMMYS
MERCURY IN THE RACES
IB UT THE OFFICIAL STARTER
IGNORED THE COMPLAINT
THEN SNOOT LEFT IN A
HIGH DUDGEON, DECLARING
HE XJLD FILE ANOTHER
PROTEST WTTH THE RACE
COMMITTEE . BUT THESE
MEN CERTAINLY 00 NOT
look like N.AA. officers
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER The Warning I
I'LL HAVE TO LEAVE EVERY-1
U THING UP TO YOU FE.LLOW5I
IVC I lJ DC If, "C
IN AN HOUR. I DO VOL!
UNDERSTAND WHAT TO
DO?
TI .SllQP SNOOT.
M.WE gotcha!
UNDERSTAND WHAT ""Vl
tiuXS- faf r3H STMfEP. SetF-ADOMMEP IMSE f MV'ELOFf
s, K?v --i cJ' WS? 1 TO HtVL FoRBtST, 9t THIS PATER, PoR MODEL
iiJ;Mv- - riAK5 of th& pouqlas p.s.t. plane
SLUGGER GIVES THIS W YOU GET
GUY, TAILSPIN, Th NOTE.V THE DOUGH
IF HE AGREES. OKAY A AFTER
IF MOT..cra!PT 7t THE RACES!
CURTAINS!
lfirtlAJ PAY-OFF EITHER 6P'
?2wLliM WAY IS TWO I ilL
''ROLL YOUR
TOM KINS !VOEp;:
AND ATThTwEIGH-II , J
IM HANGAR . , fjyMjJorTgY
By EDWIN ALQE"
WHERE TO
NOW, SON?
( BCK to "V1?! I honest to sosh.briarsieH I SPL why, that's dr. jed I Toason jones, i"m sick WllSlpP I
THE FARM-H II 1 J IT'S ALL I CAN DO TO LjM M KILEVS CAR -WONDER AN TIRED Of THE WAV J
TV CTlT I WT KEEP FR0M BAWUMS WHY HElS HERE? c-J YOU'RE CARRYING ON! J JNl
lj ' ?
"WTrS NJOME OF. VJUV SWOUUD IMTEREST " IpTlM LALXsUIMG.! A. TCW OAVS 4. I I
S e?VA?!!lSE T VOUCi eJSiMESS g MVSELP? IP WETS GOT TWE. KTIMO N f AfeO VOU ALMOST HAD TUE PlP '
3 IS GGXTlNje MI&UTV R WRV SMOULD I fj OF DOOC3U WE SAYS WE HAS, 'M I UJHEM VOU THOU&WT 5TEVE WAS
SERIOUS, AMD 1 PONT VOU INTTEREST i MIS OML-V UVINJG RELATIVE AMD 1 f 601M6 TO CLAIM A PART OFAUUT J
VLGJTr VOUf5SELF?y A5HOOLO SIT OM THE SIDE-LIMES OPWEUAS ESTATE-KjCUJ VOL) WAMT
7iCfrX lai,H, )- '' VAWO GIVE -THREE CHEERS WJHENJ THE I 'V TO COT IM OM HIS. VOU'RE AS "
I iM f
THE NEBBS Know Thyself
By 80L HESS
4