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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 1938)
PAGE SIX MEDFOTID MATL TRTBlTyE, METTFORD," OBF,OOy.'TVEDNERT) AY. AUGUST 31. 1938. LOVE Oil THE RANGE -IT mum cm. Chapter 31 Sudden Death 'THIS, Ankrotn told himself, u in the darkness he turned back toward the fireplace, wai the very thing he had ridden into this coun try to avoid murder, battle aod audden death Yet he had found them even as he knew he would. Reaching above the mantel for a nne it came to him that a man cannot escape his destiny. Not that it mattered, he told himself. Since Lee Trone had flung those words at him across this room and turned her back, he no longer cared. He'd deserved ins words sne'd used on him. and more. His censure was for himself. The rifle was a reneatar. Hs t. amined It and found the magazine run. his wide lips pulled down ward grimly as he crossed the moonlit floor and crouched be neath a window. A glance across his shoulder showed him Claydell at another: there was the glint of a six gun tn the ranchers hand. With the barrel of his rifle, An krom knocked the glass from the lower sash. Jerking his hat-brim low, he peered out across the yard. Some two hundred yards away a , pair of touring cars were drawn up tn a loose V, Its apex pointing toward the house. Bursts of yel low flame blossomed magically in the darkened space beneath. . "Beckon they're all behind those cars?" , 1 doubt it," Claydell answered. "They got into- position mighty quick, but not so quick I didn't see two shadows fllttln' away one to either side. Those two will flank my men and drive 'em into the house. You wait an' see. Ratchford savvies this Indian game better'n any gent I ever met. We'll have our work cut out for us. "How many men . you got out mere; "Let's see . . . five. Countin' Ban dera." . - "How many men you figure there Is with Ratchford?1' . .. "I'd say eight or ten, anyway." "Didn't you cut your string pretty short?" Ankrom's tone held a note of mockery. "You're thinkin' I was kind of tight on men. Well, I wasn't at all sure Ratchford was. plannin' to strike to-night 1 only brought my bunch to be on the safe side. I don't see now how It is Ratchford's raidin' here, 'stead of over at my place. He knows he'll have to smash me first " ' "He was comln' here for me." Ankrom explained, and shoved his rifle across the sill. "Still, you posted your men outside with or ders to open ur as soon as Ratch ford showed. How come you did that if you weren't expectln" him?" "I told you I was flgurin' to play safe. If Ratchford came I was ready for him. If he didn't, there wasn't any harm done In bein' ready." Claydell leaned closer to his window, peering out into the drifting shadows. I wish they'd get out into the open where we could pick 'em off. "You needn't worry about Ratchford stickin' too close to shelter. He's In no mood for cau tious flghtin'. Right now he's feel In' meaner'n a new-sheared sheep." "You talkln' to keep your cour age up?" Claydell sneered. "If you ain't, then shui up! I want to hear the music. I've tried for a good many years to maneuver Ratch ford into pullin' something like this." "Ratchford's land appeal to you, too?" A Rush DOT at that moment a bullet - knocked glass slivers from the upper sash of Ankrom's window. At that moment also, he sighted a forward-creeping . figure edging houseward from the black shadow of the cars. He elevated his rifle's muzzle just a fraction. His finger squeezed the trigger the crawler ceased all movement. Ankrom cuddled his weapon's butt against his shoulder and waited for another target. "You wantin' Ratchford's landT too?" he repeated. "Must be damn' valu able dirt in this country. What's In it, anyway diamonds?" "You wouldn't be doln' so much scoflln' if you knew what I know," Claydell answered enigmatically. "Trouble is with you, you don't use even the one brain vou been equipped with." Before Ankrom could find a suf ficiently scathing rejoinder, a defi nite lull became apparent in the sound of cracking rifles. "Well, you were right for once, at any rate." he said. "This won't last much loncer. They've driven vour coyotes off." "Not off," Claydell corrected. "Just inside. They'll be with us In a second." The prescribed second had hard ly passed when two men entered from the hall. Their faces ns they entered, were in shadow t by their gear Ankrom picked t one for Bandera. He'd known the Mexican would not be hurt the nil fellow was tar too tuic. hide. . Bandera swore when he recog nized Ankrom bv the moonlisht that was streaming in the windows. ine Mexican s companion said: "They got Tim. Ed an' Baldy sloped I" Claydell continued his watchful scrutiny of the yard. Abruptly Ankrom realized that someone was crouching at his side. With sidelong glance he attempted to determine who. . What he saw brought his head full around. An ger marked his voice: "You can't stay out herel D'you want to get shot?" "I'll do as I please In this house," Lee Trone answered defiantly. "Kindly tend to your own busi ness." Ankrom scowled at her through the semi-gloom. Always, he was thinking, they had had to clash. His scowl rrew blacker as he ob served a gun in Lee's right hand. She was not looking at him now, but at something behind him. Hs saw her gun start up. Letting go the rifle he flashed a glance across his shoulder. Across the room Bandera waa crouched, one arm above his head. From something In his back-flung hand the moonlight struck silvery gleams. Ankrom hurled himself aside as that upraised hand snapped forward. With a chunk! a knife buriec'. its point In the sill behind him a- flame lanced out from Ankrom's hip, and from the gun in LiyTrone's hand. Bandera spun, reeled sideways and crashed down across the table. Claydell's oath ..as lost !r the startled cry of Bandera's com panion: . . "Quicfc They're mafcln' a rush!" Reconciliation THE man's warning had coma too late to stem the tide of Ratchford's rush. The outer door bulged beneath the onslaught of a battering log. With a shrill scream of rending wood the door was torn from its hinges and smashed to the floor as Ratchford'i wolves came surging in with blaz ing guns. Ankrom's heart thudded crazily against his ribs, as, brushing Lee behind him, he thumbed swift shots into the huddle of crowd ing men showing dimly in that open doorway. Shouting, cursing, Ratchford's crew came swarming In, and the moon-dappled murk was illumined by criss-cross stab bing streaks o.' flame. Ankrom did not know his gun was empty, itr pin smiting useless brass, until a stenrlv Dummelinfl of his side caiucrl him to lower a hand, into which l.pe slipped a freshly-loaded Distol. Then throich the Bloom a tow ering, rocklike form thrust up be fore him. There was no mistaking that bulging, burly figure. "Tnm PolnVifrt-rl " A-I..A-, breathed, nnrl whinnpr hi wpnnnn UP. Yet even as his thumb re- I leased its hammer, he saw Ratch ford's big shape lurch sideways iaii sprawling to ine swift trip hammer beat of Claydell's gun from the opposite window. Drawing a deep breath, An krom looked down. A bar of moon light poured liquid silver across Ratchford's heavy face; revealed his working lins as. stuhbornlv. the dying man strove to speak. Words camo at last in a broken whisper: "Claydell . . . was after . on. "Damn vou to hell!" swore Clav. dell, and flame burst redly from his hip. Ankroma voice crossed the si lence raggedly "That was a dog's trick, Claydell." Through the murk of smoke and shadow the rancher's tall, lank form stood stiff. "Noui!" said Claydell, and his gun belched flame again. A burning shock seared An krom's side, but he kept his feet "Not good cnough,"he leered. Claydell's hand 'was shaking now. Ankrom could hear the bul lets shrill; could hear them chunk) into the wall behind him. He shot coldly from the hip just once. Claydell crumpled, stretched mo tionless on tl. floor. Then everything went black. Minutes later he opened his eyes to find his had pillowed on something soft. He turned his head a little, realized that it was rest ing in Lee Trone's lap. He tried to struggle up, only to find thai her arms, clasped about him. would not let mm rise. Something hot and moist fell on his face. Tears! Lee Trone was ryingi Whv. ma'am " ha beean. hut she broke in, and there was un- Imagined tenderness In the low, throat murmur with which she asked: Oh. Abe whv did voti mski me love you so?" A tremor ran through his body, the blood pumped furiously through his veins. "You vou don t you can't mean?" "Of course." she said, smiling through her tears at his Incoher ence. I ve loved you all the time! (Cfftriftl. IM, .VWlM c. A THE END STRANGE A S IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX Wot farther proof address the author, Inclosing a stamped envelope for reply. Re. U. 8. Pat Off. yarfSS'" I AaMaWtmaW NICH01.M 11 fat Russian har, -s PROPPSP ine aouuen serine rYT HI COROHOTIOH -- mg1 iu nieo annn ppoenuc uieoe if it i ev fit HI CoRONfcTlON frHTlVM.-- U-AQ or HIS Officials WcRc fi&hSSlNffreP ORVlOUNDSD He iof hi Pteer to japan HE WST HISTHR0N6 IN 1HE RED REVOLUTION ftND, WfTH Hi ENTlRe FAMlM, WbS HM LF MURPBRBD IN Wl8 1 55 f i . 5? vmm W A7oim3 WP6 SO BRIGHT ii) ' ft &JCCSSSIVE NEWSPAPERS C0UW8F 1 j 3 Nob- IT LfcSfiED MoNTrV5. V (v OFFICERS SLAY OF INDIANAPOLIS. Aug. St. - -Two gunmen" were shot to death In a wild exchnno ot gun Mr with three deputy sheriffs In nutheMtern In dlnnnpolli tod;. Without warning, the gunmen opened fire on the deputies, who had halted to InvMtlpnte a taiicnb In which the men rode. The offlrem proved to be better marksmen end felled the men, one by one. None ot the deputies in true. Deputy Robert Hurrltt said tin '.unmen muttered t a hotel yes terday as Earl Llndwiy and William Davis, both of Council Bluff. Iowa In the hat of one of the men as written the name "A. V. Brad fhw of peR. Okla." In the gunmen's automobile, park ed In the hotel gimme, were a rifle, two wls of ArknnAt ll'-env piste, mid a jH'llee dog. HurrKt said h and the other of ficers decided to stop the cab fol lowing receipt of a tip one ot the passengers was armed. BIG EVERETT SAWMILL DESTROYED BY FLAME tVERKET. Wn.. Aug. 31. Tl TM. big mill of the Old Crown Lumber company, ilnee iy03 ft ruet Sound landmark, exploded nto flamra thl morning and wan almost completely destroyed when a workman. enxAAed In removing machinery from the plant, dropped a cut tin torch Low waa estimated at between 73.000 and 100.000. Tht mill waa coi..t;ructed by tht Mukllteo Lumber company, an affil iate of the Clark-Nlrkeraon company of Everett In 1000 It waa tnaen over by the Nelaon Strnrmhip lines and A-aa tn constant operation up until ibout aeten veara ao, having a capacity of over 2 i 000 board Tret a dny. FW the pt rn-vcn vpara It hn. 1M itjy. Ue MlU llio una waut Ada. Czar of Fate The unfortunate reign of Nicholas n, last of the Romanoff dynasty o.' Russian rulers, began most lnaupt cioualy In May, 1896, when the Czar dropped the scoptre from1 his rigLc hand at his coronation tn Moscow. Then, at the Moscow festival of hU coronation, more than 3,000 people were crushed to death through the negligence of officials who had ar ranged for a distribution of bounties. These events were regarded by Nich olas with an attitude of mvstlc resig nation. As if they were part f a hue scheme to dog Nicholas' life with tragedy, a series of deaths. assi&K lnations, political setbacks and mil Itary losses followed with startling regularity. Of his Immediate family, Nlcholnc' father had died of Injuries received In a train wreck trying to savo Nicholas. His brother, George, died from nn injury received In a wrest ling match with Nicholas. He had witnessed the assassination of hi grandfather. In 1902 his former Minuter of thi Interior, Slpyogln. was assassinated In 1903 the same fate befell his Pres ident of the Court of Ufa and his President of the Police of BJalostok. The next year a ' terrorist bomb took the life of Plehve, his Minister of the Interior; in 1905 his President of the Police of Kiev was assassin ated. Throughout his reijn 489 of hfs officials were either murdered or injured. Nicholas lost his Pacific fleet to the Japanese In the Battle of Tsus hima In 1905. During the Red Revo lution In 1917 he lost his throne and next year his own life and those of his wife, his four daughters and his son were taken in Siberia. Tomorrow: How do birds "stake out" a new nesting territory? SUBURBAN HEIGHTS GLUYAS WILLIAMS By MRS.PIUMER,'601H6 OUT FOR THE PAV, HAD SlVEW HER. KEV 0 MRS. LAPPEf, IK CASE HER. HUSBAND SHOULD COME HOME BEFORE SHE P)D; AND MRS. LAPPET, BElNS CAILH? OUT, HAT? LEFT A NOTE SKVINS SHE WAS LEV)N6 THE PLUMERS' KEV AND HERS WITH FREP PERLEV, AND FRED HAT? FOR GOffEM ALL, ABOUT iT AND 6DNE 10 THE MCMES 6um (Copyright, 1838, by The Bag, Syndicate, Inc.) g30 WLUAtTS Confederate Army Stages Last Camp COLUMBIA, 8. C, Apg. 31. (yp) Reveille at dawn and a solute, to Mie flag opened today what In all prob ability will be- the last encampment of the Confederate army. Offlclim estimated about BOO veterans would attend. The Joint conventions of the con federated southern memorial associa tion and the sons of confederate veterans are being held here at the same time. O.O.P. Lender Dies VENTURA. Cal.. Aug. 31. (ff) -George A. Newell. Jr.. chairman of tho California state Republican as sembly, died last night in a hospital hero after a stroke of appoplexy. He had been 111 for two weeks. Ncweli. ft stock broker, formerly was mayor of Ventura. CLAIM GRANDSON STOLE GRANDMA'S BURIAL FUND CHICAGO, Aug. 31. (3) Gils Qrlsa signed a complaint charging his son Walter, 23. with burglary. The son was accused of taking S20O which his 87-year old grandmother had put away In a tin box for her funeral expenses. Closing time for Too Late to du ally Ads Is 1 :30 p m. 3 'MATTER POI Bv C M PAYNE ' 4e.iUo -tjow , V I'm "jJo im' ) I AMiVftooe-. I COM6. Yvf i . J . J "Z O I H' I 1 jg- al i S . -0l (Oopyrigbt, 1838, by The Bell Bynileste, Int.) TAILSPIN TOMMY Anxiety! By HAL FORREST JUST A3 BETTY BAILED OUT OP THE PLAhE AT AM ALTITUDE OP 20,000 PEE.T, INTENDING TO MAKE A OELAflO teHUTE JUMP OF l,0OO FEET bkfoce pulling the Rip-cord, a dowmdraft caused the ship to plunge amd she struck her head against the tail assembly op the coaft , THE TAIL ASSEMBLY RENDERED UNCONSCIOUS 'e3J OP THE COAFT BY THE BLOW, BETTY - :r l' '"' ; j PLUMGES earthward! AMY MOMENT NOW ( I DON'T SEE ) , ' I SEE f SOMETHING IS J I MISS BARNES WILL. I ANY PLOUft! J( WHERE N 'ER 1 ' WRONG' GOOD ' kgi RELEASE THE FLOUR L V rX V IS SHE? I I SEE I LORD' SHE I , iTM TO MARK HER ' i. I'Vl'tJ v. 'ER' A ,a'"fT CUTTING dcwnwaro path! ir vt-oose with TMey- ' BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER News By ED WIN ALGE THE NEBBS-Nothing Doing jij-jh P""""","aiaMaaj wmmmmmmmmmmm w"nBBKawnr 'RECKON 111 CHECK WITrTj i-J f FOR PETE'S SAKE, BEN.N MWHATS HAPPEHED.TItHAT.' ESGS IS 30 BEN WEBSTER, THE ES6 AN' CHICKEN wW 1 I MR. 9AXT0N FIRST HE lrT SI i DON'T MENTION CHICKENS OR : MR. SAKTON? r-J HISH I'M EVEN AFRAID BUSINESS O1 THIS TERRITORY IS IN THE v'i & 0U6HT TO HAVE A J. J EGGS T ME J LET'S TALK ABOUT Wy&. T7 I W PUT THE PRICE HOLLOW tf ONE MAN'S HAND AN1 THE ' ? N THINGS- 5- Jr SOMETHIN PLEASANT y THI OF 'EM ON CRITTER'S NAME IS JUNIUS OIPPEM! xj " ir-ir ' I ilil WELL.CILDRESJ.X J lj: il:! HETS SHOWIMG VOU TUFt BEST Vi.rii1 1 1 tl M W'MM f DlDMT DD LEAVE EMOUSM HOWEV X:X ''4M1T 0- l'srRioOs'N i' il l SIDE. OP HIMSELPTVIE-Rr. IS fe. -j.IfO!1 VOU TO GOTO EUROPE AMD 'I jv.eeGiMioiKje to u)HAT" i'-tueWVii1 amotmelr side vou HAvewr seekJ sj' 1 Skp,cK -some sor.t of title? I 1 VlLIK-e STevC O A TD LIKE ASOUT7 VeTXIOD BESDHS WE'S rOO ffOUO GET A LOT OF KJEELUS- Q LX ,jNB6 A BITjM -N ORMAMEXJT TO 1 Vf PAPER PDBUCITV AMD ThA I Y j jC f jZ-J VSgj M& AT SCHOOL I,1?' Bv SOL HESP
