PA'flF TfiTTT
LOVE Oil THE RANGE
.ir nun c. in.
E
Chapter 30
Ripping Lead
A WIDE grin broke over Hatch
ford's face; his eyes began to
glow. "Well, now I" he said with
heavy pleasantry. "That's sure too
bad poor fella. He shot a gloat
ing look at Ankrom; tensed. Slowly
Ms grin toox on a sicxiy iook ana
faded. The hand holding his pistol
drooped.
A 1 . ..... t 1. ! 1 A
lIlHiUlIlS KUfl WB9 lil (1S ututu,
held rieid at his thich. How it had
otten mere Kaicmora coma not
ave told but there it most cer
tainly was, Its muzzle covering the
third button of the sheriff's vest.
The alertness of his glance never
strayed from the sheriff's mottled
features.
'The responsibility for Trone's
death is yours, Ratchford. It's the
thing you ve Been strivin lo oring
about for months perhaps for
years. I reckon u s time you pam.
Ratchford glared in silence.
"Sheath vour Bun." Shadow-like,
it was just a blur of motion. Yet
Ankroms heavy pistol had been
holstered. Ankrom's hand hung
empty at his side.
There was a shake to Ratchford's
hand as he pouched his own. Or
had AnKrom but imagined nr
"Windy here'll count three," he
said. "You can yank your gun any
time you ve a mina to. i u nre wncn
Windy hits the three."
Ratchford's face appeared to
pale. "You can't I won't be no
party to it!" he muttered. "I I
wouldn't stand a chance against
your
"What kind of a chance," asked
Ankrom coldly, "do you think
Trone had against you an' all your
hirelings?"
A tremor shook Ratchford's mas
sive frame. "You can't make me do
thisl I had nothing to do with his
death! It was Claydell that got him
drinkin'; Claydell that's been sup
plyin' him with booze! I had
nothin' to do with it, I tell you. It
wasn't me."
"It wasn't you what?"
"It wasn't me that's been tryin'
to smash him." He seemed to make
an effort to pull himself together,
as though his fears were partially
allayed at Ankrom's continued in
action. "Claydell's the man you
want."
"Yeah?" Ankrom's glance was
sceptical. "What about that bed
time story you was spinnin" me
about how you was goin' to marry
Lee Trone?"
"I was only funnln'."
Ankrom's lips grinned coldly.
"Well, that may be so. Peel off that
badge an' hand it over." .
He watched narrowly while the
sheriff did so. Then he pinned the
bit of metal to his owr vest, using
his left hand in the operation.
"Now we'll stroll up front an'
visit your office, " he said pleas
antly. "Any time durin' these pro
ceedin's you think you've got a
break just make a pass at your gun
an' find out for sure."
As they traversed the narrow
corridor Ankrom wondered what
had become of the frail old jailor.
He had not seen the man since he
had left him at the entrance to the
cells. And the fellow was not sit
ting there now.
Once the sheriff turned his head
to cast a look behind him and An
krom caw the smouldering fury in
his eyes. It came to him that Ratch
ford's momentary show of fear
might well have been a sham de
signed to catch him off his guard,
even as he himself had turned the
tables on the sheriff.
He cast a fleeting glance at
Windy as they gathered in the of
fico and Ratchford closed the door.
The puncher's face was stamped
with an expression telling far more
plainly than words that events
were moving much too fast for his
comprehension.
Ankrom faced the sheriff and his
jaw thrust forward grimly."Ratch
ford sit down behind that desk
an' get out some paper an' a pen.
You re goin' to do some writin'."
'Your Resignation'
"'EAH? What am I goin' to
write?"
"Your resignation from the sher
iff's office. To take effect immedi
ately." "Are you crazy?"
"We won't argue that. Get busy
writin'."
"You're hitln' off considerable
more'n you'll be able to chew."
"You watch my dust."
"This thing ain't over yet."
"Stock phrase. Whyn't you think
up a new one?" Ankrom jeered.
His cold blue eyes bored rteadily
into the long rmoky ones of
Ratchford, who suddenly broke
forth in a flood of invective. A
gleam of derision entered An
krom's glance. "Turn it off. You're
wastin' slcam. Get busy an' add to
that paper that you're recommend
in' me to finish out your term."
"You don't think that'll buy you
anything, do you?"
"You do as 1 say an' never mind
what I think. There's a number of
polecats still stinkin' 'ip this coun.
try. That paper ought to cover me
long enough to get 'cm extermi
nated. Far as that goes, this office
would make a line
Ankrom broke off abruptly. A
knock had sounded upon the of
fice's outer door and Ankrom's
back was toward It. Ho dared not
turn his head for he was in a line
between the sheriff and the doc.
He raised his voice:
"Who's there?"
"Craig," there was Impatience In
the answer.
Ankrom looked at Ratchford.
Ratchford grinned and his smooth,
unwrinkled forehead expressed a
mighty satisfaction. "My deputy,"
he chuckled. "Your garne t up,
fella."
The calm tranquillity of An
krom's glance was disconcerting.
His chuckle matched the sheriff's.
'Think so? Go ahead an' call him
in."
For the space of a dozen heart
beats there was stillness in the of
fice; a lack of sound that was tight
with danger, wherein the clicking
of clashing thoughts was almost
audible; a silence strained and
electric a thing to cock one's mus
cles, to set one's teeth on edge.
Across this hush the two men
stared malignantly, each striving
to eye the other down. Slowly
Ratchford's face went purple.
Ankrom was leaning a trifle
forward. "Go on, Ratchford call
him in," he purred.
Ratchford choked. His lips
worked several times before words
came, and when they did his voice
was shaken by the repression with
which they were uttered:
"Go back to the men, Craig. m
be with you in a minute."
With a short laugh, Ankrom
straightened. "Shucks, Windy," he
drawled, "this Ratchford's just a
whizzer. There ain't no bottom to
him ain't no sand In his craw."
He crossed to the desk and
picked up the paper Ratchford had
written and tucked t in his pocket,
while Ratchford hung there tense
with anger, his eyes blazing.
Ankrom sent a contemptuous
? lance across the sheriffs burning
eatures. "You're not sheriff any
longer, Ratchford," he said evenly,
"you're just an ordinary man. As
such I'm warnin' you. Never set
foot again on Rafter T territory.
He backed to the door with Windy;
opened it.
"If you do," he finished, 'Til
see that you're planted there."
The Sheriff's Stat
A LARGE moon, aided by the
lamp on the telephone pole
across the street, made the space
before the sheriff's office fairly
bright. The two machines which
had been parked beneath the light
had disappeared. But the group of
horsemen were still gathered. Most
of them were in saddle, but two
or three stood beside their mounts
engaged in a low-voiced conversa
tion. These looked up as Ankrom
and Windy emerged from Ratch
ford's office.
"What's holdin' Ratchford?"
called one of the group.
He a winaln up one or two mat
ters. Ankrom said. "He 11 be with
you boys in a jiffy, I shouldn't won
der.
He knew these men would not
recognize him for he had not ap
peared in town since the day he
had driven the phony Struthers in
from El Paso, nut some oi tne
posse could and probably did rec
ognize Windy.
"Better git in the car with me,"
the puncher muttered. "Somethin
tells me we better hump our
selves." 1
'Don t out on like vou re in a
hurry," Ankrom cautioned softly.
He caught the glint of the sheriff's
star where he'd pinned it on his
vest; with the sight came inspira
tion. He raised his voice so that
the posse might overhear:
"All right, fella," he said. "Don't
try any of those gags on me I've
been in this sherifiin' game since
who laid the chunk an' I reckon to
know all the tricks.Thls your car?"
'Huh? My sosh. you oughta
know "
'Get It started then. You heard
what Ratchford said. I've just
about got time to get there. How're
your tires?" he asked. "Ain't ex
nectin' any blowouts, are you?"
.Windy's shin got a heavy kick.
"Them tires are all right, ir
they're good enough for Rafter T,
they're eood enoush for the likes
of you. Windy grunted, and
jammed his foot down on the
starter. With a roar the engine
came awake. Ankrom thanked his
gods he'd thought to borrow Ratch
ford s star, tt was mat gum oi
metal on his vest which so far had
held the )osso silent. Without that
star their natural curiosity might
have spelled disaster.
windy let out tne ciutcn ana tne
car began to roll. Just as he shoved
it into second, the door of the sher
iff's office banged open and Ratch
ford appeared with a rifle. He did
not seem to pause, but dropped at
once to a knee and whipped the
long gun to his shoulder.
Ankrom swore. "Here's Ratch
ford on the prod. Duck low an'
give this can the juice!"
Windy ducked and his foot
slapped hard. -
Zciiib-b-o! Zang-g-g!
The motor's roar as the car
leaped forward Into high drowned
the reports of Ratchford's rifle, but
it could not obliterate the omi
nous sound of lead ripping through
sheet metal nor the pinfip-pffl of
bullets knocking splintered holes
in the windshield's shatter-proof
glass!
Windy's foot on the a:celerator
went down to the floor and stayed
there!
fC.i. I'.'l. .Viliem C. .Vyi)
Tomorrow: Escape.
PRINCE IN LOVE
DEFIES POVERTY
OXFORD. EnRlsnd. Aug. 37.;
Aa imperious mrtLMRo from hit m
tan brother fnttNl toriy to weaken
the (ptrmlntlnn of it ;iO-rrirma
Malay princ to marry a young en
Hah chiropodist,
Prlnre Ma h in ixl. hrotjjcr of thi
ruler nf rrcnjtRnmi In thn unfeder
uteri Malay atate. was warned by tho
Bultm he could "expect nothing from
rrenftganir unleu he returned home
"Immediately and unmarried "
The youth declared, however. he
had "no intention of "Oinji home
without J re" 20-rar-o!; Miss
Joyc Bleucowv, an Oxford tailor
daughter with whom he fell In !cvr
while studying at Oxford utilveraitv.
Almost penntle.vi since crown agent
for Malay stopped hla allowance
Prince Man mud aatd he would take
any Job and added he and "Joyce r
determine that nothing ahull nund
in the way of our marriage."
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
Tot farther proof address the author, tnelosln a (tamped envelope for reply. Keg. U. 8. Fat Off.
-m i i i lUMiiii ni.ai.--,
PflemttMy living:
ons Toe on wen
foot...
INStDS A
DSNNtSBALLl
(found ba
Herbert tieh. .
Vr.3ss!'A
SCUADOR UrVJ ft 2000-MILE COrVSTUHfc,
vet euftYAfluiu, it cmet hpirso
'a30N'
J0$?SP INTO THSfilK AT THE
a -r. t An 1. iuii e
iimtn winiku
S7AHDINA ON Ul2 .
UcJUutfit SmtflCW. lot
"-27-35
Pigeon Buster.
"Bang I Bangl Bang!"
Not Redskins, but three more pige
ons "bit the dust" for Fred Solason.
Hastings, Pa., sharpshooter, who was
standing on his heaU at the ttme.
Master of any trick shot you can
think up, Solsson's upside-down pttjt-
on-btutlng with a shotgun la one of
the most amazing 'eats of his repertoire.
Last year, Solason, standing rlght-
slda up. broke 111 clay pigeons In
succession and established the high
est score ever made In the Allegheny
Skeet league. It waa the third tints
be had ever tried his hand at the
sport. 1
Solfson ahoota Just aa consistently
sitting or lying down as he d-.es
standing. Catch htm flat on n's
back, and he can break five pigeon
thrown Into the air at onoe.
Throw a block of wood into the
air and Solason will keep It bouncing
by shooting at It with a pistol as
long as the bullets bold out. Paste a
piece of adhesive plaster over the
hole in an Iron washer, then throw
It into the air. SoUson will ahoot a
rifle bullet through Its center.
Most difficult feat In Solsson's own
opinion is to throw three clay uigeors
over his shoulder, whirl around, and
hit all three before they touch the
ground.
Solsson trains like an athlete to
keep his faculties sharp; he attributes
much of his aklll to an ability to
"snap focus' his eyes from a nar
object to a distant one. or vice varsa.
claims Mrs. Vitus was in the act ot
removing from the premises. On hte
appearance she grabbed the rifle an 3
pointing It at him, ordered him to
go away.
e)
Labor Larking on Rand
JOHANNESBURG (UP) A Short-
sga of native labor Is threatening a
crlBls tn the South African gold min
ing Industry. The Mine Workers Un
ion Is perturbel because curtailing of
operatlona on the Rand through lack
of native labor wJuld mean a reduc
tion In the number of European
miners.
I
REUNION IN JAIL
OLYMPIA, Aug. 27. (P) rt WM
"old homo week" tn the Thurston
county Jail for the Turpln family
Friday night.
Orandmothor Ellen Turpln, 77, wr
held In S500 boll for aasault. Bon
Jack. 38. was held for auto theft, un
der $500 ball. Grandson James. 10.
was under S250 ball, charged with
using obscene language.
DIFFICULT DECISIONS
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
WHPftfER 1b KEEP OA Oft -fdRU BftCK WHEN) .
" IK SPITE OF VOUR, PASSENGER ADtflCE VOU PASSED UP
A GftS STATION PiVE MILES BACK BECAUSE VOU DIDN'T LIKE
TriE LOOKS OF If. AND MOW FMD TrtE C0UN1WS1DE GEfflN&
MORE ANT MORE DESOLATE AND'-faE 6AS 6A06E
I I f 11- K t J y'fcKM I.,, 1 1 ikMC
3 MATTER POi
Bv 0 M PAYNE
Iin TtrRuiLi'L Jy teed t4e.ni .
Boat "Swims" Upstream
SANTA CRUZ, Cal.- (UP) Frank O
u&ijiau, ouui.ll oe UllOt. OB3 per- )
fected the model of a boat tfiat will j
"swim" upstream llko a fish. The '
boat la equipped with fins, as Its .
sole motor power, In such a way
to take advantage of every zephyr
and current, either of wind or waves, '
regardless of the direction from
which It comes. ,
y (Co'i?vrirtt, im. by The B.11 SyndieU. Inc.) J
TAILSPIN TOMMY Too Late Now I
By HAL FORREST
Retty-udu 13
"about to make
a delayed
parachute oump
for the spectators
at the miami
air races.
"Tommy is much
concerned over .
his sweetheart,
. and conrdes
to skeet3 that
HE HAS A STPflGE
peeling That
something may
GO WRONG.
.JN ITWOULDNT HAVE DONE
V VI ANY GOOD, SKCETSl 'CHUTE)
BETTY-LOu'3 BLOOD
. If ' r 'I J
'-.Mil
WAL. IF YOU HAD
A HUNCH it's mn
LATE HOW TO 6TOP
V'ER, TAILSPIN
XI 3213. -U:
KEEP OUP. EYES ON
THAT PLANET. I Amc.Q 1
1IL UEMILEMEN!
IT'S GOING TO CLIMB
TO TWENTY THOUSAND
PEET !
cv
PAPta, for u.doti runs of cousms p.st ftaME.
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Jippem Plans!
1
MEANTIME, AS RUST? GOES JUBILANTLY ABOUT
HIS BUSINESS OF BUYW6 CHICKENS, LET US
tOOK INTO THE JIPPEM HEADQUARTERS
WEBSTER SQUIRT HAS
US STOPPED TEMPORARILY
7 ON TURKEYS, BUT
7i
WE SHOULD WORRY
IF WE LAND ALL THE.
-uiriEKl AND
1- BUSINESS POP-J
Ejl:
&$mMWl AND
EXACTLY.' AND
THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT
WE HAVE TO DO, SON
I'LL SPARE NO
EXPENSE
y
r if? rr- i
est ;klat,I"?.b'N L A K '
I f BAILOUT, MAKING A I
I 0ELAY6D PARACHUTE Y ON THE WAY
, up uv ririccrs Luwn onb I
' i THOUSAND PEET BEFORE; WILL RELEASE
, M SHE PULLS THE RIP- A SACK OF V
' ll CORP yT FLOUR TO X J
LlfHife .ij' 'wwiSw
By EDWIN
TSHALL I START VIaTONCE! CUT PRICES 1$V I
19 SETTIN' ORDERS I TO THE BONE! WE'LL E&3aSJ
n H IN TOWN, POP P DRIVE OUT ALL F' m
i' w '
THE NEBBS-Just a Little Time
By SOL HKn
Irked Eugene Wields,
Rifle, Collector Says
Et'OKNE. Auk 37. ArrcstM
Prlrtty evenlnj by city police arts
she had allegedly threatened a (in
sure company employe with a load,
ed title, Mrs. Zena Vitus. Eusenr
pleadi'd not guilty to charges tll.1
ngnlnst her when artlned in Jusike
court here. She Is belnit neld In ihi
city Jail In lieu ot tl.ioo nail
Mrs. Vitus allegedly turned a ii
calibre rifle on L C. Klrch.i't llnnn
company collects, when he t-i to
her reslrt-nre to re-p j,.is
household furnishings nich he
WELLO, MV '
60R3EOU5 ) ( WELLO, ,
Queers.' stevex. y
Lw COULD MEVER BE . )-
-J T'.Zi-' V.' V HAPPY WTHTUPM Z U
i. V ( t Mm OLJK ll .-
VE M X LITTLE TIME., NELLIE,
OONJ'T F3LA.ME TV EM FOR MOT
GO!M3 MAD OVER ME IM MOT MUCH
iTD LOO AT BUT CilVE. ME A LITTLE ,
CTIMEH. AUD ILL CUDDLE IKJTO
TVlElR APFE.CTIONJS
o:
cc
Tcoo
Ivor
52
ALOFR