Chang ecurried quickly for th ictal

by L.P. HOLAES|

Johnny jumped from his blankets
and scratched a match, and a moment
later the smokey lamp of the big

bunkhouse table threw out pale
gleams of yellow light. Pink Crosby,
one side of his cherubiec face streaked
with dvied blood, sighed with relief

us he lowered the biz, limp body of:

Pod Fortune on a bunk, Then he
wobbled and would have fallen. if
Johnny had not leaped forward and
steadied him. There was. «partially
emptied bottle of whiskey on a shelf
and Johnny brought it down and pave
Pink a long dtink.

“What. the hell happened?" he de
manded. a -

Pink, steadied “by the liquor, sank
into o chair and stared at Johnny
apathetically.
answered tonelessly. “Tried all after-

noon in town to start somethin’ with
me an’ Pod. We wanted to keep outa

their way. They outnymbered us an’
besides we didn’t want no trouble.

Pod an’ me ain’t gun-fighters, Then.

come dark we started back to the
ranch. Damned if the dirty skunks
didn’t dry-guleh us; We was ridin’
along quiet an’ easy an’ all-of a sud-
den from a heap o’ snge brush came.a
streak o' fire an’ the whang of a gun.
Ole Pod grunted an’ dropped. God!
] heard the slug hit him, I went for
my own hawe-laig but before I could
turn it loose somethin’ larruped ime
alongside the haid an’ down I went.

I wasn’t out, but somehow I couldn’t |

seem to move. Right away four or
five hombres came ridin’ out o' the
brush and scared our brones off, They
was laughin’ an’ jokin.’ One of them
says 'That pays fer Fair an’ Donnelly
but we gotta get one more o’ that
damned gang to square it up fer
Durbin.’ Sounded to me like Mon-
tana Wade's voice. Then somebody
else chimed in sayin’ that the old
man—meanin’. Spelle I reckin’—-was
figgerin’ on rushin’ the Box D an’
cleanin’ out on. the whole caboodle.

“FE was kinda driftin’ off about that
time an’ I couldn’t make much sense.
of the rest I heard. J did hear some-
body mention Miss Ronny’s name an!
then they all laughed kinda nasty
like. After that they haided back to-
wards town, I mista laid there for
an hour before I could get up. I went
over to Pod an’ found he wag still
alive. Then I had one hell of a time
ketehin’ our broncos, which had :un
off quite a ways. I got ‘em finally an’
managed to pile pore ole Pod across
his hull. Then I come on in. ‘That's
ell—’ceptin’ pore Pod. How bad is
he hurt, Johnny?”

‘Johnny bent over Pod Fortune and
unbuttoned his blood-drenched: shirt,
There was a nasty wound, high up on
the left breast, Johnny studied it
closely for a moment. “Hard tellin’,”
he muttered. ‘Looks, like -u lung
wound to me. Which ain't go good,
Give him a little o’ this liquor, Pink. | ¢
I'll go get the Chink up an’. have
him heat.some water. Then you an’
him do what yuh can fer Pod, I’m
haidin’ fer town after Doe. McMurdo,”

Johnny jerked: on his boots and.
buckled his gun belt around his hips.
Then he. went up to the rear where
Chang slept and pounded.on the door.

“Hey, Chang,’ he.: called softly.
“It’s me—Johnny Clehoe.” .

Presently Chang opened the door
and. blinked sleepiiy at Johnny.

“Wassa maliat” he ‘ereaked,.

Johnny told him ‘about ‘Pod and
what he-was going to do,. then. when |

*Spelle’s crowd,” he].

ee ee ne ne

frown deepened as he listened,

is but a- farce,”

ais hip.

luw of violence,”

2n, Johnny went to the corral on the
vun and saddled up, -A moment later
ne was pounding away through the
darkness along the trail to Carillion,
- While McMurdo dressed, Johnny
elated the paramount incidents of
che night nnd the old Scotchman’s

“Sig 2 sneakin,’ crafty mon he is,
chat Spelle. And a pity that the law

“We've got law," was Johnny’s
avegna nt answer, patting the gun at

“Ay, lad—te-niie ye are. But ‘tis a

“Mebbe,” said Johnny briefly, “but

did. Why Jim Delevan an’ me are
real friends. Jim’s been buyin’ his
supplies off’n me fer goin’ on sixteen
years. I told him he wasn’t foolin’
ole Jake none. I told him I knowed
he was figgerin’ on grabbin’ off Jim’s
spread, An’,” here Jake paused to
relieve himself of a mouthful of
blackstvap juice and to lend dramatic
effect to his words. “I told him I
shore hoped Jim would liek him to a
stem-windin’frazzle. Yessir, that’s
jest what I told him. I—huh—ugh!”

Jake halted so suddenly he. nearly
swallowed his cud of tobacco. He
was staring at the door, his pale eyas
bagged out alarmingly.

.

“Stay there,” snapped Johnny.

ean understand: All. set, Doe?”
“Aye—ye'll: be vridin’ with . me,
lad‘?!

Johnny shook ‘his head, “I’m hang-
in’ atound fer an hour or 80, See
yuh later, Doc.”

When McMurdo rode away Johnn; 4
went down to the hash- house and hid
breakfast. Then, just as the sun wns
peeping over the horizon he saunter-
ed up to Jake Butterfield’s store, to
find thet worthy opening ap.

“Out kinda early, ain’t yuh?” Jake
gave his orthodox greeting.
“Uh-huh, I want to get a little
smokin’, Jake.” ;
Johnny consumed a full hour over
this meagre purchase, most of the
time being spent as acting the inter-
ested listener to Butterfield’s ponder-
ous parralousness,

' “Some gents,” stated Jake, “shore
want to hawg everythin’, Take 5i
Spelle fer instance, Why he. even
tried to buy mé out yestidday. He
20 wrathy-es hell when I turned him
down, He couldn't see my side of it
a-tall, I’m plumb satisfied here. I’m

know what to do with myself if I had
to leave. Wien I told Spelle that"he
champed on the bit fer a while an’
then—what d’yuh know—he offered |
me five hundred dollars cash if'n I'd:
refuse to sell any more supplies toy
Jim Delevan o” the. Box D.” |

“Nor Johnny was interested ‘how
—very ‘interested. “T: suppose yuh
told him. to go'to-hell,: Jake?”:.

ad Jake ® Pridefully.

““Yore dang right I did,” proclaim-|
.“Yensir “I shore

it’s the only law. that. Spelle’s kind

counter where it wes dusky and the

makin’ & good ‘livin? an’ I wouldn't |‘

Johnny whirled, crouching,” Two
men had just enered. the store. Jake
and Johny Were at ‘he rear-of the

two new arrivals were squinting and
blinking: to udjust their eyes after
facing the slanting sun rays outside,
Johnny recognized the one in front
as Montuna Wade. The other wus a
stringer,

dake moved forward diffidently.

“What'll it be, gents?” he asked.

“Spelle wants all the .30-30 shells | |
yuh got in stock, Butterfield,” snap-.
ped Wade. “Trot ’em out here quick.
My partner An’ me got work. to do.
An!. say—-who in hell was yuh talkin’
to jest now?”

“Mel” Johnny's answer snapped
out like the crack of a whiplash. He
wcpped forward, “What yuh gonna

do about it, yuh damned, yellow ary-
guleher?” :

For a moment Wade stood as one
stunned, He teetered on ‘this toes like
an animal about’.to spring, peering at
Johnny, the finger of his right hand
uncoiling like flexing claws, Hate
flamed in his eyes.

{the week. Sh-shall I charge ’em?”

Murdo. “But. yon’s a braw mon on’

ed-onery an’ tough to, die, huh Pink?” |.

er pale, grinned back in answer from
beneath the shroud. of white bandage
which circled his head,
he nodded,
brone.’*

van impatiently. “Suppose you: give
An account o’ yoreself, young feller.
What’cha been doin’, an’ what’cha got
in that sack? Looks - purty darn heavy
to me.”

ny’s off-hand reply. “Say, Ronny—
how’s chances fer a little grub? I
ain't et since breakfast an’ it’s. git-
tin’ nenr two o'clock now. Tm all.
gaunted up.”

kitebenward.

shore got a. way with yuh, yuh dang-:|
ed young scallion, She never would
hop that fast fer me, “But yuh got
somethin’ to tell us,’ What's: weighin’

re down yore. mind?”

30 shells. Put ’em in a sack an’ pile
on five or six- boxes o’ .45s, Pronto
now."

Jake Butterfield, Stunned, awed,
shivering, his loosely hung tongue
cleaving to the roof of ‘hig mouth in
terror, moved automatically to obey,

“Here ‘tis", he croaked shakily,
shoving a weighty sack across the
counter, ‘Thirteen boxes o’ .30- -30s
an’ six o’ .45s. That cleans me. I
won't. have no more in "till the end 0’

Johnny grinned in spite of himself,
but his cold eyes never wavered from
the wounded man atthe door.

“Yeah; charge 'em—to Jim Dele-
van.” Then, lugging the weighty
suck in his left hand, Johnny advanc-
ed to tle door and drove Masters into
the street ahend of him,

“Fork yore brone an’ git,” shapped
Johnny. “Yuh can tell Spelle fer me
that if he’s. got any more gun-men
he’s’ yearnin’ to get rid of to send
em around. An’ ‘tell him we do our
shootin’ out in the open, not sneakin’ |.
around in the brush like a damned
side-winder. Get goin.”
When Johnny renched the Box D
tanchhouse he found. Jim Delevan,
Ronny, Doe McMurdo and Pink Cros-
by in conference on the porch. As
he rode up to the corrals Ronny nd-
vanced to the head of the stairs and
waited until Johnny came clanking
up, the sack of ammunition draped
over one shoulder.
Johnny smiled at her cheerfully.
“Now — now,” he chided gently;
“chase those scary-scaries outa yore
pretty eyes, Miss Ronny. The-sun’s
ashinin’ an' I saw a blue-bird down
the trail a pieee.” ,
Some of the hovering shadow left
Ronny’s eyes at this foolishness and
she even managed a tremulous little |
smile.
“You should have come back with
the doctor,’ she accused, “We've
been worried sick about you. I—
—” she gulned a little and winked

|

Smithers Garage

& Electric
Smithers, B.C.

General Motors Parts and
Service

Acetylene Welding
Experts

CENTRAL BRITISH COLUMBIA

Seed Fair
Held under the auspices of the Pro-
vincial arid Federal Departments of

Agriculture
—AT—

Prince George

HOTEL SAMPLE 2008
ON

Friday, Nov. 6

Classes for Exhibition, Commercial
and registered samples of Grains,

Clovers, Grasses and Potatoes,

Prize Lists and Rules may be obtain-
ed from J. Travis; District Agricul-
turist, Prince George, or from S. G.

Preston, District Agriculturist,
Smithers,

Transportation paid on oxhibits by

the management,

fast,
Johnny sobered and caught her el-
bow with his free hand. “Don’t yuh,”
he pleaded. “Not because -o’ me, I'll
allus come back—to you.”
(He squeezed her arm tightly and

Train Service

Ronny had the grace to blush. John-
ny steered her up the porch to the
others,

“How's Pod?” he demanded.
“Vern, vera, sick,” rumbled Me-

should cheat Dearth this time.”
“ay knew he would,” answered John-
ny complacently,. “Pod’s too doggon- | .
’ Pink Crosby, his rosy cheeks rath-
“Y’betcha,”

“Ole Pod’s one tough |-

“How about you?” broke in Dele-

“Jest a few supplies,” was John-

Ronny smiled and scurried away

“Humpth,” grunted ‘Delevan, “yuh

For Fares,
specifie details, see ‘nearest agent,

CANADIAN
NATIONAL

connecting at
Jasper with

The Coatinent-

al Limited.

For PRAIRIE. Points and

EASTERN CANADA

Trains leave New Hazelton,
Smithers, Vanderhoof, and
. Prince George.
eastbound
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays...

~ westbound a .
Tuesdays. Thursdays, Saturdays

‘Reservations: and more

eS 5

“Spike,” he snarled " suddenly,
“here's one Scalp Spelle wants-—~bad.
He’s one o’ the two what did fer Fair
an’ ‘Donnelly an’- Durbin. Get him!
With the words: Wade dropped to
his. knees, anatching at. his gun.”

‘He. died. in that position, slumping:
forward. . on his. ‘face. Johnny had
been waiting for that ‘movement: and
had gone.into. flaming action; -
“Stay there,” Shapped'
“ "Nother x move an’.yuh

Frank - ‘of ‘Vancouver, ‘BC, intend:- to 1
apply ‘to. the Commissioner ‘of Lands |
for a ‘Heonse: to. Progpect, for coal and
petroleum. over-: the. following |. dea-
| erlbed- landa ‘—Section’ 9 THD, 1A, ‘R ;
24 Vip Const . District:

(Continued Next fae} -
NOTICE -

Take. Notice’, that. a Sarah. M.

ber: 1, “1986,

e ‘Sept

Tekwa Hote!

c. ‘B Bussinger, ‘Propristor |

ers

New. Beda ; Bath, ‘with. bot i. .
; and cold water” ok