PAGE SIX
MTCDFOrcn MATT, TTCTTHTNTC, MEDFORD. OREfiON. WEDXESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1938.
LOVE ON THE RANGE
IT HUM C. Mil.
The Story So Far
Under the name ol Abe Slreef
er, cjuice-ffre Ankrom tokee a job
on tht troubled Rait" T ranch to
help lovely tee Trone. Colonel
Btruthen and Mm daughter BeltT
come to visit, and Ankrom recog
nizee Strutheri at on (mpoiter,
Kelton Orean. Orean It ehot and
Belt telle Ankrom ehe did it.
Rstchlord. the burly eheriff, quel
tioni them all. Including Claydell,
a neighboring rancher. Then he
turtle on Lee.
Chapter IS
Exposed
f EE TRONE'S red Hps curled
scornfully. Til bite." she said
"What was I?"
Ratchford scowled. "You're talk
ing to the sheriff of this county
now. I expect a civil answer.
"Very well," she answered, "I
was not under the pepper tree
wncn mai man was Kinea.
"Where were you?"
"I was walking toward H from
the rear of the bunkhouse."
Ankrom saw suspicion in the
mentis glance. "Wny7
"It was warm inside and I want
ed to get some air."
"Why did you happen to pick
that pepper tree to head for?
"I wanted to be alone. The
shadows were dark there and I
didn't think anyone would see
me."
There were puzzled corruga
tions on the sheriff's forehead. "I
have often felt like bein' alone,
myself," he said. "But 1 can't see
why you would want to be alone
when old friends you hadn't seen
for years had iust arrived."
"I felt strange toward them.
Somehow 1 couldn't accept them
as old friends," Lee said simply.
"I could not help feeling that they
were strangers and they were,
you know." Her glance went to the
girl who called herself Betty
Struthers. "Why did you and that
man practice this Imposture on
us?" she asked curiously.
A tear fell slowly from one
moist blue eye as the girl from
Peso Pinto faced her hostess.
"Miss Trone you'll never forgive
us, I know, but we knew the real
colonel and his daughter. He had
often told us of the Rafter T. 1
have always wanted to spend a
summer on a ranch. Finally I per
suaded father to impersonate "
she broke off and, turning her
head away, put a handkerchief to
her eyes.
Ankrom wondered If this were
the truth. He felt strongly inclined
to doubt it, for he knew the man
she called her father was Kelton
Drean, and so far as he had ever
heard, Kelton Orean had no
daughter. Too, he recalled the
place where first he'd seen this
girl. No, he decided, this yarn was
a lie. But the girl was a clever actress-He
saw the sheriff looking at
her closely, saw the sudden taut
ening of Ratchford's figure. "Isn't
this bogus coloiicl really Kelton
Drenn, the Tombstone gambler?"
The golden head drooped lower.
"Thought sol" the sheriff grunt
ed. "Drean," he told the others, "is
that tinhorn that made a lot of
brags about gettin that shootin
fool, Blur Ankrom. Seems like
Ankrom gunned this Drean's
cousin coupla years back, an the
rammer swore ne q never rest till
he evened the account"
"What's all that got to do with
us?" Trone asked, pulling himself
togctner. Anxrom saw mat tne nt
ol shaking had gone out of him.
"Mebbe nothing." the sheriff an
iwered. "Then again it might have
a wnole neap to do witn you. it all
depends. . . . He broke off to
frown at Claydell wh? was grin
ning.
"He means," Claydell chuckled,
"that one way of explainin
Drean's presence on your ranch
in any guise "
"Button your lip, damn youl'
Ratchford snarled.
The rancher returned the sher
lff's glare with bland surprise.
"Was I about to elve state secrets
away?"
"Some day," Ratchford's voice
was deeply vibrant, "you're goin'
to push me too far, ClaydelL When
that time comes you better have
your holster greased.
"You remind me of a spoiled
boy. When vou can't have things
all your ow.i way you sulk. Its
time you grew up."
A Warnlnf
BEFORE Ratchford could reply.
Claydell went on:
"You may be the sheriff of this
county, unfortunately, but that
don't come anywhere near glvin'
you a corner on the conversation.
Any time 1 feel the urge to break
forth in speech, neither you nor
all vour sheep-herdin' deputies
arc going lo hold me back. This
heres a warning, Ratchford. You
watch your stop!"
While the sheriff stood splutter
ing with purple face, Claydell
bowed to the others regretfully
and took his leave, permitting his
revolver to lay upon the floor
where Ratchford's boot had
shoved it. Perhaps, Ankrom
thought, he had forgotten the
wpnnnn. At nnv rat, hn loft with.
out it and a few moments later his
purring motor faded on, the dis
tant night
Ankrom's abrupt laugh broke
the silence Claydell's departure
had left behind.
"What the hell you laughln' at?"
Ratchford snarled.
"Laughin' at the way that fella
curled you up an' left you gaspin',"
Ankrom chuckled.
"Oh, you are, are you? Well, you
keep right on laughin' then while
you got the chance. When you're
all through I'll have a few things
to say that'll give you an opportu
nity to laugh on the other side of
your mug!
"Hop to It, then. It's long past
my bedtime an' nothin' makes me
so dang obstreperous as missin'
mv beautv sleep "
"You knew," growled Old Man
Trone, cutting sharply into An
krom's sentence, "that that fellow
impersonating Colonel Struthers
was a damned fake, sir! Why don't
you expose him?"
Ankrom's face grew sober as he
gazed into the stern accusing eyes
of Lee's father. "I was waitin'." he
answered, "to see how far the
skunk would carry It."
He saw Lee's glanci. travel past
him to the girl from Peso Pinto,
whose head was still averted. "1
think his brain was addled by a
pretty face," Lee said.
Hot color flowed through An
krom's cheeks. "Perhaps it was,"
he told her quietly. "But you
needn't worry about it happenin'
again. With a curt bow he turned
on his heel and went striding to
ward the door. ,
Ratchford's voice came leaping
after him: "C'm'cre! You tryin to
slide out on me like that? You
better stick around!
Wild lloofbeats
ANKROM, looking back, saw
that Ratchford's hand was at
his hip. He grinned coldly at the
sheriff. "I expect that's your waji
of advisin' me to linger in this
county. Well, don't fret yourself:
I'll stay, all right. I guess you ain't
used to my kind, brother. I belong
to a breed that sticks to the last
gasp.'
"All right, Curly Wolf," the
sheriff gibed. "You listen now. You
saw me prove thnt this Struthers
dude was really Kelton Drean, the
gambler. Drean s been spendin a
heap of time in the Ins' two years
chasin' after one Blur Ankrom.
This Ankrom killed Drean's cousin
in a gun fight Now it seems to me
it would put tou in a awkward
spot seein' as how Drean was
killed here tonight, was I to prove
that ynur real name's Blur An
krom. That's somethin' for you to
be mullin' over while you're gettin'
in that beauty sleep you men
tioned!" With the sheriff's ominous words
still coursing through his mind,
Ankrom sat on the edge of his
bunk several minutes later, bent
double in the task of pulling off
his boots. But suddenly his Angers
ceased all operations. From the
slope leading down from the ridge
hemming the valley rang a wild
rataplan of hoofbents.
For one breathless second he sat
there listening. Then with a bound
he was on his feet and moving to
ward the open door with long swift
strides. In the shadow outside the
doorway he halted to gaze across
the night. But no moving, tiling
met his stare along the trail lead
ing down from the ridge.
With hurried quiet he moved to
the rear of the bunkhouse. What
he saw stilled the breath I n hia
throat, inured as he wns to danger,
A forward-bent rider with flog
ging arm and flapping legs was
tearing madly down that treacher
ous rear pitch from the valley's
rim. Ankrom's eyes glinted nar
rowly as he watched that crazy
course. It seemed impossible that
horse and rider at that fearful pace
should reach the valley's floor
alive.
His being quickened as the reck
less saddle-slicker drove his rock
eting mount across the stream.
Between the buildings and straight
across the yard they tore, the
horse brakine to a stem in a cloud
of dust as Ankrom rounded the far
corner of the bunkhouse. He heard
the rider hit dirt saw him go to
ward the ranch-house's vernnda at
a staggering run, stiff-legged from
long contact with the saddle.
Ankrom saw the ranchhouse
door burst open: saw dark figures
come spilling out across the porch
like red ants from a burning log.
They wbre silhouetted Dlack
against the front room's lighted
windows so that by their shapes he
could guess at their identities. He
heard the sheriff's low curse and
Old Man Tronc's excited voice
hurling questions.
The runner stopped, stood sway
ing before the ranch-house steps aa
he fought for brcnth. There was i
sob in the words that finally came:
'Rustlers! boss they've got that
beef we had on the northwest
range!"
Ankrom saw Trone s form
shrink back as from a blow; saw
a trembling hand rome up to brush
across his forehead. Trone's ques
tion came from a thickened throat:
"Wiped clean . . .?"
Ulean as as a hound s tooth!
the puncher blurted.
(Crtrt,,ti. I'll. Nihn c. A
Ankrom Investigates, tomorrow.
CHRYSLER'S WIFE
OF
and devotod mast of her time to her
fnmlly.
All her children wcrv nt net bed
Aide when h.e died Mrs. Uyron C.
Poy, Mrs Edgar anrblsch, Walter
Chrysler, Jr., and Jack ChryMer.
GREAT NKCK. N. T.. Aug. 10. yp,
Mrs. Walter P. Chrysler, wtfn of the
auto magnate, died at thclt home
hero last night of a cerebral hem
orrhage, at the age of 61.
The former Delia Forker. laughter
of an Ellis, Kant., merchant, jJie had
been Chrysler' constant aourvi' of in
spiration and encouragement during
hi rise from railroad worker to
manufacturer and financier.
They were married In 1901 when
Chrysler was a 13-a-day roundhouse
mechanic In Salt Lake city, and
began married life on $60 capital.
Despite her husband's achrement
of ftme and lortune. Mrs. C'hrylei j
ftchewtd extensive social activity
New Bantam Auto
To Sell For $399
BUTLER. Pa , Aug. 10 V) The
American Bantam Car company an
nounced todny a new automol-ile de
livered completely equipped at the
factory for :ui, which the company
said waa the first American model
to sell for less thnn 9400.
The previous low on a Bun nun ma
chine waa 4H3 for the muster
coupe.
The new coupe Iim slightly smaller
wheels.
Col.
Welch Dies
In Vets Hospital
PORTLAND. Am. U , T' - fol H
U. VHrh. OS. fi-riufr Multni-man
county aue&aor end veteran ol the
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHNHIX
Tor further proof address the author, 1nc!oeln itamjed envelope for reply. Ref. V. 8. Pet OB.
NT
IWW A
fflffwciUft Mt SftfMftN, 12, Sanfei-nando.aliF.,
rnV HVIMO f" lirvin wwnmwf i"iim
iMf i HDiklA 9 nitttrTLItittOFSfiENERhTioHS
. EACH OH Wtt MOTHER'S SlPft
I & 5MGENERfiriOH'm$TcMU
ANP DMGHTBR...
,osfec,kA4uit?fr cross -ATTxi L'Mrr
1 lrw Hrip-iMM "
-foe PUftNTlC i.
I, uric iwsiwji'I
-1H OlnCK rtK'SH L 1
Of CONSTfrNTlNOPI-E,
steh entrance to ifte
City through -the
Ihpodozlan lAal.
HMRmbMBP UNOPENED Zrj
fctosep 0V MortrSMweou wrteVi. i
he cuNQUcKcunHc IN
inriii M
The Forbidden portal.
Resplendent with glittering gold
and sculptiired marble, the Golden
Gate of Constantinople was built
by Theodoslus Into a great wall sur
rounding the city over 1600 years
ago.
This famed portal wns the official
state entrance to Constantinople and
waa used only on occasions of great
Importance, When Mohammed II
conquered this Important city after
the great slrge of 1453, he ordered
the gate closed permanently.
Since 1453 the Qolden Gate has re
mained shut; not a single soul has
passed beneath Its high arch. Time
has left Its mark of deterioration on
the Golden Gate, but It still stands
today In a section of the original
wall unopened.
10 Grandparents
Prlscllla Jane Satnan, 12, of San
Fernando, Calif., has the distinction
of being the first child and daughter
of a first child and daughter of a
first child and daughter of a first
child and daughter of a first child
and daughter.
When she wns born she had living
10 grandparents, eight of whom were
on her mother's side of the family.
Strange as It seems, Prlscllla was
the last of two living direct lines of
five generations each, a relationship
seldom duplicated.
Stalk-Eyed Shrimp
Unparalleled in the animal world
Is the eye construction of the oar
shrlmp, In which the organ Is borne'
at the end 'of a slender beam longer
than the rest of the body. Other
animals have similar stalked eyes,
but none In such an exaggerated de
gree as the oar-shrimp.
Tomorrow: What animals are
known to carry gold nuggets In
their stomachs? -
"TICKETS, PLEASE 1"
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
PAREWS RfLUCTArllLV
COMsW TO LEY HIM
HOLD "TICKETS to 6IVF
To CONDUCTOR ON "fRAIfJ '
fOMTSTHEM OVER AHD
ulR,TiOfTSB't'HI5
COVJ&TArlT HhrlDllNS
6ETM6 REDUCED 10
A PULPY STATE
rSTolDNOrfYOPLAV
wifri TriEw. Tires of
JUST HOLDIrteTHEM AKD
KEEPS ASKlKS IS CON
DUCTOR COMWfiSDOrf?
'tries To -chrust Them
W TURrf OU A BRAKE
MArJ. A MA hi SELUtte
CArtDY ADD THE SAME
8RAKEMAN OK WAV BACK
pL
tires of fuE whole
BUSINESS AND LOOKS
OUT OF WINDOW
UiiUiftrf6 g-C)
Wrtrl SURPRISE
friERH ARE ONlYlVO
liCKEffc HOW
LOOrfeS -ticKEf MAV HE 6E fi
f bEfwEEW Sf kt DRlHK 0? WAfER
AWD WlKDOW END OF CAP.PlRlK6
HI5 ABSENCE CfiKlWoR
C0ME6 KOUND R)R f.tKFfe
Coprightj 1W8, bj The BtTJ Syndicate, Inc.)
3 MATTER POP
Rv 0 LV1 PAYNE
Spanish-American, Mexican and World
wars, died Tuesday at the Veterans
hospital, where he had been ill for
several weeks.
Col. Welch, also identified with
the Oregon national guard, served
as assessor from 1031 to 1037. He
was born In Illinois and came to
Oregon when he was 11 years old.
He was deputy assessor from 1900
to 1020. He became a colonel after
the World war, retiring In 1030,
after 37 years of military service.
Careless Smoker
Causes Big Blaze
BAKER, Aug. 10. (A') A careless
motorist threw a lighted cigarette
tub along a section of the Baker
Homestead highwoy last nlpht and
caused a grass fire that swe-pt 450
acres of grazing land, surrounded the
Macy mine and almost went into the
forest.
Forty CCC enrollees were hurried
to the scene and after four hours of
continuous fighting controlled the
blaze. Tho fire traveled so fast be
fore a brisk breeze that It was feared
for a time that all of the buildings
on the mining property would be
lost and perhaps residences at Sparta
endangered.
WINDOW GLASS We sell window
gloss and will replace your broken
windows reasonably. Trowbridge Cab
inet Works.
EST". WtV'ffl' cjM wouli
'A iris -fit & f ESSvl ' s r "4i-
atoopyrigtt, taM, by The Bell gyndlcU, Iacj jtf 3t fjryeC Wf
TAILSPIN TOMMY Something's Wrong!
By HAL FORREST
( THE R C V rSHOUCHT TO MAKE AT A erfS!!aJLSi
GOES PV LEAST THREE HUNDREO ) , SlCrSL I -Wfl s J- -4- AZMj fi&( I
AT t
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER The Lecture I
By EDWTN AT.GER
"fcOME IN, BENS T I fHE LIGHTS OUT Cf MY f F1H0 HIM HERE! anPfgH PAN1 RUININ HI9 HEALTH!
; P-l I WANT VOO TO U SANITARIUM WITHOUT M DOIN1 WHAT? CAUSIN1 pSaBf fti PROVE IT BY HIS BL00D
r-lfl I'M cnllSi?D'Erfel J DOWNRIGHT J , PRESSURE AN4 HEARTi ,pjfT
1 F) CTO0- Sf RESPONSIBLE FOR J if : . .if MISCHIEF THAN A tv! v III ) BEN, GET MY ( r'rif1
THE NEBBS Love
By SOL HESS
"sr. ' . .
-V LOOIC WHAT A. LOVE-SICK
''?.-. 1 MOMKEV "TWAT WIDOW MDE
IF THAT WERE A COCOMUr TREE
ee. up iki it tossimg
,-TUEM AT PS5E53seV i
FARDOM MS FOR
IMTRODlNJS 1 MOPE
1 DlOJT INJTE.RCUPT
LA PV.EASO.Mr CON
I7VERSATIOKI NOU
( TMATS all. rismt. w
V bootwer rudv m
r - -. f via
A ai
IiH TM, W A. M MM I
T5 MOKIE OF
MV BUSINiESS
BUT THIS WIDOW
CERTAISJUV MADE.
A LOVE-SI CK FOOL ,
OUT Of VOU
IF BBWS A FOOL
MAKE.S OKIE. SO HAPPY
1 UUNJT LA.KC-, TO
IWMAT A DEGRELE 1
ACQUIRE IT 2-