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